June 2018--“Technology is not the solution for practice growth; it’s the driver,” says Amol Nirgudkar, CEO of Patient Prism. It drives patients to your practice and helps you engage with them, even when they’re not in your office. But remember that growth is related to the patient’s relationship with you, feelings about you, and trust in you.
You can thank Google for people depending on the Internet to find the services they are looking for and find the information they need to make their buying choices. All dental practices, with rare exception, have a dental website and Google Business Page, but an online presence is just not enough if you want to grow your practice and remain relevant. You need to leverage technology to stay in constant communication with your patients to maintain the relationship and build trust.
Using digital marketing to attract new dental patients is not sufficient to continue engagement with them. You need to communicate with them effectively by being present, frequent, and trustworthy. This includes the entire patient experience from the initial phone call to everything that happens in your office. It also includes how you stay in contact with your patients and communicate with them between office visits. Growth can be generated through phone calls and in-person experiences, and also leveraging software technology.
When you create great office experiences for your patients, the memory of this sticks, especially if you surpass other dental practices the patient has experienced in the past. Always give patients your personal best while they are in your presence. Be genuinely present and understanding of their situation. The personal touch of remembering them by name and remembering details about conversations you have had with them in the past will make them feel appreciated and valued. Your genuine smile of greeting has impact.
Because dentists and team members help people look and feel better, patients are frequently thrilled with results. Invite thrilled patients to write an online review about you.
Compliment thrilled patients by saying:
“Your smile is amazing. I’d be so proud if I were you that I would post a selfie on social media.”
When they are sharing that image on their own Facebook and Instagram pages, it’s being seen by their network of friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. Social media has become the new word of mouth and is the way many people keep in personal touch.