The dental landscape is rapidly evolving. Staying ahead and growing your market share requires you to go beyond traditional marketing tactics. Dental practice owners seeking to attract and retain great staff and capture growth in their businesses must adapt and innovate.
Here are 10 practice growth tips for navigating the challenges and opportunities in 2024.
1. Treat new enquiries with urgency
Time is of the essence when it comes to lead engagement. Aim to connect with new online enquiries within 5 minutes or less to maximise your conversion rates. Implement effective follow-up strategies to ensure consistent communication and engagement.
2. Hire a Client Experience Manager (CEM)
Elevate patient experience by prioritising the role of a Client Experience Manager (CEM). This key position focuses on enhancing patient satisfaction and retention. The CEM role is designed to follow the patient journey – from the time of initial enquiry through to treatment plan acceptance and beyond.
3. Establish processes to track cash generation
Develop routines, processes, and KPIs around cash-generating activities to drive practice growth. From outbound dials for recall patients to content creation and attracting new patient enquiries, align your team’s efforts and KPIs with revenue-generating objectives.
4. Invest in patient communication skills
Equip your team with effective patient communication skills to foster trust and rapport. Avoid the stigma associated with sales by emphasising genuine patient care and engagement.
5. Engage with your patient database
Regularly communicate with your patient database to maintain engagement and loyalty. Offer incentives, such as free consultations or referral programs, to encourage patient interaction and foot traffic.
6. Enhance patient follow-up processes
Optimise patient follow-up processes with valuable content tailored to their needs. Provide informative resources and personalised support to guide patients through treatment decisions, reinforcing your practice’s expertise and credibility whilst building trust.
7. Offer flexible finance options
Facilitate access to dental treatment through flexible finance options, such as payment plans. Remove barriers to care and accommodate diverse financial preferences to expand your patient base.
8. Embrace video testimonials and smile reveals
Embrace video testimonials, smile reveals, and before-and-after visuals to showcase your expertise and patient outcomes. Overcome reluctance by encouraging patient participation and leveraging visual storytelling for impactful marketing.
9. Don’t avoid objections
Identify common patient objections and develop effective scripts to address them. Role-play objection handling scenarios as a team to refine communication skills and build confidence among your team members.
10. Maintain visibility through advertising
Maintain visibility and reach new audiences by running targeted ads across social media platforms. Even during busy periods, prioritise advertising to sustain momentum and drive practice growth. It keeps you front of mind and increases your word of mouth engagement.
Request a Strategy Session with our team
As the dental industry continues to evolve, implementing strategic growth initiatives is essential to stay relevant and position your practice for growth. By prioritising patient experience, communication, and innovation, dental businesses can thrive in a dynamic and competitive landscape. Need guidance on crafting a structured growth program for your practice? Let’s start a conversation and unlock your practice’s full potential, book a Strategy Session with our team today.
