We'll get down to business in a minute, but first:
I hope you had a great Halloween weekend. We had a blast with
our kids of course, as our neighborhood got together for our
annual Halloween "blocks party", with parents and kids all
donning costumes.
Reid (6) was Commander Fox from Star Wars, Kenan (4 1/2)was good
ole Batman, and Olivia (2 1/2) was Princess Ariel in a tutu. If
you're wondering about me, I wore a pig nose and big black wings.
Any guesses? Yes, I was...
The Swine FLEW! My wife Elizabeth was my "Earth Angel" with her
white wings and halo, to round out the family costumes.
OK...now let's get to our topic today:
Mixing Your Messages For Fun & Profit
Last time I took a bit of detour from my original path on this
thread to emphasize how important it is to INCLUDE all of your
patients on your "patient list", except for the ones who have
specifically opted out and have left your practice. How else
will overdue patients return unless you stay in touch??
Today I'm going to discuss MIXING your messages for best results.
The intent is to KEEP EVERYONE INTERESTED in you and your practice,
and not allow them to get bored. Being boring is "sin #1"...as
soon as that happens, you'll find your messages being ignored by
your patients.
As I've said before, the foundation upon which all communications
with your patients should be built is your MONTHLY MAILED patient
newsletter. Yes, a physical paper newsletter delivered by the
mailman. If executed consistently, this will represent 12 of
your minimum 24 contacts per year with your patients.
Although I can't give you all the details about what to include
in your newsletters today, I will give you a few important tips.
First, make it less than 50% "dental"...include personal stories
like I just did above! Add some FUN content unrelated to dentistry.
Highlight selected patients to profile...they make great indirect
testimonials. And don't forget to include INSERTS to encourage
referrals and offers on specific procedures.
You can easily get another 12-24 contacts per year through your
EMAILED communications with your patients. I suggest you email
your patient list 1-2 times monthly with shorter bursts of
info. One article per message...don't get complicated. I know
my messages tend to be longer than normal, but I'm emailing
my industry peers with strategic information. Your messages
should be considered as half information, half ENTERTAINMENT!
Occasionally you can even mix your mailed messages using
postcards, greeting cards, letters, etc. December is a great
month to send an abbreviated "newsletter", for example. This
year I'm doing an 8 1/2 x 11 two-sided card stock mailing,
just to keep it interesting. With all the holiday mail, be
sure to send something different so it'll be noticed, but avoid
the "same as everyone else" holiday cards.
That said, one fantastic way to differentiate your practice is
to send a holiday card for an unusual occasion when people
don't usually get cards. I've been sending Thanksgiving cards
to my patients for several years, and they love it! We also
include an offer, and we tie it in with our "End of Year Insurance
Letter", which we send in mid to late September.
[Very soon I'll be sending another message about this. If you
want to send a Thanksgiving card with special offer to your
patients, stay tuned this week for details!]
Another one of my favorite communication techniques is the
"voice blast". This is a really cool method that should only
be used 3-6 times per year. A voice blast allows you to "call"
everyone on your list at the same time using a service provider,
and all those that answer will receive your prerecorded message
as if your were speaking to them live. These are great for
special events, promotions, or even a surprise "thank you".
Without a doubt, your patients will be blown away!
Now I know there's a chance you may think this is "way too much".
Well, the only reason you may feel that way is because you've
probably been doing a lot LESS of this than you should!
I'm telling you that if you don't get in touch and STAY in touch
at least 24 times per year with your patients, you'll LOSE more
of them than you normally would. No question.
Heck, even if you just do HALF of what I've outlined here, you'll
be so far ahead of other dentists in your area. But don't let
that keep you from going "all the way" and taking FULL advantage
of the absolute BEST practice builder there is:
Continuous, Consistent Communication!
All my best,
Chris
PS: Don't forget...this week I'll give you the opportunity to
JOIN ME and send your own patients a very unique and effective
Thanksgiving Card promotion. Don't miss it!
Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
www.DentalInsiders.com/patientattraction
Posts
