Orthotown September 2019 - 62

Community marketing:
Learn from the pros
Melissa Herbinko's article in the June 2019
issue of Orthotown magazine, "Community
Marketing," shares advice gleaned from
years of experience with a large multidoctor
orthodontic practice in the Midwest. To
read tips that work for getting out and
promoting your practice, go to
orthotown.com/herbinko.

Invest in your community
Regardless of the size of your orthodontic practice, developing a sustainable
program that focuses on giving back to your
community can have a significant impact on
the growth of your practice. Not only is it
simply the right thing to do, but demonstrating
a culture of giving also builds employee morale
and pride, which plays a role in quality staff
recruitment and retention. It also boosts the
reputation of the practice, paving the way for
additional new patients. For example, GSO's Gift
of a Smile program provides free orthodontic care
to children as part of the school's pledge to provide
$100,000 in orthodontic care to children who need
braces but may not be able to afford them. Partnering
with local middle schools and high schools is an
inexpensive way to build your new patient base and,
by doing so, gives you an opportunity to establish
brand awareness among teachers, administrators,
parents and their children.

Cultivate referrals
Outreach designed to build strong, loyal relationships with dentists, dental staff and
patients is vital to grow your orthodontic practice.
Invest time developing authentic relationships with dentists in your area who are
like-minded and share your "patient-comes-first" philosophy. Consider reaching out to
your local dental society and requesting an opportunity to speak at a chapter meeting. Offer
consultations and intelligence-sharing sessions with key experts within the dental community.
Make yourself an accessible resource as time allows.
Don't underestimate the influence that staff has on a doctor. Your staff should be friends
with your referring doctors' staffs. You'll be amazed by how this pays off in referrals
Be keenly attuned to the role your patients can play in expanding your practice. Patient referrals
are, in fact, your most valuable source of growth. Do everything in your power to ensure your patients
have a positive experience each and every time they interface with you and your staff-on the phone,
in person, in the community. You'll be judged and remembered, positively or negatively. Positive
experiences lead to quality recommendations. People like to refer someone to a business they've had a
good experience with because it makes them feel important and smart.
With the many ways technology has facilitated the opportunity for sharing one's opinion about
a business-be it on the phone, via email, on review sites-or even through good old-fashioned word
of mouth, managing your reputation precipitates positive growth. ■

SEPTEMBER 2019 // orthotown.com

http://www.orthotown.com/herbinko http://www.orthotown.com

Orthotown September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown September 2019