The Future of the Orthodontic Practice

Mar 5, 2019 | Business Development, Marketing and Promotion, Patient Relations | 0 |

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Orthodontics is rapidly changing. For many years orthodontics was a very stable specialty where the supply and demand did not change to any significant degree. Today, orthodontics is about to undergo what I refer to as The Competition Explosion. This explosion is due to numerous factors that are changing referral patterns and increasing the need for properly focused strategic marketing.

Competition is emerging in orthodontics from many different sectors and most practices are unprepared for the contributing challenges which include:

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Five Ways to Improve Your Practice Quickly

Every Levin Group orthodontic marketing client begins their consulting program with a set of rules that we call “The Standards.” Before clients begin the core of their referral marketing program and as we embark on designing a unique marketing strategy for each client, we like to make sure they have “The Standards” in place.

When properly implemented, these five powerful tactics will immediately transform patient relations, overall customer service, and the entire referral process of the practice.

The Standards are:

There are other aspects of The Standards, but using these five rules is a powerful way to immediately begin reshaping your office, creating a 5-Star Customer Service mentality, and designing a powerful referral marketing program. OP [/sidebar]

Orthodontic practice success comes down to two key factors—marketing and sales. A referral marketing program is key to attracting potential patients and the treatment coordinator is equally important in closing cases, but it all begins with referral marketing.

There was a time when referral marketing always included both referring doctors and patients. However, most orthodontists quickly tired of pursuing referring doctors and began to focus all their marketing efforts on patients. This approach worked for many years but today’s orthodontic practices must again embrace both referring doctors and patients because they must take advantage of every opportunity to increase and maintain referrals. That’s why Levin Group has created a new marketing program based on the following FIVE FOCUS AREAS:

The science behind the program focuses on reaching people in many different ways. The Branded Patient Rewards and Referral Program focuses on identifying and building a true brand that motivates young patients to be more engaged with the practice and tell other people about their positive experiences.

Once you’ve gotten the kids on board, it’s time to make parents feel that they’re more than just chauffeurs shuttling kids to and from your office. The Parent Ambassador Club allows you to create more bonding experiences with the mothers and fathers in the practice through education, rewards, and social media.

Every orthodontic practice needs a social media strategy plan based on the most modern techniques. Current social media psychology indicates that people don’t like to be marketed to, but they do like information and feel-good opportunities that create an understanding of the practice. Keep in mind that patients, parents, and the community should all be included in your social media interface.

Despite the fact that they are participating more in orthodontic care, referring doctors are still a major referral source, so ignoring them is a mistake. When the marketing is done properly, referrals from referring doctors increase by a significant percentage. This is important considering the fact that one referring doctor alone can provide tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual revenue.

Finally, there is the community. We recommend that practices avoid expensive advertising programs, and instead take advantage of community public relations activities that are generally inexpensive and offer tremendous opportunities for practices to increase their standing in the community.

Patients and parents will begin to recognize the orthodontic practice quickly and in new ways if the FIVE FOCUS AREAS are all consistently addressed. One of the biggest mistakes that practices make is having an “on-again, off-again” mentality towards referral marketing. This often leads to a decrease in effectiveness because the marketing programs are not building on themselves.

So when should you start? The answer is now. While early and middle stage decline can be reversed, late stage decline is often an extreme problem. A referral marketing program using the FIVE FOCUS AREAS described above will help you attract patients from the community and combat The Competition Explosion. OP

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New Levin Group Program

We are pleased to announce the launch of the New Levin Group Orthodontic Marketing Program. This breakthrough program includes FIVE FOCUS AREAS—Patients, Parents, Social Media, Referring Doctors, and the Community.

Levin Group has been the leading orthodontic management and marketing consulting firm since 1985. We have worked with thousands of orthodontic practices.

If you would like to have a 30-minute discussion about your unique practice situation and how the New Levin Group Orthodontic Marketing Program can benefit you, please visit levingroup.com/orthodontic-marketing-program or contact Angela Pickett at [email protected].

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Roger P. Levin, DDS, is a third-generation dentist and the founder and CEO of Levin Group Inc, a dental management consulting firm that has worked with thousands of orthodontic practices. Levin, an internationally known orthodontic practice management and marketing speaker, has written 65 books and over 4,300 articles. He is also the executive founder of Dental Business Study Clubs—Dentistry’s only All-Business Study Clubs, the next generation of dental business education.

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