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Dental Office Leadership, Marketing, and Management Tips and Ideas for August 2020
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Dental Office Leadership, Marketing, and Management Tips and Ideas for August 2020

Hello Friends,

For many dental practice teams, August and September can be tricky months for growth with the back to school season distractions – even more so with the COVID season “distractions”.

However, these next few months continue to bring wonderful opportunities to be productive and safe while helping your patients and community smile healthier and happier.

With some planning, enthusiasm, and implementation you have the chance to really set yourselves apart from the other offices in the community, welcome more new patients, exceed your current patients’ expectations (get them talking about how awesome you are!), have less stress and more fun as a team. We all need more of that.

 

Dental Office Leadership, Practice Management, and Marketing Tips and Ideas for the month of August…

dentist office summer marketing ideas dental coaching betty hayden

Marketing Ideas 

Even with all the uncertainty with how this school year will be changed (and be safe) now is still a great time to educate the community on the importance of good dental health for their children as well as for the teachers.

Here are some ideas to help make the back-to-school season fun for the community and profitable for your dental office.

dentist office coaching with Betty Hayden marketing ideas

Theme:  Back-to-school with Healthy Smiles!

Target Audience: Teachers and school-aged children.

Focus: Preventive Dental Services.

What: Education, Promotion, and Special Offers

  • Send a press release to local papers and news stations with “Children’s Dental Health Tips for Parents,” such as healthy snack and beverage ideas, when to visit the dentist, what-to-do in a dental emergency, brushing and flossing tips, mouthguard information, sealants information, and more.
  • Facebook (live) videos sharing the aforementioned tip and ideas.
  • Share social media and blog posts with dental health tips for children.
  • Promote special offers just for teachers and students during August.
  • August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month – Send out a press release and promote social media posts that focus on kindergarten-aged children.
  • Send treats/snacks to your local schools along with some imprinted office items such as toothbrushes.

See more Dental ideas for teachers and schools here: Dental Marketing Ideas for your local School District

Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement during the month of August

dental social media content ideas from Betty Hayden Consulting

  • National Fresh Breath (Halitosis)  Day: 6th
  • Book Lovers Day: 9th (ask your followers to share their favorite book(s)
  • National Honey Bee Day: 17th (Our patients are sweet as honey!)

Fall Dental Marketing Ideas from Betty Hayden

Do you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month?  I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave me a review/recommendation here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK . Thank you! 🙂

Practice Management Tips & Ideas 

Hygiene Continuing Care Opportunity – August 1 -7 – Simplify Your Life Week: Simplify your life by crossing off “Schedule my all-important dental visit” from your To-Do-List by calling us today at…

Reactivation and Reappointment – How many of your “active” patients have their next appt scheduled and how many do not?  Let us work together to ensure none of your patients are slipping through any cracks. A solid reactivation and reappointment protocol is key to keeping healthy schedules and healthy patients.

Friends, if you do not know what your office numbers look like, please examine, record, and measure these and other important key practice indicators. You need to know where you’re at currently to know how to best care for your patients and what your potential for growth is. To help you get that data quickly, like within minutes – if your PMS is either Dentrix, Eaglesoft, or Open Dental you can request a complimentary, no-obligation practice data snapshot here: Game-Changing Awareness from Dental Intelligence  – Within minutes we’ll identify your practice’s strengths and uncover hidden opportunities.  I am happy to assist you with this at no charge.

Leadership Tips & Ideas 

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn

Employee Work Anniversaries – Who has work anniversaries in August that you can celebrate?

Employee Appreciation – Just Because Day – August 27th / Why not surprise the team with a small gift, gift card, or treat… just because.  They need it!

Doctors, if you would like to grow and improve your dental practice and have wondered what it might be like to work with me and what coaching is all about… please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation coaching call at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

Are you receiving my complimentary Dental Practice Management and Marketing Ideas via your email each month? If not, please follow today or send me (bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. 

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Marketing to Retirees and Seniors
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Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Marketing to Retirees and Seniors

Hello Friends,

Do your marketing efforts include marketing to seniors and retirees? Marketing to seniors typically isn’t a priority for most dentists. However, since advancing age doesn’t mean seniors cannot keep their teeth for a lifetime, why not take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to this generation? Help them to see they’re not destined to lose their teeth. Not only are there many preventive services available to them there are also many cosmetic dental treatment options to help them smile with confidence.   

dental marketing ideas for seniors betty hayden consulting dental coach

A few ways to reach out to Senior Citizens and Retirees:

  • Senior/(Retirees) Appreciation Day (In-office)
  • Senior Health & Wellness Expo
  • Direct Mail Marketing to Senior Living Communities
  • On-site Dental Health Education Presentations for Seniors & Caregivers
  • Website & Social Media Sites

Today, I’m going to focus on ideas for you to use at a community senior health & wellness fair/expo. However, many of the ideas for talking points, presentation and giveaways may be used in the other forms of marketing mentioned above.

Quick Tip: In-House Savings / Membership Plans – Loss of dental insurance may have prevented some people from seeking dental care.  Do you offer an in-house savings plan? If yes, be sure to include that in your marketing materials and posts on your office social media pages and website.

Back to health fairs… they can be challenging for a couple of different reasons.

One, there are a lot of vendors and booths/displays so you’re going to want to make sure that your display table stands out. That it draws the attention of the guests.

Two, most people are there for something free. But, I guess that doesn’t really count as a challenge. It’s an opportunity for you to make sure they won’t leave your display empty-handed. You’ll have many freebies to give away that include your office information.

Many wonder what they should talk about and what sort of items should they give away?

How about these ideas…

Service Talking Points ~

  • Denture/Partial Maintenance & Repair
  • Bad Breath
  • Gum Disease
  • Xerostomia 
  • Teeth Whitening
  • Orthodontics
  • Implants
  • Oral Cancer (On-site screenings)
  • Oral Systemic Health Link
  • Smile Makeover

Presentation / Demonstration ~

  • PowerPoint/Video presentation on a laptop/tablet/LARGE monitor with before and after photos and/or information about your services.
  • How To Demonstrations: Proper Brushing & Flossing Techniques

Display ~

  • Table Cloth
  • Banner (Office Name and Website address)
  • Brochures
  • Business Cards
  • Use nice baskets, containers, and frames to display your items.

Keep your table neat but attractive – too much information and “stuff” will be overwhelming in that setting.

Include a Big Call to Action with a deadline: You could hand out a sheet of paper that has a special offer on it: Complimentary Oral Cancer Screening, New Patient Special or Teeth Whitening Offer. On that sheet include some of the other services you offer. Also, include your social media sites and of course all your office contact info.

Make certain that you’ll have the ability to schedule complimentary consultations and New Patient Hygiene visits right there on the spot. (Access to your schedule…at the very least a copy of the schedule for the next 2 weeks.)

Very Important:  Your display table must include friendly, smiling, approachable and outgoing team members (also wearing, professional & clean attire).

Other things you can do to attract people to your table…

  • Prize Wheel
  • Gift Basket Drawing/Raffle

Lots of FREE stuff! Which brings us to…

Giveaways ~

  • Bottled Water / Reusable Waterbottles
  • Healthy Snacks
  • Xylitol Products- Gum/Mints
  • Sample dental health products with a sticker or tag attached showing that a “refill” may be purchased at your office.
  • Imprinted Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Floss / Imprinted Floss Cards
  • Imprinted Pens
  • Magnets
  • My favorite idea for a quick & inexpensive freebie is Lip Balm- (my go-to; http://www.lipbalmexpress)
  • Reusable Bags with your Office Information on them is a handy giveaway, one that allows them to carry their free gifts in and advertise your office for you.

If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on bags, please consider using small imprinted plastic bags so no one is fumbling with their gifts.

Raffle / Drawing ~

  • Electric Toothbrush
  • Whitening Pen
  • Gift Cards
  • Gift Baskets ( Themes: Dental Health, Gardening, Seasonal items, Spa, Etc. – don’t hesitate to team up with local businesses for basket items)
  • Free Teeth Whitening and or $ off Dental Treatment ( NOTE: they can either check the box for which one or all that they are hoping to win. Use a full sheet of paper with prize options and large space for them to fill out their name, email, address & phone (to be used later to send nice to meet you cards).

Should you decide to use a Prize Wheel instead of Raffle/Drawing be sure to find another way to capture their information so you can follow-up with a “pleasure to meet you” thank you card after the event.

Another Quick Tip: Include the Caregivers – be sure to have information on hand and give-aways for the care-givers. Especially because it’s often the care-givers that are the decision-makers.

Encourage attendees to “like” your office Facebook page and “follow” your office on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Perhaps you can offer some type of incentive/reward for visiting your social media sites.

Take a few minutes before and after the event to briefly introduce yourself to the other vendors and businesses at the expo. Give them a gift some of your office freebies. This is a great opportunity to build relationships within your community.

So many ways for you to have a fun and successful senior health and wellness fair. Do you have any other ideas that have worked well for you? Please, share them with me.

If you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month, I would love and truly appreciate for you to please take a minute to leave me a review here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK

Are you receiving my free dental marketing and practice management ideas every month to your email? If not, PLEASE take a second and follow today or send me your email address to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. Feel free to share my website with your dental friends.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest

Dental Office Open House Tips and Ideas
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Dental Office Open House Tips and Ideas

Hello Friends,

One of the most asked questions that I receive is ideas for hosting a dental open house event. So if you have an open house planned for your dental office or are considering hosting an open house event, here are some ideas to help make your open house a huge success!

Dental Clinic Open House Celebration Ideas

Consider adding a theme to your event.

Event Theme Ideas:

  • Luau
  • Winter Wonderland
  • Back-to-School
  • Hearts – We “Heart” our Community or We “Heart” our Patients
  • Decades (ex: 50’s)
  • Spring – Flowers (Thank you for helping our office grow)
  • Celebration of Health
  • Fall
  • Women’s Night Out
  • Office Anniversary Celebration
  • Spa/Pampering
  • Shopping (w/local vendors)
  • Carnival
  • Cocktail Party (Wine & Appetizers)
  • Superhero

 Target Audience: 

Determine in advance who is your target audience.

  • Professionals/Specialists
  • Community (Local Businesses/Non-Patients)
  • Current Patients

 Cross Marketing Opportunity:

Team up with local businesses!

  • Hair Salons, Specialty offices, Restaurants, Etc.
  • Display a thank you board/sign listing the local businesses involved in the open house.
  • Have an area that they can display their business information
  • Have them donate a prize to be raffled off or used in a drawing.
  • Ask them to advertise your event at their place of business.

Word of caution, make sure that if you choose to team up with any other local businesses that it doesn’t distract the guests away from your office.

Advertising your Event:

  • Invitations
  • Local Newspaper (Invite them to the event!)
  • TV News (Invite them to the event!)
  • Radio (Invite them to the event!)
  • Social Media Sites (set up a Facebook Event)
  • Website
  • Current Patients (Ask them to bring a friend for a prize!)
  • Newsletter
  • Email
  • Online Local News Sites
  • Local Chambers
  • Local Businesses (Library, City Hall, Day Cares, Salons, Restaurants, Schools, EVERYWHERE)
  • Employees (Make sure the entire team is on board w/the event and talking about it)
  • Flyers
  • Banner on building

Call To Action/Community Support:

Collect Donations for…

  • Winter Gear (Coats, Gloves, Scarves & Hats, Blankets)
  • Books
  • Canned Foods
  • School Supplies
  • Aluminum Can Tabs (Ronald McDonald House)

or offer:

  • Complimentary Oral Cancer Screenings
  • Smile Makeover Contest

 Give-Aways:

Welcome letter/flyer (Include in it: Info about the office, services offered, a special call to action offer & a thank you for coming in)

Items imprinted with your office information, such as:

  • Toothbrush Bags
  • Lip Balm (www.lipbalmexpress.com)
  • Tote Bags
  • Pens
  • Coffee Mugs
  • Water Bottles
  • Flower Seed Packets
  • Magnets
  • Keyrings
  • Xylitol Products
  • Umbrellas

My favorite company to use for imprinted giveaway items is: Bizarre Marketing – www.promostuff4u.com

Activities:

  • Face Painting
  • Photo Booth with photo props
  • Balloon Twisting
  • Bounce House
  • Craft Table
  • Games
  • DJ/Karaoke/Live Music
  • Dental Health Presentations

Drawing/Raffle for Prizes:

Having a drawing(s) allows you to collect the names and contact information of the guests. Be sure to collect Name, Address, Email & Phone #.

Prize Ideas:

  • Electric Toothbrush
  • Teeth Whitening
  • $/% Off of a Dental Service
  • Gift Cards
  • Television/Tablet
  • Bicycle
  • Waterpark, Sporting Event, Concert, or Theatre Tickets/Passes
  • Gift Baskets

Team up with local businesses for contributions/donations of Prizes. Be sure to remind them that their name will be included in your advertising for the open house.

Offer an incentive (such as; gift card) to the first so many people who RSVP to your event.

Office Appearance:

  • The office must be clean and clutter free!! (Inside & Out!)
  • Restrooms – make sure they are checked during the open house for cleanliness and that they are well stocked)
  • Decorate the Office
  • Music Playing (recorded or live)
  • Have stations/displays set up throughout the office to encourage a tour of the entire office.
  • Monitors set up in reception room and treatment suites playing videos of services offered. Before and After Photo Slideshow.
  • Display “About Our Office & Services” Brochures

Team Members:

  • Well dressed and groomed
  • Name Tags
  • Friendly & Outgoing
  • Specific assignments (designated greeter, tour guide, speaker for dental presentations, etc.)

Food/Drink Ideas:

  • Bottled water with an office label
  • Punch/lemonade/Tea/Coffee/Wine/Beer
  • BBQ Foods
  • Appetizers
  • Wine/Cheese
  • Desserts
  • Ice Cream Truck (great for outdoor events)

You may be able to get a local business to donate cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, sandwich trays, fruit and vegetable platters, etc.

Day of the Event:

  • Smiling faces
  • Name tags for your guests
  • Give tours (Depending on the size of the event you could set up tours as a scavenger hunt)
  • Be ready to schedule dental appointments
  • Greet everyone
  • Take lots of pictures
  • Record a video of the event. Consider doing a Facebook live during the event.

 After the Event:

  • Send Thank you’s to all of your guests and any businesses that participated in the event.
  • Send a follow-up article & pictures to the local paper.
  • Call prize winners to come into the office and collect their gift – be sure to take their picture(s).
  • Post pictures of the event on social media sites.

Remember, Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

To-do lists are your friend! Include a timeline & who is responsible for what & when.

Your goal should be to make your guests feel welcome, special, and appreciated. No one wants to show up to an event where they are not welcomed or confident they’re even in the right place.

Make it a Fabulous Open House Event my friends!

If you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month, I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave me a review/recommendation on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address (to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Yours for Greater Success!

~Betty

P.S. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest stop by and say hello.