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Dental Office Tips and Ideas for September
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Dental Office Tips and Ideas for September

Dental Tips and Ideas to help make September a great month!

Hello Friends,

For many dental offices, September is a slow month. Even for some of the offices that start the month with a full schedule report that as the month progresses the schedule tends to fall apart. There could be many different reasons why this happens every September. Perhaps for some, it is because families are still adjusting to the back-to-school schedules and don’t want to bother adding a visit to the dentist to their already too-hectic days. Whatever the reason, it hurts to have holes in the schedule. Yet, I have some offices that tell me September is always a great month for the schedule and production. I want you all to have that same experience. So I will share some tips and ideas with you to help make September a wonderful month.

Dental Practice Management and Marketing Tips and Ideas for September

Look at your schedule for September, find any days that have a few holes in them and declare them “special days for parents” or find any old reason to declare them a special day.

Reach out to all of your patients with incomplete treatment plans or that are past-due in hygiene.  Invite them to come in on this “special day” for their dental visit. What about the patients that already have an appointment scheduled? Share the special offer with them too. This will encourage them to keep their appointments!

Offer Incentives: $ off Ortho, Free Adult fluoride w/hygiene visit, Teeth Whitening Specials, % off treatment, etc. This could be a one day only event or you could feature a different service each day of the week.

Gift ideas: Raffle off a Gift basket, Big-ticket item or Gift Cards. Every patient that comes in for their appointment or refers a new patient during the month of September will be entered to win this wonderful prize.

Salons, Massage therapists, Restaurants, etc. may be more than willing to donate gift cards that you can use in a drawing or include in a gift basket that your patients can enter to win.

September is also the start of football season. Check out these ideas: Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Football Season

 Appointment Reminders – September is National Courtesy Month ~ Take this opportunity to remind your patients that: “As a courtesy to our patients we remind you of your dental reservation 1-2 days prior. We kindly request that you try to keep your dental appointments as scheduled. If you do require a scheduling change please notify us with at least a 48 hours notice of your appointment date. Thank you!”

Take control of the schedule. Here are some helpful tips and ideas: Scripting for when your dental patient calls to cancel their cleaning appointment…

Educational Opportunity – September is World Alzheimer’s Month, use this as an opportunity to educate your patients and the community about the importance of dental health care for Alzheimer’s patients in helping to keep them comfortable and healthy.

Insurance/HSA Reminders – Send out your “Use it or Lose it reminder texts, emails, and letters. Pick up the phone and call your patients that have treatment planned, maximum remaining that renews in January but haven’t scheduled appointments to start/complete treatment.

~ Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement ~

Random Acts of Kindness Day or Be Kind Day: 1st

Banana Day: 8th

National Clean Up Day: 15th

Talk Like A Pirate Day: 19th

Bright Pink Lipstick Day: 22nd

National One-Hit Wonder Day: 25th

National Good Neighbor Day: 28th

World Heart Day: 29th

So there you have it, some fun marketing ideas for the month of September. Please, be sure to stay in touch with me and keep me updated on any of the ideas that you use and if you have some thoughts on how to take these suggestions to the next level or just ways to improve on them I want to hear from you!

Sometimes despite your best efforts the schedule still falls apart. Don’t stress over it, instead use that downtime to do some training, team building and/or office cleaning/organizing. See  Clean Your Dental Office Using Your 5 Senses,  Dental Team Building Activities, Rewards, and Incentive Tips and Ideas and How to Attract and Cultivate Loyal Dental Patients

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

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. Feel free to tell your dental friends all about this website so they can start benefiting from these dental ideas too.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

Dental Marketing Ideas for November
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Dental Marketing Ideas for November

Hello Friends,

I thought I would start this post with a lovely quote about the month of November, apparently, that was a big request as it looks like November is not a favorite for most. The majority of the quotes were about how awful the month of November is.

If that’s how you feel about November, I would like to help you make it such a great month in your office that you’ll be full of positive experiences and remarks! (That will give me some encouraging quotes about November for next year. 😉 )

betty hayden consulting free dental marketing ideas november

Just for you – Dental Marketing Ideas to help you make November

the cheery & productive month it so wants to be…

Let’s start with just a couple of reminders:

Candy Buy Back – Many of you will be starting off the month of November hosting and celebrating your office Candy Buy Back events. Be sure to alert the local TV news, online & print newspapers and social media sites about these events.

Incomplete Treatment & Insurance Maximum Renewals – Do you have any patients with incomplete treatment or ones that are due/past due in hygiene with remaining insurance benefits that are going to run out at the end of this year? Do what you can to help them see the need and value in scheduling an appointment this month before the end of the year rush really shifts into high gear! See Remaining Dental Insurance Maximum Letter – Use It or Lose It Reminders

Dental Education Opportunity:

November is American & National Diabetes Month

Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes.
People with diabetes are 2 times more likely to develop serious gum disease.
Use this month to educate your patients about the connections between diabetes and gum disease while they are in the chair and or via email, office newsletters, and your social media sites.

Great American Smokeout: 17  – Wonderful Educational Opportunity to help your patients Kick the Tobacco Habit! As well as encourage youths to remain tobacco-free.

Cosmetic Dentistry Opportunity:

Many of your patients will soon be attending holiday parties/events and typically with these special occasions come a lot of picture-taking. Now is a great time to help them see how they can easily get their smile ready for the camera with teeth whitening and other cosmetic treatment/procedures.

Continuing Care Opportunity:

Give Up Your Shoulds Day: 1st – The dictionary defines “should” as a word used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when criticizing someone’s actions. Help your patients to give up some “shoulds” in their lives that often lead to guilt and stress. Such as: “I should schedule my dentist appointment” or “I should floss every day”; encourage them to turn these shoulds into something positive by seeing the value and personal benefit to flossing every day and/or being able to say they scheduled their dental appointment. It’s not something they “should” do but what they “want” to do to stay healthy.

Here are 3 More Ways to Help Your Patients 
Smile in November!

World Kindness Week: 13-19 – Have Gift Of Health Certificates for your patients to share with their friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family. What about handing out special surprise gifts for your patients or deliver gifts to local businesses this week. Perhaps there is a patient coming in this week for treatment that is experiencing serious financial hardship and would benefit from some extra kindness by you donating some of their dental treatment.

Black Friday – Offer Special Pricing on Teeth Whitening & Electric Toothbrushes, Ortho Consult or a New Patient Visit.

Flossing day: 29th – Post fun floss facts & tips on your social media sites. Make a video and share on Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest demonstrating proper flossing techniques.

As always, I would love to hear your ideas for making November a great month! Should you need any help implementing these ideas or have any other questions that I can help you answer…I’m ready to help! Contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. This way, you won’t miss a single idea!

Please share my blog with your dental friends.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

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

 

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Tips to Improve Your Dental Office Part 2 – Make a Change!

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” –
 Albert Einstein

Hello Friends,

End the insanity – If you’re unhappy with your production & collection numbers, toxic team members, the schedule always falling apart, not enough new patients and a run down, out dated practice… now is a great time to make a change or 20 changes.

dental marketing tips hayden consulting

Remember,    “If you don’t like how things are, then change it! …you’re not a tree.” – Jim Rohn

The following suggestions were taken from a recent email from The Madow Brothers regarding change…

“In your next team meeting, identify something that you have been doing for such a long time that it has become part of the fabric of your practice – but something that needs to be shelved, stopped, or radically changed. Review everything you do with one question in mind – “How can we make this better for the year 2016?”

 Don’t be afraid to throw away traditions that are no longer working. Remember that the phrase “we’ve always done it that way” is the enemy!!”

Great advice from The Madow Brothers!! If you don’t currently follow them, I highly encourage you to visit their website. Here is the link: www.madow.com.

So let’s get started!

Areas to investigate for Possible Change: (Note: This is not a fully comprehensive list but it will get you started in the right direction.)

Current Protocols –  Hygiene Continuing Care , Incomplete Treatment Reports, Confirmation, A/R-Collections, Greetings, Patient Hand-off, New Patient Welcomes and Referral Thank you’s, etc.

Paper Communication Materials – Intake form, Letterhead, HIPAA forms, Financial Policy & Postcards

Job Responsibilities/Descriptions – Have every team member write down a detailed list of all of their job responsibilities. This is VERY helpful in determining more effective ways of doing things as well as finding out what is NOT being done.

The Team – Under/over staffed, Uniforms/Dress Code, Attitudes (adjusting or removing the toxic, crabby & lazy ones AND) acknowledging and rewarding the positive, happy, hard-working ones), Employee Benefits and Expectations, Team Meeting/Morning Huddle Effectiveness and Frequency.

Office Appearance – Furniture, Wall Decor, Lighting, Window Treatments, Smells, Cleanliness and Curb Appeal on the Exterior (See also Part 1 in the Improve Your Office Series)

Equipment/Technology –  Computers, Software, Internet Speed & Access, Printers, Copiers, Telephone Systems, TV’s, Postage machines,  including…dare I say, type writers?  and all other “must have” Equipment/Products that were purchased at dental seminars or from sales reps. Check treatment rooms, lab, closets, shelves and work stations for any equipment that needs to be updated, repaired or tossed! While you’re at it, if there is anything that isn’t be used properly due to lack of education/training, go ahead and schedule time for continuing education/training.

I’m sure as you were reading this list you thought of other area’s to investigate. Maybe you knew right away of things that have been nagging at you for a while now, things that are driving you insane. Change them. Don’t wait. You will be so happy when you accomplish these necessary changes.

Change isn’t easy, it can be difficult and uncomfortable but know this…

 “To Change is Difficult.  Not Changing is Fatal” – William Pollard

If you feel like this is all just too much for you, or that you would rather focus on taking care of your patients, I’m here to help you. I happen to LOVE helping Dentists and their Team Members make changes. Contact me for a Complimentary Consultation – email: bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

Please keep me updated by sharing your success stories of change. Or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, I’m happy to help.

Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Idea’s in your email inbox each month? If not, please subscribe today. Feel free to tell your dental friends all about us so they can start benefiting from these dental idea’s too.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty