Three years ago, Arnaldo Lopez left his associateship to start a brand-new practice from scratch in the most dentally saturated area of Miami-Dade county.
He started with zero patients but now three years later he sees about 100 patients per month.
How can he do so well in such a competitive market?
In the latest edition of Dental Economics, he summarizes the strategies of achieving this exponential growth.
He began establishing a marketing budget, which was initially 15% of revenues, which he now dropped to 10%. 90 days before he opened his doors, he started a Direct Mail marketing campaign. He continued with Direct Mail, because he did not have the funds for digital marketing. He had his staff manage the Instagram account for his practice and worked on growing his Google reviews to increase his exposure.
As the practice grew, the marketing developed into a separate department of the clinic, which required the need for a new- patient coordinator. This staff member had the job to ensure that the community was aware of his brand. She managed the direct mail campaigns and attended health fairs, community events, business networking events, and local fundraisers, anything that would create awareness of his practice. Having the new- patient coordinator’s single focus on marketing was critical in building his success.
Internal marketing strategies
- In-office referrals-ask your favourite patients to send you more patients just like them.
- Online reviews-again, ask your favourite patients to tell others about the great experience at the office. Don’t leave it up to them to do it later-have them write the review while they are still in your office.
- Website redesign and advertising-you will need a good budget for this but it works. Make sure you use a reputable company.
- Online presence-include your Google My Business account, and add photos of your practice online.
- Before- and- after photos of great patient results
- Pictures at community events
- Your Philosophy-Broadcast your practice philosophy to attract patients who share your same ideals. It works like magic.
- New- patient coordinator-Hire a new patient coordinator and send this staff member into your community. Attend every event possible within a 5 km radius of your practice. Create print materials to distribute at these events.
- Direct mail to patients-Mail to your current patient database and let them know what you are up to and what your values are. Share with the world what makes your office important. People want to feel your passion and know what you live for: that’s what Dr. Lopez portrays to his patients every day.
- Email campaign-Start an email campaign to stimulate patient referrals.
Dr. Lopez’ favourite quote is from Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
And that’s what he has always done.
