Webinar notes: Bridging the Gap – Closing the Marketing Gap between Office Managers and Dentists
October 15, 2013
There is a marketing gap in the dental office from what the dentist thinks and what the office manager knows to be true, so 1-800-Dentist surveyed 1,700 dental professionals – office managers and dentists – about how they market their practice. From the practice website to social media and online reviews, dentists and office managers have very different ideas of what it takes to bring in and keep patients in the era of checking in and tagging friends. One of them is more knowledgeable, but perhaps lacks some necessary tools to get the practice where it needs to be, and the other one, on average, doesn’t really understand that patients under 24 hate to talk on the phone.
The webinar was organized through the American Association of Dental Office Managers and presented by Fred Joyal, CEO and co-founder of 1-800-Dentist. Some of the biggest gaps between marketing ideas and processes were covered, because, as Mr. Joyal said, “Consumer behavior is evolving more quickly than ever before, while clinical demands on dentists are accelerating at a crazy pace.” Put those two together, and you have an issue when it comes to time spent online in the dental office.
“I don’t know how many dentists have told me, ‘I’m not worried about Yelp, because I didn’t sign up for it.’”
Here are the biggest gaps and how to overcome them, according to Joyal:
Gap number 1: The practice website
While 72% of office managers rate the practice website as “very important,” only 46% of dentists agree.
Close the gap:
- Be vocal about your website’s success if it’s bringing in patients
- Make sure that Google sees that your site changes – otherwise, you’re not going to show up in search results
HOW TO BE “GOOD” WITH GOOGLE
Site changes on a regular basis
Content about your practice appears on other sites, like Yelp and Facebook
New videos and pictures appear on your site regularly
Gap number 2: Social media
While 81% of office managers realize its importance, only 58% of dentists do. The office managers are right – a recent study analyzed what people who wrote positive reviews about a practice did when they went without a response from the practice. Though they had a positive experience at the office – so good, in fact, that they left a review – 16% of them didn’t come back because their comment wasn’t appreciated. It’s more than your online presence – it’s your engagement.
Close the gap:
- Agree on a minimum (and maximum) level of social media engagement per week
- Enable the social media features of your patient communication software
- Note the source of new patients in your software to reveal which channels are working
Gap number 3: Patient reviews
Office managers are much more likely to report that the practice is already asking for reviews, responding to reviews, and sharing reviews on social media. Dentists are twice as likely to say they don’t know whether these activities are being performed.
“Patients can’t analyze your clinical technique, but they know what it’s like to talk to your front desk, what it’s like to walk into your office, and that’s what they’re going to write about in your practice reviews,” Joyal added.
And don’t think that one review is just one review – especially on the negative side. For every review you receive, there are nearly seven other people who feel the same way, but didn’t leave a review.
Close the gap:
- Share patient review milestones in the morning huddle (What patients are saying and how the practice responded
- Create a practice policy around patient reviews that doctor and staff all agree to:
- When to ask patients for reviews
- How to respond to reviews
- Where to share positive feedback
Gap number 4: Online presence
Office managers have a higher awareness of where practice information exists online. Dentists are three times as likely to think the practice has no online profiles.
People can say whatever they want about you online, and most will probably listen. Have more negative reviews than positive? They’re running away.
Close the gap:
- Discuss the SEO value of having consistent information online
- Assign someone at the front desk to claim practice business listings during the slowest times of the day
Gap number 5: Time constraints
Dentists believe their team is actively contacting dormant patients, but office managers have to prioritize to more immediate scheduling issues.
Close the gap:
- Use automated digital communications to contact patients the way they prefer, freeing up time for people who need live interaction. This can save 20% of your time.
- Outsource dormant patient reactivation, reaching patients at the right time of the day.
Joyal’s big takeaway
The office managers are on the front lines, and the dentist needs to empower them to decode the marketing challenges the practice faces.
