Internal marketing is marketing to your existing patients. Give them an experience so grand they will want to refer all their friends and family to you. We like to think of it as the little things. You are calling them by name, remembering to ask about the anniversary trip they just took, and sending the get-well card or the thank you card for referring a patient. Your satisfied patients will provide you with word-of-mouth marketing. They say the best form of advertising is Word of Mouth. In a recent Forbes article, John Moore, a Whole Foods and Starbucks marketer said, “If people are not talking about you, they are forgetting about you.”
With proper processes in place, internal marking could decrease your marketing budget and surge your office revenue. A recommendation from a friend, co-worker, or family member provides trust and personal branding more than a Facebook page or a postcard in the mail.
How do you ensure that your team provides the best experience for your patient? The experience starts with the phone call to your office or in the event you call them. Your team will want to be friendly, courteous, efficient, and empathetic. Then there are the perks in your office, a coffee/drink bar, modern design, and comfortable seating.
The patient experience can be made or broken by the efficiency of the process, from confirming to checking in, filling out paperwork, the amount of time they waited, the interaction with the clinical team, and then when the appointment is over, the right hand off, the correct insurance estimates. It all matters. Your patient should have a positive experience if you are effective and efficient.
Also, besides word of mouth, it is good to have a patient communication system. One that you can send a text or an email to thank them for their appointment and allow them to leave a Google review or a Facebook Review.
There are many opportunities to grow your dental practice; internal marketing is a great place to start. Do not shy away from asking patients for referrals, either. By getting referrals from patients, you already have, you will have a positive philosophy and brand for your office. Hopefully, the referrals will come from the patients you enjoy most.
