Internal Marketing Strategy
Straight to the Point!
What is Internal Marketing Strategy?
It is the sum of the patients' experiences at the practice. There is a direct relationship between the internal marketing and the most powerful marketing tool - the word of mouth. What we do is evaluate the patient’s experience at your practice in over 200 categories and provide a list of recommendations on how it can be improved.
How will Internal Marketing Strategy help me?
1. Maximizes existing patients' loyalty
2. Brings the patients YOU want through improved word of mouth
3. More effective and less expensive than external marketing
In a nutshell, what do we do?
1. Observe a busy day at your practice
2. Look at all parts of the patient experience from a patient’s perspective
3. (Optional) Send a fictional patient (like a mystery shopper)
4. Appraise your internal marketing strategy
5. Make recommendations on the modifications that will result in greatest growth in patient satisfaction
How much dentist’s time does it take up?
Because our main purpose is to observe the practice in its natural setting, there is no dentist time required. We meet with the dentist to discuss the needs and to present the findings.
How much staff time does it take up?
Between 1 and 3 hours in total split among different staff members
How much does it cost?
$800 - $1,200 + travel costs. Fees reduced if this service is done together with External Marketing Strategy
Return on Investment
Will vary between practices, so let's use a conservative approach. Assuming you have an average practice, decreasing your attrition rate by only 25% will result in an annual growth in revenue of $24,000. Furthermore, if the better experience you provide contributes to only 1 new family a month, it will add another $15,000 of revenue annually.
Tell Me More...
The Ultimate Dental Experience
Almost all dentists agree that it costs more to acquire a patient than keep an existing one and that word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing.
Nevertheless, they spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in marketing to acquire new patients while the existing patients are leaving. Sometimes the little and inexpensive details that can convert a patient who was ready to leave into a loyal client. Dentists agree that word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing but most don't know how to fully leverage this opportunity.
This is where we come in. We come into your practice on a busy day and observe what is taking place - from a patient's perspective - and then prepare a summary report on the recommendations to improve that patient experience.
The Patient's Experience is a sum of little experiences he or she had throughout their visit. From the friendliness of the secretary to the comfort of the dental chair to the quality of paper towels in the bathroom - everything counts. There are over 200 touch points a patient goes through during their experience. The sum of them dictates whether the patient leaves, stays or refers their family and friends.
You already know that dentistry is one of the most personalized, relationship-driven intimate services. Since an estimated 20% of patients abandon their dentist every year speaks to the fact that many dental experiences fall below patients' expectations.
Imagine that you could understand and satisfy your patients' needs a little better and reduce your attrition rate by only 25%. Assuming you are in an average-size practice, this would translate to additional revenue of $24,000 without spending a penny on advertising.
Furthermore, 35% of the population does not see the dentist regularly. In Canada 60% of patients have insurance but only 20% of the insurance is used. Many of these people would be willing to see a dentist that meets their needs.
Have you done enough to understand your patients' needs to the point that you exceed their expectations? Many dental offices make the mistake of assuming that they are meeting their patient’s needs. The results paint a different picture - dentists for the most part fall short of patients’ needs.