Like everywhere else, Canadians have historically made resolutions to fit in a little bit bigger in the New Year. It seems that no resolution is more desirable than fitting into our favorite jeans again. However, we also know that the desire to look and feel better about ourselves is a great opportunity for the dental industry.
More current patients and potential clients in your community may be searching for services that can enhance their smiles. Is your practice ready to “wow” these new and existing patients with your cosmetic services? We encourage you to make a resolution to take advantage of this annual milestone that will bring huge benefits to your practice.
It can be helpful to put pen to paper or keyboard to paper. Brainstorm a list of all the procedures and services that fall into this category that might appeal to someone who contacts your team to “fix” a cosmetic flaw. Make a list of all the services that might apply, no matter how trivial they may seem or how “old fashioned” they may be. We’ll get to this later.
We need to visually understand and see the big picture – the services you currently offer. Only then can we make adjustments and potentially identify service gaps that exist in the cosmetic dentistry category. Or, we may find that certain services are not marketed appropriately and are actually underutilized.
Every practice has a different “starting point” when it comes to tweaking or improving an existing beauty/aesthetics category or any other service area. Therefore, the list you create (see above) should become a roadmap for improvements that resonate with new and existing patients. By accurately documenting the services you offer, any weaknesses can be easily and quickly identified. This may include missing services as well as outdated services.
For a practice that only provides house calls, perhaps the latest in-office teeth whitening system is worth a second look. Or, you may find that there are better, newer in-office whitening technologies that could replace your existing methods or products. Some new products or services may be so different that they deserve to be included in their own category or subcategory; for example, cosmetic injectables.
Just as important – or even more important – is identifying those strengths within your aesthetic capabilities. Highlight or create a separate list of unique areas of expertise, special interests or training for dentists, and services or technologies that may resonate strongly with your target group.
While there is always value in improving weak areas, the rewards are greater when you can build on and enhance your existing strengths and those that have contributed to your success to date.
What good is all that capability and expertise if no one knows about it? This is when you need to take inventory of your website and other marketing materials. Review how your website, social media, and other platforms highlight noteworthy services. You should prioritize adding new sections or pages to your website to cover these areas.
Make sure to link this information to social media posts so no one misses the additions. You can also link to any new pages or content on your website through emails or other announcements you may send to patients and subscribers.
Likewise, make sure there is no outdated information on your website about old services or no mention of dentists or colleagues who may have left the practice but have taken some of their expertise with them. Regardless, make sure to include detailed documentation of all relevant training, special interests, certifications, honors, and other accolades in your physician’s bio.
For years, we’ve been discussing the importance of personalizing your marketing and communications based on your target demographic or target group. You must stand out from the competition by crafting content that is easy to open, read, understand, and is important to your readers.
By focusing on cosmetic dental services, you can more effectively reach your target patients with content on topics that are meaningful to them. For example, if a patient has had veneers for several years, you could tag the content and send it to that patient with some helpful tips on how to care for them or signs of when they might need to be replaced.
You can also combine content with promotions, such as offering discounts on any new veneers you offer.
Big goals require better service. Perhaps it’s time to consider investing in a virtual smile makeover consultation or other technology that facilitates initial patient interactions. If you don’t have the skills in this area, consider platforms and systems that allow you to review a patient’s smile clearly and quickly in the virtual world.
You could even provide a short video for patients to discuss their concerns and possible solutions before the in-person visit. These investments in software, imaging, and vendors should be appropriately promoted through announcements, prominent banners on your website, and in sync with any such service launches or your reinvestment in these underutilized services.
There’s nothing wrong with relaunching services per se; sometimes, relaunching services is necessary to ensure you’re making the most of your on-site expertise and resources.
In 2025, you’ll be reshaping the smiles of many patients, so make sure your services stay relevant. Your services may also need to be revamped to fully reflect the experience, talents and skills of your team and attract the right patients to grow and sustain your practice in the new year and for years to come.
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