“If I didn’t have Chip Gaines in my life, I’d still be dreaming in my head – but not acting out on any of that, not living it out” Joanna Gaines
What emotions/feeling does your dentist office inspire in you? Are you excited to go back. Do your kids talk about it and ask when is the next time they get to visit their dentist? Do you think cutting edge top quality care? Are you confident that the latest technology is being utilized? Is it easy to find and easy navigate through? Is it comfortable or clinical? O what could be, dream big and let us be your Chip.
Old outdated office decor and inefficient layouts may be telling patients a story that doesn’t represent who you are. After time no matter how well you maintain your facility finishes become worn and out dated. Hence this makes a facility feel dirty and unkept and out of touch with today’s technology. Don’t let this be your story.
“How far do you think I can stick this nail up my nose?” Chip Gaines
Insurance is confusing do you have an easy comfortable way of explaining how insurance works? Is it at the chair while you are checking their gums? Or how about at the check out area right by the front door with the chaos and commotion of incoming patients? What would that conversation feel like if they had a private area to discuss and focus on their needs?
Make it easy inside and out.
Is your office convenient? In our fast pace lifestyle we demand an ease of access. We want in and out with as little hassle as possible. Not only does that mean the location of your office, but the flow to and through your office. Is your front door as visible and straight forward as it could be? Is there a large beacon calling your patients in? Once in does the staff need to navigate them through the space?
“Be intentional with your space. Don’t be afraid to step on a limb and design it the way you love it” Joanna Gaines
Office reviews are critical for new patients. Social media is a powerful force for marketing. New patients rely on reviews and feedback from multiple sources. Are your comments positive? Are your patients talking about how amazing your facility is? What about online imagery does it represent your cutting edge fresh facility? Or are you nervous about what might get shown? Would the imagery available online drive people to or away? What does your online presence look like? Are you making use of free social media by having something that is so cool people want to post about it? You need to capitalize on those free Instagramable Opportunities.
Give them something to talk about.
One of the most powerful sources of information still is and always will be personal referrals. What are family and friends saying about their dentist? Do they even talk about them? When I grew up the dentist was just something you did every six months, done and forgot about until the next time. Definitely not something I looked forward to or even talked about. Not my kids, they keep asking when they get to go back and see their dentist, sure she is amazing (that is why the wife and I keep going back) but, they ask to go see the monkeys in the trees. People expect to be entertained and pampered. No longer can a business any business simply provide a service. Customers expect businesses to go above and beyond they want to be wowed and shown something new and different.
No matter if you are general, pediatric, endodoncis, orthodoncis, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, periodontist, prosthodontics, you each have your own opportunity to pamper your patients. Are your patients talking about you and telling their friends and family about how amazing your facility is or are they silent? Could you get them to say things like “It is so relaxing I forget I am at the dentist”. “It feels more like a spa”, “The kids love going as they see something new every time they go”, “The flow in and out is so smooth and so efficient”, “They are so cutting edge I know I am in good hands”. “This experience is actually pleasant, nothing like whenI was a kid” It might be time to check your online reviews. If your patients are not saying things like this about your space it is probably time for a change.
Don’t just act the part, look the part.
Patients want to know you are using the latest technology to treat them. These technologies can impact the flow and look of your facility. Does your facility look like it would have the latest technology or are we still working out of the 2000’s (yes even 2009 is considered outdated now)? Remember new technology in of itself can feel intimating make every effort for your technology to feel comfortable. Make it look effortless.
“Shiplap” Joanna Gaines
Has it been at more than ten years since your last renovation? If it has chances are your facility is starting to look dated. Even as I type the above quote Shiplap is already on its way out. Styles shift and change and ten years is roughly the amount of time it takes for decor to begin to look out dated. Why does that matter? If your patients walk in and can tell it has been awhile since you have renovated they may begin to wonder where else are you cutting corners or if the way you practice is also out dated. Don’t let that even cross their minds. Take a hard critical look or even better have an outsider that you trust to be honest with you walk through your facility and point out the areas they see as a concern.
