I explain how dental practice front of house staff can make a significant contribution to marketing activity at no cost.

1. practicemanagement
Free front
line marketing
As Jacqui Goss explains, your reception staff can significantly
complement your marketing activity
P
reviously in this series, we’ve discussed website, doing advertising, using social media as someone sat at a computer seeking cosmetic
how well trained reception staff can and so on. I’m sure you will have included dentistry. What will they find out and what
help your practice grow and how they your team in the development of the marketing questions are they likely to pose when they
are, literally, the ‘face’ of your practice. Here, I plan and helped them understand its aims subsequently telephone a practice?
want to develop those themes to demonstrate and objectives. I also believe the FoH team in The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
how your Front of House (FoH) team can particular should be trained and encouraged to (BACD) website has a useful section to help
significantly enhance your marketing plan – ‘wear a marketing hat’ when appropriate. the public choose the ‘Right Practitioner’. Do
and for free. Okay, let’s get down to practicalities. We you have samples of your work and before-
My professional focus is helping practices know that more and more people research and-after photos for review? Can your FoH
develop through improved management, products and services they are interested in by team refer enquirers to them quickly and easily
better patient communication and by having using the internet. They read information on on, say, your website? And can your FoH team
well trained non-clinical staff. I don’t focus on websites and Twitter and on blogs. Sometimes give some (non-confidential) background to
dental marketing, but what I do often touches they then make a purchase online and the the images? This might be along the lines of:
upon it. retailer never gets to meet them as a customer. ‘There’s really nice story around the photos of
Your marketing plan could include having a As dentists, you’re fortunate that people can “JG” on our website. She came to us feeling
spend as long as they like researching online quite unhappy about her smile. A few months
but eventually they have to make a physical after the treatment was finished she got
A proven
appearance at a practice and become a patient. in touch to tell us her life had completely
manager of
And rather than simply turn up unannounced changed – she’d been promoted, had joined
change and
as they would in John Lewis or Comet, most a choir again and had thrown away all her old
driver of dramatic
people telephone a practice first. Or, rather, frumpish clothes!’
business growth,
they probably telephone several practices. The BACD website suggests that
Jacqui Goss is the
I’m guessing this is particularly the case with testimonials are useful (do you have these
managing partner
cosmetic dentists – where the desired treatment on your website?) and highlights the
of Yes!RESULTS.
is neither urgent nor life threatening. Being benefits of going to an appropriately skilled
By using
prepared for what the well-informed telephone cosmetic dentist; are your qualifications and
Yes!RESULTS
enquirer is likely to ask is key to your FoH membership of the BACD on your website and
for patient
team’s ability to instantly and effectively market can each member of your FoH team relay this
coordination, patient surveys, business
your practice. information?
audits and staff training, dental practices
Members of the public are advised on the
see an increase in treatment plan
take-up, improved patient satisfaction
What does online research say? BACD website to ask about after-care, side
Finding out about the local dentistry market effects and risks. These are inappropriate
and more appointments resulting from
was probably part of developing your questions for FoH members to discuss with the
general enquiries. Tel: 08456 44 80
marketing plan and you may have done some public, but give them the opportunity to invite
66. Email: jacqui@yesresults.co.uk.
online research. In relation to what prospective a prospective patient to your practice for a
Web: www.yesresults.co.uk, Twitter: @
patients may be enquiring about, this research preliminary clinical assessment and discussion
Yesresults, www.facebook.com/Yesresults,
should be shared with your FoH team. about after-care, side effects and risks.
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jacquigoss.
However, they can usefully undertake their
Yes!RESULTS, Honeydale Barn, Wall under
Heywood, Shropshire, SY6 7DU.
own research – mostly online. Specific information is best
Reception staff need to imagine themselves Similar advice is given to patients on other
58 May 2012 adt

2. websites (Google ‘cosmetic dentistry’). number of websites for cosmetic dentistry a lot of time researching the most suitable
However, I also discovered other suggested groups. It’s a safe bet these groups have put system and certainly our patients are delighted
questions. For example: how many years have a bit of time and effort into their websites, so with the results.’
you practised cosmetic dentistry and how what information they contain probably hits Another theme seems to be CPD – often
many procedures have you carried out? the mark with prospective patients. described as ‘keeping up with the latest
When we discuss these sorts of question In addition to the things mentioned above, developments’ or ‘trained in the latest
in my training sessions with FoH staff, it’s I’ve spotted a few themes. One of them is techniques’. CPD is so common within the
generally agreed that vague answers such as: technology – a claim that they have the latest profession that we perhaps overlook that
‘Oh, Dr A N Other has been a cosmetic dentist bit of kit. Many such websites even mention many members of the public will not know
for years and has done lots of smile makeovers,’ trade names – XYZ Smiles, ABC aligners and about it. I’d be surprised if an enquirer asked
are unconvincing as far as prospective patients so on. outright about CPD; they are more likely to
are concerned. Instead, we conclude that this FoH staff need to be prepared for the question whether a cosmetic dentist is ‘up to
sort of response is better: ‘Well, Dr A N Other enquirer who asks whether your practice speed with’ or ‘knows how to do’ the latest
qualified as a dentist in 1998 and has been uses such-and-such a system or piece of smile makeovers.
doing cosmetic dentistry since 2002, when he equipment. If you do, that’s fine. If you don’t, In response, a receptionist could say
set up this practice. Last year, we gave his the receptionist should not leave a simple something such as: ‘Yes, Dr A N Other is
five-hundredth smile makeover patient a ‘no’ hanging in the air. They need to explain always interested in the latest techniques.
special treat.’ succinctly why the piece of equipment or Only last week he/she was on a laser treatment
system used in your practice is just as good course down in London.’
Cosmetic dentistry self-promotion or better. As usual, there’s much more to be written
I’m not about to suggest your FoH surf the There’s no need for them to get technical. on this subject than space allows but I hope
internet and look at every website for cosmetic This could be an appropriate answer: ‘Dr A N I’ve given you an insight into the potential
dentists there is, but sticking with the Google Other uses the XYZ system, which is similar to marketing value of a well-informed FoH
search term ‘cosmetic dentistry’ brings up a the one you mentioned. I know she/he spent team. adt
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