The biggest challenge facing dentists in the next five years is creating distinction in the marketplace so that patients can tell a difference between you and your competition.
I’ve said it before but complaining about “price shoppers” doesn’t help. If your patients cannot see the difference between you and your competitors, why shouldn’t they choose the cheaper alternative. If they don’t know about the value of your skill set then there is no value.
It’s NOT just moving from “good to great.” It’s about creating distinction in your marketplace. You need to find a way to be the source of wisdom to help your patients make sense of all the information they are getting. Especially if they have been searching for answers on the internet!
If you can create this distinction in your practice, you’ll find that you are not only more successful with existing patients - you’ll also be attracting more “high quality” new patients. Followed up by asking for and getting more good referrals.
Distinctive practices are clear about their advantages, creative in their approaches, great at communication and focused on their patient’s experience.
Excellent service providers have to constantly be looking for ways to separate themselves from everyone else. The great practices work hard to improve their products and / or their service levels without giving up profit margins or increasing prices beyond what patients are willing to pay. It’s about adding value for your patients without costing the practice too much.
Thanks,
Ashley
