I Refuse to Advertise – But I’ve Got Great Hardwood Floors!

It’s no surprise that the dental landscape has changed over the past couple of decades. In the 70’s dentists had to beat patients with generous insurance plans away from their doors. The biggest task was deciding when and where one might take holidays.  Advertising consisted of one line in the phone book, and a complimentary toothbrush at the end of an appointment.

 

Fast forward to 2009.  Street side dental clinics with neon signs advertise 6 and 7 day work weeks, of all things!  Price advertising, give-aways, evening appointments – none of this was old school. In fact, some dentists refuse to accept the changing landscape and choose to continue with the ‘same old, same old’.  

 

We consulted with a practitioner recently who admitted that he was literally starving for business and didn’t know what to do about it. His office was outfitted with beautiful new furniture,  hardwood floors, and well equipped operatories – but was on the 5th floor of an aging office building with nary a dentist or doctor in it besides our prospect. 

He told us there should be a lineup outside his door. There were 20 dentists in his city that wouldn’t have anyone but him even look in their mouth!  That should say ‘something’! He told us how long his onlays and crowns lasted – and said he knew he had ‘great hands’ (to his credit – others told us what a superb clinician he indeed was).

 

While meeting with him – he was called away for a hygiene check. His receptionist (hereafter named ‘Henrietta the Terrible’ – a 22 year veteran) came in to us privately and said: ‘If you think you are getting a computer into this office, you have another ‘think’ coming. It will be over my dead body. Also – we work hard enough just as it is – and we like it that way!’  She had a set of old One Write paper files that Ebenezer Scrooge would have been familiar with, and true to her word there wasn’t a computer on premises.  I asked the doctor about it later  – and he said he had one at home but ‘the girls’ didn’t want one in the practice. 

 

The doctor was working far out of town in an isolation camp each month to subsidize the cost of his expensive new renovations, and was running himself ragged. We attempted  to contact the office by phone (Henrietta would allow one of those in the office, but she didn’t often answer it) during his absence while we were preparing the  proposal. She chose not to answer that pesky machine while the doc was on the road.  

Come time to make the decision – it was clear that Henrietta wanted nothing to do with changing anything in the office. She ridiculed our notion that they needed to computerize his system, and also advertise.  He was on the 5th floor of nowhere land – and had no signage, had never advertised in a telephone book, a newspaper, or through any kind of practice collateral materials. Successful marketing requires a team effort – and Henrietta and we were certainly not even on the same page.  We bowed out to give them time to ‘think about it’, because quite frankly we don’t need the grief. 

 

Not 30 minutes later – he called my cell phone.  I asked what the noise in the background was, and he said he was calling from Starbucks next door. Clearly he didn’t want Henrietta to know he was speaking to us!  He said he really wanted to do some marketing. I told him Henrietta wouldn’t let him.  Totally unashamed – he said ‘I think she will let me’. Of course she never did, and he is still probably working out of town to support that practice.  

 

What is wrong with this picture?  Firstly – it was long past time to clean house. His lazy front end was costing him 6 figures a year in lost income potential. Secondly – resources were spent in all the wrong places. Why spend all that money on renos so he and his team could look at empty ops and a vacant waiting room? Do you think the patient walking down the street knows there is a great dental practice upstairs because he is clairvoyant?

 

With this attitude – no one could possibly compete with the kids fresh out of dental school packing a large 6 figure student loan. They are willing to do whatever it takes to pay back the bank – and fortunately for them – the public have no clue how good or bad their dentistry really is.

 

Your patients only know one thing – how you make them feel.  Better remember that when deciding where to allocate your time, money, C.E., and Human Resources. 

 

Sad but true!