Establishing your brand &

Marketing a dental practice

The Whiddon Groupwho we are & what we do

Jaclyn Whiddon started working in the orthodontic field over 15 years ago. After time spent in corporate marketing and public relations she decided to devote her career to helping doctors market their practice based on strategy and support.

Jaclyn works primarily with orthodontists but works with other doctors and practices as well through these four areas:

Brandingstrategies to strengthen your image

Consultingsupport from marketing specialists

Marketing plan development and implementation

Coachingsupport provided to the entire office

Branding & Marketing

• We will cover:– Attracting new patients– Branding– Marketing materials– Marketing plan development– Internal marketing– Public and community relations

How do we get patients in the door?

• Plan– Developing a plan to attract new patients is

important.

• Experience– Making their experience IN the office a great

one can be more important than a well written marketing plan.

• Keep & Refer– Experience is what keeps your current patients

coming back to your office and sending in the people they know.

Branding

Branding• Your brand identity goes far beyond the look of

your logo (though that’s important too)!• Establish your brand as the foundation of all

marketing messages. – Identify who you are, what you do and what sets you

apart.– Your brand can be seen as the SERVICE you offer along

with the PRODUCT you provide.– Service is what sets you apart from the competition!

Determine Your Brand

Things to consider as you brand your practice:

1. What do you want people to think and feel when they think of your practice?

2. How do you inspire those thoughts and feelings in patients through the actual operation of your practice?

3. What sets your office apart from the others in town?

4. How do you position yourself as the expert in your community?

Branding

• Things to consider as you develop the look of your brand:– Your logo should print well both big and small, vertically

and horizontally. How will it appear on signs, shirts, internet, etc.?

– If you brand based on your name, consider what will happen if you sell or add an associate.

– If you brand using a name, consider your location and if it will change (Main Street Dentist – what happens if you move?)

– Consider both the logo type (font) and logo emblem (icon). Disney’s font style is widely recognizable, as is the Target bulls-eye.

– Consider your color options.

Branding

Branding

• Brand evolution – Example:– We were asked to update the established

brand of Inman & Baldwin Orthodontics

– The office needed a brand that would be easily recognizable by an icon and more functional on signs.

– Their goal was to evolve from the use of traditional brackets within the logo, to instead focus on the overall smile.

Branding

Original Logo

Branding

Rebranded logo

Branding

Pediatrician:We rebranded a pediatrician who in 20 years never marketed his practice. His original logo was several stick figures. A creation from an original order of office stationery.

Marketing Collateral

Marketing collateral development• We work with offices to develop branded items

including:– Letterhead, envelopes & business cards– Newsletters– Brochures– Referral pads– Hygiene report cards– And much more

Marketing Collateral

Referral Pad• We believe the referral pad should be a marketing tool, not

just a request for a free consultation. • This may be the only information about your office

someone sees before scheduling an appointment.• You want your referral slip to stand out against the other

ones they may receive from their dentist.• Treat this as a mini-brochure about your practice.• We create an oversized referral pad, printed in full color

with pictures of the doctor(s) and smiling patients.

Marketing Collateral

Marketing plan development

Marketing plan development• Establish your budget.

– 3%-5% of Gross Income devoted to marketing efforts

• Identify key areas to target. – Referring dentist, patients and the community

• Write a plan– And stick to it!– Remember, it takes someone seeing your

brand at least 7 times before they may realize they need you.

Tracking – Know the results

• This data shows the source of new patients from one year.

50%

28%

6%

4%3%

7%1%1%

Drs Pts Ins Int Staff Signs Spirit Other

• During this particular year, 53% of their marketing budget was spent on radio and internet. Those 2 areas were responsible for 5% of their new patients.

Internal Marketing

• Your phone is a sales tool– Each phone call – with current OR prospective

patients should be handled with professionalism and a “can-do” attitude.

• Scripting and training is vital– Seek training for your staff. Not just for phone

calls but in-office as well.– Call recording or “secret shopping” is a great

way to determine what is being said to prospective patients.

Internal Marketing

• Scripting scenarios:– Discuss phrases or statements you want your staff to

use or avoid.– Evaluate difficult situations and draft scripts (scheduling,

treatment plans, etc.)

• Cross Training– Your clinical and administrative teams need to be cross-

trained enough to accurately speak with patients.

Under Promise. Over Deliver!Exceed Their Expectations!

Community Relations

Community Relations• Establish you & your office as the expert.• Seek opportunities to submit press releases to

local media with newsworthy information about your office.

• Look for opportunities to partner with national charitable organizations & provide dental care.

• Don’t just sponsor a team or donate to a school, engage with the community.

When to start marketing

Starting your own practice• You should begin the process 6 months before

you plan to open.• Developing a brand takes time. It is important to

get it right the first time. Don’t rush! • External marketing and community relations

should begin before you open.• Join the chamber, rotary or other organizations

before you open and begin networking with the community.

• Send media alerts and press releases throughout the process (groundbreaking, grand opening, etc.)

When to start marketing

Becoming an associate• You should begin 3 months before joining the

practice.• You will need to begin to rebrand and reprint

marketing materials.• Most magazines sell ad space 2-3 months in

advance. If you will be doing external marketing, you will need time to develop ads and materials before you begin working in the practice.

• Time should be spent getting introduced to doctors that refer or work with the practice.

Contact The Whiddon Group

Jaclyn Whiddon 407-948-9172Jaclyn@WhiddonGroup.com

facebook.com/WhiddonGroupMarketingtwitter.com/JaclynWhiddon

Jaclyn Whiddon serves as a practice consultant with an emphasis on marketing, working primarily with

orthodontists. She started her career in orthodontics in 1998, working in different practices in various roles. Jaclyn graduated from Rollins College with an undergraduate degree in Organizational Communication.

In 2005, following time spent in corporate marketing and public relations, Jaclyn decided to work independently as a

consultant. During her time freelancing, Jaclyn consulted in various fields including healthcare, hospitality, real estate and sports marketing. A notable project included the National media placement for the fundraising campaign benefiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

While all of this work was exciting and fun, her passion is helping small practices develop their internal and external marketing plan. The Whiddon Group team has assisted offices with branding, ad campaigns, marketing collateral development and much more. As a consultant, Jaclyn has enjoyed watching her clients experience growth in referrals, new patients and improved case acceptance. Mixing education with experience, Jaclyn brings a unique skill set as a practice consultant.