The Dental Marketer

Are your marketing materials truly working for you, or are they just adding to the noise? In this game-changing episode, we reveal why treating your flyers, brochures, and signs as "micro sales machines" can make the difference between wasted effort and measurable results. Forget flashy designs that impress your peers but fall flat with your target audience—the secret lies in creating pieces that stop people in their tracks, stir emotion, and drive action.Dive deep as we introduce the innovative Four Mile Test and the SCORE Framework, tools designed to help you build marketing assets that capture attention and prompt immediate response. Discover how to craft irresistible offers, use bold visuals, and leverage strategic placement to turn every piece of print into a lead generator. Whether you're a practice owner or a team member responsible for in-person promotions, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can implement today to transform your materials from overlooked handouts to powerful conversion tools.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The mindset shift from designing to impress to designing to convertHow the Four Mile Test instantly reveals if your flyer will workKey elements every high-converting flyer, brochure, and sign must haveThe SCORE Framework for creating compelling marketing materialsTechniques for visually interrupting autopilot and capturing true attentionHow to craft offers and CTAs that feel personal and urgentTransforming brochures and signs into trust-building mini-sales funnelsStrategic placement secrets for maximum engagementHow print psychology can dramatically improve response ratesThe five-second rule for redesigning ineffective materialsReady to overhaul your marketing materials for real results? Tune in and start creating assets that actually convert!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

Building a thriving dental practice isn't just about the latest equipment or sharp marketing strategies—it all starts with how you invest in your people.In this episode, we're bringing on Zach Shelley, a seasoned practice manager, to unpack why the real secret to practice growth is intentional team development. Zach shares hard-won wisdom on how prioritizing team education, meaningful leadership, and continual improvement fosters loyalty, accountability, and performance within your office.Together, we tackle the biggest myths around team investment—like the fear that investing in team members will only lead them to leave, and how to handle team members who may not seem to recognize these investments. From the nitty-gritty of onboarding your first office manager to setting up practical systems for accountability, communication, and stress management, Zach offers actionable strategies no practice owner should miss. The episode is packed with real stories, book recommendations, and hands-on tips for leaders who want a healthier, high-performing work culture and a more balanced life outside the practice.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why team investment pays off more than you think (and how to make it count)Myths about investing in staff loyalty—and how to overcome themHow to set up new practices for success by starting with your office managerSimple strategies for accountability without micromanagementThe “checking in, not checking on” communication technique to build trustHow to use associations like AADOM for ongoing practice growthMetrics for tracking your team development ROITips for addressing performance issues with compassion and clarityPractical, cost-effective ways to invest in your dental team—no matter your budgetTune in now to discover the proven strategies that transform dental teams from average to exceptional!‍‍Sponsors:‍CallRail: Say goodbye to missed calls in your office! CallRail's Voice Assist is an AI assistant that answers, captures, and qualifies inbound calls 24/7. Scale marketing beyond business hours and capture every opportunity. Request to join their beta program here!‍Click here to test it out!Guest: Zach ShelleyBusiness Name: Dental Office Manager Leadership NetworkCheck out Zach's Media:‍Website: dentalomleadershipnetwork.comFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/domln‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

If you've ever wondered whether your ground marketing efforts are actually working, this episode unveils the proven techniques that transform guesswork into reliable results. We're digging into the heart of what it really takes to track and optimize every raffle, screening, and event, so your practice isn't just spending time in the community—it's investing in growth.Join us as we break down the essential psychology behind tracking, explore five must-know metrics every dental marketer should monitor, and spotlight the tech stacks that bring transparency to your numbers. Discover how easy-to-adopt systems—like color-coded metrics sheets and automated call tracking—turn scattered outreach into a feedback loop for continuous improvement. With a practical roadmap and a focus on implementation, you'll leave this episode ready to pinpoint what moves the needle for your practice and say goodbye to “random acts of marketing.”What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why tracking ground marketing eliminates costly guesswork for your practiceThe five key metrics every dentist and team should monitor for successSmart tools—like CallRail and Google Data Studio—that automate and visualize your resultsHow to assign accountability and keep your team engaged in weekly metric reviewsTechniques to measure both short-term interest and long-term patient conversionsHow post-event debriefs and feedback loops drive continuous improvementAdvanced strategies for analyzing conversations and refining your approachActionable templates and frameworks you can start using todayUnlock the full potential of your ground marketing—press play and start tracking what truly matters today!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment‍Sponsors:‍CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Click our link to start a free trial today! callrail.com/dentalmarketerClick here for a special offer!‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

Why do some dental practices sail through technology upgrades while others struggle with stalled schedules and unhappy teams?In this episode, we're sitting down with dental practice management expert Sadie Stewart to unlock the real secrets behind seamless tech integration in modern dental offices. Sadie delivers firsthand advice on choosing the right systems, sidestepping common pitfalls, and ensuring your whole team is empowered to use new technology. Whether you manage a solo practice or a multi-location empire, you'll take away practical steps to avoid bottlenecks, maximize your return on investment, and build a future-ready practice.From building a bulletproof pre-planning checklist to leveraging AI-powered features you might be ignoring, Sadie's insights will leave you prepared to not only survive—but thrive—through any technology transition. With actionable tips tailored for owners, office managers, and all team members, you'll gain the confidence to approach tech upgrades as an opportunity instead of a headache.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why focusing on a select few integrated tech providers can prevent headachesThe most common mistakes practices make during software rollouts—and how to avoid themWays to involve your whole team for a smoother, more successful tech transitionHow to use AI charting and automation to enhance efficiency and profitabilityKey questions to ask before investing in new dental softwarePitfalls of unnecessary tech upgrades—and how to measure real ROITrends in cloud vs. server-based practice management systemsEager to future-proof your dental practice? Press play and let Sadie's strategies steer you in the right direction!‍‍Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack‍Guest: Sadie StewartBusiness Name: Office SwellCheck out Sadie's Media:‍Website: officeswell.comInstagram: instagram.com/dexis.sadie.stewartFacebook: facebook.com/officeswell(Reach out to Sadie to inquire about the "Pre-Planning Checklist"!)‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Ever feel awkward or pushy when contacting potential patients to book appointments?Today we're learning about the under-appreciated yet pivotal role follow-ups play in turning potential leads into loyal patients WITHOUT being salesy. Many leads slip through the cracks due to insufficient follow-up, and we set the stage for a deep dive into this crucial process. We're covering three cornerstone principles of effective follow-ups: speed, frequency, and value, detailing how each principle can be harnessed to build trust and keep potential patients engaged over time.We outline a methodical follow-up system, complete with detailed text message templates to engage leads right after an event and maintain their interest through a timeline of contact points. From quick follow-up to valuable, spaced interactions, we break down the patient journey into crucial stages—awareness, consideration, and decision—aligning follow-up strategies to each phase. Along the way, we learn how to combat common pitfalls like sounding robotic or procrastinating outreach, and underscore the human aspect—treating follow-ups as a fulfilling promise rather than a nuisance.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The vital role follow-ups play in converting leads into patients.Key principles of effective follow-up: speed, frequency, and value.Strategies for immediate, high-value contact to build trust.A structured follow-up system with templates for ongoing engagement.How to tailor follow-ups to the stages of the patient decision journey.Common follow-up mistakes and how to avoid them.The importance of maintaining a human touch in communications.Hit play to discover actionable follow-up strategies that drive patient conversions today!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍Ranking high on Google is great, but is that what really fills your appointment book?Today we're learning how to transform your website into a patient-generating powerhouse with insights from Ali! Explore the hidden pitfalls that prevent practices from converting online visitors into booked appointments. Ali emphasizes the power of aligning with Google's best practices for SEO, focusing on key elements like mobile-friendly design and lightning-fast load times. Yet, techniques like these are just stepping stones; Ali warns that even the best digital strategies falter if your website lacks visual appeal or key information, causing potential patients to leave without a second thought.Beyond technical improvements, this episode is rich with actionable advice on personalizing your online presence. Ali sheds light on the need for authentic photos of your practice, displaying patient reviews front and center, and ensuring seamless consistency across all marketing outlets. He dives deep into the importance of tracking patient sources and diligently following up on inquiries, a critical step that many overlook. Beyond theory, Ali shares practical tips that can revamp your conversion rates in just 30 days.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Strategies to convert website traffic into patient appointments.Importance of mobile-friendly design and fast loading times.The role of appealing visuals and comprehensive information on your site.How showcasing reviews can influence SEO rankings.Methods to track and analyze new patient sources effectively.Steps to personalize and optimize your online presence.Tips for significantly boosting web conversion rates within 30 days.Listen now to learn how to make your website a powerful patient-attracting tool!‍‍Sponsors: DocSites: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention The Dental Marketer for $500 off! docsites.com‍Guest: Ali SoufiBusiness Name: The DocSitesCheck out Ali's Media:‍Website: docsites.comEmail: ali@docsites.comPhone: 818-616-3919‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

What's the secret to turning a robotic script into a powerful tool for meaningful connections?In this episode, we unravel the art of customizing ground marketing scripts, redefining the way these tools should be used! Moving away from impersonal chatter, the focus is on creating genuine human interactions. With scripts designed to sound natural and sincere, we dive into strategies that build instant trust and adaptability, ensuring your outreach isn't just a pitch but a conversation that feels helpful. By highlighting the pillars of effective scripts—Personalization, Empathy, Flexibility, and Reciprocity—this episode provides insights and practical tips to enhance your communication strategy, regardless of the environment, from medical locations to corporate settings.We explore the methodology behind profiling your target, understanding pain points, and tailoring your approach to align with the listener's needs. We'll dive into a step-by-step framework for creating scripts that foster real engagement. With techniques like using "you" language for personal resonance and role-playing to refine delivery, you'll learn how to craft a script skeleton that leaves room for spontaneity, ensuring your messages never sound rehearsed. As you practice and hone these skills, you'll gain the confidence needed to thrive in any interaction!What You'll Learn in This Episode:The fundamentals of customizing ground marketing scripts for authenticity.How to build instant trust with personalized and adaptive communication.Key pillars of script design: Personalization, Empathy, Flexibility, and Reciprocity.Step-by-step framework for crafting natural and impactful scripts.The significance of profiling your audience to tailor your approach.Strategies to use "you" language for more personal conversations.Tips for avoiding a robotic delivery through role-playing techniques.Tune in now to discover how tailored scripts can improve your marketing conversations!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

Are you feeling weighed down by your emotions in dentistry? You are not alone!Dive into today's episode with Dr. Erik Fisher about the power of emotional specificity. Erik unpacks the profound idea that every emotion has a unique role and shows how our cultural perspectives on emotion can lead to cycles of power struggles fueled by fear. He draws a clear line between the imbalance of hierarchical thinking and the harmony achievable through equity, emphasizing that recognizing each individual's unique gifts is key to unlocking their potential.We explore how these emotional insights can revolutionize a dental practice, touching on aspects like team management, patient interactions, and self-care. Erik talks about common emotional challenges like overwhelm and how it signals areas needing change rather than being purely negative. Using techniques to break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps is one of many strategies we discuss. Unpacking emotions such as anxiety and depression, Erik reframes them as indicators of helplessness or hopelessness, providing pathways to better coping mechanisms. The episode is rich with strategies for practice owners to decode emotional layers within their teams, fostering improved decision-making and reducing employee turnover.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The purpose and impact of emotional specificity in life and work.Techniques for understanding and managing emotions like overwhelm, anxiety, and depression.The power of emotional awareness in team management and reducing turnover.Practical steps to create a community-based culture within a practice.Strategies for breaking overwhelming tasks into manageable pieces.The role of equity and recognizing individual strengths in leadership.Practical exercises to process emotions and enhance decision-making.Viewing life experiences as opportunities for emotional learning and growth.Press play to transform emotional challenges into growth opportunities both at work and in life!‍‍Sponsors:‍CallRail: Say goodbye to missed calls in your office! CallRail's Voice Assist is an AI assistant that answers, captures, and qualifies inbound calls 24/7. Scale marketing beyond business hours and capture every opportunity. Request to join their beta program here!‍Click here to test it out!Guest: Dr. Erik FisherBusiness Name: Dr. E PresentsCheck out Erik's Media:‍Website: drepresents.vercel.appEmotional Algebra with Dr. E: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emotional-algebra-with-dr-e/id1766115731Influential U: influentialu.global‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

What separates giveaways that fizzle out from those that make a massive impact on your marketing?Imagine leveraging the power of a small gift to engage potential patients, gather valuable data, AND create win-win scenarios that cultivate loyalty and boost your return on investment (ROI). We'll explore how to craft giveaways designed not merely as free trinkets but as tools that drive specific behaviors like scheduling appointments or sharing experiences, solidifying your practice's place in the community's mind. Through proven strategies and real-life examples, you'll discover how understanding the psychology of value can turn a pointless giveaway into a potent marketing tool.Join us as we break down the anatomy of a successful giveaway campaign, outlining the steps to ensure your giveaways evoke the desired response. Hear about the impact of creating urgency and reciprocity and how these elements underscore a robust ROI potential. We'll share scripted scenarios for effectively delivering your giveaways and end with essential tips on tracking and measuring success!What You'll Learn in This Episode:The strategic use of giveaways to enhance ground marketing efforts.How giveaways can be structured to gather data and drive engagement.Understanding the psychology behind value perception and action motivation.Steps to design highly effective giveaways that yield measurable ROI.Practical examples of successful giveaway campaigns in dental practices.Tips for scripting scenarios to deliver giveaways effectively.Methods for tracking and analyzing the success of your giveaway initiatives.Don't miss out—tune in now to master the art of strategic giveaways for your dental practice!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Mentions:Video EpisodeOryxCareStack‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍

How do you know if you're caring TOO MUCH for others?In this episode, we have Dr. Laura Brenner—a seasoned dentist and insightful career coach—to dive deep into the pressing issue of burnout in dentistry. Laura brings a wealth of experience to the table, having navigated her own burnout journey. She candidly shares the nuanced challenges that dentists face and outlines how setting firm boundaries can be the key to preserving well-being. Listening to Laura, you'll uncover the pivotal role self-awareness plays in managing stress and preventing burnout, and how dentists—who are often in service to others—must learn to prioritize their health too.Laura doesn't just highlight problems; she offers actionable solutions. By encouraging dentists to dismiss troublesome patients, she advocates for a proactive approach to mental well-being. This episode also stresses the importance of reflecting on personal feelings and engaging in open dialogues with both dental teams and patients. By the end, you'll be equipped with practical tools to take control of your professional life and preserve your passion for dentistry.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to address and prevent dentist burnout through strategic boundary setting.The power of dismissing troublesome patients for mental well-being.The importance of self-reflection in managing professional stress.Strategies for open communication with your team and patients.Techniques to protect personal time and energy effectively.Laura's personal journey through burnout and the lessons learned.Why personal development is crucial for career longevity in dentistry.Take a break and join us for this insightful chat—it could change your perspective!‍‍Sponsors:‍CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Click our link to start a free trial today! callrail.com/dentalmarketerClick here for a special offer!Guest: Dr. Laura BrennerBusiness Name: Lolabees Career CoachingCheck out Laura's Media:‍Website: lolabeescareercoaching.comInstagram: instagram.com/drlolabeesFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/dentistsidegigs‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Today, we're sharing exactly how to get into the best farmers markets—and why these events can become a powerhouse for attracting new patients to your practice!In this episode, we'll dive deep into strategies that turn passive booth visitors into engaged, long-term patients. We'll lay out practical steps to create an impactful stall, from choosing the perfect location to designing benefit-driven banners that capture attention. We illuminate the often-overlooked psychological elements of market participation—trust transfer, face recognition, and local loyalty—all key consumer behaviors that can elevate your outreach efforts. We also revisit specific staff roles—like the magnet, the messenger, and the connector—to boost engagement and facilitate meaningful conversations.This episode breaks down essential methods for converting market attendees into clients post-event. We're sharing innovative offers for potential patients and unveiling tools for tracking leads and securing appointments effectively. With additional tips on identifying promising farmers markets and crafting the perfect pitch as a wellness partner, you'll gain valuable knowledge on navigating the application process. To round off the episode, we share how to take your marketing skills to the next level by joining the ground marketing course for a deeper dive into advanced scripts, strategies, and interactive workshops!What You'll Learn in This Episode:Proven tactics for powerful booth setup and location selection.The psychology behind effective market participation.Role definitions—the magnet, the messenger, and the connector—to maximize engagement.Conversation scripts for addressing questions and overcoming objections.Techniques for post-event follow-up and conversion.Methods to effectively track leads and manage appointments.Tips for identifying and pitching to ideal farmers markets.Strategies for building local loyalty and trust.Listen today to learn how to take your farmers market game to the next level!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Sponsors:CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Click our link to start a free trial today! callrail.com/dentalmarketer‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

What's the biggest trap that dentists fall into that kills both their profit and their passion?Today we have a candid conversation with Scott Manning as we unravel the common pitfalls that dentists face in their journey toward a thriving practice. This episode strikes a critical balance between profit and passion, emphasizing that financial success doesn't have to come at the expense of compassionate care. Scott sheds light on the impact of prioritizing patient volume over quality interactions, urging dentists to refocus on what truly matters. Discover how vital metrics like average visit value and case acceptance rates play a crucial role in achieving a profitable yet rewarding practice.Scott shares actionable strategies to boost patient engagement and streamline practice operations. Learn how to master comprehensive diagnoses, effective scheduling, and nurturing long-term patient health plans in your practice. If you're ready to make meaningful changes and see tangible results in your practice, this episode is a must-listen!What You'll Learn in This Episode:The dangers of focusing solely on patient volume.Key metrics every dental practice should track for profitability.Strategies for enhancing patient engagement.How to optimize your practice operations for efficiency.The importance of comprehensive diagnoses and long-term patient plans.Listen now to discover strategies for a profitable and patient centered practice!‍‍Sponsors:‍CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Start a free trial today! Don't forget to mention The Dental Marketer sent you!) callrail.comClick Here and mention The Dental Marketer for a special offer!Guest: Scott ManningBusiness Name: Dental Success TodayCheck out Scott's Media:‍Website: dentalsuccesstoday.comFree Book: "The Four Freedoms of Dentistry" dentalsuccesstoday.com/the-four-freedoms‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

Today we're doing a deep dive on how dental practices can seamlessly integrate into the school community and boost patient engagement!This episode is packed with practical insights, detailing how to build productive relationships with local educational institutions—from preschools to high schools. You'll learn the art of navigating the administrative ladder to effectively present your services to school administrators, PTA leaders, and parents alike. It's not just about making connections; it's about creating lasting value. We workshop compelling outreach messages and forming value propositions that resonate with teachers, students, and parents, ensuring your marketing efforts hit the right chord.In addition, we'll guide you through the maze of legal and ethical considerations essential for a responsible and successful campaign. Discover advanced tactics to monitor and analyze your return on investment (ROI), ensuring your efforts are not just fruitful but transformative. Real-world examples provide a roadmap for building long-term partnerships that benefit both your practice and the schools.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to effectively partner with schools for dental marketing.Strategies for engaging with administrators, PTAs, and parents.Crafting outreach messages that resonate.Navigating legal and ethical marketing considerations.Ways to create compelling value propositions.Techniques for measuring and improving ROI from school marketing.Real-world examples of successful dental and school partnerships.Don't miss out—listen now to refine your school marketing strategies and grow your dental practice!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Sponsors:CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Start a free trial today! Don't forget to mention The Dental Marketer sent you!) callrail.com‍For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍Are you flushing money down the drain with SEO?In this episode, Ali returns to debunk the myths surrounding SEO for dental practices and offers a candid lens into the world of effective online marketing. Instead of seeing SEO as an elusive, vague investment, Ali encourages dentists to view it through a strategic lens that demands understanding who manages their SEO, how it's done, and the tangible outcomes they should expect. With his pragmatic approach, Ali sheds light on the shadows of SEO, warning against common pitfalls like misleading metrics and the allure of hollow promises from some agencies.Delve into the nuts and bolts of successful SEO tactics and learn why it isn't just about throwing money at a problem—it's about smart execution. Ali emphasizes consistency in quality content creation, the necessity of maintaining a user-friendly website, and understanding that SEO shouldn't stand alone; diversified marketing is key. In this episode, Ali walks you through clear steps to optimize your content, pinpoint target areas, and enhance your website's quality. And if you're looking for a professional evaluation of your SEO efforts, Ali generously offers a complimentary web assessment via DocSites.com, ensuring your SEO strategies are aligned and effective!What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why effective SEO is a strategic investment, not a waste.The role of consistent quality content and user-friendly design in SEO.Common SEO myths and traps to avoid in dental marketing.How to diversify your marketing strategies alongside SEO efforts.Step-by-step guidance on optimizing your website content and tags.The critical importance of tracking new patient sources to measure SEO success.How to evaluate the performance and transparency of your SEO provider.Access to a free SEO web assessment that provides genuine strategic feedback.Let's find out if your practice's SEO is set up for success today; listen in!‍Sponsors: DocSites: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention The Dental Marketer for $500 off! docsites.com‍Guest: Ali SoufiBusiness Name: The DocSitesCheck out Ali's Media:‍Website: docsites.comEmail: ali@docsites.comPhone: 818-616-3919‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Imagine turning casual event interactions into lifelong patient relationships.In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we dive into a complete, actionable framework for dentists eager to expand their practices. I unpack the art of pre-event planning, setting intentional goals, and constructing an irresistible activation kit. Drawing on wisdom from marketing legend Seth Godin, we learn that storytelling lies at the heart of effective marketing. We'll cover the essential roles within an event team— the magnet, the messenger, and the connector—each playing a crucial part in generating and nurturing potential patients.We'll discuss hands-on tips for booth presentation and interaction strategy. Learn how captivating signage and engaging team activities can drive your booth traffic through the roof! This episode brings to light the importance of crafting messages that avoid clichés and resonate with potential patients. Discover key metrics to gauge your event's success and develop an adaptable, scalable marketing system that ensures no opportunity slips through the cracks.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Strategic steps for effective pre-event planning for dental practices.The pivotal roles each team member plays in a successful marketing event.Techniques for creating engaging, memorable booth experiences.Essential do's and don'ts to maximize your event's impact.The art of immediate lead follow-up and team evaluation post-event.Insights into metrics and tools for tracking and optimizing marketing efforts.Get ready to transform community events into powerful marketing victories—tune in now!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Sponsors:CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestackCallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Start a free trial today! Don't forget to mention The Dental Marketer sent you!) callrail.comOryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx‍Other Mentions and Links:‍People:Seth Godin‍Groups:Chamber of CommerceRotary Club‍Tools:EventbriteGoogle FormsJotformMailchimpActiveCampaignGoogle SheetsAirtableCareStackCallRailOryx‍Businesses/Brands:Invisalign‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) Michael: leveraging community events for maximum impact. This is gonna be the step by step guide to making an unforgettable impression. At local events and converting it into real growth. Now, community events aren't just about handing out freebies. They're a powerful system for relationship building, trust marketing, and establishing your practice as the go-to in the neighborhood.Seth Godin said, marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but the stories you tell. But here's the kicker. To win at these events, you need more than a table and smiles. You need smart systems, a team with purpose and follow up that drives revenue. I cannot tell you how many times I've gone to events where I'm either just an attendee or I'm a vendor.it's almost like a pet peeve of mine where I see so many things going wrong. It feels like, oh man, this, employee who's hereis the wrong employee. You're doing the wrong things. You're just not feeling it. And you can see the mistakes.You can see almost the opportunities lost in every single minute almost,not just every single interaction, every single minute that they're there. So this episode. Definitely it's gonna be a, game changer for you because you're gonna realize a lot of things that maybe you've been doing wrong or a lot of things that you could be doing better.Now this is real data why this works. 43% of patients only visit the dentist once a year. 27% go twice a year. Events help turn rare visitors into loyal patients, okay? They see you, they talk to you, they engage with you, they interact with you. They're more likely to go with you. 59% of dental practices rely on front desk staff for marketing.Your team needs training to represent you well at community events, so it's not just like, Hey, let's all go out. The whole team has to go out. They need to be trained. 77% of patients prefer online booking, but only of practices offer it. So your event setup should promote real time scheduling.Don't let it get lost in the weeds where maybe you are booking people on the spot, maybe you have a specific software right, and you're booking them on the spot, on the iPad, and then you book them. And then you notice when you get back to the office, it's triple booked double book, and it's not cohesive.Don't lose people like that because I cannot tell you how bad it will be if you have to call that lead back and say, Hey, you know, the time you booked doesn't work. Can I put you in another time? First you gotta get them on the phone, try and find them, try and reach them, right? But you most likely will.And then from that point on, gotta convince them to, to change. So no email marketing, ROI is 44000%, It's huge. Capturing emails at events is high value. If you can capture phone numbers or even text them even better, right? So here's a step-by-step guide, step one. This is crucial pre-event planning.This is the foundation phase, so choose the right events 90 days in advance if possible. Easy breezy. How to do this. You look for events where your ideal patients already gather. You look at PTA meetings you hear word of mouth where they're going, they're doing.Farmer's markets, events in the Chamber of Commerce calendar and the rotary, club calendar, school health fairs. You just ask for events, right? A lot of apartment complexes have events, community center, senior homes. You can even use platforms like Eventbrite Facebook parent groups, Facebook groups in your community.And like I said, chamber of Commerce right now, here's a pro tip. If any of these events, you decide, Hey, I really want to go to them, try to attend first as a guest. Observe the crowd flow, the booth engagement and the vibe before you commit. And then you can go. A lot of the times in the ground marketing course, I teach you how to do this and how to actually get fantastic referrals and partnerships, but new patients without ever participating in an event.Meaning like without ever being a vendor, you're just there. But if you're like, oh my gosh, the booth engagement is fantastic, we gotta be here, we gotta support. Yeah, definitely continue to pursue that. Right now you wanna set clear measurable goals. So example targets. These are examples, right? I want to collect 75 emails or 75 contact information.I wanna book 15 appointments on the spot. On site, and I wanna generate 200 plus impressions in the community. That means 200 plus people know about us, we've handed out. Something specific to them, they know about us. And then now you wanna work backward from your goals. Reverse engineer. If your team can engage 20 people per hour, plan your booth design game, call to action accordingly.Okay? You wanna design it that way? It doesn't just happen that way. For example, let's just say it's a huge event and only one person's available and they're going, they're setting up, they're doing it all. They're at the booth, they're talking. right?You're not gonna get everything that you want. You're not gonna get 200 email contacts or contact information or 200 leads because it's just one person. So you gotta, adjust accordingly. Now, you wanna design portable activation kit. The whole system for this, the actual layout, pictures and everything is in the ground marketing course.Like I'm gonna tell you right now, you don't need flash. You need systems that trigger interaction and capture data. That's it. I've never been too over the top or over fancy with it. I've seen a ton of boots like that, and that's great. That's fantastic. But in this episode, you're gonna hear what's most important and what you need to invest more in on than being off lash right now.What you're gonna want in this portable activation kit is branded tablecloth and banners. With your logo, maybe a game if you like, right? Like a spin to win or a Plinko board. IPads with intake forms, It can have Google forms or jot forms or a signup sheet. I still do the signup sheet, but it's up to you, You can have the iPads with linked to your practice management software. I know Cares Stack and orx do it fantastically. Great booking portals on there. Then obviously lead magnets, right? Pre kids, dental, emergency guides, or all the freebies you want to give out that are in there, hygiene kits, information flyers, things like that.So that's step one. Okay? The pre-event planning Phase A, you're gonna choose the right events 90 days in advance, if possible, or just in advance, right? You don't wanna go on the calendar and say, oh, snap, there's an event tomorrow, let's make it happen. No. Take time to plan ahead. B, set clear and measurable goals crucial.Have to have measurable goals. Never once did I go out and say, let's just see how many people we sign up. No, in the moment, you're gonna be like, oh, you know what? This is not that good, or whatever. You're gonna get in your head and you're gonna just sign up. Five people. You gotta have clear, measurable goals and say, okay, you know what?From here we're gonna do 75, and that means you're gonna put in the work to get those 70 fives while you're there. Right? Be set. Clear measurable goals. See design a portable activation kit, like I told you, cable tablecloth, banners, maybe a chair if you like. spin the wheel, whatever freebies you wanna give out, and something to sign up people on.Okay, step two is the booth strategy. So make it magnetic. This step is all about stopping people in their tracks. Creating a magnetizing presence and turning curiosity into conversations. Most booths are background noise. Yours should be the events gravitational center. So what you wanna have is a solve a local pain point with words that actually work.I'm gonna give you three examples of what not to say anywhere in the booth. Hey, we're accepting new patients. No. That's so long ago. Don't ever use that again. Two, come get a free toothbrush. Nope, throw that out. Three. General and cosmetic dentistry. Throw that out. These are vague, they're overused, and they don't spark emotional or practical urgency.You want to craft micro messages that solve actual local problems. For example, could be a pediatric practice. You can say. Somewhere in the booth, right? Struggling to get your kids to the dentist without a meltdown. Ask about our no tears visits. Why this works. It uses parents' pain point tantrums, and stress.It includes emotional relief. So no tears. And it's specific. It's not generic. Here's a cosmetic example. Want to boost your confidence before your next big event. Ask about our mini smile makeovers. Same pain points that attacks the next one. Busy parent example, no time for dental appointments. Ask how we get families in and out under an hour.Boom, ate and insurance neighborhood example. Confused about your insurance. We simplify it and yes, we take yours. Boom. This one right here, members have used, I got this one from members. Fantastic. I'm gonna say it again, confused about your insurance question mark. We simplify it and yes, we take yours and the exclamation point that one does fantastic.And you can have like a sandwich board in front of your booth and have that on there, right? These examples, these sayings. Now pro tip, print your core message in large text or on your banner, right? And have every team member memorize and repeat it naturally. So have these banners with these messages on there as well.But like, what I like to do is to have a sandwich board, right? Just in case it changes up. I don't have to get a new banner for every little thing. Now that was a right. A, is solve a local pain point with words that actually work. B. Grab attention within three seconds. Why? Well, The average event goer decides in under three seconds whether or not to approach your booth.So you must stack the deck in your favor with visuals. Motion, sound and simplicity. Use a high visibility game, right? Why? ' cause movement plus potential reward equals attention. Examples are spin the wheel, right? Each wedge is a prize. Maybe free whitening, something specific In one of our live ground marketing workshops that we had this past month in March, 2025. We dove deep on incentives. So if you're a member of the ground marketing course, definitely go check that out. But that is gonna be an episode for later on. In the ground marketing series.Now you can discuss the incentives with your team. See what you want to give best Plinko board, right? It's nostalgic, it's fun and easy to brand with dental punts. you can do a mini basketball hoop or ring toss. These are especially effective for family events and kid heavy areas. Now the signage above the game should read the incentive.The incentive only, Not all these instructions, not the name of your practice and everything you do. No, just win free whitening, spin and win. Everyone gets something. Play for a free gift, right? That's it. That's all it should say. Important point here is to display what prizes are available.are drawn to visible rewards. Keep them attractive, but within budget. Whitening, goody bags, water bottles, gift cards, whatever you decide as an incentive, have that out on display. Have standing team members outside of the booth avoid the mistake of sitting behind the table. Always. Instead, place the magnet.A few steps in front of your booth. Now I know what you're thinking. What is the magnet? We're gonna discuss that a little bit further down. On the roles of who they are. But the magnet is someone, it's a person you wanna put them out and about, right? Train them to use eye contact, hand gestures toward the game prizes, and an enthusiastic opener.Something like this. Hey there. Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. The one that works the best, the one that I always use hands down, never fails is, Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free, and that's it. I just stay quiet after that, and then they come and then boom.The further out a person stands without blocking walkways, the more psychological welcome they create. That's a pro tip. You can use t-shirts with a hook as well. These are walking, talking billboards. Don't just put your logo, use a question or statement that invites curiosity. Here are examples that you can use to put on your t-shirts.Ask me how we make kids love the dentist. Ask me about free whitening Fridays. I can get you out of pain fast. Your smile deserves this. Those are examples, right? Or like I said, you can do the Medicaid example one. And yes, we do take yours, right kind of a thing with insurance. So assign different shirt slogans to different roles.There's gonna be three specific roles, and we'll discuss that in a little laterin this episode. Now the three second layering formula to ensure people engage with your booth within three seconds. This is it. There's a visual element, and then I'm gonna discuss the purpose. So the visual element, bold banner, purpose.Communicates core offer or pain point. Visual element. Motion game purpose creates eye catching interaction. Visual element, a friendly greeter. Purpose builds trust, initiates engagement, visual element, branded t-shirts. Purpose reinforces message and makes team approachable. Visual element giveaways displayed purpose creates curiosity and visual incentive.Now, the common mistakes to avoid is too much text on signage. Keep it short. Five to seven words max per message. That's including the sandwich board. Passive team members who wait for people to approach. Oh my goodness. This is, I had a. Dime for every time I saw this, this is a humongous mistake.Passive team members who wait for people to approach do not be that person. Do not have anybody like that on the events. Okay? Third, boring swag. Ditch the basic stuff sometimes unless it's branded and bundle it with a compelling offer, right? But remember, whenever it's at a booth, you want it all.Decompartmentalize. You don't want everything in a baggie. Convenience is not the name of the game When you're at an event, the name of the game is for them to come and chat and sign up, That's what you want them to do. You don't want them to just grab a little baggie and go and say thank you and buy.You want them to be there and shop around, talk, and then finally over cluttered tables with no clear flow. So you don't want it to be over cluttered. You want to have a system in your table. In the ground marketing course, I show you exactly how to do that with just a regular hygiene kit.I don't do anything over the top or too flashy. Now, there's been many, many great examples of this, but I'm gonna give you an example of a member of ours. It was at a local PTA carnival. It was a pediatric dental office, and they use a spin to win, no cavity club prize wheel. T-shirts said, no meltdowns, no tears.Just smiles. And a team member who shouted, You wanna win something your kids will actually love? That's all they said. Hey, win something your kids are actually gonna love. Come on in. Come on in. They collected 112 contact information, so point of contacts, 112, booked 27 appointments immediately, and had a 74% show rate over the next two weeks.All from one. Afternoon. That's just one afternoon. That's amazing. So that's what you wanna do when it comes to be right. Grab attention within three seconds. Now here's the key C rolls and flow. This is the, that you're gonna have for the events. It's your triple threat event team. So instead of calling everyone helpers, give them roles with clear purpose.The first role is The magnet. Where are they gonna be? Right outside of the booth. Right next to the booth. They're just not really standing right behind the booth the whole time. They could once in a while, but they're outside of the booth and their role. Is just to say hi to everyone in the most bubbly way.Attract and invite foot traffic, right? Their script. Get ready for this. If you can write this down, it's, Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. And that's it. That is their script. the work that they're gonna have to do honestly is hold themselves back from saying too much. Because that can kill the curiosity of the event goer.All you wanna say is, Hey, and then wave your hand, right? Like If you can see, if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see me wave my hand. Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. And then point to everything that's free at the booth that's it. Have them draw closer to be like well, what's all for you?What is all you're not gonna answer? That they're gonna answer that themselves with their eyes and when they go to the booth. So that's it. That is the script. Hey, Grab whatever you want. Come on over here. It's all free. Don't, oh, and the toothbrush is free. And then the floss is, no, don't do any of that.Just say it's all free. And then have them come over. That's it. And you get the next person. The next person. Right Now the next role, the next person. Your team is the messenger. They are inside the booth. Okay. I like to say that instead of behind, but they're inside the booth. Their role is to have these conversations, answer questions.If somebody's in there, like opening their mouth and saying, why do I have sensitivity here? Can you see? And then they're engaging, their role is signing people up. Also, the magnet could be signing people up too. Just in case it gets too busy. That's why I say they're outside of the booth sometimes.But if they see that the booth is popping and it's packed, now the magnet has to go behind the booth and sign people up while the other person is talking to everyone else, right? They're engaging with the person. So the magnet kind of has two roles. They have to have their eyes on that booth.Now the messenger, their role is to educate, answer questions and point visitors to sign up. Hey, yeah. what we're doing this month is we're signing up everyone, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, right? This month we decided to partner up with this business, and what everybody's doing is they're giving us their name and number, and I personally will give you a call.What's your name? And then you continue to sign them up. That's the messenger's role. They're behind the booth. Honestly, everybody in your team should probably never be sitting down, even, even in a lull, right? they're standing, they're engaging, they're doing things.So that's the messenger. Remember now you have the magnet. They're outside of the booth. The messenger is inside of the booth, and now you have the third team member. The connector, okay. Their role, they are walking around the event to the vendors, to the other vendors. Their role is to build relationship with the vendors, the organizers, the schools, the small business owners, every other booth there.And the people who are in charge of the event. Their role is to get their business information to sign people up on the spot. 'cause remember those people the, at the booth, the vendors at that booth, they're most likely not walking around. You have someone walking around, you have someone signing them up.You have someone collecting their business information, building rapport so that tomorrow you can go to their place of business and get the rest of the employees to sign up, maybe do a lunch and learn, maybe have some type of collaboration or program that you can do just for them. That's your role. Okay.The connector's role is to go out to the vendors and sign up the vendors. 'cause most likely they're not your patients, so they can come on it. And then you're collecting their business information so you can go to their place of business and execute more strategies, ground marketing strategies, and build great partnerships with those businesses.So there's three, right? The magnet just outside of the booth. The messenger, they're inside of the booth and the connector, they're walking around. Creating partnerships with the other vendors and the organizers. Got it. Awesome. So then step three is you're gonna offer a design from freebie to the front door.So your goal is not just to give things away, it's to trigger interest, build reciprocity, and create momentum that gets people to book, show up and become long-term patients. This step turns the booth from a passive branding tool into an active patient convergence system. So a, you want to create a compelling ethical incentive.Forget free cleanings, right? It's overdone, undervalued, and invite slow commitment window shoppers. Instead, craft layer tiered offers that feel exclusive and valuable requires something in return. And reinforce the long-term value of your practice. Now, I'm gonna give you an example. This is for adults.The offer could say, Hey free first Invisalign session and take home whitening kits, Or you can say Free smile consultation. Plus take home whitening kits. Then you can put on the bottom. It includes examine x-rays, custom smile assessment and a whitening kit must attend appointment rate and then continue why it works.Whining is seen as a cosmetic bonus, not a fix. It also positions your practice as cosmetic forward and modern, and it's easy to tie in with Invisalign or SMILE design conversations for kids. Your offer can say, join our no cavity club. The entry into your monthly, quarterly raffle prizes, could be like toys, ice cream, gift cards, electric toothbrushes, right?So that's part of the no cavity club. You always get prizes and then you also get free dental prize bags, right? Branded floss stickers and cool kids swag, all that other stuff. So your enter to win in a raffle all the time if you're part of the No cavity club, to win a huge prize. And then you're also, get, you know, like hygiene kits.But. Rebrand it, call it something different. That way it feels more exclusive and it works because parents love recognition programs for kids. It adds community and reward structure and it gets families emotionally invested, inre care and return visits. A pro tip for this is display a poster at your booth with last month's winner and a real kid photos with permission of course, that always works when you actually have proof, right? Hey, this is the last month's winner. Especially if it's a community event. People will, Hey, I know that kid goes to, he's my best friend, right? Or all these things, they'll feel more inclined or families. You can offer a smile makeover giveaway.One entry per household. One winner gets a full consult with digital smile design and bonus prizes for all entries, right? Small gift bags. Et cetera. Right? And it works because it's aspirational. People love the idea of a transformation. You collected dozens or hundreds of leads and create cross selling into whitening, ortho, and cosmetic options whenever you do a raffle.Real quick, I wanna mention something. Don't ever have just one winner. Everyone should win something, right? So always plan that you want people to come in. Not just give you a bunch of names and numbers and say, oh man, they all wanted to win, but they didn't make everybody a winner. Now with, visuals, the offer type and the suggested sign copy, this is how it should stay on your booth, right?So let's just say you're offering whitening. You should say, Hey, free whitening with your first visit. Ask us how. The no cavity club kids can win big. Join the No cavity Club today, right? Smile makeover. Want a new smile? Enter our makeover giveaway. Make these signs bold, easy to scan in under eight words, right?Don't make it too wordy. You can add scarcity and urgency. Even the best. Offer false flat without psychological triggers, scarcity and urgency. Create fomo, which drives people to act now instead of later. So you can have a whiteboard or a flip chart at the booth nine Invisalign spots remaining.13 whitening kits left today. You can even have a countdown timer on an iPad screen and say, next free whitening session giveaway is in five minutes. Right? People will, wait at your booth until they can be the first one to do it. If you do catch them waiting to be the first one to do it, make them feel like a VIP and say, Hey, you know what?You ain't even gotta wait. I got you in right now. Are you gonna be available Monday? I'll even put you on the schedule immediately. Boom. You'll make them feel special, important, and they're gonna show up no matter what. And you can also have a physical prize board, right? Cross out slots as people win or book, right?Oh, we only have 12, 10, 11, 13. And verbally, you can yell out, you know, we only have 10 whitening kids left, so grab one while they last. The smile makeover drawing closes in two hours and turn out to be included. We only block five Invisalign day specials each month. You want one right. And it works because it makes them feel exclusive. Not everyone gets this. You're one of the few. It's simple. It's super easy. It takes 30 seconds to sign up and scarcity, only a few left. Once they're gone, they're gone. And you got one. This trifecta bypasses analysis paralysis and motivates decision making on the spot, even from skeptical attendees.So that's gonna be fantastic to utilize. Now, here's the key. Mainly one thing post event follow up. This is where the ROI is made. This is one of the final steps, you wanna segment and nurture leads within 48 hours. So sort your context right from hot. Those are the ones that are booked or very interested to warm.They were curious or maybe they weren't committed and then cold. They just entered a raffle. Now tools you can use is,a lot of our members use Cares Stack or orx or their practice management software right, to see the appointment follow up. You can definitely use that. I know Cares Stack and Orxsponsor the podcast. So if you ever needed a couple months for free to utilize them, definitely go in the show notes below. It's not gonna be in the first link in the show notes below, but scroll a little bit down you can click on their deals that they have for you if you are interested in.Cloud practice management software, an all in one cloud practice management software that a lot of our members utilize that they can just put on their iPad and then they can schedule on the spot. So it's pretty fantastic. You can also use MailChimp or, an email system, like Active Campaign or anything like that.You want to use these tools to know, okay these, are booked appointments. Cool. Awesome. And then these were other people that just entered for a raffle and they're cold. Or maybe they're warm and you wanna retarget. So post event recap, right? Maybe you're saying We met 150 plus amazing families this weekend.If we missed you, our event special is still Available. Click below to book. You want to do that? Send it out to your actual cold leads and maybe even send it out to some of the patients you haven't seen in a while that you know, they're in their community because this will make them curious.See what it is, what are they doing? Oh man. What was the special that was happening at the event? Oh, cool. They're participating at the community. So now you're not just targeting, the people who were at the event. You're also targeting people who you haven't seen in a while. So definitely do that, and then you can use the same photos and text or emails so they recognize your team and so forth.Now, for hot leads, call within 48 to 72 hours. I mean, As quick as possible. Offer a warm, friendly touchpoint and a clear call to book if they haven't booked yet. So that means if they signed up, they put their name, number, and you said, I will personally give you a call to get you on the schedule this week.now's the time to call them. Be warm, friendly, and then get to the point. Just give them options. Don't say when are you available? No. Give them options one to two that they can schedule. Now, step five. Here's the big major part you wanna measure and optimize. This is gonna to be everything for you.This is the difference between a random act of marketing and a repeatable system that builds wealth. Community events are only profitable if you can measure exactly what you gain from them. Identify what's working and scale it and eliminate what's not, and save time, energy, and money. track these metrics.Every time without exception, you need to quantify both the top of funnel, that means leads and engagement, and the bottom of funnel appointments and production. Here's what to track. Okay? Leads collected. So total number of new contacts. Who gave you permission to follow up? That means emails, phones, or booked Both Total and source. So if they were booked at the event, track it. If they were warm, they gave you the info, track it. If they were only raffles, track it. Like I said, you can use Cares Stack or Orx their forms that you can use directly on iPads or if you want, you can sync Google Forms to your CRM, right?But tag the event source. So these leads are trackable in future campaigns as well. So that's number one. Leads collected, track it, two appointments booked. Number of appointments scheduled on the day and within the following seven days. So breakdown by onsite bookings, maybe let's just say it was 20 post event bookings via email or text message.And then you wanna track the show rates. Why this matters. This is your true conversion rate. Don't just measure interest. Measure action. Like I tell you before, your practice management software, they may let you segment by source and measure, show rate versus no shows and then revenue generated.Now this is within 60 days total treatment, accepted and paid from patients who came from the event. You don't want to wait six months to evaluate ROI look at hygiene visits, emergency treatment, accepted whitening, or ortho starts, and follow up family bookings. Set up event lead as a referral source in your practice management software, and then run a report after 60 days with that filter.Right now, cost per lead, the formula is total event costs, plus number of quality leads. So example is, let's just say the booth fee was $400. Materials is $300, the total 700, but leads collected was 105. Cost per leads are $6 and 67 cents.Why this matters? It helps you compare this event's efficiency against others. Other things as marketing such as ads, mailers, et cetera. Sometimes you don't have to, majority of the time, I wanna say at least like 80 something percent, you don't have to pay for a boothymaterials, you're gonna get them anyways to hygiene kit in the ground marketing course.I show you exactly how to do all of this just with hygiene kits. Your cost is super low. What I just said right now, the example the booth V $400 materials 300, that's a lot higher. That's a lot higher than I've, ever really done. But we're taking it there because I want you to see the potential.five is return on investment, right? So the formula for the ROI is revenue minus cost. Divided by cost. So the example is revenue generated is $4,000. The cost was $700, like the example we said. So 4,000 minus 700 divided by 700 equals 4.7. So 470% was the ROI. Now this matters because you'll know exactly which events to repeat, which to drop, and which to scale with confidence.Not every event is gonna be a banger. Some events are gonna be like, okay, you know what? We did get a good amount. It's good to, for us to continue that, you know, every quarter and some events are gonna say, oh my gosh, we have to do more. We have to invest more. And that, that we've gotten an incredible amount.Let's back them up. Let's see if we can create our own event with them. And then some events are absolutely fantastic, but they only host 'em once a year, right? Like employee benefits fairs or school events and things like that. But at least you know it's fantastic.The ROI is great and you're locked in for years and years to come. Tool options, right? You can collect these leads with an iPad, Google Forms or Cares Stack, right? Appointment tracking, like I said, you can use. Your practice management software, if you're looking for a new one, like I said, cares Stack and nor sponsors our podcast.So definitely check them out. You get an exclusive discount, and you can check 'em out for free too. Revenue by Source. You want to collect reports right on your practice management software, the metric ROI tracking. You wanna use custom Google Sheets or Airtable or just a way to collect the ROI and then dashboards.You wanna have insights so you can do that with. Your practice management software. I know if you have Cares Stack, I think it's smartview. And then orx is Orx Insights. But you can utilize whatever practice management software you want to utilize,something that will help fantastically with the leads collected appointments booked, the revenue generated.An easy way to track this you can use a software called CallRail. their new sponsor for the podcast. And they're fantastic at what they do. So for example, they have call tracking conversation intelligence. So they transcribe all your calls. And something I think is cool is they convert assist, so they convert leads with AI powered next steps.Coaching and follow up messages. So they'll literally highlight, okay, they were looking for this is a trend we see that all the leads want in the community. Or maybe my tone wasn't the best or what I said, I fumbled here a little bit too much. And that's what caused them to be disengaged in the conversation on the phone or whatever.Right? But primarily they track. lot of great things. So I would definitely use them when you can, not only to figure out how many leads are coming in, where they're coming in from, if they booked appointments, but at the same time see the conversation, see the trends and so forth. And then on top of that, you know, you can track everything else.So if you want, you can check them out for 14 days for free. So what I would do is on your next event that you have coming up, enroll for the 14 days for free. Then after that in your debriefing meeting, okay, let's look at the hot leads, look at all the data generated from Call rail and see where you guys are.if there's any cracks leaking, where you can glue them when it comes to answering the phones converting them, getting them in the practice and so forth. And how many leads came in. I mean, Call role makes it super easy. But definitely I'm gonna put a link in the show notes below if you wanna.Check them out. They help with everything like that, with ROI, tracking, appointment, tracking leads, collection, even improving your front office skills and phones, right? So, Yeah, I do that. Check out CallRail or if you want, you can use Google Sheets or whatever practice management software, system you have, and try to, you know, maneuver it that way.and the key is to debrief after every event. So within 24 to 48 hours of the event, gather your team for a 15 to 30 minute huddle.This is where all the magic happens. This locks in wins, identifies flops and builds your repeatable event engine. Ask these seven questions. What worked extremely well? Not what worked. What worked extremely well? Scripts, offers, games. What got the most attention? Did the magnet, the messenger, the connector shine?Who shined the most? what worked extremely well? Question number two is what flopped or fell flat? Was there a prize that wasn't exciting enough? Did anyone get confused about the offers? Three. Did people understand our messaging immediately or did we need to explain things over and over?Four? Was there any downtime? Track the busy times or slow times, right? For future booth placements, sometimes it's a popping event. Where you decided to set up is not popping. It's not that good. It's in a dead spot of the event. So that's something to keep in mind. Was there any downtime? Five. What questions came up repeatedly from attendees?This reveals content gaps you can fix with signage or handouts. Six. Did any tech or process slow us down? iPad glitches. QR codes didn't load. You know, you wanna fix that immediately. And then seven, how did each team member feel in their role? That's probably one of the most important because they're gonna be your main ones, right?For this whole thing to be successful. So they have to feel super comfortable. And then you wanna build a post event template and you can use a format. Now we do have this format in the ground marketing course. It's for all our members. So if you're remember and you're listening, definitely go check out that format.Download the post event template so you can use it, utilize it all the time. And go from there. If you're not part of the ground marketing course, definitely enroll. I'd love to see you in there. You can go in the show notes below. It's the first link in the show notes below, and you can check out everything that's inside of the course and we continue to add to it all the time.But you wanna continue to do this, track it. Do a post event huddle, repeatable growth engine. That's what this is gonna be. Once you do this three to four times, you'll have a playbook of top performing offers. You'll have a refined booth strategy and a trained team that knows how to execute without micromanagement, and most importantly, you'll have a predictable new patient system.Awesome. So if you have. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me on this. But the best way to reach out to me, especially with ground marketing, is being a member of the Ground Marketing course. You can go in the show notes below, click on the first link in the show notes below to check out more, and roll into the course and see everything we have to offer you.And thank you so much for tuning in. I'm excited to see you in the course. And for the next episode. It's ground marketing at schools. What you need to know, we're gonna discuss how to approach schools and offer value to teachers and parents. Alright, thank you so much for tuning in.We'll talk to you in the next episode.

Are you a new startup owner ready to dodge common pitfalls and steer your practice toward success?Join us today as we walk through the inspiring journey of Nishant Pandit, a visionary in dental business development. From dental school in India to impacting the U.S. practice management scene, Nishant's experience is as diverse as it is practical. Listen as he shares his professional growth, discussing the pivotal steps he took to launch Atlantic Medical Supply and his own consulting company, Built Easy Solutions. Nishant guides us through the intricacies of managing and growing dental practices, emphasizing the necessity of proper staffing, strategic cost management, and effective marketing techniques.Nishant doesn't just stop at the basics; he unravels advanced insights into the industry. Discover how integrated practice management software like CareStack can revolutionize your practice's efficiency. Learn why robust HR policies and compliance measures are not just formalities, but essential to operational success. Listen to negotiation tactics with insurance companies, methods for minimizing overhead, and the art of budgeting for dental supplies. Whether you're struggling with no-shows or seeking to streamline patient scheduling, Nishant offers his expert strategies to enhance every facet of practice management.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Key strategies for effective staffing and cost management in dental practices.Benefits of using practice management software like CareStack.Importance of comprehensive HR policies and compliance measures.Tactics for negotiating improved fee schedules with insurance companies.How to budget efficiently for dental supplies and manage overhead costs.Strategies to reduce no-shows and streamline patient scheduling.The impact of continuous learning through networking and educational resources.Ways to develop a flexible, long-term strategy in a dynamic industry.Let's dive into Nishant Pandit's startup strategies today!‍‍Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack‍Guest: Nishant PanditBusiness Name: Built Easy SolutionsCheck out Nishant's Media:‍Atlantic Medical Supplies: atlanticmss.comBuilt Easy Solutions: builteasysolutions.comPhone:  848-247-8014‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Tools:Google ChromeGoogle AdsMeta AdsYouTube Ads‍Businesses/Brands:DentalXChangePrimescanUPS‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Feeling like rejection is closing doors on your ground marketing efforts? What if it could be your secret weapon instead?In today's episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we're exploring the misunderstood realm of rejection, redefining it as feedback rather than failure. Through a blend of down-to-earth examples and actionable tactics, we're learning how practice owners and marketing teams can convert rejections into golden opportunities. Drawing from personal experiences, we demystify the reasons behind common rejections—from automatic no's by gatekeepers to the fear of change among decision-makers—equipping you with the insights to turn these hurdles into stepping stones.We'll unveil effective strategies like the "Coffee Drop" and "Customer Referral Play" to thaw the initial frosty interactions with potential partners. We'll dissect typical rejection types, providing countermeasures and a strategic three-step framework for cracking the "no" code. Each rejection, whether reflexive or cautious, is navigated with a value-first approach, ensuring a positive relationship. Wrapped with a real-world case study, this episode reaffirms the power of persistence and strategic finesse in transforming every negative into a partnership in ground marketing.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to interpret rejection as feedback, not failure.The common reasons why marketing efforts meet resistance.Strategies like the "Coffee Drop" for connecting with gatekeepers.How past experiences influence current rejection responses.Techniques for maintaining relationships despite initial rejection.A step-by-step approach to counteracting different types of "no."Insights into crafting value-oriented propositions.A real-world application through a detailed corporate case study.Press play and let's learn how to turn every "no" into a strategic partnership opportunity!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Organizations:American Marketing AssociationHarvard Business Review‍Businesses/BrandsWalmartSalesforceMcKinsey & Company‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) Michael: Overcoming rejection in ground marketing.Now rejection is not failure. It's feedback. Every rejection in ground marketing is a data point that tells you something about your approach, your value proposition, or your target audience. And the biggest mistake practice owners and marketing teams make is personalizing rejection, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to adjust, refine, and improve.So let's talk about the real reasons rejection happens in ground marketing. Understanding rejection at its core removes the emotional stink and allows you to adjust strategically. So that's why we're gonna get down to the real reasons first, number one, and this one is huge. It happens all the time.Gatekeepers are trained to say no. Now this is a statistic from the Harvard Business Review. 90% of cold approaches in sales and marketing are met with an initial rejection because gatekeepers have been conditioned to filter out non-essential interactions. So they've been trained on the interactions what they need to do.And anything else besides that, they're just trained to say no, they don't wanna mess up, And a lot of the times in ground marketing, I wanna say this is like above 90%. The reason you get no is 'cause of this. Mainly because you're speaking to the wrong person first and foremost.So if you do your strategy or your script and you talk to the gatekeeper, They consider that interaction most likely a non-essential. They're like, I don't know what's happening. What do I do? This is above my pay grade. No. I think I've spoken about this in the past many times, but.I remember when I wanted to, ground market and provide a specific service and get in front of a lot of the warehouse members at a Walmart center. It's like a Walmart distribution center. It wasn't an actual Walmart. Huge, thousands of employees. And I tried getting in many times and I would ask to speak to HR, human resources.Can I speak to hr? Can I speak to hr? That's just me thinking, right? Common sense hR would tell me no. I would get their voicemail a lot and still a no. And it wasn't until I spoke to someone who was pretty awesome at HR and they said, oh, we don't handle that. We only handle the front end of Walmart, like the actual store.You wanna speak to the logistics center? Let me transfer you. They transferred me to the logistics center and then I just said, Hey, can I speak to someone there who's in charge of maybe HR or maybe they're your supervisor?They passed me to the supervisor and guess what? Within the first just ask.I said, Hey, love to see if I can provide more services. Could we do like a lunch and learn like an event for the day? You're like, yeah, sure. Come on by. We'd love to have that. It was a lot thousands of employees, but it worked. It's 'cause I was speaking to the wrong person from the get go.And you can just give up from that point on and then say, okay, you know, it doesn't work to get into the warehouse or distribution center at Walmart, but it does. It does, as long as you're speaking to the right person first and foremost. And then from that point on it continues. So here it's gatekeepers are trained to say no.And that's a good example, that gatekeeper was the wrong person, first and foremost to speak with. And at the same time, all they know is just to say no if they don't know anything else. So the solution is you wanna bypass the auto rejection by making your presence non-threatening and value driven. So instead of selling, introduce yourself in a way that benefits them immediately.This is going to disrupt their autopilot rejection and gets them to lower their guard. So number two, the lack of perceived immediate benefit. Now, this is a statistic by Salesforce research.72% of decision makers only engage in partnerships they perceive as immediately beneficial to their customers or employees. So the solution tie your offer or your approach directly to their top priorities. you're gonna have to do a little research for that. Three, fear of extra work or change.This is a statistic by the McKinsey and Company Group, and it's 85% of businesses avoid change unless it's easy to implement and requires little to no effort on their part. The solution make it effortless for them to say yes. And four, they've had a bad experience with another dentist. This is a statistic by the American Marketing Association, but 76% of businesses that reject a partnership do so because of past negative experiences with similar offers.The solution address this head on now. We're gonna dive into some scripts right now. Okay. On how to do this. So how to make businesses want to work with you without ever talking about yourself first. That's the key. You don't wanna go in there and saying, Hey, we're the new person down the street. Hey, does anybody here need a dentist?Hey, we're taking on new patients. That's all you. That's the mistake you're making already. If you are making that, you wanna walk in without ever talking about you first. so these scripts, they're gonna trigger curiosity, establish trust, and subtly make businesses feel like they owe you something reciprocity.Remember, that's one of the principles in ground marketing without ever pitching your dental practice up front. So number one, we used to do this all the time. It's the coffee drop. This is for any business with a gatekeeper. This is an in-person strategy. Okay? So the target is any business with a front desk staff.It could be gyms, daycares, retail stores, even corporate offices. And the goal is to warm up the gatekeeper, disrupt their automatic no, and create an opening for future interactions. Now the script is the first visit. You're disrupting the automatic. No. You are walking in maybe with a coffee holder and a smile or just a coffee in hand and you're saying hey, how's it going?Yeah, I know you're busy. I just wanted to see if you guys wanted some free coffee. Actually, no strings attached. We just appreciate everything you all do here and our practice does a kind eat every day for a business in our community, The gatekeeper's gonna say, oh yeah, wow.Thank you so much. I appreciate, what's your business? Where are you located? Who are you? Right? They may even say no. If they say no, that's perfectly fine. They're still gonna ask, who are you? And then who's gonna shrug casually and just say, you know, I just know that the front desk teams keep business running and I know we appreciate our front desk, and I wanted to show you that today.And continue right Now, not only do they have their guard down, but they feel, oh man, this person really understands what I'm going through. Maybe they might be having a bad day that day and you are the sunshine that just came in. But this works because gatekeepers lower their defenses. When they see that you're giving, not taking reciprocity kicks in, they feel inclined to engage.They will engage no matter what. Even if they say no, they'll say, oh wow, thank you. No, you know, I appreciate that. Thank,it'll be just as good as if you did bring in their coffee and then they associate you with positivity, making future conversations much easier. So once that happens, let's just say you just established it.You're like, okay, cool. After that, you know, you leave, you don't feel like poking the bear or anything like that. 'cause maybe they're busy, they're talking to someone, you just drop off their coffee. At least you have a second date. Now you can follow up and say, Hey, last time I was here, I meant to ask, do y'all do any events for the employees here?Remember, they associate you with positivity. Your future conversation is happening right now, and now it's easy for you to ask, Hey, do y'all do anything for your employees here? Do y'all have an employee's benefits day, a health fair? Could we do something like that? Do y'all have a employee wellness month in the newsletter?You can ask anything at this point on your next visit. Now they're sharing their business and you can strategically introduce your practice. Okay, so that's like a one-two step. That happened all the time, and it took me a while to realize it's a one-two step. I would come in all the time. Hey, I love what you guys are doing here.If you want, going to the coffee shop right next door from you. Do y'all want anything? Yeah, sure. You know, I love that. Oh my gosh. Yeah. No, no. Thank you. I appreciate it though. Okay. I just know you guys are super busy and sometimes I know our front office is like, I wish I had AFR coffee right now and I'm just thinking about you guys.So that's all. We tend to do a kind deed for a business out here every day and you're like, oh man, well, who's your front office? Where are you from? Where are you located? Right. And then you kind of continue to talk more and you can actually, at that moment, even if they say no, still. do the ask, right?Do y'all do any events for the employees here and so forth? But a lot of the times they might get busy, the phone may ring, whatever, right? Then you can just say, okay, bye room, and then they'll know. Wow. he was literally just asking me for if I wanted free coffee and that was it. That was awesome. And come back in a day or two and then say, Hey, real quick. I wanted to come by and see if you guys do any events for the employees. I meant to ask you that. I forgot. Sorry. Easy breezy. They'll be super open from that. Okay. Now number two, the customer referral play. This is for gyms, salons, and wellness centers.The target is businesses that benefit from having more customers, Make them see you as a referral source before they realize they can refer people to you. the script is, you're gonna walk in casually creating curiosity, right? You're gonna say, Hey. I've been hearing some great things about you guys.A couple of my patients have been talking about how much they love coming here, so I figured I stop in and see what the buzz is all about. they're gonna be intriguing. They're gonna say, oh, really? That's great to hear. And they might talk a little bit more, and then you say, yeah, you know, they were raving about a specific service that they provide.And then you're gonna say, I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations on places like this. So I just wanted to check it out for myself. What makes this place stand out and then you continue. Right now, that's the key right there. I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations on services or places like this.They don't know if it's just one person who asked you, or a million people who asked you. They just see, oh wow, is a referral source. They can provide me with a lot of customers or whatever. Right. This works because they now see you as a referrer first, not someone trying to sell them something.Second is curiosity builds. They want to explain why they're great, so make sure you ask what makes this place stand out. Third, they will naturally ask what you do, making it easy to bring up your practice organically without fail. A thousand percent. When you say, I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations, especially you say, A lot of our patients ask us about recommendations on places like this or your services, 1000%.They will ask you, what do you do? Or where are you located? Now you can follow up before leaving. You wanna use reciprocity to get a referral, right? You can continue to say, you know, I love what you guys are doing here. Do you have anything I can give to my patients in case they're looking for an mention of service, right?That they offer. They're gonna get you a folder filled of stuff, their business cards, and we both know those business cards that they have are just sitting in the back collecting dust, but now they have a reason to give it to you. So don't feel bad or don't feel like, oh man, just gimme one. If they wanna give you a hundred, let them give you a hundred.Don't feel bad about it. Most likely they'll give you like 10 or 20, but You could put 'em in hygiene kits if you want. You can feature a month or whatever. But that is your opportunity for the follow up ask, right? Where you're like, Hey, could I ever bring you guys any of our information as well?And then boom, they feel obligated to ask for your info in return, or they will feel obligated to take your info and return without even actually feeling obligated. It's just a nice deed, right? So that's the number two. Number three, the secret shopper play for retail and local businesses. Now the target is mainly coffee shops, retail stores, boutiques, things like that.And the goal is to make them feel like a VIP and subtly, subtly position yourself as someone who sends them customers. walk in with genuine curiosity, and then you're gonna create exclusivity. You're gonna say, Hey, you know what I was just over at. And then continue with saying, and they mention that this is the best place in town for mention a specific product or service. So now I have to see for myself how incredible this place is. And then stop there. They're gonna say, oh wow, thank you. Yeah, we love doing business with them, or we like them too, or who mentioned it over there, and you're just gonna be like, I don't remember their name.Right. And then continue with it and say, oh wow, that's great to hear. I think people love us because. Then they're gonna mention reasons too. Then you say, yeah, that makes sense. I feel like more people should know about this. Do you guys ever do collaborations with other local businesses? No. Boom. They're either gonna say, yes we do, or no, we don't.If they say, yes we do. Cool. Can I participate? And they say, no, we don't. Oh man. We always do, collaborations with other types of businesses. Would you ever be interested in doing one? Then they're gonna say yes, right? Yeah. You know, We've been thinking about it and so forth. It works because you make them feel special.They now associate you with bringing them business, and they start thinking about partnerships before you even mention your practice. So they're already thinking of partnerships. Yeah. You know what? I can definitely do a partnership. We've thought of doing a partnership, but let's make something happen.And later in the conversation you can follow up. You know, You can say, I love supporting local businesses like yours. If you ever want to do something fun together, I'd be all in. Actually, you know what? We're only picking three businesses this quarter for a free wellness initiative. Could I save you a spot?Boom, right then and there, right? If you're already creating a partnership, a collaboration, it's gonna be happening. And then once they say yes, as you're leaving, you can say, Hey, could I ever give you some of our information too, as well, right? That way you can look us up a little bit more for your customers, and then just provide them with more things.Doesn't hurt to do that. But this gives them a sense of being afraid of missing, especially if you say, we're only picking three businesses this quarter for a free wellness initiative. Should I save you a spot? Number four, the Business Insider play. This is for corporate offices and HR managers.Now, the goal is to make them feel like an exclusive insider in their own company. You are gonna walk in with an observational comment, and you're gonna use the fear of extra work to your advantage, right? You're gonna walk in and say, you know, I was just talking to someone who works here. They were raving about what a great place this is to work.So I had to stop by and see for myself, what do you guys specialize in? Boom. They're gonna say, oh, wow, that's so great to hear. You know, we really focus on boom, right? They may ask, oh, who are you speaking with? And then say, you know what? I can't think of their name right now, but likethey were super excited about it and they mentioned equality.They were super excited about it. They were really warm. They were awesome. They were.talking it up and I'm like, man, I gotta go check this place out and so forth. once they say, you know what we really focus on, and then they're gonna mention their company culture. You're gonna say, you know, that makes a lot of sense. So if someone was new here and wanted to make the most of their experience, what's the one thing they should know about this place? And then they're gonna mention their specific things about their corporation and so forth. And it works because you instantly build trust because you're not pitching anything.They see you as someone who understands their culture, and they will start seeing you as an insider, making them more likely to say yes later. Now, a follow-up move you can have later in the conversation is, I love hearing about workplaces that actually care about their employees. Do you all do any cool perks for your team?If you mention, oh my gosh, I love hearing how you guys take care of your employees and everything you've taken into consideration for them and their needs. Do y'all do anything for your team, for your employees? Do you have any cool perks? Do you do a health and wellness day? I don't know, something like that, right?But just the best thing you can say is, do you all do any cool perks for your employees, for your team? And then they're gonna let you know everything they do. Now you can do two things. You can say, oh. What, What it cost or how can I be a part of any of that? Just hand out everybody, some freebies too. And then they're gonna ask well, what do you do?And so forth, right? And then boom, it'll be easy breezy from there. So you can do that, or you can say, okay, cool. Awesome. Could we ever host something here? We have quite a bit of patience and I know a lot of your employees, have questions about some specific procedures that we offer. Then they're gonna ask, okay well, what do you do?And then you can continue and boom, you might be able to host your own event. So those are the two things you can do, right? Participate in one of their events or host your own event with them, or provide some type of perk for their team. Now, the final takeaway for this is flip rejections into wins by controlling the narrative.Most businesses reject partnerships, not because they don't need them, but because they fear extra work, competition, or wasted effort. So by using curiosity, reciprocity, and effortless value, you position yourself as an ally, not a solicitor. So remember, the key thing is give before asking, create exclusivity so they feel grateful to work with you and make your offer seem like a zero effort perk.Rather than a commitment. Now, the chapter two of this, we're gonna discuss the psychological breakdown of rejection types, right? So rejection is not a one size fits all. Each type requires a custom response. So I know what you're thinking with the scripts that you heard. You're like, oh man, I'm just gonna use that one script sometimes for all the rejections.And you cannot, right? We've discovered this the hard way. there's about three types of rejections. The ground marketing scenario number one is the reflexive, no, it's an automatic rejection. The cause is an automatic response. They're not even listening to you. An example.No, we don't allow, allow soliciting, right? You just walk in. The solution is interrupt the pattern and it works because it disrupts their automatic no response and forces them to reconsider like thecoffee drop example. You're walking in, you're giving them coffee.That's it. And then once they say no, or maybe they might say yes, right? And continue on with their day. You can come back and they're used to it. They're, oh man, you're here again. What's up? it disrupts their no, and they will be more open to you, providing more information.they're gonna ask more information about you. It's one of the best ones. Number two is the cautious, no. This one's a trust barrier. They don't fully trust your offer yet, or they don't trust you yet. the solution is remove competition from the conversation.You're not replacing their current Provider. You're adding value. So remember that. And then number three is the busy no. And that's a timing issue. They're overwhelmed and don't have the bandwidth for your offer. They say, not now. We're swamped. The solution, acknowledge their situation and ask for something quick.You respect their time, making them more receptive later. So there is a three step rejection counter attack framework that's chapter three here, right? Every rejection is an opportunity to refine your strategy. Number one, you wanna pause and acknowledge the objection, why this step is critical.Psychological insight, right? People feel validated when their concerns are acknowledged. The next thing is when you resist the urge to argue or sell, it disarms their resistance, and then you acknowledge them. Acknowledgement lowers their defenses, making them more likely to reconsider. Now, this is a statistic by the Harvard Business Review, but 67% of people are more likely to continue a conversation if.Their concerns are first validated instead of immediately countered. So let me give you an example of something wrong. The business says, we already have a dentist we refer to, and you say oh, you have them, but we're way better than them. This is wrong. You've now positioned yourself as a competitor, making them defend their existing partnership, and it puts them on the defensive.Making it less likely, they'll engage. The right response would be, oh yeah, you know, I totally get that. That's incredible. A lot of businesses I talk to say the same thing, and then you continue, right? It works because you validate their decision. They don't feel like they have to defend it. You keep the conversation open instead of shutting it down, and it makes them more willing to listen to what you have to say next.You can follow up with that sentence by saying, Hey, outta curiosity, what do your employees love most about that partnership? Boom. And you continue, The conversation. Then you find the cracks, and then you see where you can be the solution to those pain points. Now you've turned their rejection into a conversation starter.Next, you wanna pivot to a value first approach. This step is critical. When people feel they're gaining something rather than being sold something, they are far more likely to engage. If rejection doesn't come with a loss, they are more open to new possibilities. A Salesforce research statistic says 83% of people are willing to listen if they see an immediate low effort benefit.So lemme give you the wrong way to do this. The business says we're not interested. Then you say, well, let me just explain why our practice is different. That's gonna fail. They don't care about you yet. They care about what they gain. So you're trying to overcome the rejection instead of pivoting the conversation.So the right response is, if they say, we're not interested, you're gonna say totally fine. By the way, do you guys ever do anything for the employee wellness days? They're gonna say Employee wellness days, no, not really. What are you talking about? Why? They're gonna say no reason. Just have something that might be cool for your team and I I can drop it off next time if you like.This works. You shift away from your offer and make it about them. Instead, you create curiosity, making them more open to your next visit, and you frame yourself as someone bringing value, not pitching a service. Once they engage you now have a chance to build value naturally. And then the final thing is you can follow up in a non-threatening way, right?In value-driven way, 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups, yet only 8% of salespeople persist past the first rejection. Following up is key with any marketing in general. But especially with ground market, you've got to follow up. Life happens to many people, you need to follow up.The key to successful follow-ups is making them feel effortless and organic. the key mistake people make is they never follow up or they follow up to aggressively. So let me give you an example of a wrong way. Maybe you're returning in two weeks and you say, Hey, I just wanted to check back and see if you're ready To start referring patients to us, that's gonna fail you. They immediately feel like they're being sold something. and it's all about you, not about them. The right way is, Hey, I was in the area and I figured I'd drop off a few of these free hygiene kits or a few of these free travel hygiene kits for your team.Just a little something to say. Thanks for all you do, and that's it. The business is gonna say, oh wow. Thanks. That's really nice of you. You're gonna say, no problem at all. And by the way, I saw something the other day that reminded me of our last conversation. Mind if I ask you a quick question? This works because if you give them something before they're asking for anything, it feels natural, not like a sales follow up, and it creates an opportunity for a real conversation.You can follow up by saying, you know, by the way, if any of your customers ever need a good dentist, let me know. I'd be happy to take care of them. You can present them with a specific offer or a new patient exam or whatever incentive. Right now, they are offering to refer people to you, which is the key.That's what you want, and there's many, many other things we can do, right? Rejection doesn't mean never, it means not yet. The key is knowing how to change the dynamics of the interaction so that the business sees you as a valuable partner instead of a solicitor. We can leverage reciprocity, the psychology of reciprocity, and it works fantastic, right?And a way you can do this the right way is maybe you're targeting a gym that initially rejected your partnership. Now if that happens, you can say, Hey, I was grabbing some snacks from my office and figure your team could use a little fuel. I know how hard you guys work here. So I just wanted to say thanks.And then hand them over some bottled waters and protein bars. Staff is gonna say, oh wow, that's so nice of you. Thank you. You didn't have to do that. You are gonna say in a nonchalant way, it's no big deal. I love what you guys are doing here. Actually, quick question. Do you ever run into members asking about teeth grinding or jaw pain and then this is gonna work, right?Or they're cosmetics or teeth weening. Now this works because you're giving, before asking, triggering the psychological need to reciprocate. It doesn't feel salesy. Makes them more likely to engage. The question naturally transitioned into your services without being pushy. So works fantastic. You can also use tactics like scarcity and urgency as well, right?You can say, Hey, we're only selecting three businesses this quarter for our no-cost wellness initiative. I mean, I know you guys have such a great team. I love to include you. Can I save a spot for you? That's one, and there's many, many more, right, that you can adjust to in this scenario, which is gonna be done in a later episode.How we can go to businesses that maybe perhaps we messed up before we started listening to these episodes and we said, oh man, they've already told us no, they've already rejected us. They've even like kicked us out. How you can turn that around and now go into these businesses and fix it? Fix it and create strong partnerships.So that's gonna be an episode, later down the road, but it's turning around rejections, which is a lot easier than you think. Now I'm gonna give you a, case study on, rejections and how it'll work specifically with corporate office rejection, right?So there was a business that immediately rejected a proposal for an in-office dental screening.Instead of walking away the dentist, they emailed HR with a customized dental wellness month proposal focusing on how it could help employees with stress related dental issues. By the way, in the ground marketing course, we are about to drop all to do this. How to email HR with a customized dental wellness month proposal.And then in the course as well, it's gonna break down the SOP, the standard operating procedure and the system on how to effectively host a dental wellness month with a corporate office. Fantastic. I'm excited for it. It's something we've done a lot, but it's gonna be in the course coming up here probably by the time this episode drops.So we're excited for that. So if you're not a part of the ground marketing course, please feel free to go in the show notes below. Click on the first link in the show notes below to enroll into the Ground Marketing course. You'll get all these strategies and way more specific in-depth scripts and strategies, and this too, as well, the Dental Wellness Month proposal.But at the same time, you'll get a lot of these live ground marketing workshops with myself. But if you are a member of the ground Marketing course, look out for that. It's coming up right here pretty soon, so get excited. Now. The next thing is reframe the event as an exclusive benefit rather than a vendor service.And then offer a small, no pressure reduction, just a free guide in hygiene kits for employees. The results were amazing with this member HR approved the wellness initiative after seeing it framed as an employee benefit. Over 50 employees signed up for screenings within the first month, and the company now offers the dentist services as a permanent employee part.The lesson. If they reject you in person, pivot to the email and make it a tailored offer that fits their priorities. That's what was happening here. The business immediately rejected the proposal in person, but then the email is what got it, is what took it right. So a good takeaway from this episode is rejections are simply missed connections.You can turn them into opportunities by giving before asking reciprocity, right? Creating urgency and exclusivity, scarcity, finding an insider to advocate for you. You have an internal champion and reframing your offer to match their priorities. Customization. So definitely keep this in mind.These scripts are gonna be fantastic. There's more scripts that are gonna be in the ground marketing course, like general approach. I wanna refer my patients to you. I wanna support your members. I want to help your families. I love to support your customers. I wanna help your students getting them to promote you.These scripts are gonna be inside the ground marketing course as well under this, specific unit. But yeah. If you're not a part of the ground marketing course, like I said, definitely go in the show notes below. Click on the first link and see everything it has to offer. And if you are a member of the Ground Marketing course, I'm excited to talk to you in the next Live Ground Marketing workshop and look out for the Dental Wellness Month proposal, the email, and the actual SOP for that that you can start implementing and utilizing soon.Alright, in the next episode, we will be discussing leveraging community events for maximum impact. Talk to you soon.

Which path offers more freedom in the long run: corporate dentistry or owning your own practice?In this episode, we're getting into a candid conversation with Ken Kilday, who expertly navigates the often-complex waters of transitioning from corporate dentistry to practice ownership. Ken brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, uncovering the numerous advantages of owning a practice and debunking the myths surrounding corporate dentistry's ease. With control, flexibility, and autonomy on the line, Ken emphasizes what truly transformative practice ownership can be when driven by intentional planning and clear goal-setting.The episode is chock-full of indispensable advice, from striking a balance between the clinical and business elements to fostering an uplifting workplace culture. Ken shares insights on using strategic templates for success, asking the right probing questions to align your motivations, and embedding core values into your business ethos. Wrapping up the discussion, Ken provides a roadmap for corporate dentists eager to make the shift, while also shining a light on strategies to keep passion alive and dodge burnout in the demanding field of dentistry.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why owning a dental practice can offer unmatched control and freedom.The importance of clear goal-setting and intentional planning.Practical tips on structuring your practice with specialized templates.Key questions to clarify your motivations and business aims.Techniques for integrating core values into your practice.Steps for transitioning from corporate to practice ownership.Tips for sustaining passion and avoiding burnout in dentistry.Don't miss out on Ken Kilday's valuable insights into transforming your dental career—join us on this episode!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment‍Guest: Ken KildayBusiness Name: Leader's CutCheck out Ken's Media:‍Website: kenkilday.com/industries/dentistryKen's Resources: makingthecut.biz‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Books:Through the Looking-Glass‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

What would make patients EXCITED to refer their friends and family to your practice?In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we unveil the secrets to crafting a high-performing patient referral program tailored for dental practices. Navigating the maze of compliance might seem daunting, but we're breaking down the barriers, offering you a roadmap to a program that is as effective as it is legal. We dive into a list of innovative strategies and enticing rewards designed to inspire your patients to become enthusiastic promoters of your practice. Learn how to play within the rules while making your referral program the talk of the town with ideas like luxury mini items, mystery gifts, and VIP dental perks.Beyond strategic insights, this episode provides a personal touch with practical examples, real-life scenarios, and ready-to-use scripts for engaging patient conversations. Discover how to transform your referral program from mundane to mesmerizing by tapping into psychological triggers such as urgency and surprise. By the end of this episode, you'll not only have a blueprint for invigorating your patient base to refer, but also learn how to stay within state regulations while doing so. Don't just aim for passive referrals—dare to craft an experience that keeps patients talking.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to design a referral program aligned with legal and ethical standards.Impactful reward ideas that excite and engage your patients.The role of urgency and surprise in enhancing referral participation.Harnessing luxury mini items and local business perks for maximum appeal.Scripts and scenarios to easily implement these strategies in practice.The power of social proof to amplify your referral efforts.Let's learn how to create a captivating referral program—tune in now!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍TDM Articles: Legal and Ethical Patient Referral Strategies for Dental Practices‍Organizations/Laws:Anti-Kickback StatuteState Dental BoardsSunshine Act‍Businesses/BrandsChanelDiorYSLInvisalignKlatch Coffee‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) Michael: The ultimate compliant and irresistible patient referral program. We're gonna be diving into strategies and gifts that actually work. So this episode with ground marketing, we're gonna talk about creating a referral program that works. How to make patients want to refer while staying fully legal and ethical.Now, most referral programs fail. They don't excite patients enough, and let's be real. No one cares about appreciation clubs or educational seminars that much patients want something they actually desire. But we also need to ensure full compliance with the A KS, the anti-kickback statute, and the state Dental Board regulations.This episode's gonna break down highly enticing, fully compliant, and unique referral strategies that make patients want to refer without violating federal or state laws. Now, just a heads up, by the time this episode comes out there is going to be a article, out on the website titled Navigating Referral Marketing for Dentist.It's gonna say compliance and ethical strategies. And in there, I mean, you can kind of see the draft right here if you're watching on YouTube, but you can kind of see, I talk about understanding the Sunshine Act and the a KS for dentists. How can dentists reward referring offices without violating the law?Gives you exactly, Hey, gift cards, are they okay or not? What kind of gives thank you cards? What's legal and ethical? I break that down. How to stay compliant with referral marketing. So much more. And I'm gonna go deeper into the article as well. So that article is gonna be out.I'm gonna put a link to it in the show notes below by the time this episode goes live as well. But going back to this episode with ground marketing, we're gonna talk about right now, the secret to making a referral program work. Now, a successful referral program has three key components. One, the reward must be something they actually want.So if it's boring, they're not gonna refer right? Two, it must be compliant. So that means no cash, no high value gives, or direct financial incentives. And then three, it must feel like an effortless bonus. So effortless, the patient should feel like they're getting a pleasant surprise rather than being bribed.Okay, and I dive deeper into this in the ground marketing course. Now, the goal for this, instead of saying, refer a friend and get $50, we want to create an exciting, ethical, and legal reason for patients to spread the word. Okay? So now that we got that down, the three things that have to be in a referral program, has to be something they want.Nothing boring, must be compliant, and it must feel effortless, like an effortless bonus, right? So that moves on to number two. Now, here's where we can dive deep and let our imagination run a little bit more wild. But at the same time, remember the state that you're in, the law and everything like that.So I'm gonna give you some things that our members have used, I've witnessed, I've used, that is an incredible, fully compliant reward, right? It's highly enticing. So number one. Luxury experienced based gifts. Now, why this works? Patients love unique experiences. It makes them feel special. So instead of cash, offer low cost, but high perceived value gifts.Okay, A compliant experience-based reward. Here's some ideas. Luxury candle or skincare gift set. This can be under $15 coffee subscription, a one month trial, right under $15 as well. Designer Lip balm they have Chanel, Dior, YSL, et cetera. Those are under $15. Artisan Chocolate Box or Gourmet snack Pack, Those can be under $15. Then maybe like a cozy night in package, and that can involve face mask, herbal tea, mini candle, right under 15, $20. A lot of the times it's the way you're gonna word this and package it, I'll give you an example of the wording and how important it is. A lot of the times we may say, Hey, Free consultation on your Invisalign. And we see that everywhere all the time. Everybody's like, Hey, course it's free. Everybody else is offering it free. But if you say, Hey, your first session of Invisalign is free. Now, people who are ready to get it in their mindset. They're more ready than the free consultation person.They're thinking, holy snaps, I get the first session for free. They don't know. The first session is a consultation. They're just in their mind. The first session is free. Let's do this kind of a thing. Boom. So the wording has a lot to do with this. So you can, instead of just saying, Hey, face mask, herbal tea, and mini candle package, you know, you just say, Hey, a cozy night in package right?an example script for this could be, Hey, thank you for referring your friend. As a little appreciation gift. We have a luxury skincare set waiting for you at your next visit. I can guarantee this is gonna ensure. That they will show up for their next appointment. And it works because people associate luxury with high value, even if it's a small cost designer brand.Mini items feel premium, but they stay compliant. So that's number one, right? Luxury experience based gifts. Two monthly surprise gift box. Now, this adds like a fun mystery factor and why this works. Patients love the ex excitement of mystery gifts. The psychological trigger of surprise and delight makes them want to refer more and how this works.Each month have a small mystery referral gift box in your office. Patients who refer get to pick one at their next visit. It's a mystery box and the example items, they're all under $15. Okay. this is what you can have in these mystery boxes. Mini essential oil set. You can have a high end travel toothpaste kit, gourmet popcorn or snack packs, many hand poured soy candles.And now depending on the community you live in, you can purchase some of these things from small businesses in your community and have these in the mystery. Bags or gifts. And then not only are you partnering up with another business and creating rapport, and maybe y'all guys can do even more things together, but boom, this is your foot in the door in order to get into that small business and get the employees to come in.But at the same time, now you're having them participate in something. for example, the mini hand poured soy candle, right? There can be a candle shop somewhere. And then another one is premium hydrating lip balm, right? Like the ones we discussed before. So mini essential oil set, high end travel toothpaste kit, gourmet snack pack, popcorn, anything like that.Candles, mini hand or soy candles, and then premium hydrating lip balm. Anything in this referral gift box, can have that, right? An example script for patients is, Hey, you've earned a pick from our mystery referral box. So go ahead, pick which one will you choose, and you can even record this, put it on social media, make it a big deal.It's fantastic and it works because patients will refer multiple times to try different gifts. The mystery element adds extra appeal, so it's not just a one-time thing. They're gonna try to refer multiple times to get multiple things right. So that's number two. Monthly, surprise gift box. It adds a fun mystery factor.Now, three local business perks. Now this one's huge. This is one we always do all the time with a lot of our members in our offices. Now this works because instead of a cash or gift cards, you partner with local businesses to offer exclusive low cost perks that feel high value. Now, example of local business perks are VIP perk at a coffee shop.Hey, your next drink upgrade is on us, right? Two free ice cream scoop at a local spot. Hey, enjoy sweet treat on us. Three exclusive, $10 boutique store credit so you can get store credit, paid by your practice. You don't have to buy a whole thing. It can just be this is for store credit. Next 10 minute chair massage at a local spa.Same thing, right? Store credit. Another one mini flower bouquet from a local florist, that's it. I mean, Those are example local business perks. And the script you can say for that is, Hey, we partnered with The local business to treat you. Your referral earns you an exclusive free drink upgrade next time you visit.however you want to word that right? Your referral earns you an exclusive $10 boutique store credit at. And it works because patients get real perks at places they already visit. Making the reward way more exciting. So this involves you getting to know, obviously, your target audience, where you want more of your target audience to come from.But at the same time, if you do an EPA, which we talk about that in the course, an existing patient analysis where you sit down. And think, who are my favorite patients that I currently see right now, or that I want to see once my practice is open, write it all down and boom. You're like, okay, where do they go?Where do they shop? What kind of coffee do they like? Where do they work? Where do they live? All these things. Now you're able to tailor make your referral program to that. So let's just say they go to Clutch Coffee, right? And they love Clutch Coffee. They talk about all the time, I know that I've even seen them there.Blah, blah, blah. Boom. VIP perk at a coffee shop once their referral, right? So if they send a referral, be like, Hey, I got you a VIP perk at a coffee shop. Your next drink upgrade is on us. You ain't even gotta worry about it. they're gonna love it. They're gonna see, that's my favorite coffee shop. How'd you know I go there all the time?Oh, much, much bigger impact than, Hey, here's 50 bucks. Here's a reward, right? And then the ethics plays a role in that, and you're not gonna get as much. So trust me, that is huge. The more you pay attention to your patients and where they go and what they like to do and who they are, the easier it is to build a rewards referral program and it will skyrocket your practice.From that point on, you can do a number four, which is a VIP dental perk. So this is non-monetary, but highly valuable. So real quick, a recap. We discussed three things so far on building a Referral rewards program. So number one is luxury experience based gifts.Michael: Two is monthly surprise gift box, which I think is fantastic. Three is local business perks. Another one. Fantastic, right? All these are fantastic, but local business perks creates a community hype. The community gets more involved. You know what I mean? You'll get more referrals from other businesses like that and so forth.Now, number four is a VIP, dental perks non-monetary, but highly valuable. Now, this works because patients value, convenience, and special treatment more than discounts. compliant VIP dental perks idea would be first pick for preferred appointment slots. Priority scheduling for family members, complimentary comfort upgrade.So maybe aromatherapy, neck pillow, something right that you guys do. Massage chairs or a skip the line fast pass for check-in, right? That works once in a while, but you can do something like that, especially if you are a highly, highly busy office. So an example script for patients that you can say is as a thank you for referring a friend, you are now on our VIP priority list for scheduling.And you can mention things like that. And it works because it creates exclusive benefits without violating compliance laws. So those are the four things you can do now, how to make the referral program feel more enticing. This is huge right here because you've created it, you're excited about it. You wanna put it out there.But you want people to start referring and you want them to take advantage of this program that you've created. So if you're just offering it, Hey, we have a rewards program, that's not enough. You need to present it in a way that makes patients excited to participate. So there's a couple things we can do, but I'm gonna mention three.Number one, use fomo. Fear of missing out, how to apply that instead of, Hey, refer a friend and get a gift. Maybe you should use, Hey, there's only 20 mystery referral gifts available this month. Once they're gone, they're gone. And then you continue. This works because people don't wanna miss out.Limited quantities equals higher participation. Two, make it feel personal and unexpected. This is how you're gonna apply it. Instead of telling everyone ahead of time, surprise them after they refer with the small, unexpected reward. So an example script for patients.Would be, wow, you refer to friend. Thank you so much. That's amazing. We have a little something for you next time you visit, And then you have it. Or if you already have it right then and there, that's perfect. You can just give it to them. But it works because you surprise them. And surprise rewards feel more special than expected ones.Now, number three is use social proof, make people see others referring. So feature referral shout outs in your office or social media. An example is like, Hey, thank you so much for this patient's name for referring a friend. We love them. Enjoy your mystery referral gift, right? And then they get the mystery referral gifts.You can make it a whole thing. And this works because patients feel encouraged to participate when they see others doing it.Now, these referral rewards program have reciprocity. People refer when they feel they owe you something. So if someone receives value first, they feel an obligation to return the favor. This is the science of reciprocity, so how you can apply this before asking for a referral. Give patients something first.Offer a small, unexpected gift at the end of an appointment, Branded lip balm, specific gum, or a $5 coffee card. And when they say thank you, mention the referral program. Yeah, you know what we love surprising best patients with small gifts. Here's a little something to say. Thank you. Oh. And if you know anyone looking for a great dentist, we'd love to take care of them too.Do you know anyone? And then that's it. Ask the question. Hey, by any chance, do you know anyone? we'll give the time. Be in silence for as long as you need to be until they come up with a name. And then now it starts working. Now you can start asking for that referral. It works because patients now feel obligated to refer because you gave first.So train your team to mention the referral program every single visit. That's it. That's what's gonna do it all honestly, is the consistency of that. Your front desk and hygienist should mention it at checkout or any moment that they get and create a pre-written script for staff to use. Make it themselves, use their personality with it, but should be something short, sweet, and to the point.So how to create an unstoppable referral program. In summary, you want to offer high perceived value gifts, select luxury mini items, local perks, surprise gifts. Use VIP scheduling perks or priority treatment as incentives if you want. Leverage, mystery and exclusivity to create fomo. Partner with local businesses for exclusive referral only perks, and make patients feel personally appreciated instead of just earning a gift. What you don't want to do is offer cash, gift cards, or high value incentives, That's a violation of the a KS. You don't want to make it feel like a transaction instead of an appreciation, and you don't want to use complicated referral processes.Keep it effortless, even to the point where take out that card. Sometimes we see that, Hey, here's a card if you want. Just give it to someone then write your name on the back. And then when they come into the practice and then they give me that card, I'll see your name and I'll know that you're the one who referred.That's too much it should just be like, Hey, come to my dentist. And that's it. It shouldn't have to be that whole long process where you need to get all that stuff. So the final winning strategy, make the referral gift something patients genuinely want but wouldn't normally buy for themselves.Use this strategy and your referral program will be the most enticing and legally compliant patient growth machine ever. Okay, now let me give you some examples how this works. The situation a dentist struggles to get consistent referrals. So we're gonna call this person Dr. Samantha, the general dentist at a small but loyal patient base, yet very few people were referring friends or family, and she had tried offering $25 discounts and free whitening, but she realized that these incentives weren't compliant and didn't excite patients.The problem patients saw discounts as unexciting. Two, her referral program felt like a transaction, not a reward. And three, the discounts could violate anti-kickback laws. The solution she had to have high perceived value, low cost luxury gifts. So Dr. Samantha switched to a referral gift system based on small but desirable luxury items.So instead of discounts, she offered mini Dior. Chanel or YSL, lip balms, luxury scented candles, organic self-care kits all under $20. Now how it worked, A patient referred a friend and when the referred friend came in, the refer received a luxury mini gift at their next visit. So the friend came in and, yeah, I came in from this person.Okay, cool. Awesome, wonderful. And then they gave a gift. Then patients loved it because it felt premium and personal, not like a discount, and the script was, you deserve a little luxury. You know, When you refer a friend, we'll have an exclusive Dior lip bal, or spa candle or mystery gift waiting for you at your next visit.It's exciting. They come in the results. Are incredible. You'll triple referrals in a short amount of time. Patients actively were asking, do you still have those little gifts available? And it's completely compliant. There's no cash, no high value incentives, just low cost appreciation gifts. Always remember people love branded premium feeling gifts, even if they're small luxury beats discounts every single time.You can also do the mystery box, right? mystery box works well. Patient refers a friend when they came in for their next visit, they got pull a mystery gift from the box, and patients love the excitement of not knowing what they'd get. So when that happened, I mean, referrals skyrocket, right?Some patients referred multiple people just to get another mystery box, and it stayed compliant because the gifts were low cost, but fun and desirable. And remember, people love surprises and games turning referrals into a fun experience makes them want to refer again. if you do decide to do the mystery box, make sure you record it.Post it on social media, make it a whole thing that's exciting, that's fun. And also the local business local community referral rewards program. That too, record that, post that on social media. Make it a big, huge thing. Now, all these successful programs had many things in common.they offered something patients actually wanted, they avoided financial kickbacks and stayed compliant. They made referrals feel special, not transactional, and they created an experience. Patients wanted to repeat. Now, if you want more referrals, do that. Do exactly what you heard in this episode and this whole episode along with the scripts and everything you're watching and seeing along with more scripts will be in the ground marketing course.If you're not a part of the ground marketing course, make sure you go in the show notes below. And enroll. I love to see you in there. We're always growing at making more, in there as well. But at the same time, you'll see the scripts. You'll learn how to get into businesses. You'll learn how to get into corporations everywhere in your community and not just start tracking new patients obviously immediately, but at the same time, you'll start becoming the go-to practice in your community.go in the show notes below. Click on the first link in the show notes below. Check to see. All that's inside of the course. We continue to add to it, but at the same time, you can already see everything that's inside of the course and I'd love to see you in there. So in our next episode, we're gonna be talking about overcoming rejection in ground marketing.So thank you so much for tuning in, and I'll talk to you in the next episode.

Can community spirit be the key to a flood of new patients in your practice?In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Kemia Zeinali from Dreamhouse Dental, who reveals the power of community engagement and cultivating a vibrant company culture in building a successful dental practice. Dr. Zeinali passionately shares her journey of integrating community events as a strategic tool to foster connections and build trust with her patients. She offers a candid look at the challenges, such as unpredictable weather affecting turnout and the necessity for clever marketing to overcome these hurdles. Despite the obstacles, Kemia underscores how such community-focused strategies lead to increased brand visibility and stronger patient loyalty, painting a compelling picture of long-term business benefits.Join us for a deep dive into the strategies behind differentiating a dental practice in a competitive market. Dr. Zeinali lends her firsthand experience and practical advice for budding dentists seeking to carve their niche. From the significance of passion in pushing boundaries to innovative marketing approaches, this episode is a must-listen. By sharing her story, Kemia aims to empower new dentists with the tools needed to stand out and create meaningful patient relationships that extend beyond the dental chair.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The role of community events in elevating your dental practice.Overcoming challenges in event planning and strategic marketing.Leveraging passion to propel your business forward.Practical strategies for marketing and differentiating your practice.Building patient loyalty through active community engagement.Don't miss out on Dr. Kemia Zeinali's expert advice for practice growth through community-driven strategies!‍‍Guest: Dr. Kemia ZeinaliPractice Name: Dreamhouse DentalCheck out Kemia's Media:‍Website: dreamhousedental.comInstagram: instagram.com/dreamhousedentalEmail: info@dreamhousedental.com‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Groups/Communities:Chamber of Commerce‍Businesses/Brands:StarbucksFood 4 Less‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

How do some dentists seem to always have a steady stream of patient referrals without hefty advertising budgets?This episode of the Ground Marketing Series covers the art of effective networking for your practices. Get ready to uncover the secrets behind successful in-person marketing as I share valuable networking hacks to elevate your practice's local presence. From pre-event preparation to executing a seamless follow-up system, you'll learn how to transform casual conversations into lasting partnerships. I also share a compelling case study about a practice owner who became the top pediatric dentist in her area by building a strong referral network with local daycares, showcasing the transformative power of strategic networking.By tuning into this episode, you'll discover advanced networking tactics like becoming a connector and leveraging reciprocity to keep referrals flowing. We emphasize the importance of leading with value and expecting nothing in return, a mindset shift that will undoubtedly enhance your networking outcomes. Whether you're a multi-practice owner or new to the field, these strategies will help you cultivate meaningful connections that extend beyond the dental chair.This is not just about making connections—it's about making the right ones that will sustain your practice's growth.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Effective pre-event preparation techniques for meaningful interactions.Strategies for making instant connections and reinforcing relationships.Building a robust follow-up system for converting contacts into partners.Advanced networking tactics to generate ongoing referrals.Real-world success story of a dental practice owner boosting her community profile.The philosophy of giving value first in all interactions.Don't miss out—hit play now to learn the networking strategies that can elevate your practice!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Groups/Communities:EventbriteRotary ClubChamber of Commerce‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors) Michael: Networking hacks for dental practices. Now, why most dentists struggle at networking events, this is gonna be the guide and it's a tactical, researched backed guide to winning local events.Michael: Now, networking is one of the fastest, lowest cost ways to generate referrals. Partnerships and community presence for your dental practice. However, most dentists fail to make the most of networking events because they one go in without a clear plan, so that leads to wasted time. Two, they focus too much on selling instead of building relationships.Three, they fail to stand out from other attendees. Just another dentist in the crowd, right? And then four, they do not follow up properly. Connections fade fast. So following up is huge. So the key to networking success is to position yourself as a resource for others, build strategic connections and leverage follow-ups to create ongoing referral pipelines.So this episode provides detailed steps. Backed by psychology and real world networking strategies, what we've done. So you dominate every networking event you attend and turn contacts into long term patient sources. So number one, preparing like a pro before the event. Most of the work happens before you even walk into the event.So first thing you wanna do is set a clear goal so you walk away. Real results. Okay, so most dentists attend events thinking, you know, I'm just gonna meet people and see what happens. No, don't ever do that. Okay? That's a huge mistake. Instead, define your specific objective.Here's an example. I wanna get three strategic partnerships with businesses that can send me patience. I wanna meet at least five key decision makers who can refer people to me. I wanna get 10 high quality follow-ups from business owners who fit my referral criteria. So an example you can tell yourself is by the end of this event, I will connect with three businesses that attract my ideal patients and set up follow-up meetings to discuss collaborations.so that is step number one. You wanna set a clear goal. This is all the pre networking strategy. So imagine this all falls under the pre networking strategy umbrella. So number one, set a clear goal. Two, research the event and attendees so you know exactly who to target. Most networking attendees go in blind.But the most successful professionals research attendees ahead of time so they know, number one, who is attending. So look at the events. Facebook, LinkedIn, or RSVP list two, what businesses align with your ideal patient profile, right? If you're a pediatric practice and you see a pediatrician going, you see a gymboree owner going, you see specific locations where they.Provide, information or medical attention, or they provide clothes or whatever to pediatrics or schools, that's who you wanna see, right? Businesses that align with your ideal patient profile. Brie, who are the sponsors or speakers who are often the most influential people in the room? For our competitors attending.Not to over highlight that, but just so you know, you know, you wanna differentiate yourself before the event, so our competitors attending. Now what you can do is look up attendees on LinkedIn and find common connections. You can check Google reviews and social media of businesses attending.Find something specific to compliment them on. Okay. Then search for recent press releases or events hosted by key businesses. Why this works? ' cause you enter the event with strategic targets, not just random introductions. You already know something personal about the people you meet, making your approach memorable and you can prepare specific conversation starters that make you stand out.so we wanna research the event and attendees.Step three, strategic positioning. Where to stand, maximizes high value conversation. This is huge. this is something we never think about, but you need to start thinking about it. And once I tell you about it, you're gonna always think about this now, where to position yourself, areas to avoid. So near the entrance, people are rushing in not paying attention.Avoid that. Near the food table, people are focused on eating. Get outta there at the far end of the room. There ain't no foot traffic there. Get outta there. The best spots to stand near the drink station people gather here naturally be there in the center of the room. That's where the highest traffic flows.Flows to event organizers. They can introduce you to VIPs, near keynote speakers or sponsors. People approach them first. Okay? So the best spots and then the worst spots why this works. But you place yourself where conversations naturally happen instead of forcing them, you get introduced to key people without effort, and you make it easier for the right people to find you.Those are the three things under the pre networking strategy. You wanna set a clear goal, number one, two, research the event and attendees, and three, know where you're gonna be. Strategically position yourself for maximum conversation. Now the second major step is how to approach people and make an instant connection.There's a couple steps here. Now the perfect first impression formula. This is a psychology hack. Studies show people decide whether they like you within the first seven seconds, the three step first impression formula. So number one, open with value instead of introducing yourself. Okay? So instead of saying, Hey, I'm Dr.Smith, a dentist in town right here, that's generic, forgettable, right? Say, Hey, I love what you're doing with, and then mention their business name. I actually mentioned your business to some of my patients recently, and I say, really? Oh wow, wonderful. What do you do? Right? That's beautiful. Hey, I love what you're doing with their business name.I actually mentioned your business to some of my patients recently, or I mentioned some of your work or anything like that, right? To some of my patients recently. That's it. So that's step one, your opening with value. Step two, ask a question that gets them talking. Great networking questions are like, Hey, what inspired you to start your business?what's been the most exciting thing happening in your business lately? Or, Hey, what kind of clients do you love working with the most? So I know that way I can send you those type of patients. Boom, right? That's what they're gonna love. I personally do number three all the time. What kind of clients, patients, customers do you love working with the most?That way I know I can refer those type of patients to you, or talk about your business a little bit more, right? That's step two. Ask questions that get them talking. Step three, use the name Reinforcement Trick. So as we know, we've heard this a lot of the times, we can say their name. Hey, that's really interesting, Mike.I'll have to check that out. It was great meeting you, Mike, right? Studies show that repeating someone's name makes them like and remember you more. Why this works, you immediately offer value. Instead of sounding self-promotional, you get them talking about themselves. Which makes them enjoy the conversation and you become instantly memorable.Now, how to stand out from other dentists so this makes them remember you. so most dentists at networking events sound the same. You know, I run a dental practice, we do this, that general cosmetic dentistry, but instead of saying that, say something that sparks curiosity. Yeah. Help professionals get the kind of smile that closes business deals.I make sure parents never have to fight their kids to get to the dentist. Or I work with athletes to improve endurance through better oral health. This is according to their business. That's what you're gonna say. So if it's like a fitness studio I work with athletes to improve endurance through better oral health.It's a children's facility, daycare, you know, I make sure parents never have to fight their kids to go to the dentist. Awesome. It's professionals, right? Realtors or whatever, I help professionals get the kind of smile that closes business deals. Wow. Intrigues them. Why this works. It gets them asking questions instead of tuning out.It makes you stand out from every other dentist in the room and it shifts the conversation into how you can help them. So that's what's gonna be under the how to approach people and make an instant connection. You did that. You made an instant connection.Now here's three. The follow-up system turning connections into long-term partnerships. So what most people do is they either try to hand out business cards or collect some and then they never follow up or they send a generic nice meeting you email. What you should do instead is follow up within 24 hours, reference something specific you talked about and give them value before asking for anything.an example email can be the subject. Hey, it was great meeting you at this event. And then their name, Hey person's name, it was us meeting you at the event last night. I really enjoyed our conversation about a specific topic that you guys talked about. I wanted to follow up because I think we really align well and I'd love to feature you in our next patient newsletter.I'd love to have some of your information, in our hygiene kits so our patients can see it. Do you have any promotions or events? I can share with our patients. And that's it. Looking forward to staying in touch. All the best. Your name. Now, when you do this, It's an open-ended question.You're waiting for them to hear back and they're like, yeah, we do have promotions. Yeah, we do have events happening this month and all that. Now it's easier for when you go and pick up their information. You can just say, Hey, could we ever participate in your events? Set up a small booth to the side.They're gonna say, yeah, of course. Remember that's that little small percent. You've done all this leg where you've done 95%, you've done it all. You're saying, Hey uh, can we do this? Can we do that? Blah, blah, blah. Oh my gosh, yes. They're looking for a way to give back to you and you say, Hey, well by the way, can we do this?And then boom, you're able to do it. But that's the email fault. Well, if you want to do why this works, it reminds them of your conversation. It gives them something before asking for anything, and it naturally leads them to returning the favor. perfect right now. A lot of the times you can have advanced networking tactics, so you wanna become the most valuable person in the room, you know, instead of just networking for yourself, introduce people to each other.Meaning if you meet a personal trainer and a chiropractor, introduce them. Hey Mike, you should meet Sarah. She runs a fitness center, and I think your services would compliment each other. That makes it even easier for all three of you to do an event together. But this works because they now see you as a valuable connection and they will naturally start sending referrals your way.So the final takeaway for this is the golden Networking Rule that guarantees results. Give value first. Expect nothing in return, and people will want to promote you. Okay, use this strategy and you will never leave a networking event empty handed. I love doing this. I love getting everyone's business card as well.Michael: And then I love following up with them in person the next day at their place of business. And then I'm able to even leave signup sheets, leave information, so now I can attract their employees from their business to come. I'm not just going to networking events, trying to get these one-off patients that are there.You know, Hey, are you looking for a dentist, a gym owner, then yeah. Come to my practice. Hey, are you looking for a, dentist? Yeah. Come to my practice. No, it's not all about that. You're looking to create these partnerships. Now there's many examples on how a lot of our members have done this.For example, there's a practice owner, she mastered networking to partner with a daycare and became the number one pediatric dentist in town. She searched Facebook events and looked for business networking groups. She checked her local Chamber of Commerce websites, which many cities list upcoming business mixers and luncheons by the way.So it could be a Rotary Club, chamber of Commerce website. She found a women in business meetup happening at a coworking space, and this was smart ' cause daycare owners are often female entrepreneurs, and this event had a. high chance of attracting them and parents groups and women's networking events often have small business owners who run child-focused services.So how she checked the RSVP list to find key attendees. She checked the events online page. She visited the Facebook event page and clicked the going tab. She noticed a few names she didn't recognize, but saw a woman named or a specific woman. who owned and it said like founder and director of Little Explorers Learning Center, local Daycare Center.She also checked the Eventbrite attendee list. That's sometimes available, sometimes that's not available. And she saw names linked to local businesses, and then she typed in, you know what I mean, the businesses, their names and found their websites Facebook page. So she's doing a lot of the pre-planning.She checked their reviews to see what parents loved most about the daycares. She followed the daycare on Instagram to get a feel of their branding and parent interactions, and this was smart. She knew who she wanted to talk to before even arriving. She discovered conversation starters from reading the daycare's reviews.Parents loved their hands-on activities and personal attention, and then she positioned herself to offer value based on what the daycare's valued. So how does she stand out? She didn't stand by the food table or in the corner. Instead, she positioned herself near the drink station, then closed the event organizer, and obviously in the center of the room, she didn't force conversations.She let them happen naturally. The organizer introduced them, and it was perfect from that point on, right? a lot of the times you just walk in there and you're in the back of the room and you're thinking, I want to talk to that person, you're gonna talk yourself outta that. You're gonna overthink something.Don't. Talk to other people, be where everybody's at. Then finally, the perfect conversation started so it didn't feel like a sales pitch. She said, Hey, I've heard suchgreat things about your daycare. but she mentioned the name. A couple of my patients parents rave about your daycare. What's been your favorite part of running now? She immediately made the conversation about her, the business owner, not herself.She mentioned the parents' testimonials, which showed the business owner's daycares reputation was spreading, and she used an open-ended question, allowing the business owner to talk about her passion. Now. It was fantastic. The response was fantastic. She even told us the response. She was like, wow, that's amazing to hear.I love that we get to build a safe and loving space for kids. It's been so rewarding. But at this point, the doctor has done three key things successfully. She complimented the success, and then she made the business owner feel appreciated and valued, and she got the business owner to open up about her challenges, then the reciprocity. Using reciprocity to make the business owner want to help in return. So the practice owner, the doctor I remember said, I love how much you prioritize a positive environment for kids. know, I have a lot of families in my practice who are always looking for great daycares.I'd love to share your daycare in our next patient newsletter. you have any upcoming enrollment events I can mention? Now, this was genius because she offered something first, pre-promotion. She made it low effort for the business owner, just sharing existing events and she subtly positioned yourself as an expert on child wellness.Now, the business owner obviously was like, this is fantastic. I love it. Yeah, let's make this magic happen. So then step five, she kind of continued, she also offered a way, would it be okay if I left a little signup sheet, once she was in there for the parents who might have questions about baby teeth and first visits?Maybe we can do a workshop or, do patient education, but at the same time we can, if they need a visit right now, we can offer that too. Here's a signup sheet and it was perfect. ' cause it wasn't a sales pitch, it was framed as a helpful resource. It aligned with the daycare's values, right? Child development, and it felt like a natural next step in the conversation.So she loved it and that was it. After that, it was basically just following up, going to the events, And this was a long-term referral system that followed and the daycare kept, our members signup sheet on display year round, which was fantastic because that was like a major resource for her.Every new group of parents saw it, saw this signup sheet that was always on display, and signed up for the first visit tips, at the same time for first visits and also the daycare actively referred new families whenever questions came up. And then uh, our members sent occasional check-ins and continued to promote the daycare too as well.The results are fantastic. Over 20 parents signed up within six weeks, continue to refer and lo and behold, our member became the number one recommended pediatric dentist in the community. it's fantastic. So the final takeaway is the networking formula that guarantees referrals.Five things you wanna research before the event. Two. Open with a compliment and an engaging question. Three, offer to promote them. First. Four, introduce a signup sheet as a helpful resource, not a sales pitch if you can't do that. And then five, follow up within 24 hours with a personalized message.So you want to do that right at these networking events. Now, introducing a signup sheet as a helpful resource, not a sales pitch. if you're at their place of business and you decide to leave a signup sheet, you don't have to right In the ground marketing course, obviously there's much, much more into depth.We discussed this, especially how to network, how to drop off signup sheets and stuff like that. So if you are and you wanna enroll into the ground marketing course, I highly recommend you do that. You can go ahead and check out everything that's in the course. Go on the first link in the show notes below, and you can go from there.But yeah, that's basically how to make this happen at networking events. So go ahead and check that out. I'm excited to see you in the ground marketing course if you decide to enroll, we're having tons of success with our members there, like you just heard right now. And that's just with one strategy, right?That's just what networking at events or a daycare strategy that's not with all the other businesses and locations that you can be involved in and, have, right. Definitely make sure you enroll into the ground marketing course to have that type of success and so much more. So thank you so much for tuning in, and on our next episode we're gonna be discussing creating a referral program that works.So I'm excited to dive into that. thank you so much for tuning in. I'll talk to you in the next episode.‍

What's holding you back from being the face of your business?In this episode, we're sitting down with Linda Ugelow to uncover the intricate layers of public speaking anxiety, especially in the digital landscape of social media to bring visibility to your practice. Linda breaks down how past experiences often fuel these fears and guides us on a journey of self-discovery to forgive and embrace self-compassion. She shares simple yet transformative tactics, like starting a video diary and befriending the camera lens, that ease the anxiety of speaking to an audience, fostering authentic connections and confidence.The discussion goes beyond the surface, diving into how these unresolved fears can stifle business growth and disrupt team synergy. Linda illustrates the necessity of reshaping our mindsets surrounding sales and public interactions, proposing a enlightening approach to redefine these experiences. She encourages us to celebrate our achievements and acknowledge our points of vulnerability to ensure practice growth in a more meaningful way.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Discover the root causes of public speaking anxiety.Cultivate self-compassion and forgiveness to overcome fear.Practical tactics for improving comfort with speaking on camera.The effect of unresolved fears on business growth and team dynamics.Strategies for redefining your approach to sales and public interactions.How self-reflection on pride and forgiveness can enhance speaker effectiveness.Let's learn how conquering our fears of public speaking can change our practice and our life for the better with Linda Ugelow!‍‍Guest: Linda UgelowBusiness Name: Linda UgelowCheck out Linda's Media:‍Website: lindaugelow.comTikTok: tiktok.com/@lindaugelowLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindaugelowCoaching: lindaugelow.com/work-togetherLinda's Book "Delight in the Limelight": lindaugelow.com/delight-in-the-limelight‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)‍Groups/Communities:Rotary Club‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Ever at a loss for words when trying to partner with local businesses?In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, I'm uncovering the secrets behind a compelling pitch that transforms your dental practice into a patient magnet. Start by rethinking how you present your offer to potential partners, focusing on partnerships that bring continuous value to both sides. Amidst discussions on common missteps made in ground marketing, we're diving into the psychology that dictates an irresistible pitch. We'll walk through the six psychological triggers—reciprocity, authority, social proof, scarcity, commitment, and liking—that can turn your pitch into an offer they can't refuse. You'll come away understanding how each trigger can be woven into your marketing narrative to capture the interest of potential partners from every angle.But the insights don't stop there; You'll be armed with a four-step blueprint for crafting a high-converting pitch that includes the hook, value proposition, social proof, and the decisive close. Curious about the application? I'll be giving some real-life examples, showcasing how these strategies have found success in diverse settings like gyms and coffee shops. As the episode wraps, discover advanced techniques for scaling your strategy: automation, social media dynamics, and powerful referral networks become part of your armory.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The role of effective communication in strategic partnerships.Common pitfalls dentists encounter in ground marketing.Psychological triggers that elevate your pitch.A four-step structure to craft a compelling pitch.Advanced strategies for reading reactions and handling objections.Innovative incentives to make your offers irresistible.Successful real-life examples of pitches in non-traditional settings.Techniques to automate and scale your ground marketing efforts.Hit play and discover how to skyrocket your dental practice with winning marketing pitches!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Businesses/Brands:CrossFitLA Fitness‍Software/Tools:Excel‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: mastering Your Ground Marketing Pitch. We're gonna be discussing how to competently communicate your offer to potential partners. Now ground marketing is one of the most powerful cost-effective strategies to create a continuous stream of new patients for your dental practice. Not only is it a continuous stream, but this stream has depth volume, however, success hinges on your ability to pitch effectively, turning cold introductions into long-term mutually. Beneficial partnerships. This is just good to do in general, even when you're just talking out and about. This is gonna really, really help you out with your ground marketing, but also people skills and so much more.Now, most dentists fail at ground marketing because number one, they talk too much about themselves instead of what's in it for the other person. Two, their offer is unclear, generic, or lacks an irresistible incentive. Three. They don't overcome objections with confidence. And four, they fail to follow up strategically.Now this episode's gonna break down every detail of crafting, delivering, and closing a high converting ground marketing pitch so you can walk into multiple businesses and secure referral partnerships Specifically, we're gonna be discussing three things, three events, three businesses in this episode, schools, gyms, and community events.Now, understanding the psychology behind an irresistible pitch. People buy into partnerships emotionally, then justify them logically. So if a business owner doesn't feel emotionally engaged by your offer, they won't care about the details. So here's how to structure your pitch so it triggers a yes response in their brain.There's six psychological triggers that make people say yes, and we've discussed them in previous episodes. And number one, reciprocity. People feel obligated to return favors, so offer something valuable first before asking for anything in return. Two authority. Position yourself as a trusted expert, not just a dentist looking for new patients, but you can possibly use phrases like most people don't realize how much their oral health affects.And then you mention a specific concern like how much their oral health affects their diabetes, their confidence, their fitness, et cetera. And continue with that. You're positioning yourself as a trusted expert.Three social proof business owners want to know that others already trust you. So mention existing partnerships. Four. Scarcity. If your offer feels exclusive or limited, they'll value it more. Five. Commitment and consistency. When they agree to something small, they're more likely to commit to something bigger later.And six, liking people do business with those they like and trust. So make your pitch conversational, not salesy. Okay, so those are the six psychological triggers that make people say yes, and that's what's gonna be behind your pitch. So the proven formula, we're gonna share it right now for a winning ground marketing pitch.There's a four step structure of a high converting pitch, and we discussed this in the ground marketing course with further details, but every effective pitch follows this proven structure. Number one, the hook. So instantly grab their attention. Start by focusing on them, not yourself. Here's a couple examples, right?Hey, I love how your gym promotes holistic wellness. I love to support that in, a way that makes your members even happier. Or, Hey, your daycare does an amazing job helping kids developing their confidence. You know, I love to offer something that makes parents feel, supported. Make sure it's a hook, grabs their attention.Not long, 10 seconds or less, Hey, it's free. Grab whatever you want, right? That's at an event. Make sure. It's a hook. Then the second part is the value proposition. Now this one's 30 seconds, or less, right? What's in it for them? So first we instantly grab their attention, Hey, it's free. And then what's in it for them?So explain how your partnership will help their business members, customers, or students. So here's an example. We found that parents at daycare centers love getting expert guidance on their children's oral development. I love to provide a free Healthy Smiles for Kids Workshop that adds value to your families.Or, our goal is to help your customers feel more confident about their health. We can provide a free small performance assessment for your members the next time you have an event. Boom. That is the value proposition. 30 seconds, that's what's in it for them. The next thing number three is social proof.That's another 30 seconds or less. Show that others trust you. So you can share a real world example of success to make them feel comfortable. You can say, you know, we've partnered with, this specific business and they loved it because it gave their customers an added benefit at no cost to them. Or you can say, Hey, when we ran this with another business, they saw a 27% increase in engagement from their members.So that's why it's important to track these things because data like this helps when you are doing your pitch, when you're providing the social proof. I personally like the first one, we've partnered with this local businesses and they loved it because it gave their customers an added benefit at no cost to them.Sometimes I say, Hey, you know what, for this month we're specifically doing this, blah, blah, blah. For the community, we wanted to promote you. A lot of people saw more of our patients become their clients, we just wanted to have your information. Boom. Social proof, right? And then finally the close 10 seconds or less.This is a soft, no pressure ask. Don't say, would you like to do this right? Say, Hey, let's test it out. Let's make this happen. If it works we can expand it. Sound good? Boom, that's it. That's all you have to do. So that was the hook. 10 seconds. The value proposition, 30 seconds. What's in it for them?The social proof show that others trust you. That's 30 seconds and the close, that's 10 seconds and it's a soft, no pressure ask. So that's what in total, that's about a and a half. Obviously there's gonna be conversation back and forth, right? Don't try to, I have a minute to do my introduction and that's it.No, make it like you're playing catch with this, right? Do the hook, play, catch value proposition, play catch, social proof, play, catch the close, play, catch right conversations going back and forth with them. Now you wanna learn, and this is huge, huge, huge advanced strategies for maximum impact. A how to read and adapt to their reactions.That's, I can't tell you how incredible that is because sometimes you will see people say, yeah, definitely drop off your signup sheet. I'd love to have this person. You can see their reaction. They're thinking of people in their mind to sign up. They have family members, all these things. Although you said it's for the employees, but they wanna sign people up.Then you see people who, their reactions, they could be saying, yeah, just leave it, drop it off. You'll come by and pick it up on Friday. they're not even looking at the sheet of paper or they're not even thinking about the calendar or anything like that. their reaction is, plain.nothing to it. That's where we're gonna be discussing right now, how to read and adapt to their reactions. So if they lean forward, nod, or especially ask follow-up questions, they're interested, move toward the close, right? But if they seem hesitant, use the softening technique and the softening technique is, you're just totally understandable.So you can say something like, Hey, totally understandable. I know you're busy, so let's just try this with a few people and see if they like it. Or we can try this with a couple of your classrooms and see if they like it. Or we can try this with a specific grade, or a specific daycare or a specific time.We can try this at your next event, right where you have more vendors. Totally understandable. Uses something we call the competitor mention technique. You can say, I totally get it. LA Fitness said the same thing at first, but when they saw how easy it was, they loved it.So you can mention something like that. You're mentioning the competition. I've yet to need to do that. But we do have members who have done that and it works fantastic. So you can go ahead it's a partnership and you see that they're leaning forward with success, once you do, you can tell, you can read and adapt their reactions from the hook once you're like, yeah.And then the value proposition, if their eyes get wider, their eyebrows raise higher, they see more excited. They want to sit and talk with you. They give you more time. You already closed it. You know, you don't need to, think about it and say, okay, you know, we can test this out with a couple people.No, you can just say, we'd love toparticipate at the event, or whatever you're trying to do right now. Objection handling. Sometimes you may get, people say, especially at corporations, we don't usually do partnerships like this. Now you can say, I totally understand. Neither did this specific business, but after trying it, they loved it because it added value to their customers.Had no extra effort on their part. We're doing everything right. So then they're gonna say, okay, cool. You may get objections like, I don't think our customers would be interested. that's where you say, I hear you. Most customers don't realize they need this until they're offered it. That's why we start with a, small group or we start at a small event, or we start with a couple of your people right, to see the response You may get, we already work with another dentist. This one I have gotten many times. Now you can say a couple things. One thing you can say is like, Hey, that's great. That means you understand the value of oral health for your customers, your children, your members, whoever, right? But what we offer is a bit different.Our approach is a hundred percent focused on than mention a unique angle. Would you be open to seeing how this compliments what you're already doing and then boom, you continue. Right? A lot of the times, especially at schools or daycares, you may get someone who says, yeah, you know what? We already work with another dentist.Say, oh no, I completely understand. You know, that's fantastic. That's wonderful. You value oral health for your customers, your members, your students. Wonderful. I love it. what we wanted to offer was a little bit different on their approach. I think they come like once a year, once every two years.Right. And typically, yeah, they do. Dentists come once every quarter or once every two years. And then you can mention, what we wanted to do was just offer like a mini workshop, no competition, nothing like that. We're not trying to steal customers or steal anything like that. We just wanted to enhance, the importance of oral health, right?Or enhance the importance of a specific unique angle. we can start off with just a couple classrooms. That'd be perfectly fine. It can be part of like an assembly or whatever, and then boom. You're like, yeah, you know what you let's make it happen, and then you can make it happen. A lot of it has to do with your tone of voice too.Now that's what you're gonna do with objections. You're gonna have those advanced strategies on how to read and adapt reactions.Now your secret weapon is gonna be irresistible incentives that close deals. Most businesses won't partner unless they see a clear win. So use high converting incentives and every community, every location is gonna be different. Giveaways that work, for example, are whiteningsfree whitenings. that's probably universal and makes their customers feel special.Then you can do free digital smile makeovers, it's digital. So more engaging than a cleaning you can do exclusive offers if you want, That increases engagement, gift cards and things like that. Personalized oral health and fitness guides. free mouth guards if you like.free office tour a special on a new patient exam at the same time. Sometimes we do have quite a few members don't offer anything for free. they're just available for them and they stay on top of mind. They have specific people who are just ground marketers who make sure they are up there in there, in the businesses, staying on top of mind, staying on the events.Helping them connect with other businesses. And they are just, I mean, they've never offered anything for free. They're just like, Hey, we're here. And then they're always participating in their, things. And those are fantastic. Those are fantastic when they do that. But me personally, yeah.New patient exams, free office tour, and free whitenings. Those are my top three for me. Now the urgency hook, we're only offering this partnership to two local gyms this quarter, or we're only doing this with one gym this month. It can be the health and wellness month or whatever that you want to call it.And yeah, they're gonna wanna partner up with you because it's, Hey, I wanna be that one gym, right? That's in front of your patients. Or you can say, Hey, we have room for just five daycares to receive our free Healthy Smiles workshop that we're doing this month, and we thought about this daycare and we'd love to do it.now, the follow-up system that converts interest into results, this is how you're gonna wanna follow up, okay? Now the day after, follow-up email or text, right? You can say, Hey, excited to work together. My name is great meeting you. Here's a quick summary of what we discuss and let's test this out, or let's make this happenand see how they like it.I'll follow up in a few days to check in, right? And then you wanna. Personal check-in. You wanna call or drop by in person and just say, just wanted to check in if you had any questions or needed any materials for me to make this easier, especially if you're gonna be a part of an event, if you're gonna be doing a specific workshop or a seminar, if it's a daycare, you might possibly be doing a workshop or something like that.If it's a gym, you're probably gonna be at an event. If it's a community event, you're gonna be at an event, right? You wanna continue to check in, see how you can be of help. And then week three and four you wanna share testimonial or success stories from other partners. Offer an exclusive upgrade to keep them engaged with these partnerships as well.Now the next step, scaling ground marketing to dominate your market. The way you wanna scale this is automate follow-ups. So use a CRM to track partnerships and automate email, text reminders. Now, in the ground marketing course, we do have, it's an Excel sheet that it's a template. We have it for you, and in there we show you how to do this, how to automate follow ups with potential partners and referrals, right?Businesses that you're going consistently in there. You're picking up signup sheets, you're dropping off flyers, you're doing their events, you're helping them out. But at the same time, obviously they're referring new patients. So following up is key. ' cause you're like in a relationship now, so you want to continue to show up.At the same time, you also wanna, number two, leverage social media. So tag businesses and posts to increase visibility, right? Once you've created this partnership, tag them a ton, even if you're near the specific business, if you're around the specific business. If you're in front of the specific business or you're obviously in the business, tag them.Leverage social media. Three is develop a referral network. So introduce businesses to each other and position yourself as a trusted local authority. the relationship doesn't stop there, right? Meaning, if you find they will benefit. Let's just say you're going to a specific gym and hey, the gym owner for this CrossFit will benefit knowing this other person or this person at the district.Let me introduce them. 'cause I know we've had that conversation that they wanted to be in the district too, or something like that with the schools or children or whatever. Make that happen. Make that introduction happen and that's it. Not only does this strengthen the referral, partnership, but at the same time.You're helping out the community and now you're providing benefits for both of those businesses. You're on top of mind for both of them, and it's easier for you to do things with them now, be a part of their events and so much more. And for finally, host joint events. So partner with local businesses for workshop, top of events, booths, things like that helps out a lot.So once you do that, that's basically it. The strategic ground marketing approach. You wanna make it low risk and high value, you'll close more partnerships and get more referrals and dominate ground marketing. Never say, what do you think? Never say, could we do this? Right? if you find any hesitation at all, just say, if you want, we can give it a quick try on, on the event that's coming up for you or on your next event.Or we can give it a try with a couple people in your group. If it works well, we can expand it. Sound good? Boom. That's it. This works. Most business owners don't want to feel like they're being pitched, but they love it when someone supports their business. So this approach makes them feel like they're getting the better end of a deal while naturally positioning you as someone worth promoting.So the key is get before you ask. They should feel like you're helping them first, make it feel effortless. No extra work for them. Leave a natural way for their customers to engage with you. Okay. So now I wanna share with you some scripts, for your initial approach. And remember, we wanna frame it like we're helping them. So we want to casually walk in and say, you know, if it's a gym, hey, you know, we're running a healthy smile healthy body campaign this month, and we love featuring local gyms.Can I grab your info so we can promote your gym to our patients and stay quiet? They will love this. Do this with every single fitness studio that you know of. The next one is a coffee shop. You can walk in casually and say, Hey, we're doing a sip and smile feature this month where we highlight local businesses.Our patients love. They love this coffee shop. I love this coffee shop. Can I grab your info so we can promote your coffee shop? that's it. Stay quiet. They will love it. Salon and med. Spa casually. Walk in. Hey, we're doing a confidence month, a spotlight, and featuring top local beauty spots. I'd love to include your salon, would it be okay?Can I grab your info to share with our patients? Boom, they will love this. And then daycare. Hey, this month we're doing a Healthy Smile for Kids feature and letting parents know about trusted local daycares. Can I grab your info to share with them? Not one person. Will say, no, don't. They will love, absolutely love this.you are gonna be a hero to them once you do these scripts. Right now, in the ground marketing course, we share these scripts in so many more scripts, as the initial approach to get your foot in the door, to start the conversation, to already start making this partnership happen. So many more scripts and we dive deeper on the scripts that I just told you about and show you way, way, way more.Right. But that's how you wanna do it. They give you their info without hesitation when you do this because you're helping them. And now once they're, you know, yeah, lemme grab some information for you. Yeah, of course. Take some more information, whatever, right? Once they give you their info, keep the conversation about them.Make it still about them. So with the gym, Hey, how long have you been in this location? Your gym looks amazing. The coffee shop. Hey, what's your best seller? I'll make sure to tell people to try it. The salon. Do you guys do VIP events? We see a lot of patients who love Self-care. That one's nice because they'll say like, yeah, you know what we do, VIP, eventual.We've been thinking about it. And boom, lo and behold, you guys can partner up and make something happen. The daycare. Are you guys taking new enrollments? I mean, parents always ask us about trusted daycares. Having these, conversations where you're still following up still continuing the conversation.Those questions specifically, ultimately crucial. I mean, you are deepening. You are building that relationship. You are dropping the reciprocity seed in there. By showing interest in their business, you're making them feel valued. They will now naturally start thinking about how they can help you in return.Now, step three, right? Once you're building the rapport, you can say, by the way, we see a lot of patients who are into fitness, sometimes they ask about gyms in the area. Would it be okay if we left a small signup sheet here for people who might wanna learn more about. Dentistry or dental wellness and how it connects to performance.Boom, that's it. Coffee shop. We have a lot of patients who love supporting local coffee spots. If it's cool with you, I'd love to leave a signup sheet here so anyone interested in wellness can get some cool perks in the future. salon. A lot of our patients are into beauty and self-care.Would it ever be okay to leave a signup sheet here for anyone who might want tips on how their smile plays a role in overall confidence? Or anybody here who might need free whitening? That's it. If you mentioned free whitening in a lot of them, gym, coffee shops, salons. leave that here and you're gonna see them sign up. But mainly coffee shops and salons are huge and a lot of the times gyms are too. Now with daycares you can say, many parents ask us about oral health for kids.Would it be all right if we left a little signup sheet here in case any parents have questions or want some free resources? We're running a new patient exam right now too, as well. Boom. This makes it feel like a helpful resource, not a sales pitch. And then finally, Step four, you wanna create an irresistible, non-salesy incentive, right? The gym, we're also giving gym members a free smile performance guide if they sign up or giving them free whitening. Same thing with,the coffee shop. if they sign up, we're giving them a free sip and smile rewards card, or they don't even have to sign up.It's just another free whining. If you want, justmake sure your incentive is according to location. It has to be appropriate, Step five is the indirect close. So getting them to promote you without asking directly after they say, yeah, you can definitely leave something off, or, yeah, you can definitely leave us your information or whatever.You can say, I'll stop by next week to pick up any flyers so we can let our patients know about your gym too, Would it be okay if I left some of our information here as well? You wanna say that with everyone? Make sure you're always, oh, thank you so much.This is fantastic. I love it. Hey, would it be okay if I also did this, a super small 5% at the very end? All you're doing is talking about them, you're highlighting them. You wanna provide more for them. And then you also wanna benefit their members, their residents, their customers, and at the very 5%, that's the ask, Hey, would it be okay if I leave some of my information here as well?Oh, and a signup sheet, just so anybody who's interested in blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, in a free whitening and this or that, they can just sign up. Would that be okay? Now they feel like. They got the whole good end of the deal, and the least they can do is, oh yeah, of course we can do that. So that's what you wanna do.And then step six, you want to keep, the business actively engaged, right? You wanna follow up casually drop by. Hey, just wanted to check in, see how if any customers were interested in the signup sheet wanted to stop by. Oh, okay. Cool. Yeah, there's a name. Hey, by the way, I gave a shout out to your business and our patient newsletter.Let me know if you want me to mention anything specific next time. That could be week two, week four. Hey, we had a few signups from your place. Just wanted to say thanks again for letting us set that up. If there's anything we can do for you, let me know. That could be week four, right? And then you just continually following up with them.You're continually following up with them. Now there's many, many things you can do when it comes to, how to do this right? Now, some real life examples on how this worked was with the gym, right? There's one where members secured a long-term referral deal with the gym was focused on airway and performance dentistry, and he realized that gym members were perfect candidates for his practice. He didn't use a generic pitch about dental health, which gym owners don't care about.before he failed to position his offer as a benefit to the gym. So that failed. Right? And he also, he never used reciprocity to make the gym owners feel like they were getting the better deal. So this is what he did. Instead, now he checked the gym's website to see their branding and target audience.He scanned their Google reviews to understand common complaints or interest from members, and that was huge. That was huge because that's already on the top of mind of the gym owner. And then he visited their Instagram page and saw that the gym was promoting an upcoming member appreciation month. And then boom, that's it.He just said, Hey, I wanted to be a part of that member appreciation month. Can we be a part of it? And then gave a little bit more conversation, extra value. He kept those Google reviews, the negative ones in mind and saw a way to combat that and used that to his advantage. But it acknowledged the Jim's current goal.It positioned him as helping them first, and it made it effortless for the gym. So it reduced all objections. And yeah, he used social proof, and then at the same time, he leveraged it. He can say, Hey, we recently did this with this gym, and their members loved it. Look at the social media.Other gyms reached out to him and said, Hey, can you come and do this for our practice as well? It was fantastic. So the results were really, really good. Members signed up in the first week. Many became new patients and the gym continued referring members every month, making this a long-term referral stream, and it was fantastic.Now here's another one where a practice owner, got into a coffee shop without paying a dime and she promoted her practice. Now this is pretty interesting because traditional flyers and business cards got ignored right at the coffee shop. so throw that out the window.If you feel like I'm just gonna drop off some flyers and hopefully people will sign up, it gets ignored, right? And she's proof. There was no compelling reason I. For customers to engage and coffee shop owners saw no benefit in promoting a dental office. So she did her research, right? She followed the coffee shop on Instagram and noticed they ran loyalrewards program where customers earned free drinks.She saw they often featured local businesses in their email list to boost engagement Just like most business owners saw that the coffee shop wanted to increase customer engagement and repeat visits, so she built her pitch around the goal. She said, Hey, I love your SIP and Earn rewards program.We're looking for awesome local businesses to highlight in our patient newsletter. Would it be cool if I featured your coffee shop? Notice how she offered something first, pre-promotion. She made the business owner feel like they were getting the better deal. Now the third step was she added a unique non-salesy signup sheet.So after a few minutes of chatting, she just said, Hey, I was thinking, you know, it'd be fun to offer your coffee shop customers something extra like a sip and smile rewards card for this month. Yeah, I was just thinking everyone who purchased a coffee or whichever 30 customers you absolutely love will also get free whitening with their coffee.I could stop by and bring some reward cards for you to give out. This worked incredibly. I loved it when she did this because here's the thing. You're not promoting yourself, you're not waiting for someone to sign up. You're not doing anything. This person, the barista already started having people in mind, oh my god, I can just give free whining to people.Yeah, you can give free whining to people. Oh wow. Okay. I had people in mind already. Oh, and then customers come in and you're like, Perfect. it ran out within like a couple of days. This was brilliant. And it worked because it was fun, relevant, and interactive. Not just boring dental flyers.This person's actually giving these out, right? This barista's, Hey, here's your coffee shop. And by the way, at the same time, the dental office right down the street, doctor, whoever right, told me I can give out a specific amount of free whitening to people and I just.I wanted to give it to you. You know what I mean?Or they conversated obviously, and then they said, Hey, here's free whining. Or they just said, Hey, you're coming here all the time. I absolutely love it. And we're able to give out free whitening to people. if you want it, here it is. Right?Never took it as offensive oh my gosh, I need white.None of that stuff. So get that outta your head if you think that's happening. That doesn't happen, at least in, it's never happened yet. You know, The coffee shop. Had increased engagement without doing anything extra. Right. But at the same time, obviously it brought in new patients immediately. that happened.She said, awesome, I'll swing by in a bit, drop off some loyalty, cards or some rewards cards. Would it be okay if I left a little bit more info and flyers as well around here? And then they're like, yeah, sure. Perfect. And that was it. That's all they had to do. 43 people signed up for the sip and smile giveaway the cards.17 booked appointments and then the coffee shop continued, referring customers and this was all within like a matter of days. So that was awesome. So the final takeaway, this proven ground marketing formula works every time you wanna research before pitching. Start with a hook that helps them.Offer something first, introduce the idea casually close with a no pressure offer. Follow up within 24 hours. Use this system and you'll turn every local business into a patient referral machine. Now, this is like the formula behind the scripts and strategies and things like that.Every business, every. Location, corporation Residency, HOA Chamber of Commerce business is different. They require different strategies, different methods, different ways, different systems, but the psychology behind it and everything is what we just said. So you wanna know more every. Specificity of the specific scripts, strategies and tactics and everything like that, that is found in the ground marketing course, like the gym one, the one we talked about, coffee shop strategies in their daycare events, all that with detail and templates and PD files and also real life examples of me doing them.have a hidden camera, like on my pocket so you can hear me, do some of these and also on the phone. That's all in the ground marketing course, and I teach you exactly how to do that. So if you're interested, go into show notes below. Click on the first link in the show notes below. It's the ground marketing course, checkout.Everything that's in there. I continue to add to it. Every single month, we continue to add more and more to it. So you never left alone, right? But yeah, definitely go check that out the ground marketing course. you want much, much more help, more detail. Next episode we're gonna be discussing networking hacks for dental practices.So thank you so much for tuning in. I'll talk to you in the next episode.

Do you need a "fancy" website or do you need one that brings in patients?In this episode, we have Ali Soufi from DocSites back on to dissect the draw to fancy dental websites versus those that truly convert visitors into patients. We dive headfirst into the debate—exploring why the flashiest of designs might not always be the most effective choice for a dental practice. Ali sheds light on the notion that "fancy" is subjective and frequently an unnecessary expense. Instead, the conversation pivots to crafting websites that serve the actual needs of a practice's target patient, leveraging essential components like patient reviews, straightforward information, and contact details.We don't shy away from addressing common pitfalls dentists encounter with DIY websites as we stress the ongoing necessity of keeping site content fresh and authentic. Ali shares valuable insights on building trust through digital presence and offers a glimpse into how DocSites tailors their affordable solutions to fit the needs of your practice. As we wrap up the discussion, we encourage you to take advantage of a complimentary, no-obligation website assessment offered by DocSites to elevate your practice's online presence.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The difference between "fancy" and effective website designs for dental practices.How to prioritize functional design over aesthetic allure.Key elements that make a dental website convert—content, reviews, contact info.Common errors dentists make with DIY websites.The importance of keeping your website updated and accurate.How to establish online trust and credibility with potential patients.Insights into affordable yet impactful website solutions by DocSites.Discover the crucial elements of a dental website that truly converts—tune in now!‍‍Sponsors: DocSites: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention The Dental Marketer for $500 off! docsites.com‍Guest: Ali SoufiBusiness Name: The DocSitesCheck out Ali's Media:‍Website: docsites.comEmail: ali@docsites.comPhone: 818-616-3919‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:SEO - Search Engine OptimizationSSL - Secure Sockets Layer‍Places:Beverly Hills‍Tools/Services:Google AnalyticsWixSquarespaceGoogle Business Profile‍Products/Brands:FerrariHondaInvisalign‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

What does it take to build local partnerships that matter and become the go-to dental practice in your community?In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we unpack the game-changing strategies practices can use to build meaningful local partnerships that yield lasting results. Rather than pouring resources into passive marketing channels, we explore how becoming an integral part of your community can lead to sustained patient acquisition. From partnerships with schools, gyms, and community centers, we delve into how connecting with organizations that matter to your target audience can establish you as the trusted local dental provider. Schools, with their network of families, present a multitude of opportunities, whether through PTA involvement, educational workshops, or sports team collaborations. Gyms and community centers are also massively valuable, where offering services like free oral health screenings can cultivate trust and lead to steady referrals.You'll hear a captivating case study of a dentist from the Ground Marketing Course who leveraged these strategies with exceptional success, achieving remarkable patient growth and slashing marketing costs. By emphasizing social proof, consistent partner engagement, and maintaining strong relationships, this approach not only brings in new patients but also fortifies your practice's reputation as a community asset.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Techniques for creating impactful partnerships in your community.How schools can serve as a hub for patient acquisition.The importance of value-first strategies in gym partnerships.Ways to leverage community centers for trust and exposure.Tactics for building a robust referral system.Insights from a successful case study in ground marketing.The role of social proof in enhancing reputation.Methods for sustaining long-term partnerships for ongoing growth.Press play to learn how local partnerships can revolutionize your practice and boost patient growth!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Businesses/Brands:PlexCrossFitDymatize ProteinMuscle MilkBig Brother Big Sisters of America‍Software/Tools:Excel‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: All right, we're going to be talking about building local partnerships that matter. So that's the key word here is that matter. Sometimes it's easy to build local partnerships with, other potential businesses or locations that aren't as important as. It should be to you or they really just don't matter.we'll see what I mean by that the episode goes along, but why partnerships? So most dentists rely on passive marketing ads. SEO, social media, but local partnerships allow you to integrate into the daily lives of your target audience. So instead of spending thousands on marketing, you become the community's trusted dental provider by leveraging existing relationships.This isn't just about getting your name out. It's about becoming the go to dentist in your town. That's the goal here, the go to dentist. So we're going to be discussing that throughout this time and how to do that. But like I always mentioned, if you want the scripts, you want the videos, you want the in depth, more of all of this, the templates.And if you want more one on one time with myself and my team. Any questions or concerns with the crowd marketing, then please feel free to join the ground marketing course, we continue to add to that course. It's an amazing course. It's going to be, in the show notes below.There's a link there. It's the first link in the show notes below. So definitely go check it out and just go check out everything you can see inside of the course and check out what everybody else is getting and the results that they're seeing and how it's improving their, practice their community.Let's dive into this, understanding the psychology of local partnerships. Now to truly embed, and that's the key here. You need to understand how and why local decision makers agreed to partnerships. And that's the key. You want to embed yourself into the community, but let's understand how and why local decision makers agree to partnerships. There's three ways. Number one is, people don't promote businesses, they promote relationships.A gym owner won't push your services unless they genuinely like and trust you. A school principal won't let you do a talk unless they see value for their students and parents. And a community director won't recommend you unless you make their job easier. Promote relationships, okay? Remember this principle, the principle of reciprocity.Give before you ask before asking for referrals, offer something of high value, make it feel like a favor. So for example, a gym owner is more likely to refer patients. If you offer something for free to their athletes, first, Or you want to give something where that benefits them first and it doesn't have to be, Hey, we're offering free whining.Would you like free whining? No. It can be, Hey, do you have any business cards? I'd love to give it to our patients. We're doing a health and wellness thing this month and we'd love to have your information in our hygiene kits. That's perfect. They're like, yes, more clients, more business.Yeah. I love to do that. You're offering first and then three positioning, right? Embed, don't sell. Okay. That's how you want to position. Instead of saying, can I promote my practice here, which from this point on, I never want you to do that, right? Can I promote my practice here?No. You want to notice the pain points, right? Hey, I noticed many gym members struggle with teeth grinding, right? I have a lot of patients who come to this gym and they, suffer from teeth grinding and I'd love to help your athletes with some free night guards. Or maybe there's kids in your school that are high risk for cavities and you say, quite a bit of kids come to my practice in this school and they're high in cavities and I'd love to do a, you fun presentation about oral health and nutrition.Or you can say many of your community members may be unaware of oral cancer if you're at a senior home, right? Can I do free screenings at your next health event? Would that be okay? You're making people's job easier. You're showing that you care. There's a principle of reciprocity and you're promoting relationships.So the goal is to position yourself as a valuable asset. Not an advertiser. I want you to get out of the mindset of, Oh my God, I got to promote my practice, I guess, get all these new patients. I got to meet production, get collection, get paid profits. And I want you to position yourself as a valuable asset.Okay. I am an asset to the community, which means my practice is a humongous asset to this community. Let me show them position yourself. And so how are you going to do that as we're going to kind of, scratch the surface on three main things, schools, gyms, and fitness centers, and then community centers.Okay. And then we're going to discuss how to make these partnerships self sustaining. And I'm going to give you a case study, an example of how this worked for a practice member. So. number two right, school is the most powerful and overlooked partnership. Schools are an ultimate hub of families.They have parents, kids, and teachers all in one place, and this is a gold mine for patient acquisition. Many times we go after the kids and we forget about the parents, or we go after the kids and the parents and then we forget about the teachers. We go after the kids, parents, and teachers, and we forget about the staff besides the teachers.I mean, There's a lot of people there, unless you're a pediatric practice, right? But there's a lot of people there who are not your patients who can become your patients. Definitely keep that in mind. Schools already have a health and wellness mandate. If you align with their mission, they will welcome you.Just figure it out. And I'm going to discuss how you can do that right now. And then three, schools have high trust in medical professionals, meaning your practice gains instant credibility. You want to be the go to practice for emergencies. But also the go to practice for whatever comes to top of mind when it's oral or dental related for these teachers, staff, and so forth, the schools.Schools are the ultimate hub of families, understand that. Now, understanding key decision makers in schools. There's a couple. There's the PTA president, they control parents, engagement programs. There's the school nurse, handle student health and make, good referrals. Three, principal, obviously, right?They approve in school partnerships. Four is the athletic director. They manage sports programs. It's perfect for those mouth guard campaigns. And then five, after school program coordinator, right? They organize extracurricular activities. So these are like the five ones. Now, if you want to go above and beyond, contact The school district in your town. to be honest with you. That's what I go for right from the back is I contact the school district. I even go inside the school district facility, where it's just the district pocket up with the people there because they oversee not just one school, right?They oversee multiple schools in the whole district. So, If you get cool with them, you're going to be able to get cool with those other schools, right? school nurse, principal, athletic director, afterschool program coordinator, their boss is. if you're able to contact the school district, get an amazing partnership with them, get them to come to your practice, the people in the district, then everything else pretty much becomes easy peasy from that point on.And in the ground marketing course, I show you how I do that contact the school district. And I give you the script and everything like that, but I also give you the script for you know, the principals and the school nurses, wellness directors, and things like that, because you can do that as well.Cause sometimes the district will tell you, we'll contact the principal and then. They will let you know. But like I said, in the course, there's so much more detail with all of this. I'm kind of just scratching the surface for everything. Cause I want you to get just a bit right now. So those are the people you can contact.They're the key decision makers. Anybody else besides that? You're just talking to someone who thinks they a decision maker, but they're not. And you may get a no from someone who that no doesn't even matter. And so what I mean by that is maybe they may say, no, you cannot come in here. And that was like the administration office.It don't even matter what they say, if the principal says yes, then, all you did was just contact the wrong person and got the wrong answer, which happens so often. So I need you to understand that you have to contact decision makers, not anybody else, not the front office, not the person answering the phones.Reach out to these people. PTA president, school nurse, principal, athletic director, afterschool program coordinator, the district, right? Reach out to them because they will most likely give you a yes. And if they do perfect, but if it's anybody else, they may give you a no, cause they don't know the answer.And now you're just not attempting to go anymore because you talked to the wrong person who doesn't even know what they're doing. So I would hate for that to happen to you. So understand the key decision makers. That's huge. Then the next step is tactics for breaking into schools or like getting into schools.So the PTA approach, the parent network hack, right? You want to attend PTA meetings, introduce yourself as a resource, not a salesperson. Offer a 10 minute talk, right? With free giveaways for kids. Propose a parent education night, examples, you can do a cavities and nutrition, what every parent needs to know, what I like to do is offer something, where every attendee can come to my practice, So offer free whitening coupon, offer something specific where you know they will come into your practice. You can also do the next approach, which is the school nurse connection. This is a referral pipeline. So offer to train the school nurse on dental emergencies. You also want to provide free dental first aid kits that can be like gauze, floss, mouth rinse, referral sheet to your office.Provide these to the schools. I cannot tell you how crucial this is, to getting new patients. Hey, instead of hygiene kits, which you can just break apart a hygiene kit, And then make it into a free dental first aid kit for the school nurses. Hey, here's free dental first aid kits. We'd like to give it to our schools.We want to make sure you guys are stocked and ready to go for this season. Let me know if you need more at any moment. I will come by maybe like in a month or so. you need any more, but also here's the signup sheet to refer, here's also our number and we always can come by like every, month or so to pick up the signup sheet to see if there's any names or numbers or anything like that that gives you like more opportunity to show your face in front of them, but at the same time, more opportunity to drop off free dental first aid kits for the children.And at the same time, it gives you more, of an opportunity to drop off more referral sheets or maybe pick up the referral signup sheet and see the names and numbers. Great. But most likely they will call you and refer you that way, but that's huge. dental first aid kits huge, huge, huge. If you can start doing that today, if you haven't do that with the schools, you want to offer VIP fast pass for urgent student cases, right?Whenever the nurse sees a dental issue, they call your office directly and you can get a same day appointment. So make that a huge thing. Okay. Like, Hey, if you ever have an emergency, here's the same day appointment pass. Okay. Like, Just let us know it's from you. You can also sponsor school events. That's visibility on steroids.I mean, Sports teams, they offer free custom mouth guards. You can do that. Career days, give a talk on what it's like to be a dentist, instant credibility with parents right there. Teacher appreciation provided teacher smile program, maybe discounted whitening or priority scheduling. They always have teacher appreciation.See how you can participate in that. Don't just let that slide make those teachers come to your practice. Be a part of the teacher appreciation program and then offer something specific just for the teachers. That's a humongous gift. And then you can have like library and reading incentives. This happens a lot.I a sponsor of for smiles, challenge kids who read 10 books, get specific goody bag, right? Like a dental hygiene kit just for them with fun stuff in it. And also information about your practice, things like that and so forth. And then you can also do summer camp and afterschool programs.You want to offer a free dental checkup day at summer camps possible. And then you can have school fundraising and referral loops. So you can offer a free dental day where a percentage of proceeds goes to school programs. Create a referral contest where the class with the most referrals wins a pizza party.Make it fun, when you're getting these referrals and you want to have them be a part of it. You can also donate a portion of every referred new patients. First visit fee back to the school as well. That's a huge way to support the school and they're going to continue to refer and so forth.So this is for school. Schools are huge. Gyms and fitness centers. That's the secret to high value patients. Gyms are huge. This is something I started. This was one of my first ever locations I went to ground market to and have yet to stop. It's incredible. They're health conscious people. That value wellness.Many gym goers suffer from teeth grinding or dry mouth and acid erosion from fitness drinks. And then trainers and gym owners are influencers. If they trust you, they will refer their entire client base. So how can you establish that? The gym owner angle, the business partnership play, You want to approach the gym owner, not as a dentist, but as a business owner.Always. They're on the lookout to get clients. You're on the lookout to get patients. So offer a value exchange, right? Go in there, offer free oral health screening days for gym members, discounted whitening for trainers, things like that. What I like to do, honestly, is keep it simple. I just, hey, can I have some of your information?I love to put it in my hygiene kits. And then say, why, maybe you're off, you're doing something that month or you want to partner up with them, They'll be ecstatic. And then at the same time, Hey, by any chance, can I give you guys some of our information as well? Yeah, cool. Awesome. And then drop off a signup sheet for the employees and the trainers there.Hey, this month, we wanted to give you guys just the employees here, this boom. And then from that point on, you're able to do more. Now, like I said, in the course, we dive way deeper in gym. So you can go ahead and check that out and become a member of the ground marketing course there. And then you want to do campaign for athletes.If this is like a specific location, like Plex, that's a gym in Texas. I remember it was just for athletes or any other type of gym. That's just for athletes, like weightlifters and CrossFit athletes. You can provide night guards, yoga practitioners. You can do something where mindfulness and oral health connection, cyclists and runners, hydration and oral health education.This one was huge bodybuilders. acidic protein shakes and enamel damage prevention. Now something we did this is what I think personally will be incredible that you should do on social media. There's a hundred and one protein shakes, a hundred and one, pre workouts, post workouts, intro workouts, all these things.How bad is each of them or how good is each of them for your oral health, How do we take this? Do we take it just with water? Some people just take it straight. I've taken it just straight and then pour water Later on how should this be taken and then rate each of them like make a video for each today, we're checking out.I don't know Diametized protein see how bad it is good it is for your teeth depending on the ingredients and then you're tasting it and then boom Okay, this is not that bad one out of ten. It's gonna be like a four and then you do muscle milk Oh, man, this has arsenic. It has lead has cadmium. Not only is it bad for your oral health, but it's also bad for this.This is a, definitely a one I do not recommend, right? Kind of A thing like that. Make videos like that. Trust me, Nobody's done it yet, So if I were you, if you are into that, this is something I'd attack and I would say, okay, we're going to do this campaign.We're going to do a hundred videos, different proteins. Right. doesn't have to be all in one day. It can be, you know, within year's worth if you want, but. Make sure you, become known as that. And then not only are you niching down on a specific target audience, which is bodybuilders who are people who care about their physique, they care about how they look and things like that.They care about their health, but at the same time, you're helping them prevent an enamel damage. So that's something to think about. And then you can also do sponsorships like at local CrossFit competitions hydration stations at 5k races or marathons, and then exclusive gym membership. You can have the trainer referral incentive.I know this is something we did. Any gym trainer that refers five patients, it's something specific. In our practice, sometimes they wanted a percentage off where they wanted, Invisalign or they even wanted just rewinding. As much as they could, right? And so we would offer that depending on how many they refer.And then eventually they just continue to refer without, getting any type of incentive, which is fantastic. So you can definitely do that. And then you can always participate in their events as well, which they have a lot of events all the time, gyms and fitness centers. So huge, huge, huge. And then, finally would be community centers the trust builder.Now this is just an example, right? There's many locations you can go to gyms corporations, salons, all these things. But. For this episode, I'm just going to be covering, like I said, schools, gyms, and community centers, and then I'm going to give you a case study of someone who attacked these three and the results that they got.finally this community centers and community centers are crucial. They serve families, seniors, low income individuals. I mean, There's a huge patient segment and community centers already have structured health programs, so you can seamlessly integrate. They have established trust. People trust community based recommendations over ads.Michael: Now, the best community partnerships, best hands down is senior centers and retirement homes. I mean, They offer a ton of stuff and there's somebody specifically there who's called the activities coordinator or director who's looking for you to do things for their seniors, for their residents.You can offer free oral cancer screenings. You can host dentures and implant Q& A sessions. You can provide a senior smile program, which is a dental discount for seniors. Your membership program, you can offer a ton of stuff. Best thing to do though, is just do a Q& A session. Once one or two of them start asking questions, the whole room is going to ask questions.And it's just up to you to coordinate it to guide the questions and answer them. And you'll notice a theme of the questions, and then you can create a program tailored just for them. If you would like, so that's something best community partnerships, senior homes, and we have a whole unit on senior centers, independent living facilities, retirement homes.You can even see me in real life doing the strategy, setting up at events, signing up people and so forth, beautiful location. love senior homes. I love working with them. It's fantastic. But like I said, strategies, scripts, templates. Live examples. You can see that in the ground marketing course, doing it there.So that's number one, Senior centers and retirement homes. The next one would be youth centers and afterschool programs, right? Partner with big brother, big sisters. You can offer free checkups, sponsor sports leagues. If you'd like create a smile scholarship for underprivileged kids. So like X dollar amount per new patient goes into a dental fund for them, right?Specific things like that. And so that's going to be it right there, right? Kind of On how you can do that with community centers. So how to make these partnerships self sustaining You want to leverage social proof and community testimonials? So always capture video testimonials from gym owners pta leaders and community members and features success stories on social media And newsletters automate and scale your outreach So use a CRM to track partnerships and follow up quarterly.In the course created for you the ground marketing worksheet. And in there, it's just literally a template. You just download it on Excel and that's it. And you can see exactly how to follow up quarterly or often what you need to write down so forth, because you can lose track if you are not organized.So you want to automate and scale your outreach, track your partnerships, follow up, create a dedicated community liaison role. So assign a team member to manage partnerships. This is what business development is. You're going to see a lot of larger corporations, larger businesses. They have a business development, partner, a business development person in their organization, in their, job who's just dedicated to developing business partnerships. So sign that, and this can be the ground market. in your team and then recurring checkpoints with partners. You want to schedule quarterly check ins with school nurses, gym owners, and community leaders.And then you want to offer new partnership ideas to keep the collaboration fresh, and this comes naturally. So don't overthink it. This is going to come naturally. Every time he's like, Hey, I ran out of hygiene kits or, Hey, I ran out of first aid, dental health kits, or, Hey, I need some more of your business cards.Quarterly check ins happen naturally if it's the right partnership. Okay. So the best marketing doesn't feel like market. When you build partnerships, patients don't need to be sold on your services. They already trust you before they walk through the door. That's what partnerships do. .Now we're going to go into the case study. Now this doctor is a member in the course and she lives in a midsize suburban town and she struggled with slow new patient growth, despite a strong online presence.Instead of pouring more money into ads, she embedded her practice into the community using a strategic partnership approach. It took her a year. Within 12 months, she increased new patient flow, reduced marketing costs, but she built a self sustaining referral system with schools, gyms, and community centers.Here's exactly how she did it. Step one, schools, the long term growth machine. The plan is instead of cold emailing schools, she identified key decision makers and provided value up front. She attended PTA meetings and introduced herself as a community resource, not a business. She connected with school nurses and provided emergency dental first aid kits.She offered a free workshop for teachers about oral health's impact on kids focus. And attendance and the teacher saw that was incredibly valuable. So they wanted the parents to come and then eventually the parents came as well to see that. So that was a workshop that was offered and shown more than once.So that was tactic number one, PTA and school nurse relationship building. Number two was monthly school visits and parent education. She scheduled quarterly classroom visits. She brought fun tooth fairy kits for kindergarteners. She hosted a smile superhero contest for older kids could maintain the best brushing habits.And then she set up a free online dental Q and a for parents hosted on the school's Facebook page. Tactic number three, referral partnerships with school sports teams. She provided custom mouth guards for the local youth soccer and football teams branded with her office's logo. And then she created a VIP referral system.Every student referred by a school nurse or coach got priority scheduling and a free treat, a specific to what they needed. And the results were incredible. Over 400 new patient referrals in the first year, teachers and school staff became loyal patients after she provided an exclusive teacher discount.And the school sports partnerships created a word of mouth effect. Parents saw her logo on their kid's mouth guard cases and so forth. And kids knew who they were. was just amazing how the word of mouth effect happened here. So that was schools.Step two was gym partnerships. Which was a hidden gold mine. The plan was she identified three high end gyms and CrossFit boxes in her area and offered value first tactic. One gym trainer and member benefits. She offered free night guard fittings for trainers who suffer from teeth grinding. She gave each trainer five VIP dental passes worth a hundred dollars each to give to clients experiencing TMJ issues and Want to put a little asterisk here.besides free nightguard fittings. She offered for you teeth whitening So it was one or the other on that for the personal trainers and the gym members. She provided an exclusive fit smile package, teeth whitening, free fluoride treatment, discounted nightguards for heavy grinders, or an asterisk here too.She also offered a discount on cleanings. So that was the fitness smile package it wasn't like a whole type of, Hey, we're doing this as long as you remember, no, it was just, Hey, we're doing this for this summer only kind of a thing. So urgency was created. Tactic 2, gym event sponsorship, so she sponsored a gym hydration challenge, she tied hydration to oral health, she set up a free dental checkup day at the gym, and then she cross promoted her practices blog on the gym's website and social media.So the results were over 50 high value patients from gym trainers and referrals nightguards became a profitable service for her. And Jim started organically promoting her practice because she helped their members.So that was two, and then three was community centers. Instant trust and mass exposure. So she partnered with local senior centers, afterschool programs to gain instant community trust. So tactic one, the senior centers, the hidden patient base, she hosted free oral cancer screening events. She created a senior dental membership plan, right?So she discounted specific services. She became a guest speaker at community wellness talks, covering topics like how oral health affects brain function in seniors and much more. This was fantastic. She continues to do this. Tactic two, low income community dental support. She partnered with a local nonprofit organization to offer low cost cleanings.She created a dental scholarship fund where 10 from every new patient fee went toward helping undeserved kids, and then she hosted a free smile day. So every quarter for families who couldn't afford to care. And this established an incredible powerful reputation. As a dentist who gives back, she was able to obtain over 200 new patients from senior centers and community programs.And she was even featured in local newspapers and community newsletters for her charitable efforts. So that was free publicity. So it was fantastic. So scaling partnership into a self sustaining referral machine. she leveraged all of this through social proof and community testimonials. She filmed short video testimonials, school nurses about her educational talks.Jim trainers about how she helped their clients, senior center directors, praising her community involvement. And she posted these testimonials on social media and her website to reinforce credibility. I mean, You're doing all this work. Might as well go for the ask. Say, Hey, can you record a short 30 second video for me, please?You can even say 15 second video. Can you record a short 15 second video? boom. And then just record a short 15 second video on your phone. Little do you know that 15 second video will be up them talking about you for five minutes. Or three minutes, right? But that's it. That's all you got to say. So leverage it to create a community referral program.So any partner, right? School gym, community center that referred five plus patients got a special sponsorship for their events. So create something like that community centers and schools started reaching out to her instead of the other way around. So instead of her having to reach out to them.They started reaching out to her and three schedule, quarterly check ins with partners. Maintain these personal relationships with school staff, gym owners, and community leaders. Always ask, Hey, what would be most helpful to you right now? How can I help you or how can I help your members or how can I do this?How can I help your residents this quarter? Be specific like that. How can I help you guys this quarter? What are you guys doing? How can I help you? And then see how you can fulfill that need. And then offer new partnership ideas to keep engagement high. This will come naturally all the time.The new partnership ideas. So key takeaways for this is stop relying on hold ads and start embedding your practice into trusted community. Networks who is school gyms and community centers provide built in credibility and trust. If you offer value first three, once partnerships are established, referrals become self sustaining, establish these partnerships for social proof, testimonial from school nurses, gym owners, and community leaders, compounds growth five, less reliance on expensive marketing, more on relationships.will equal long term success. So I hope you understand, right? I'm not saying you need to do these three specific things. if you're a member in the ground marketing course, then you already know that you've done probably gyms. I know for sure you've done senior centers and then at the same time, schools, so you can attack it like that, And then continue to nurture these locations. But this is where her target patients were. And she wanted it. So we kind of extracted that and said, okay, let's look at the three strategies she mainly did and bada bing, bada boom. It's fantastic. So leveraging partnerships is key. The easiest way to grow a dental practice isn't by spending more on marketing.It's by becoming the dentist everyone in the community already trusts before they ever meet you. Always remember that creating these partnerships are huge, and in the ground marketing course, I teach you exactly how to do this. I teach you how to create these pipelines. So referrals are coming to you consistently, okay, for years, not just once in a while, but they're coming consistently and they're compounding.So then you just depend on, I need to nurture this relationship, or I just need to continue what I'm doing and the way I'm working and being fantastic. Because now they're referring to me, my referrals are referring other people. And that happens all the time. So you want to continue to build local partnerships that matter. And if you want more information on this, not just information, but strategies, you want to learn exactly how to do this, get the exact results or better. And at the same time, build partnerships with all your schools and your community, partnerships with all the gyms and fitness centers, partnerships with all the senior centers.You want to be a part of their events. You want to be a part of their. Specific health fairs, things like that. You want to create incredible referral systems and partnerships. I teach you all that in the ground marketing course. I give you the scripts, I give you the templates, I give you the examples, the lives, everything.And at the same time, you're able to talk with me more one on one. In the ground marketing course. So that's going to be in the show notes below. It's the first link in the show notes below. I welcome you to join. Please join especially if you want to see these results. And at the same time, I'm excited for you.I'm excited to see you in the ground marketing course. So go ahead and do that. It's going to be the first link in the show notes below in the next episode, we're going to be discussing mastering your ground marketing pitch. So this is how you make sure you get your foot in the door securely and effectively. So thank you so much for tuning in. I'll talk to you in the next episode.‍

How can small dental practices leverage big-business buying power?In this episode, we chat with Mike McCoy, the visionary behind Dental Collective, who helps independent practices save big on high-end dental products and services. Raised in a family immersed in the dental sales sector, Mike shares his personal journey and expansive experience working with industry giants like Komet USA and Align Technology. These roles unveiled the secrets of sales and pricing, laying the foundation for Dental Collective. The heart of the discussion reveals how McCoy's group purchasing organization (GPO) empowers smaller practices to enjoy the pricing benefits once reserved for larger dental service organizations (DSOs.) Mike demystifies the working process of GPOs and dismantles myths surrounding deal access in the dental market, advocating for a level playing field.The episode takes a deep dive into the economic advantages of joining Dental Collective. Mike explains how engaging with a GPO is not just about saving on supplies but also capitalizing on extensive resources like marketing, IT, and insurance negotiations. He paints a vivid picture of practices pocketing considerable savings on expenses like credit card merchant fees and third-party financing, thanks to skillful negotiation and streamlined processes. As Mike shares compelling case studies, he invites dentists to take a proactive stance in their GPO membership to maximize gains.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How Mike's journey and industry acumen shaped Dental Collective.The role and benefits of a group purchasing organization in modern dentistry.Common misconceptions about dental deal accessibility and pricing structures.The financial impact of GPO memberships on overhead costs.Strategies for leveraging GPO services beyond traditional supply discounts.Real-life examples demonstrating significant cost savings through Dental Collective.The importance of active engagement in maximizing GPO benefits.The broad spectrum of resources available to Dental Collective members.Join us for an enlightening discussion on transforming your dental practice's financial health!‍‍Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack‍Guest: Mike McCoyBusiness Name: Dental CollectiveCheck out Mike's Media:‍Website: Dental Collective | Your Go To Partner for Savings on Dental Supplies(Use coupon code DCTRIAL1 at checkout for a 1-month trial of Dental Collective. You can cancel at anytime if you don't find it to be a good fit for your practice.)Email: dcsales@dental-collective.comPhone: 781-701-6707Instagram: instagram.com/dentalcollectivedpoLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelrmccoy-100419Book a Consultation: calendly.com/dcsales-2fs/30minVendor Partners: Partner Vendors | Start Saving Money Today with Dental Collective‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:GPO - Group Purchasing Organization‍Businesses/Brands:Komet USAAlign TechnologyInvisalignBioclearBrasseler USAPattersonBencoCostcoDental CityApexToothioCherryUltradentKettenbach USAUptime Services‍Sports Teams:New York Yankees‍Products:3M Filtek Composite‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

Are you reaching the right audience or casting your patient net too wide?In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we unravel the secrets behind targeting the perfect patient audience to boost the success of your marketing strategies. We dive deep into the art of identifying and defining your ideal patient personas by analyzing demographic and behavioral data. By honing in on specific patient groups, you'll uncover the psychological and behavioral dynamics that drive patient decisions, enabling you to make smarter, data-driven marketing moves.We'll walk you through practical methods to analyze your existing patient base and research local demographics, crafting marketing strategies that meet your patients where they are. Learn how to naturally engage your target audience in places they frequent, utilizing pre-visit strategies, impactful initial interactions, and persistent follow-ups. To cap it all off, discover the power of forming local partnerships and nurturing community relationships for long-term success. Embarking on this detailed guide, you'll be equipped to create a strategic ground marketing plan that resonates with your ideal patients, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Crafting a detailed profile of your ideal patient persona.Utilizing demographic and behavioral data for marketing plans.Targeting patient groups using psychological and behavioral insights.Analyzing current patient data and local demographic trends.Engaging with patients in their natural gathering spots.Developing a systematic and structured approach to ground marketing.Building robust local partnerships within the community.Tune in to discover how to transform your practice's marketing strategy with precision and insight!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍You can reach out to Michael here:Email: michael@thedentalmarketer.site‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Podcast Episodes:313: Dr. Tyler Brady | How to Use "Influencer Marketing" to Attract New Patients & Grow Your Practice FAST! – The Dental Marketer PodcastBusinesses/Brands:
Invisalign
Amazon
CrossFit24 Hour Fitness
LA Fitness
HyattMarriottPeople:
Dr. Tyler Brady
Groups:Rotary Club
U.S. Chamber of CommerceData Collection:U.S. Census DataFacebook Groups‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Alright, we're going to be discussing identifying your target. Now, this is huge how to pinpoint and approach your ideal patients through ground marketing. So right now, if you're thinking, man, I hear this all the time, I need to find my target audience. I need to know my ideal patients. Maybe sometimes you're thinking like, I just want any patient, but no, you gotta get specific here. Niche down. And you do have an ideal patient in your mind, right? Maybe you're an existing practice in your favorite patients. Those are your ideal patients. If you don't have a practice yet and you're in the opening startup phase Who you've worked with in the past as an associate and your favorite patients, whoever they were, those are ideal patients, right? Obviously it's going to evolve within time. You're going to get more niched down and more specific, which is going to be perfect. Because you're going to be able to target that audience. So why targeting matters in ground marketing. So ground marketing is not about reaching the most people. It's about reaching the right people without precise targeting. Efforts are wasted on audiences who are unlikely to convert into loyal patients. So identifying your ideal patients ensures. That your marketing is efficient, high converting and relationship driven. That's, what's going to be most important, right? You want it to be efficient. Obviously you want it to convert as high as possible, but relationship driven these offers or these other things, they can be easily broken, right? you can cut ties quickly. But once that relationship thickens and thickens more, it's harder to cut because it's a relationship. And that's what you want. You want these ideal patients, all of them to be relationship driven, unlike digital marketing, where you can segment audiences with online analytics, ground marketing relies on behavioral. Demographic and psychological factors to pinpoint ideal patient groups. And in previous episode, we discuss the psychology behind it. Brown marketing. Now the science behind patient behavior and decision making, if we understand how people make healthcare decisions, it's going to help us tailor our approach. So I want to give you some key psychological factors that drive patient choices. And these are things you need to keep in mind whenever you're out ground marketing, or just in general, whenever you're doing any type of marketing. Okay. It's four things, And number one, this is a huge one, proximity and convenience. People providers within a 10 to 15 minute radius from home or work. So a solution for this. Is you want to focus on high foot traffic areas near your practice, grocery stores, schools, gyms, coffee shops, anything in that area, in that radius, you want to focus on and there's a, module in the ground marketing course under the existing patient analysis. The EPA module or the EPA unit, we discussed this in depth. We dive a lot deeper on the exact radius you should be looking at for your practice. that's number one, proximity and convenience is trust and social proof. So patients choose providers recommended by friends, family, or familiar community figures, right? The solution for this would be leveraged word of mouth referrals and local partnerships to build credibility. So your favorite patients right now, the ones who talk you up, make sure they are consistently talking you up, but you want to turn them into ambassadors who can turn other potential patients into ambassadors. You want to keep this going. That's going to be social proof and you want to build trust as well. That builds a lot of trust. As we know, that's the strongest form of marketing, which is referrals, word of mouth. So that's what you want to do. You want to leverage word of mouth referrals and local partnerships to build your credibility. That's two trust and social proof. Three is immediate need versus preventative mindset. Now, some patients seek urgent solutions maybe they have tooth pain, emergencies right, things like that. Then others prioritize long term dental health, so Invisalign, cosmetic work, etc. Your solution for this is segment patients based on need and customize your approach accordingly. If you're going for emergency patients, That's what we're going to start targeting. Emergency locations, clinics, urgent cares, specific locations. If you're looking for long term, preventative, think of cosmetic, right? Or full mouth reconstruction or something else. Misalign, implants. That's where you want to start targeting. Start thinking of where that demographic probably would be. That coupled with trust and social proof and then proximity and convenience. Now we're targeting, right? We're niching down. And finally is financial concerns and insurance acceptance. So many patients choose a practice based on insurance coverage or affordability. This is not new to you. You know this. You get a call maybe a couple times a day saying, Does my insurance cover this? many patients choose a practice based on that. So the solution is Highlight flexible payment options and insurance acceptance in your marketing, and we're going to dive deeper into this. And in the ground marketing course, there's a whole section on this, on how to verbalize or enhance your vocabulary. So. You know how to respond when people ask questions like, do you accept my insurance or how much does this cost? And so forth. So identify which psychological driver fits each audience and tailor your messaging accordingly. Okay. So little do you know right now, your marketing message is tailored to a specific target audience. Is it the target audience that you want? Based on these four things, number one, remember proximity and convenience to trust and social proof three immediate need versus preventative mindset and for financial concerns and insurance and acceptance based on those four things, who do you think your marketing messaging is targeting right now? so we're going to niche down if it's the right people, perfect. We're going to continue to do that. If it's not, we need to adjust. And make sure you want to niche down to your ideal patients, who you want to continue to see forever, if you could. So now that we got that down, number one, the science behind patient behavior and decision making. We understand how the patients are going to be making decisions. Now we want to define your ideal patient persona. So a patient persona is a detailed profile of your target patient. You want to consider the demographics, behaviors, and pain points. So the steps to create an ideal patient persona, and here's where you probably want to take out your pen and paper write this down, right? And start analyzing and start defining your ideal patient persona. So step one, analyze your current patient base. Who are your most loyal and high value patients? Write that down. What age group, income level, and insurance plans do they have? Write that down. Group them. What common concerns bring them to your practice? Write that down. Okay. That's going to be huge. This is probably the biggest thing ever, because let's just say you have lot of patients, right? And you're writing it down, you're like, your most loyal and high value patients is let's say Bob and Barbara. I love them. What age group are they? Oh, they're ones in the thirties, ones in their fifties. Okay, income level. Oh, I see the income level is common. It's in the 100k to And they do have insurance too. They have PPOs. Okay, cool. Awesome. What common concerns bring them to your practice? Well, They both had initially, you know, pain or maybe they moved and then they wanted to see a new dentist. Or something, or they just had, concerns or they wanted cosmetic work done. Now you're starting to niche down, okay, where do they work? What income level? Where is their HOA? Or where do they live? And what type of apartments at the same time, wherever their hobbies are, what are they doing? Things like that, right? You're starting to live around their life. That's how you're analyzing your current patient base. Once you live around their life, they go to these grocery stores, they go here, they go here. Now we're starting to niche down. Let's focus on those locations to ground market too. So step one, most important step, analyze your current patient base. Step two, you want to research your local demographics. You can use your U. S. census data, city planning sites, or my favorite is local Facebook groups to gather insights. Just go to the Facebook group in your community. There's probably five or more. And then they even niche down on that. There's mom groups, there's athletic ones, there's ones who love recipes and stuff like that. And just in your community, niche down on that and be a part of those Facebook groups, and you're able to gain some insights on that. What are people talking about? Even if you just type in the search bar, dentist. You're able to gain a lot of insight on that. What's their concerns? What are they looking for? And things like that. And then you want to identify major age groups, household incomes, education levels, and common employment types. Always do that. Every single one of your patients, you should be able to know where they work at what type of obviously insurance they provide, but at the same time, what I recommend and in the course, we recommend this all the time. And we teach you, we give you the scripts on exactly what you should say and how to do this. So that you can get into these patients who let's just say, Oh my God, you work at the Amazon fulfillment center. It's a corporation of 000 employees or a hundred employees. And you would love to have them as your patients because their insurance is great. Yeah, we give you the script on how to ask that patient who's already a patient of yours, how you can dive deeper into their place of employment, who do you need to contact, things like that in order to go inside of the corporation become one of their main providers. So you definitely want to be asking these questions to all your existing patients already, but at the same time, this is something you want to sit down and start identifying yourself, the age groups, household incomes of your ideal patients, the education levels, common employment types, things like that. So that's step two, research local demographics. And the way you can do that is by going to Facebook groups, but us census data and city planning sites are good to Facebook groups, you're able to get a little bit more insight, casual conversations, which is what's on their mind at that time. And identify a lot of the insights that you're trying to get. So step three would be identify their pain points and decision making triggers. And this is where the Facebook groups come in pretty handy. You can see the insights. You can see what people are saying, but do they struggle with dental anxiety, busy schedules, cost concerns? Are they parents seeking pediatric care? Are they young professionals considering Invisalign? Look into this. Okay. So you want to do three things on step number two, which is number one, analyze your current patient base, who are your most loyal and high value patients, age group, income level. Step two, research local demographics. U. S. Census data, local Facebook groups, right? Three, identify their pain points and decision making triggers. Remember, we discussed what four decision making triggers are. So identify them. Identify their pain points. What are they? And then we niche down. An example of this is right here. And if you're listening to this on the podcast, great, wonderful. But when you can, look at the video version of it because this is where I'm showing you right now the examples of the patient persona. So let's just say persona number one, the busy parent, which is ideal for pediatric and family dentistry. Their ages is 30 to 45. Their lifestyle is full time working parent and their kids are aged from four to 12 pain points would be lack of time and concerned about their children's health, their dental health. So your marketing approach is this. You want to offer a convenient evening or weekend appointments partner with local daycares and schools for easy referrals. And provide family discounts, if you would like, or bundled appointments. Okay. That would be how that would look if you're dealing with a busy parent. Persona number two, the aesthetic driven young professional. They would be ideal for a cosmetic or ortho services. This is a young professional. there between the ages of 25 to 40, their lifestyle, their career oriented, active on social media, and willing to invest in appearance, their pain points. Is they want straight white teeth, but they fear high costs. So your marketing approach would be you offer interest free financing and small makeovers. Just offer the interest free rate financing, offer something bundled up. That's beautiful. A lot of the times we like to show them the big ticket price and say, Hey, this is all the discounts we're giving you. You don't need to do all that. You can just say, you're going to get this at the monthly rate. That's it. you're being efficient with your time, short, sweet, to the point brevity. And at the same time, it's appreciated by them. They're like, Oh man, I can do that. That's as much as like a gym membership or a CrossFit membership. You want to partner with gyms, salons, or coffee shops where they frequent. And you want to provide a before and after transformation and influencer collaborations. And in the course we discuss on how you can do that and influencer collaborations. And in the podcast, we discussed that if you want to type in the search bar on our website the dental marketer. org, you can type in Tyler Brady, he discusses quite a bit on how to do influencer marketing and collaborations. But that's what you want to do. You want to provide before and after transformations big time. one thing I recommend is you want to create two to three personas and align your outreach strategies accordingly. So your ideal patient doesn't mean it has to be one specific persona and one specific ideal patient and that's it. You can have multiple. and I challenge you to have three ideal patients. So one could be the busy parent, the other one can be the aesthetic driven young professional, and then the other one can be like The retired senior who is living it up in the community center, right? And you can go from there. So that's going to be step number two. So to recap, step number one is the science behind patient behavior and decision making. Two is defining your ideal patient persona, which we just did. Three is now locating and approaching your ideal patients. once you've identified your ideal audience, the next step is finding where they gather and crafting their perfect approach. You want to craft your perfect approach. So where to find different patient groups in your community. Now you can make a list and put top left patient type in the middle, where to find them and then on the right best approach. if you want, you can look at my, screen and I have that right here. So the patient type is parent with young kids. You can find them in schools, daycares, pediatrician offices, kids, sports events, ice cream shops specific gyms, just for children, like jamboree and things like that, et cetera. And your best approach could be, you can offer a free comprehensive exam. You can offer something as like a free consultation. You can have signup sheets for parents. You can offer, Hey, come in your first visit a tour for free, right? You can create an event just for the parents to tour everything, do something amazing for the children. That would be your best approach. Patient type. Young professionals, where to find them, gyms, coworking spaces, networking events, coffee shops. You want to go to specific events. If you're looking at the chamber of commerce on the calendar, you can see specific events that people are a part of your community throws specific things for them. A lot of apartment complexes, humongous apartment complexes, throw events every single month for people like a wine and cheese type of thing or anything like that. You can be a part of that. And honestly, your best approach is promoting teeth whitening. That has been incredible. Promoting teeth whitening, or if you want Invisalign specials as well. Patient type, seniors and retirees. You want to go to community centers, senior health centers things like that. And you want to offer specific things, right? Mainly what we've seen is they have a lot of questions specifically. About not just insurance, but what's covered, what's not, they will have insurance questions. And so we will dive much deeper, maybe multiple episodes on seniors it's an incredible patient base we forget sometimes that, they're the ones who are learning the quickest, the internet, and they're using it the most. And at the same time, they are excited to receive emails and so much more. So if you're at senior events, senior centers, and things like that, independent living facilities, all you really have to do at those. When you're speaking to them, if you're doing like a booth and a luncheon or anything like that, it's just answer questions and they will sign up and they will be a part of it and they will get their families to go to, so you can do free oral health workshops at these facilities. You can do implant consultations and things like that. But I'd go with, just wanting to answer questions and then you can. Understand the feel of the group and be like, okay, this is what they want. We're going to offer that, or maybe they don't want anything. They just need work done. And then you want someone to finally answer their questions. So anyways, we're going to dive deeper on seniors and later episode, emergency patients, right? You want to go to urgent cares, clinics, pain management centers. That's where you can find them and then provide specific emergency things, right? You want to partner with pharmacists, let them know, talk to them, partner with urgent cares, partner with hospitals, small clinics, things like that. Give them specific flyers if you want on the services and how you're available, what you can do, things like that. And then patient type corporate employees. You want to do HR departments, lunch and learn sessions, offices, offer insurance maximization workshops. You want to dumb it down to them, literally to where you can explain it to a third grader. That's how you want to look at it. And then you want them to be able to explain it to an actual third grader. That way, you know, that they understand the more you can educate them like that, the better, especially with corporate employees, because they have a ton of work. They're doing a lot and they just want, Hey, did I maximize it? Did I do everything I could? At the same time, I know a lot of members in the course, they do have onsite dental screenings, or they actually will go to these corporations and work on them. They have these mobile units that they can just go and do cleanings there. That is huge and helps them out a lot. And the companies absolutely love that because more time there is better for the corporation than, you know, less time out and about. Scheduling and then having be out, So if you can offer that, that's awesome. like I said, we dive deeper into that as well in the course. Now, you want to strategically choose locations where patients already gather rather than trying to bring them to you. Okay? So if they're already there, strategically choose that location. I'll give you an example. There's a pretty big hotel. Let's just give a name, right? Let us say the Hyatt or Marriott or something like that. Right. And they have quite a bit of employees and instead of you trying to go after, Oh, Hey, me go just for the front office. Hey, let me go for the maintenance, signatures, housekeeping. They actually have team meetings early in the morning, monthly team meetings. And believe it or not, they will allow you to come in, set up your booth and have speaking time. that meeting with everyone watching you. And so that's your time, And that is a good example of you're choosing a location that offers insurance, that offers good benefits to their employees and things like that. And. You're choosing locations where patients are already gathered, rather than you're trying to bring them to you individually and just handing out your flyers, you're being strategic, right? And then one of the last is number four, creating a targeted ground marketing approach plan. So now that you know who you're targeting and where to find them, let's just say it's the mother, right? With the kids or it's the young professional. Now you know where to find them. You need a systematized approach. Okay. So there is a pre visit strategy. You want to establish credibility first, right? You can either do that by connecting on LinkedIn or local business networks before showing up. That's why sometimes I do recommend joining the chamber of commerce or the rotary club, but it's not necessary in the course. We teach you how to, be a part of the chamber of commerce and other events without actually joining the chamber of commerce. So you don't have to pay that fee, it does help. if you are. Because you're able to be a part of specific networking events. Now that's one thing you can do. You can also send an email or letter of introduction of your practice before visiting businesses. This works sometimes. I have yet to do this, but I added this in here in this episode because I know some of the members do it. For specific corporations and it's helped out tremendously. So go ahead and do that if you like. I know it's specific corporations. we actually in the course we give you the template. We give you the whole script on what to say in the email and then boom, you can just put your name and send it. But like I said can do that or can find a common contact who can introduce you, right? Mutual connections. That is the best thing. That is what I normally do find a common contact, mutual connections, and that equals trust, right? You call the location. Hey, one of your patients just came into our practice and, you know, I had a couple of questions and. They are like Cause you're calling the HR department. Is everything okay? What, What happened with that person? Oh, no, they're just saying how much they love it there. They love you. And we love them as a patient as well. And I was just wondering, is there any way we can kind of, offer more specific benefits and special offers for the employees there? mean, We love you guys. We love employees that you have. And boom, you're able to get in there, right? And offer more. But that is because you have a common contact who can introduce you. Technically, the person didn't even introduce you. You just have a common contact. And that's what I utilize. I'm just like, hey, you work at this location? Perfect. Is it okay if I call the HR department or, you know what I mean? And let them know. And nine times out of ten, the patient who's already an existing patient will tell you sure, you can go ahead. I mean, I have nothing to do with it. And then just go ahead and call. And then you're able to get in. So perfect. That's a pre visit strategy, right? And then the perfect first interaction you want to approach without being salesy. So that's A. A is the pre visit strategy. B is the perfect first interaction. You want to keep it casual and conversational, not sales pitchy. I can't express to you how important this is. Keeping it casual, Almost like you're talking to a friend. Not overly casual, but casual in the sense of you're now walking in there with everything in your hand and you're not on the phone call. like you're reading something from a script, although you might be reading something from a script. You just want to keep it casual, offer something of value up front, And then use social proof. You know, We worked with other businesses and we've helped their employees and patients. We would love to support your team too. You can use social proof in the sense of, you know what, every month we partner with a fitness facility. And this month we would love to partner with you guys. We saw incredible results for our patients the employees or the clients or the members in. 24 hour fitness. And we really wanted to partner up with LA fitness now, because that's just been a request and you have something every month that we can be a part of? boom, they're going to say, yeah, we do. We have something that you can be a part of. Wonderful. How does this work? And then you can continue with them. Never start with. And this is a humongous pro tip and you hear this all the time and you've probably done this, I've done this So never start with, Hey, we'd love it if you send referrals our way. So you're going in, dropping off flyers to the perfect location that you want your ideal patient to come from. And you're like, hi, I'm the new dentist down the street. We'd love it if you send referrals our way. That does nothing. Maybe one in a million times it might get you a referral here and there, but that's it, just know as you're the person who's asking for something. So start by offering something first. And then see follow up system. I cannot tell you how important following up is. And I discussed this in the previous episode. I mentioned this is probably where you either gain or lose the most potential patients, new potential patients. Most people won't book immediately. They need reminders and touch points. So you want to immediately follow up same day, send a personalized message, thanking them for their time. Everybody you meet at an event, you just dropped off something, you introduced yourself in the sense of you're going to go be a part of their event. You dropped off a signup sheet. just follow up immediately that same day. more than likely the person you spoke with is not one of your patients already and they can become your patient. Step two, you want to do a three day follow up, right? Provide a quick reminder about the offer, the benefits. And then you also want to follow up again with that. If they haven't booked, want to offer a limited incentive. month our free whining is ending, and I noticed there's only five more days left, or we have five free whining sessions left. We'd love to save one for you, things like that. Right. And we're going to dive so much deeper, multiple episodes on how to follow up specifically. But in the ground marketing course, I give you the breakdown, I give you the scripts. I give you templates, everything on exactly how to follow up, how many days you should wait, how many months, if so. And what to do and what to say in each of them, but remember 80 percent of conversions happen after five to seven touch points. So keep nurturing leads, always keep nurturing leads. So a final thoughts you want to have a targeted strategic ground marketing plan, That is the key to success. So a step by step summary for success. And in this episode is number one, you want to understand patient behavior, identify what drives decision making and we discussed that right. Convenience, cost trust, create clear patient personas, define who you want to attract, and then define their pain points. Get those two crystal clear. Three, locate the right places. Be where your target audience naturally gathers, but be there consistently. Don't just be there one time and that's it. Be there as much as you can for as long as you can. Locate the right places. Four, use a systematic approach. Have a pre visit strategy, an engaging first interaction. And a structured follow up. So when ground marketing is done strategically, it builds sustainable, high value patient pipelines without relying on expensive ads. Identifying your audience is the most critical step to making your efforts pay off. So that's what you want to do. First and foremost. Okay. So thank you so much for tuning into this episode. I hope it helps. I'm excited to see you continue to skyrocket on your ground marketing journey. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out You can email me, you can find me at Michael at the dental marketer dot site. That's the email. Or you can just go on the website, the dental marketer. org and fill out. One of those follow up forms, but the best way to reach out to me is if you are part of the ground marketing course, which I'm going to put a link to it in the show notes below, it's going to be the first link in the show notes below. I mean, We have live office hours like this. You're able to engage with me, talk with me. It's like a mastermind session. At the same time in there, you're able to see all the strategies, all the scripts, all the templates, all the workshops. You even see real life examples of me. I hide the camera or I'm on the phone. Doing these strategies and you're able to see it work in real time, exactly how it's supposed to be. so definitely join the ground marketing course. I'd love to see you in there. I'd love for you to be a part of it so you can start attracting new patients, but at the same time, become the go to practice in your community and build these incredible local partnerships And that's what we're going to be discussing in the next episode, building local partnerships that matter. So thank you so much. And I'll talk to you soon.

Could your Google Business Profile be the untapped goldmine your business is missing?Today we're unpacking the essentials of Google Business Profiles with renowned expert David Kaminski, who reveals strategies to elevate your practice's online presence without relying on traditional advertising. David reveals a wealth of practical tips that can help practices increase their visibility and attract more patients. From sharing timely updates and offers to utilizing high-intent search terms like "dental implants near me," this conversation is brimming with actionable insights tailored to help you maximize your Google Business Profile's potential.David emphasizes the necessity of consistent activity to remain prominent on Google Maps, explaining how regular engagement, such as geo-tagging photos and crafting time-sensitive promotions, can drive traffic. You'll also get a sneak peek into David's innovative automated software that streamlines these processes, allowing practices to effortlessly manage their profiles and spend more time focusing on growth. By the end of the episode, you'll understand the power of a well-optimized Google Business Profile and feel empowered to take control of your digital footprint.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The secret to boosting growth via a Google Business Profile without paid ads.Key actions to maintain visibility and relevance on Google Maps.The effectiveness of using high-intent, transactional keywords.How geo-tagging images can enhance local customer attraction.Insights into leveraging limited-time offers to create urgency.The convenience of automating your Google Business Profile updates.Unlock the power of your Google Business Profile by tuning in to this episode!‍‍Guest: David KaminskiBusiness Name: Transactional DentalCheck out David's Media:‍Website: transactionaldental.comTransactional Dental Success Stories: transactionaldental.com/happy-dentists/Maps Signup (Coming Soon): transactionaldental.com/maps-signup‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Software/Tools:Google Business ProfileGeoImgr‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Can simply showing up in your community drive a successful marketing strategy, or is there a deeper game in play?In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we're exploring the fundamental tools and strategies that translate presence into meaningful growth. Contrary to the notion that just "showing up" is enough, I'm uncovering the structured, systematic approaches crucial for relationship-building and impactful outreach. I'm sharing insights into the key psychological principles that form the backbone of effective marketing—such as the law of familiarity, reciprocity, social proof, commitment, and consistency—ensuring long-term success and a steady influx of new patients.The toolkits we dive into provide a roadmap to a seamless ground marketing campaign. From the Relationship Building Toolkit, packed with business partnership essentials, to the Mobile Marketing Toolkit, which equips your team with visually impactful portable branding and lead collection tools, every element is crafted to maximize engagement. Additionally, the Content and Messaging Toolkit empowers practices to maintain consistent and appealing communication. We'll also explore systemizing processes for scaling efficiently, highlighting strategies like automated follow-ups and comprehensive team training programs.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The role of psychological principles in building sustainable marketing strategies.Essential components of a Relationship Building Toolkit.How a Mobile Marketing Toolkit can amplify your outreach efforts.Key elements of effective content and messaging for dental practices.Techniques for systemizing and scaling your marketing campaigns.The benefits of automated follow-ups and consistent team training.Tune in now to discover the foundational pillars of ground marketing and your outreach efforts!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Products:My Top Tools For Ground Marketing At EventsiPad‍Customer Relationship Managers:HubSpotPipedrive‍Communities:Dentaltown‍Businesses:Trader Joe's‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: All right, we're going to be discussing setting up for success, the ground marketing foundations.this is the essential tools and resources to get started. So now we're getting more tangible, right? The tools that you're going to need. Now, ground marketing is not just about showing up. It requires a structured strategy, the right tools and a systematized approach to maximize results.So throw everything out in case you thought I can just show up to a business and introduce myself and that's ground marketing. Nope, that is not ground marketing. You need a structured strategy. You need the right tools and you need a systematized approach to make sure you are effective. Now, I'm going to break down the fundamental components needed to set up a high performing ground marketing framework that ensures consistency, scalability, and long term success.Okay?Now remember, to start off, the thing you need to keep in mind is the core mindset. for ground marketing as a long term system. Now here's the thing. Many practices fail at ground marketing because they treat it as a one time promotional tactic instead of repeatable system, okay?The key to long term success is consistency, relationship building, and proper execution. Remember the psychological principles that will ensure this success. It's number one, the law of familiarity. People trust what they see repeatedly and ground marketing must be ongoing, not a one time event to the principle of reciprocity, give value first, and people will feel inclined to reciprocate.Three, the social proof effect. When people see others engaging with your brand, they assume it's reputable and worth their time. And for the commitment and consistency rule, small commitments. Increase the likelihood of larger commitments. So make sure you have those four psychological principles always in mind.Now they have to consistently see you. Ground marketing must be ongoing. And honestly, that's probably already what's going to separate you from all your other competitors, all the other practices, DSOs, prior practices in your area, especially if you're in a, saturated location, this alone, the law of familiarity will separate you if you're consistent.Here's a pro tip. Ground marketing must be a structured, trackable system, not random outreach. As soon as it starts feeling random, something is out of place. It has to be trackable and it has to be structured always. So that's why I say, throw that mindset away where you're like, I'm going to go out and ground market.We're in a busy shopping strip and there's a bunch of stuff. And I'm just going to go out there and hand out my cards and give donuts. And no, no, that's not trackable. That's not even a system. That's not structured. You're just going out there and in our treats I mean, You could do that if you want, and it might work here and there, but it's not a system.Build processes that are easy to follow and repeatable for your team. And that's what I'm going to give you right now. Okay? You're going to build a process that's easy to follow and it's repeatable for your team. And obviously, if you're in the ground marketing course, then you know how to do this and I provide you a template and everything like that.That's what you want to do. So number two for this episode is essential tools for ground marketing success. And here's the tools, right? A relationship building toolkit. This is going to be your toolkit to connecting with key community influencers. So to build strong partnerships, you need tools that help you establish report and credibility with local businesses, schools, mainly the school districts, Or the principals and specific organizations or corporations, HR services, things like that. human resources. The people who are in charge of logistics centers. If it's a warehouse, all these things, right? You're going to need number one, a business partnership kit, What can be involved in this kid is a, customized welcome packet, It's a practice intro letter. Maybe your specific business card, a small gift, testimonial sheets, that's in the welcome packet, customized. the second thing that it can have is a co branded flyer, and that can offer an exclusive discount for employees or the customers there, okay? It has to be an exclusive discount for them.And then three, it can be a sign up sheet for employees to schedule appointments directly at the workplace. it can be a glorified signup sheet, right? Just your practice name, the incentive you want to give and the name number, best time to reach you at, or text or call or whatever like that, right?Circle one. And that signup sheet is for the employees. That's going to guarantee you your second visit there. Although the co branded flyers will also guarantee you the second date too, as well. And what I mean by that is let's just say you're going to an apartment complex You're talking to the property management in the front. It might be like the manager, maybe you're talking to all three or four or ten of them, whoever, right? So you're going to give them a customized welcome packet, right? For their move ins. You're going to give them the sign up sheet for them. And then the flyers for the people there, right? Or at the event the apartment complexes have event all the time.So maybe you have flyers that you want to give out or welcome packets. You never want to give out a hundred of them. You never want to give out 50 of them, even if they have a thousand residents, a thousand employees, a thousand, whatever, just give out 10 for now, 15 for now. And then you're able to come back in a couple of days, or even come back in a month and say, Hey, we wanted to drop off some more flyers.Can I have some of your information as well? Right. Or, Hey, we want to drop off more flyers. Do you guys need more? What is the deal? And at the same time you can look at the signup sheet. So you have two reasons for this second date to see them again. It can either be the flyer like that, how I mentioned, or you can come back and pick up the actual signup sheet and, start calling people.that's always the best thing. You want to come back and pick up the signup sheet. But anyways, I digress, that's going to be in another episode. Business Partnership Kit. It should have a customized welcome packet, Your intro letter, business card, small gift and testimonial sheet, or if you want, right?Two is a co branded flyer offering exclusive discounts for the employees or the customers. If it's like a small amount of customers, right? For example, let's just say you're going to a Gymboree or a pediatric. Location. I don't know. Medical location specifically, like those customers never like to a customers, if you're going to a Trader Joe's or something like that, because that's not,their job is not to promote you. Their job is to do their job. And so that would be more for, if you're going to create a co branded flyer with an exclusive discount for the customer. And that would be more for a smaller location, like a pediatrician office, a Gymboree, a medical location, something specific, So a co branded flyer offering an exclusive discount for the employees primarily, and then a signup sheet for employees to schedule appointments directly at the workplace that's in your business Next thing is your networking and relationship log. This is huge.This I talk about, and I have a whole unit on this on the ground marketing course, but you want to track your interactions, track your followups and key contacts. This is simple guys. It's as simple as creating a Google sheet or having a CRM like HubSpot or PipeDrive to track. You want to track their contact name and business, the date of the initial outreach.Your follow up reminders and then notes on past conversations. There's never not enough information. You can put in there, put as much information on your notes, on the past conversations, your follow up reminders here is something I want to tell you. That's huge. the biggest mistake in ground marketing is failing to follow up.Relationships take multiple touch points before they yield results. I cannot tell you how many times people fail to follow up and that's the hole. That's the big hole. Where a lot of your effort will go to waste if you fail to follow up, meaning you're going out, you're dropping off sign up sheets. Maybe you forget a couple of people to pick up their sign up sheets, a couple businesses, you failed those businesses.Or maybe, a lot of the people in an event, They filled out their information and you're like, great, this is exciting. I'm going to call them, but then you get busy. You never do call them. You fail to follow up, or maybe you do call them, but then they say they're busy at the moment. And then if you can call them a little bit later, or you live a voicemail and you never call them again or reach out to them again, you fail to follow up.Following up is humongous in ground marketing and If you just follow the principle of being consistent, you're going to bring them all in, but you need to follow up. Okay, so make sure you have this networking and relationship log. You want to have their contact name and business, date of initial outreach, the follow up reminders on there, how often you want to follow up, and then notes on past conversations.Always have that on there. The more detailed, the better. Now, that's A, right? Your relationship building toolkit. You want to have those. Your business partnership kit, and that can be with your realtors, that can be with your, photographers, it can be with a lot of these, businesses that are like that.And then you want to have your networking and relationship log. Now B is your mobile marketing toolkit. Now this is what you hear a lot of people talk about, especially in Facebook groups, Dental Town, things like that. How to take your brand to the community. Now when engaging with the community, you need tools that make your brand stand out and create instant credibility.So you want to have a portable branding kit. And what I mean by that is have a branded table cover, right? For health fairs, schools, corporate visits lunch and learns just for the events. Have a branded table cover, a professional retractable banner with a clear call to action. Okay. Make sure it has a clear call to action.On what you want to do giveaway items, branded toothbrushes, floss, lip balm, mini hand sanitizers, mouthwash, things like that, right? Floss. You want to have giveaway items always with you ready portable teeth models for demonstrations, On brushing or just to make your booth look a little bit more exciting and always have memorized a quick 32nd pitch everywhere you go.and honestly, this was my quick 30 second pitch. So I'm going to just give it to you right here, right now. It was this simple. Hey, how's it going? Grab whatever you want. It's free. That's it. Was it even 30 seconds? It was like five seconds, right? Hey, how's it going?Grab whatever you want. It's free. And you just stay quiet. Now that was it when it came to booths and events and things like that. Any event, that's all I ever said. And once they came. And they did a little shopping. That's when I would start talking to them about their concerns, their needs, what we're doing, how we're partnering up with a specific location, what we got going on, the incentives and things like that.Think of a quick 32nd pitch always. Okay. That's your portable branding kit. Now your lead collection tools, how are you going to collect these leads? Now I would, and I still do have a signup sheet, just a regular signup sheet. At times I do use an iPad. I always want the ball in my court.So I would say either have a or you can have a QR code signup system. It makes it easy to capture emails and phone numbers. But me personally, I. Prefer to have a signup sheet where I'm actually writing your name and numbers down. Or an iPad where I'm actually writing your name and number down, but just on a digital form.And then the second thing you can have is raffle signup forms. People engage more if they get a chance to win something. And we're going to talk about that with events on another episode, but you're doing that, make sure everybody somehow wins something when you do a raffle. Okay? Because those are potential patients.Everyone is a potential patient to sign up, but you can have that raffle sign up. Right. And this is how you're collecting leads, names, and numbers. You're starting to get names and numbers now into your log, and you're going to start calling out to these people. Now, if you want, you can use QR codes linked to a special offer landing page to track how many people sign up from your ground marketing efforts.This is pretty trackable. Okay. So if they scan the QR code, then they're going to go to the landing page and now boom, you will see how many people at this event actually had interest, looked into the page. Maybe they didn't sign up. Maybe they did sign up and now you have even further details on who they were and stuff like that by using the QR code from this one specific event.So you can do that. Now those are going to be the two things, right? The A and B. Okay. Relationship Building Toolkit and then your Mobile Marketing Toolkit. Now the three things, C, is Content and Messaging Toolkit. So you want to pre frame your brand for trust and credibility. Your communication and marketing materials should be designed to quickly build trust and answer common objections.So have pre designed ground marketing flyers and handouts. Maybe have a general practice handout, an introduction to your office, services, and patient testimonials. Have specific service flyers. This helped a lot, especially at events. When I had one for Invisalign, there was some for dental implants.You can have some for sleep apnea treatment, things like that. Then have business partnership proposal flyers. Explain how partnering with your practice benefits local businesses. And that's all on you. How are you going to benefit them? Go into detail. Something, what we did and what you can talk about.Is once a month, we love to promote a specific, business. So if you want, you can just give us some of your information. We know you have your business cards locked up somewhere, just collecting dust. Why not give us a little bit of them and we will put them in our hygiene kits and we will talk you up and give it to our existing patients, right?Boom. That's more visibility for their business. And at the same time, once they give you a yes, let them know, Hey, would it be okay, we give you some of our information as well. During that month, they're going to see us the principle of reciprocity. Boom. So business partnership proposal flyer, you can steal that if you want, use it, but you can go deeper into that, or you can do something completely different.that is the pre designed ground marketing flyers and handouts. Then the second part of that would be customizable elevator pitch. Always have a 10 second hook, right? Hey, we help your children get the specific results they need with this unique approach, So always say we help a target audience get a specific result with a unique approach, and it doesn't have to be a super unique approach, but the way you word it has to sound unique.Okay. And then. You want to have a quick credibility statement. We've helped over 500 families in the area achieve better oral health. We've helped two thirds of our community, they love us, achieve a better smile, more confidence, right? And then just have a clear next step. You know, We're offering a free consultation.Would you like to schedule now? Actually, don't even ask them if you would like to schedule now. Just say, we're offering a free consultation. What's your name and number? I can get you in as soon as next week. Boom, And then continue that way. People trust and remember stories more than facts.So use patient success stories in your materials Okay. So remember, have a customizable elevator pitch, 10 second hook. We help a target audience get specific results with a unique approach. Then quick credibility statement. We've helped over 500 families in the area achieve better, whatever. And then a clear next step. If you want, we're offering a free consultation right now for the next 10 days. What's your name and number? I can get you in as soon as tomorrow. And boom, give them less time to think of an answer, but more give them the opportunity to give you an answer based on what their desire is and what they want immediately.when you do that, you can say like, Hey, I can get you in as soon as tomorrow. Does that work right now? They only have an option. Yes or no. Instead of like, Oh, let me look at my schedule for the next following 10 days. And Now that's the content and messaging toolkit. So I hope that helped out with the essential tools for ground market.That's what you're going to need. Okay. So real quick, essential tools for ground marketing. You're going to need your relationship building toolkit, which involves your business partnership kit and your network and relationship log. You're going to need your mobile marketing toolkit, which involves your portable branding kit.Your table cover, your table, even a chair, if you want professional retractable banners, your giveaway items, models, your pamphlets, things like that. Quick 30 second pitch. This is an event. And at the same time, I would say, add a, case that you can put everything in, I'm going to put a link And show notes below where I tell you what I use super simple stuff And it's like a case that has like wheels. You can just roll it almost like those bags you see in You know airports, but it's a lot bigger and it's a case where you can fit everything in there pretty easy You can just leave it in the trunk of your car So anyways, your mobile marketing toolkit it involves your portable branding kit and your lead collections tools And then see your content and messaging toolkit.And that involves your pre designed ground marketing flyers and handouts and your customizable elevator pitch. Now three is systemizing and scaling ground marketing efforts. So automating your follow ups for maximum conversions, most ground marketing leads don't convert immediately.A structured follow up system ensures high conversion rates. Meaning you go to an event, you get a hundred people signing up out of those hundred people. Maybe one third will come in pretty immediately. And then the other ones you're going to need to follow up and so forth, right? They're busy. Maybe they had something come up.It doesn't mean they're not interested. They're super interested. You just got to work with them. So immediate follow up same day. So send a personalized thank you message to new contacts, always right within the same day. And then within two to three days. Follow up, Hey, just checking in, send a text or email.Just wanted to check if you had any questions. We'd love to have you in for your free consultation. Remember, always have that sense of urgency. So you can say, Hey, just wanted to get you in before the month ends for that free consultation. So if you're ever offering anything for free, don't give it forever for free.Just say within this month, right? They know they have that time within this month, that it can run out. Now your month can run out in a week. If you're doing that event in a week from now, or it can run out in 30 days from now. But just make sure you say there's an urgency Then after that, if you still don't hear from them, follow up with them within seven days, right? Hey, we're offering the free teeth whining session for the next ten new patients. We'd love to get you in. It's coming down to the wire Just follow up with them if they haven't booked.And continue to follow up. and we're gonna have another episode on following up, but unless they tell you no, always continue to follow up. Don't put your feelings. Into their heart into their mind. Don't put your thoughts into their mind meaning Hey, I'm going to be bothering them.If I follow up too much. Hey, they're going to be mad at me. If I follow up too much. That's what you're thinking. They're busy. They're doing other things. They may want to do this immediately. And then boom, something else happens. And your follow up is a reminder. So do not do that. Cut that wire, cut that emotion, that connection.There's no connection there. Boom. Cut it out. You are relentless. Follow up right now. Be tactful when you follow up. Don't just continue to follow up. Every single day, all the time, but give us some space, give us some time, but some thought in your marketing messaging. And we're going to talk about that a couple episodes down the line on following up.Now that's how you want to do it with a systematizing, on your follow ups and then training your team for ground marketing success. Now, ground marketing is not a solo effort. Your team must be trained to execute consistently. So these things are super important role playing scripts for different scenarios, how to approach a local business, how to start a conversation at community events, and how to follow up out feeling salesy.Those are the three things you're going to role play all the time. I still role play. Okay. How to approach a local business, how to start a conversation at community events. How to follow up without feeling salesy, every single location, business, and so forth has a different script. And we're going to discuss those scenarios and those scripts and later episodes, but always role play.You want to train your team. And the second thing is assigned clear roles and responsibilities. Who is responsible for ground marketing, meaning they're responsible for initiating partnerships, tending events and fairs. Handling follow ups. Now we do have some members who split this up, meaning someone is responsible for building partnerships, pipelines, referrals.Someone is responsible for accumulating events, attending events and fairs. And then someone is responsible separate for handling follow ups. They're on the phones. They're doing all the follow ups because they're just ground marketing everywhere. there is people who do that. And obviously that's.The more focused on a specific thing, the better results. So that I've seen work incredible and I can't take credit for that. We have other team members and we have other members in the ground marketing course who initiated that and it works fantastic, but no harm, no foul. I did all this and you can have one person in charge of the ground marketing and they can do that, but just make sure you assign clear roles and responsibilities.Nothing should be lost. The best ground marketing teams practice scenarios weekly until responses feel natural. So the whole team should be practicing this. Everybody should be on the same page and at the same time they should also see, okay, this person's out ground marketing, they're building partnerships.The team should know where the ground marketer is at or what's happening as far as events and health fairs. Now if it's a huge event and health fair, obviously more team members are going to be involved. More people will know. Assign clear roles and responsibilities. Alright, so hopefully we understand that and coming to an end here on the episode.So by combining the right mindset, the right tools, and execution plan, ground marketing becomes a powerful engine for predictable patient growth. So in summary, you want to develop the right mindset, right? Remember, ground marketing is a system, not a one time effort. You want to equip yourself with the right tools, have your relationship building kits, branding materials, and lead collection tools.Document everything too. Okay. Three, systemize outreach and follow up. So you want to track your interactions, automate follow ups, and leverage relationship building psychology, Use reciprocity, use consistency, use scarcity, urgency, things like that. Four, train your team to execute consistently.Ground marketing thrives when everyone follows a structured approach. So train them to do that. Ground marketing is one of the most effective, powerful strategies for long term patient growth. with the right foundation, Your practice can become the go to provider in your community without relying on expensive ads anymore.So go ahead and do this, make sure you got this locked and loaded and ready. And then in the next episode, we're going to be discussing identifying your target audience. Remember the more focused you are with crowd marketing, the better. So we're going to discuss how you can focus and zone in on your target audience.Thank you so much for tuning in. And if you want more information, the scripts, scenarios, templates want to see real live action, me actually doing this and so much more be part of the community of ground marketers, then you can do so by joining the ground marketing course. You can either Google it, the ground marketing course, or you can go in the show notes below, click the first link in the show notes below, see what everyone's saying and join the ground marketing course.And if you do, I'm excited to see you in there. All right. Thank you so much for tuning in and we'll talk to you in the next episode.

Hiring and practice management can be tricky for independent practices...So today we've brought on Dr. Sarah Blair, a renowned dental consultant whose experiences and insights offer a masterclass in dental practice management. From her early days at Ohio State University to owning a practice of her own, Sarah's story is filled with real-world lessons. She shares how her experiences at two contrasting Milwaukee practices shaped her understanding of effective dental management. One was meticulously systems-focused, while the other embraced a laid-back, blue-collar approach—both offering valuable insights into the nuances of practice operations and the pivotal role of management.Fast forward to 2020, Sarah made the bold decision to pivot from practice owner to consultant. With the co-founding of Indie Practices in 2018, she and her team have been on a mission to deliver tailored, cost-effective coaching that resonates with practice owners. Through this episode, Sarah candidly discusses essential strategies for successful hiring, onboarding, and accountability. Clear communication, well-drafted job descriptions, and intentional onboarding are her cornerstones. By implementing these strategies, Sarah argues, practice owners can enhance team efficiency and reduce stress, fostering a harmonious work environment.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The impact of diverse practice experiences on management style.How to craft effective job descriptions and onboarding processes.Strategies for hiring and maintaining team accountability.The role of communication in preventing common managerial issues.Benefits of regular feedback and one-on-one sessions with team members.How to align team activities with your practice's mission and values.Resources and tools from Indie Practices to streamline operations.The long-term benefits of a structured management approach.Tune in now to hear Dr. Sarah Blair's tips on hiring and practice management in your indie practice!‍‍Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack‍Guest: Dr. Sarah BlairBusiness Name: Indie PracticesCheck out Sarah's Media:‍Website: indiepractices.comResource Library: indiepractices.com/digital-resourcesGet Your Scorecard: assessment.indiepractices.com/begin‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Education:Ohio State UniversityMarquette University‍Books:Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is HardThe Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In BusinessUnreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They ExpectBy the Numbers: A Guide to Buy and Run Your Dental Practice‍Podcasts:The Daily Dental Podcast ( Dr. Addison Killeen's podcast)‍People:Patrick Lencioni (Author)Brené Brown‍Tools/Services:The Practice LaunchpadIndeed‍Groups:Dentaltown‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

‍Ever wonder why some patient interactions just click while others fall flat?In episode two of the Ground Marketing Series, we explore the powerful intersection of human behavior and effective marketing strategies. By tapping into the science of trust and first impressions, you'll learn how to craft genuine connections that resonate. We delve into fundamental principles such as the Trust Formula, where credibility, reliability, intimacy, and minimized self-interest work in harmony to build a strong foundation. Discover why mastering the art of first impressions through nonverbal cues like eye contact and open body language is your key to rapid trust-building.Harness the Reciprocity Principle by understanding the power of giving first to foster a sense of gratitude and trust among potential patients. We'll guide you through using the familiarity effect, social proof, and loss aversion to create compelling marketing strategies that emphasize connection and urgency. Transform your storytelling approach by weaving emotionally resonant narratives that leave lasting impacts. Additionally, learn how small commitments can pave the way for deeper patient engagement, setting the stage for success in practice growth.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Techniques to establish trust with potential patients quickly.The importance of nonverbal communication in making a positive first impression.Tactics for leveraging reciprocity and social proof effectively.How familiarity and repeated brand exposure foster trustworthiness.How to evoke urgency through loss aversion in marketing strategies.Storytelling methods that create emotional connections with patients.The role of small commitments in building long-term patient relationships.Tune in now to boost your ground marketing techniques with proven psychological insights!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍People:Joshua ScottDr. Christopher PhelpsRobert ZajoncP.T. BarnumDaniel KahnemanAmos TverskyRobert Cialdini (Cialdini's Six Principles of Persuasion)Seth Godin "Facts tell, stories sell"‍Books:Influence: The Psychology of PersuasionThe Trusted Advisor‍Marketing Tools/Services:Google AdsStudio 8E8‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: The psychology behind ground marketing. So I hope you enjoyed the overview of ground marketing. Now, this is the psychology behind ground marketing, understanding human behavior and building trust. This is essential to know how to ground market effectively.Now, ground marketing is more than just physically reaching out to potential patients. It's about forming genuine connections that lead to long term trust. Now to master ground marketing, you have to understand the psychological principles that govern human behavior, influence decision making and establish credibility.Now here's some unique and profound and researched back insights into how psychology applies to ground marketing, ensuring a strong and lasting impact. First thing is the trust formula. Now this is the psychological blueprint trust. Equals credibility, plus reliability, plus intimacy and self interest.Okay. That's by Charles H. Green in the Trusted Advisor. Now, the key to effective ground marketing is to maximize credibility, reliability, and intimacy while minimizing perceived self interest. The moment people feel like they're being sold to, they instinctively raise barriers. However, when approached with genuine care, expertise and value, they become open to engagement. Number one, credibility, right? Can they believe what you say? Do you have expertise, professionalism and brand presentation that all matters? Credibility, reliability. Can they count on you to follow through?So showing up consistently fosters subconscious trust. This is why we say, Hey, be consistent with your ground marketing. It proves reliability and three intimacy. Do they feel safe sharing their problems with you? So that means you've got to have empathy and active listening. That's crucial. And then for self interest, if your motives seem profit driven, if you look way too ambitious, people withdraw instead.Frame your marketing as helping rather than selling. So that's number one, the first principle, the trust formula.Two is the science of first impressions. Now, this is amazing. Seven seconds to win or lose trust. That's all you have. Neuroscience suggests that people form impressions within seven seconds of meeting someone. These impressions are 70 to 80 percent emotional. And it's based on nonverbal cues, such as body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions.So keep these things in mind right now. One, eye contact and open body language. Studies show direct contact without staring, don't make it weird, this increases perceived trustworthiness. Open palms signal honesty. kind of like a hug, right? Or you're going in for a handshake. Two is mirroring. Subtly mirroring someone's gestures and speech patterns build subconscious rapport.So if they're like, yeah, you know, I'm not feeling so Mirror that, Oh, you're not feeling so well. Yeah, kind of a thing. Okay. And then three is dopamine and the power of smiling. As you know, people can tell when you're smiling over the phone, right? A genuine smile releases dopamine, increasing positive emotional associations.So how can you apply this? Well, When engaging with potential patients at local events or businesses, right? Your physical presence is just as important as your words. Approach with open energy, a welcoming tone and attentive listening to establish an instant psychological connection. So do those three things, okay?That is the science of first impressions. Number three, this is something we talked about in the first episode. The reciprocity principle. Why giving first works. Christopher Phelps is huge on this. I know that This is a book influence written by Robert Childenny and it's the psychology of persuasion.And he mentions people feel obligated to give back when they receive something of value. So one of the strongest psychological drivers in ground marketing is reciprocity, the social norm that compels people to return a favor. So in marketing, this means. Providing upfront value without expectation, which naturally triggers a desire to reciprocate.Three things on how you can do this. Number one, tangible reciprocity. So like you're giving free samples, exclusive discounts, or helpful resources, right? That's one. Two, social reciprocity. Offering a warm introduction, referring someone to another trusted business or providing helpful advice that builds goodwill and three emotional reciprocity, expressing genuine appreciation and making the interaction about them rather than you fosters deep engagement.So you can apply this like this instead of immediately trying to pitch a service, offer a small unexpected gift or insight. Maybe a dentist at a farmer's market might give away customized smile friendly snack packs while offering oral health tips tailored to the audience, right? Hey, have some snack packs on us for free as you tour the farmer's market.You're doing this principle when you apply that. And so much more, right? So that's the reciprocity principle. Now, number four. the familiarity effect, how repeated exposure builds comfort. This is huge. Okay. There's something called the mere exposure effect. Now, the more someone is exposed to a brand, the more they subconsciously trust it, this psychological principle was first identified by psychologist Robert And he suggests that familiarity breeds likeability and credibility. Now there's three things to this. Number one, repetition, which equals trust, right? People need multiple positive encounters before making a decision. His community presence, repeated appearances at local events, schools, and businesses reinforce familiarity and three consistency in messaging using the same colors, slogans, and branding strengthens brand recall.So that's huge, by the way, don't continue to change a ton of numbers based on I'm using this number to see the ROI. Now we're using this number for mailers and ads to see the ROI. Now we're using this number to see the ROI for Google ads. It's too many numbers. There's no consistency in that, be consistent.Now, when it comes to ground marketing, successful ground marketers maintain a visible, non intrusive presence within their target community, instead of a one time event. Aim for monthly engagements at key locations, ensuring Potential patients feel comfortable seeing and recognizing the brand.this is huge. So if you feel you went to an event and that event was great, fantastic. And you go another time and it was great, fantastic. Continue to show up at this event. So I'm going to give you an example. Let's just say you do an event at a daycare and every month they allow you to go in there and set up a booth and it goes good.Continue to show up to that one. Instead of trying to do a ton of other events. One time only you could do one here and there, but make sure you build a foundation in specific locations, especially if that's where your target demographic is. So that's four. That is the familiarity Five is the social proof. People follow what others endorse. P. T. Barnum says nothing draws a crowd like a crowd. Now humans are wired to follow the lead of others. A concept known as social proof.When people see others endorsing a business, they feel safer engaging with it. Three things you need to do with this. Number one, strategic testimonials. Instead of generic reviews, you story driven testimonials featuring real customer experiences. This is why video testimonials are huge. Video testimonials gone are the days where you write down the testimonial and then put the patient's name and no pictures there or anything.It's just. A word and a random person's name, that's gone. That's dead. Don't do that no more ever again. If that's on your website, take that out I guess the second best thing you can do is picture testimonials, right? Like actually having the patient's face and then the wording, but video testimony, okay. So strategic testimonials, that's number one. Two is live demonstrations, publicly showcasing a positive customer experience creates a ripple effect. So continue to do that. And three is influencer and community partnerships. And we're going to talk about this later on.In a couple episodes, but influencer and community partnerships aligning with local influencers, well known figures, or community leaders enhances credibility. And you can apply this like this. You can encourage happy patients to leave video testimonials at community events. Alternatively, showcase real time transformations right before and after smile previews in public settings to drive curiosity.So show the before and afters, real life testimonials, show the video testimonials, but at the same time, if you're at a huge event you know, some of your patients are going to be there, take advantage of that they're on a dopamine effect right there. Endorphins are running.They're excited to see you. Hey, can you do a video testimonial for us right now? So that is social proof. Number six. Loss aversions. Why people fear missing out.Now, Daniel and Amos, Daniel Kahaneman and Amos Berski, they mentioned people are twice as motivated to avoid losses than to gain equivalent. The principle of loss aversion suggests that people hate missing out more than they love gaining something new. This is why time sensitive offers, exclusivity, and scarcity based promotions work so well in ground marketing.Give me an example. It's a limited time offers, The first 10 signups get free teeth whitening. Watch when you do that, how quickly people will run and sign up. And it's up to you at that point to say, you know what? I'm going to extend it 10 more just for right now, just because of you, I'm going to give you one more free one, right?One more free one. And you can continue to add that and say that to every single person. Everybody can get it. A hundred people can get it right. But you can say, I'm going to give one more free one just for you. They're going to feel extra special. The person signing up. And trust me, they're going to feel extra obligated to show up to that appointment to limited time offers.Second is scarcity effect. We only have 20 appointments slots available this month. Scarcity, right? FOMO, fear of missing out, creating a social momentum, right? Join 200 plus families in our smile club. Things like this encourages action. So create something, the social momentum. And you can apply like this, use subtle urgency when speaking to potential patients.For example, instead of saying we're offering a free consultation, say we have a few free consultations left this month. Would you like to claim one? And you can even get specific, we have three, we have two consultations left this month for free. What's your name and number? So I can put you down, right?Because it's gonna run out. And then watch them put their name and number down. So that is the loss aversion. This you can call it FOMO almost, right? Why people fear missing out. Seven, the power of storytelling. Emotion beats logic. Now you hear Joshua Scott from Studio 88 talk about this quite a bit, So facts tell stories sell. That's by Seth Godin. People don't remember statistics. They remember stories. Ground marketing thrives on relatable, emotionally compelling narratives that make impact. Give you an example before and after patient stories. Share real experiences where treatment changed someone's confidence or life.We know it changes smiles, but how did it change their confidence? How did it change their life? Share that personal journeys. Why did you start your practice? Authenticity breeds connection. Always, if you are a startup, if you haven't opened up yet and you're listening to this right now, please share that in your social media, share that story, share your personal journey.Why did you start your practice? Ask yourself that push record and just riff. Just talk why you started your practice. This is the beginning of your journey. You're going to see a lot of connections happen this way in a lot of new patients. And then three is emotional hooks, right? Use sensory language and patient driven success stories to make your message resonate.I'll give you an example of how you can do this. Instead of simply listing services, tell a short, powerful story at community events. For example, Last year, a mother came to us worried about her son's self confidence due to his teeth. He was being bullied. After Invisalign, he now smiles in every school picture.Look at the before school pictures. Look at the after school pictures. After Invisalign. Look at his confidence. Look how his life is changing. This kid will remember this forever. He will remember what you did forever. You changed his life. That's why we love what we do. And kind of continue with that point on right stories like these create an emotional anchor, making your brand more memorable.So that's the power of storytelling. Eight is the commitment principle. Now these are all principles when I'm mentioning involved in ground marketing, okay, the commitment principle, small yeses. Lead to big yeses. This is so huge. Robert Chiodeni says people who commit to small actions are more likely to commit to larger ones later.By getting people to say yes to a minor request, they become psychologically inclined to say yes to a bigger one.And I'll give you three examples of this, right? Micro commitments, a small step like signing up for a free newsletter makes them more likely to book an appointment. So have that two surveys and engagements. Asking simple questions like, Hey, do you floss daily increases their investment in the conversation.And it doesn't have to be about teeth either. It can be simple questions, open ended questions, right? That you're asking to the patient and then you want them to open up a little bit more, getting them to say yes in those situations or prime them to say yes in bigger situations, especially in real life when you're talking to them.So I like that a lot. And then three is loyalty and follow ups, rewarding small commitments, Give them a welcome kit. Thank you for coming in. Here's your welcome kit, right? Kind of A thing. It builds long term loyalty. And you can apply this like this. Instead of immediately asking people to schedule an appointment, start with low stakes commitments sometimes.Would you like a free smile assessment to see how your teeth could look? Once they engage, they're more likely to take the next step. So that's it. Those are the eight principles involved. In, ground marketing. Now the final thought, trust takes time, but it pays off, right? The psychology behind ground marketing revolves around trust, familiarity, and reciprocity.Now, when you apply these principles strategically, you create a system where people feel comfortable, engaged, and naturally drawn to your brand. The psychology behind ground marketing when it comes to all of this is that you really want to make lasting connections that convert into loyal patients.Every decision, a potential patient makes is influenced by subconscious biases, emotions, and behavioral triggers. Always remember that. I hope this is helpful, now I want to dive into some examples right now on how you can utilize some of these principles from the get go. Right? So number one was the trust formula, right? And we discussed what it meant, Credibility, reliability, personal connection. And then you want to have Less of a perceived self interest, So if you're marketing at a local school event, you know, you're wearing a branded polo display, a well designed clutter free banner, and you simple expert backed messaging, So you can say stuff like, Hey, did you know, 42 percent of kids have cavities by age 11. Let's help your child avoid that, right?If you're doing a specific presentation and parents are there. You want to frame yourself as an expert without feeling like a sales pitch and something like that will help you, but you want to say it in an emotional way, right? From the other things that we, learned from. So that would be more of the credibility.You're establishing yourself credible when it comes to the trust formula. Remember it's credibility, reliability, personal connection. So credibility, that's a good way. Reliability is, Hey, if you partner with a local pediatrician, don't just drop off business cards. Like I've told you, right?Instead. Set a recurring schedule. Dr. Smith, would it help if I came in once a month to answer parents questions about kids dental health? Now, this makes you reliable and on top of mind for referrals. More times out of not, they will say, Yeah, you know, we can create something for the community or we can do that.We can partner up. Reliability. You're building something together. You're seeming reliable. And third is personal connection, right? Now, personal connection, an example of application for this is if a parent at a community event expresses concern about their child's teeth, don't just push a service.Instead, relate personally. Say something like, I totally understand. I have young kids too. I always remind them that brushing is like feeding their teeth good food. Now, this builds emotional trust rather than feeling transactional. You're giving them something they can use when they get home too.And then finally, self interest, An example of this is, instead of saying, we're offering a special on teeth whitening, would you like to book? Say, a lot of people are surprised how much whiter their teeth can get with just one session. I mean, Look at the before and after pictures. Do you want to see a quick before and after preview?For you, we can make that happen, right? This picks curiosity and engagement leading to an easier yes. So these are things you can utilize, especially with the trust formula. Now, when it comes to number two, first impressions are everything. Remember the seven second rule, an example on how you can apply.This is at a local health fair. Don't sit behind a booth looking at your phone. Never ever do that. I can't tell you. And we're going to discuss this in further on how to perform for optimal results at a booth in a later episode. But this is my biggest annoyance when you see someone doing this.Stand up, make eye contact and offer a warm greeting, approach people with a natural question even, You can approach them with, Hey, how's it going? That's a question. But approach people. Have you ever seen what your smile could look like with Invisalign? Let me show you a quick digital preview, right?And then you show them. This makes interactions engaging and welcoming rather than, just pushy. First impressions are everything. Stand up, make eye contact and offer a warm greeting. No. You have to turn it on for those hours. Okay. And like I said, we'll discuss that in a later episode.Reciprocity. Number three, give first and they'll want to give back, right? An example of this is at a local gym, instead of saying, Hey, here's my business card, call us if you need a dentist, say, Hey, would your members find it helpful if we provided free sports mouth cards for youth athletes? For the young ones, If this is one of those type of gyms where they have a sports team and things like that, this works fantastic. They now feel obligated to reciprocate by recommending your practice when you do this. And it happens. Be as involved as you can be. Push the limits when it comes to this. Don't just sponsor something.Don't just make free mouth guards. The name of the game is never convenience in these things, right? Have them go to your practice, have them come to your operatory, get fitted. You know what I mean? Have their families come in because you want their families to become your patients too. There's so much involved in this.And like I say, this is going to be in a later episode as well on how to do this effectively, especially with, want to sponsor like teams and things like that. So number four is the power of, Familiarity. So the more they see you, the more they trust you. An example on how to do this is if you want to create an ongoing partnership, you can say, Hey, we'll be at a local coffee shop every Saturday, offering free coffee for new patients.When you do the coffee shop strategy, which is found in the ground marketing course, you're able to set up at the coffee shop as much as you want. And when you do that, you're able to bring people there as much as you want to, and the coffee shop loves it. And by showing up repeatedly, potential patients become more comfortable with your brand.Now, that's just one thing. Imagine showing up consistently at a gym, consistently at a school, at a senior home, at an apartment, where you feel, hey, I'm going to get a lot of new patients. I saw great results the first event, I'm going to continue to go. Be consistent. You want to be familiar with them. Five was social proof, right?People follow the crowd. Instead of saying, hey, we offer family dentistry services. Say, did you know over a hundred families in this area trust us for their dental care? And this can be written in your marketing material because it leverages social proof and it makes people more likely to consider your practice.Six with scarcity and urgency, people hate missing out. So instead of saying at a school event, we're offering free dental checkups. You can say, Hey, we're only offering 10 free checkup slots for families at this event. I can save you one right now. What's your name and number that creates urgency and drives immediate action.So you can continue to do these things, When it comes to how to apply it, we're going to make specific episodes just for these events, just for these locations, just for these businesses. if you ever wondered. And wanted to know how to get into a school ground market and get the children, the teachers, the staff to come in.We're going to do an episode on that, on gyms, on farmer's markets, on partnerships, on a lot of things, This is it. revealing it all here but if you want to know now and you want the strategies written down and you want the actual real life examples, you want to see me actually call some of these businesses, you want the Excel sheets, you want it all.There's a ground marketing course, and in that ground marketing course, you're, it's like one on one with me, right? And I continue to add to that course as well. And I'm going to put a link to that in the show notes below. Or you can just Google the ground marketing course and see what everybody else is saying about it.Now it's helped their practice as well. hope you enjoy this episode. Feel free to check out the ground marketing course. If you do, I'm excited to see you in there. And the next episode, we're going to be discussing setting up for success, ground marketing foundations, and we'll dive deeper into that.Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll talk to you in the next episode.

‍Could your practice be unknowingly losing money through your website? In this episode, I sit down with Ali Soufi from DocSites to unpack some of the most common yet costly misconceptions that might be holding your practice back. We dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of website costs, emphasizing the crucial roles of customization and local relevance in maximizing your online presence. Listen as we shed light on how vanity metrics can be deceiving and why a strategic partnership between marketing efforts and your website design is essential for boosting performance and cost-effectiveness.Ali shares straightforward, actionable insights, including conducting simple audits to reveal hidden pitfalls and understanding marketing return on investment. He stresses the importance of seamless collaboration between marketing companies and dental practices, ensuring that websites don't just exist but actively contribute to the bottom line. Discover how DocSites provides clear, affordable, and honest solutions tailored specifically for dental practices, ensuring transparency and consistency in pricing and service delivery. This episode is a must-listen for practice owners eager to optimize their digital footprint and secure a financially healthy future.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to identify and fix costly website inefficiencies in dental practices.The significance of customization and local relevance for website success.Why vanity metrics can mislead and how to focus on what truly matters.The importance of integrating marketing with functional website design.Tips for conducting simple yet effective website audits.How to accurately measure marketing return on investment.The benefits of collaboration between dental practices and marketing companies.Transparent and cost-effective website solutions offered by DocSites.Tune in to discover how a well-optimized website can transform your dental practice's financial health!‍‍Sponsors: DocSites: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention The Dental Marketer for $500 off! docsites.com‍Guest: Ali SoufiBusiness Name: DocSitesCheck out Ali's Media:‍Website: docsites.comEmail: ali@docsites.comPhone: 828-416-0007‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Places:Las Vegas ARIA‍Tools/Services:FiverrGoogle Analytics‍Products/Brands:FerrariHondaiTeroInvisalign‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

‍Dive into the world of ground marketing with our inaugural episode of the Ground Marketing Series, where I reveal its powerful impact in the dental industry!Unlike traditional digital marketing strategies, ground marketing leverages face-to-face interactions to cultivate trust and boost brand awareness by meeting potential patients in their natural surroundings. This episode explores the psychological and behavioral triggers that underpin ground marketing's success, including the mere exposure effect, reciprocity principle, social proof, and emotional connection. These concepts are not just theoretical; I'm bringing them to life with compelling real-world examples, such as strategic daycare partnerships, corporate lunch and learns, and impactful community health fairs.Tune in as I navigate through the tangible advantages of ground marketing, shedding light on how this approach consistently outperforms paid advertising in terms of cost-effectiveness and conversion rates. Ground marketing's sustainable practices pave the way for long-term growth, giving your dental practice a competitive edge. This episode is a treasure trove of insights that are not only actionable but designed to transform the way you think about patient engagement. Don't forget to tune in next week, where I'll delve deeper into the psychology that drives these successful ground strategies!What You'll Learn in This Episode:The distinctive value of ground marketing in the dental sector.How face-to-face interactions enhance trust and brand awareness.Understanding the mere exposure effect and its application.Insights into the reciprocity principle in marketing practices.Utilizing social proof to strengthen marketing efforts.Building emotional connections with potential patients.Successful case studies of ground marketing initiatives.The cost advantages and high conversion rates of ground marketing.How ground marketing ensures long-term sustainability over paid ads.A preview of psychological aspects in marketing strategies.Let's jumpstart your practice's growth by listening to today's episode!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Terms:EDDMPPC‍Marketing Tools:Facebook AdsGoogle Ads‍‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: All right. So let's dive in to the first and foremost topic, which is introduction to ground marketing. We're going to get an overview of what ground marketing is and why it works. And then I'm going to give you real life examples of the success that ground marketing brings to a lot of our members. But I mainly want you to understand what ground marketing is.So ground marketing. Is the practice of directly engaging with potential patients in their own environment, such as schools, gyms, coffee shops, and community events, and so forth, to create trust and increase brand awareness, unlike digital marketing, which relies on online advertising and social media ground marketing thrives on face to face interactions.Relationship building and personal touch points that make businesses more approachable and trustworthy. It makes your practice, the go to practice in the community. It's approachable. They trust you. And there's a science behind ground marketing. Okay. It's not just, Hey, this is what a lot of us experience.There's actually four specific things that ground marketing does now ground marketing leverages, several psychological and behavioral triggers. That make it uniquely effective. But the foremost are number one, the mere exposure effect. Now people develop a preference for things they see frequently. The more often potential patients encounter your brand and their daily lives, the more familiar and trustworthy you become so.This also doesn't rule out any social media ads, any Facebook marketing, things like that, Google ads. It just helps as well. Just like ground marketing helps those types of marketing, mediums as well, it's touch points, but this touch point ground marketing.It's insanely strong. It's a human to human interaction touch point. It's in their life in real time like in person. So this is an insanely strong touch point that often converts within just one touch point. So the mere exposure effect is one to reciprocity principle. When you give people something valuable for free.For example, maybe something educational, free dental consultation, branded giveaways, things like that. Your time. They feel obligated to give back. And a lot of the times, it's done so by booking an appointment. And so, you're going to see a lot of the reciprocity principle. And ground marketing. It happens.This is a beautiful principle that never ever fails. Never once in the history of history has anyone said, yes, I love that you're doing all this for me. Thank you so much. I appreciate you. No, I don't want anything of yours. Just help me out. That's it. Boom. It's not human. The reciprocity principle works and that is delved deep into ground marketing.Three social proof. When people see others engaging and trusting your practice, they're more likely to do the same. So if more people like on social media, you start becoming popular on social media. They're like, Oh snap, people are following you. My friends are following you. My family's following you.They go to you more than likely. The other person is also going to go to them too, right? The person who's talking. So social proof, same thing in ground marketing. When you're at events, when you're at lunch and learns, when you're at. specific locations and your booth or whatever is popping and more and more people are coming to you and everything like that, more and more people are talking about you in the community.Social proof more in your community will go to you guaranteed. Social proof is huge So ground marketing does provide a lot of social proof. I'm just going to give you an example. If you're out at a school, or at a daycare and you're doing an event there and then you decide to post.Pictures and things like that and tag some friends, tag some teachers. I mean, That's just creating a lot of social proof right there that not only are you a dentist in the community, are you an established practice in the community and you're helping out the community and you're helping out the children in the community now, but at the same time, other people are talking about you and how in that one event.You did so much for the school, the daycare, the community, the children, all that stuff. And so that brings a lot of awareness, a lot of social proof, and it builds up a lot of credibility. And of course you get appointments and you get people coming into your practice. So that's number three and four, it builds an emotional connection.So meeting someone in person, as we know, creates a stronger, more memorable impression than an online ad. And I'm going to take this out of context a little bit. For example. My wife and I, it was a long distance relationship. I'm from Texas. She's from California. And when we would date, right. I met her in person first, obviously.And then after that we would email back in the day, it was more emailing and then, writing letters and then it became texting, that became like a huge thing. do you remember when you had to push like four, four times and then three to three and then two to two, just to like, you know, back then BRB, LOL, all that stuff was a lifesaver.But anyways that was cool and all, but then when you saw each other in person, the emotional connection was a lot stronger. so same thing, right? A lot of the times they may see you on social media, they may see your ads, they may see all these things, but when they see you in person, the emotional connection is a lot stronger.Same thing with concerts, events. That's why we have in person events when we go to a lot of these symposium or events or summits for our industry. But at the same time, concerts, same thing, right? You can listen to the band, you can listen to their album. As soon as it drops, you can be their biggest fan, but if you're never at a concert, are you that much of a fan, right?But when you get there at the concert, you experience a whole different environment, a whole different vibe. When you get there at those events, for CE credits and stuff like that, you experience so much more, a stronger connection. So meeting someone in person, creates a stronger, more memorable impression.And so that's huge when it comes to ground marketing. And that is probably the biggest thing is you want to create that connection with each person you meet while you're ground marketing. And it's powerful and there's a lot of real life examples of this, right? We have a lot of members in our ground marketing course who, give us examples on what they're doing. And honestly, they become extremely fantastic at ground marketing. And here's some real life success stories with ground marketing, right? There was a pediatric dental boom through daycare partnerships. Now the problem was pediatric dentists, they were struggling with low new patient numbers despite running social media ads, specifically Facebook ads. But the solution, instead of spending more on ads, they developed a ground marketing plan targeting daycare centers and pre K schools.Now here was the execution. They offered free tooth talk sessions for kids, right? It was quick, fun brushing demos and so forth provided free emergency dental care for school injuries, right? Positioning them as a trusted expert. And they left signup sheets for parents at the front desk with an exclusive deal for their first visit. Now the results were incredible. 42 percent of parents signed up for an appointment within 30 days. The practice gained 110 new patients in six months. And the cost, get this, the cost, 0 in ad spend, only time invested and personalized out in ground marketing. Case study number two, the Lunch and Learn Takeover.This was a corporate partnership. The problem was general practice in a competitive urban market was struggling to attract and share patients. The solution, they shifted focus from online ads, Google ads, to direct engagement with local companies. Offering dental insurance benefits and a breakdown to help them understand more of the insurance.And you're going to see that with corporations, especially employees from corporations. They just want to understand their insurance a lot more and a lot better. Now, the execution was we set up free lunch and learn sessions at companies, educating employees about maximizing their dental insurance benefits, offered a free whitening session or discounted, right?For those who scheduled an appointment on the spot and then created a direct contact within the HR departments to become the go to practice for the employees. So a lot of the times the HR department wants to answer their questions, but they can't, they don't have all the knowledge. Especially when it comes to this, you do, or someone on your team does, and now you're the direct contact.You can even mention, hey, we're the direct contact, even if they don't come to us. We just want to help you out when it comes to these benefits. And then boom, people will get sent your way immediately. Results, 18 scheduled appointments per session on average. I mean, This wasn't just a one time lunch and learn type of deal.It was consistent. The practice added over 230 new patients in a year. Became the official dentist for three corporate offices, generating steady patient flow, they honed in and targeted corporation partnerships, right? Specifically corporations. And then number three was, community health fair domination.And I love this one. This happens all the time, by the way, a startup, Practice with zero brand recognition needed new patients immediately, and they needed new patient momentum. The solution. Instead of expensive mailers, they partnered with local health fairs, setting up an interactive booth. So they offered specific things, right on the spot, oral healthcare screenings, fun, educational games. They use specific giveaway, signup sheets. They captured emails and phone numbers for followups, for raffles and things like that. The results doing these health fairs, right? Which health fairs happen all the time in your community. Be a part of them, please. But the results were 97 patient leads in one weekend, 51 percent conversion rates to scheduled appointments.And the cost for this, I mean, the booth and the materials and everything was just a one time thing, right? Once you get the table, the cloth, all the other fun stuff you want to get in later episodes, we'll discuss the necessities of what you need to get in your booth. All that was under 200 bucks for booth materials.And it yielded over 30, 000 in revenue. Health fairs are extremely profitable, especially when it comes to new patients coming your way. So these are just a couple case studies of what some of the members in our ground marketing course have experienced. But I mean, there's many, many more experiences.Facebook and ask what. Have you experienced with ground marketing? You'll see, or just type in ground marketing in any of these Facebook groups or, community forums, right for dentists and type in ground marketing, you'll see just exactly what these partnerships and health fairs and community events do for their practice and continue to do. So it's amazing. By implementing ground marketing practices can create trust, build stronger patient relationships, and see measurable growth without relying solely on expensive digital ads or billboards or EDDM or traditional marketing methods, right? Not to say that don't do all that stuff, but just see ground marketing as a strong, powerful arm in your marketing plan.Now, ground marketing isn't just an alternative. Two digital marketing. It's a psychological driven human centric approach that leverages face to face interactions. It's building trust and community integration to drive business growth, right? It doesn't rely heavily on ads or passive outreach.So I want you to keep that in mind. It's not about passive outreach. Ground marketing taps into real world engagement. You're forming lasting relationships that lead to higher conversion rates. Stronger loyalty and lower patient acquisition costs. It does require energy and effort and time. That is one thing.Okay. It will require energy, effort, and time for you to go out there in your community and do these specific strategies. But ground marketing will always succeed, especially when you have those four things always in mind, right? The principle of reciprocity, the mere exposure effect, trust through personalization, right?The emotional connection and then the power of social proof. These things are incredible, highly, highly, highly, integrated into ground marketing. as you're going to see, there's a lot of factors in this, right? I'm going to give you pros and cons on this. Why ground marketing works better than paid ads.A lot of the times, trust building, ground marketing, right. it has high personal interactions. It creates deep trust and paid ads is low on that. On the trust building ads are often ignored or distrusted, right? How many ads have you ignored today? Probably a lot. You don't even keep count. But then how many people have you ignored who try to interact with you?Maybe less than the ads, right? So especially if it's something that you need, the cost ground marketing is low. The only thing you need is time investment, but minimal spending, paid ads tie costly PPCs, right? Social media ads, mailers. That's high. So the cost is high on that. Ground marketing conversion rate is high, extremely high.You get personal connections. You increase the likelihood of booking. And at the same time, you increase the likelihood of not just booking one person, but their family in that moment. When it comes to paid ads, it's low to medium, Ad click through doesn't guarantee conversions a lot of the time. again, the cost is high and then the longevity of results. Ground marketing is sustainable. It has to be sustainable. I mean, They need to see you all the time. It's a relationship based marketing and it has long term value. Never stop ground marketing. Even once you're doing fantastic, you're doing amazing.You're getting in as many new patients plus 10 every single month that you want. Continue to ground market. Maybe you can tone it down a little bit. But continue to ground market always, right? It's just good for the community. It's good for them to see you. And obviously at the same time, it's building stronger loyalty.Now, when it comes to paid ads, longevity of results, ads stop working once the budget runs out. So as soon as your budget runs out, your ads. Won't be working. But ground marketing will always work, even if there is no budget there. So ground marketing is not just an alternative. Like I said, it's a fundamental shift in how your practice engages converts and retains customers.It's a low cost, high impact and backed by human psychology. Okay. So that means it's not just the study of marketing. It's the study of humans and those two things, the study of marketing and the study of humans is what's implemented in ground marketing. That's why it works.Real world interactions create stronger trust than any online ad ever could. So whether you're launching a new practice or you're looking to expand your patient base or solidify local dominance in your community, ground marketing should be a core strategy in your playbook. I hope you have a better view of what ground marketing is, and I'm excited to bring this series to the podcast.next episode, we're going to be discussing the psychology behind ground marketing. And once you understand this, once you understand the formula, you can pass it on to whoever you're also teaching the formula to and ground marketing too.But at the same time. Once you understand the psychology behind ground marketing, the principles, it will be a lot easier for you to do every single day, whether you're doing the specific strategy, or whether you're just engaging in your everyday life outside of your practice, you'll be able to start attracting new patients to your practice.So I'm excited to discuss that with you in the next episode.

‍Want to hear from someone who's been through it all, from associateship to acquisitions to a successful startup?This episode dives into the remarkable journey of Dr. David Rice, who masterfully blends the art of dentistry with entrepreneurship. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Dr. Rice travels to East Amherst, New York, where he practices, providing a firsthand account of his dynamic lifestyle. He openly shares his transformative journey from being an associate to expanding through strategic acquisitions and establishing his own practice. Dr. Rice highlights the critical role of diverse experiences in refining his professional skills and how meticulously planning his career steps, from securing loans to choosing practice locations, formed the backbone of his success.In our conversation, Dr. Rice provides valuable advice for budding dentists eager to navigate starting their own practice. He underscores the necessity of loan pre-approvals and efficient demographic targeting for marketing success. Teaming with trusted partners like Patterson and utilizing solid cash reserves are among the pillars he emphasizes for achieving sustained growth. Dr. Rice dives into common pitfalls, such as emotional attachments to locations and shallow decision processes prompted by social media allure. As the discussion nears its close, he turns adversity on its head by advocating for practice startups during economic downturns to capitalize on reduced costs.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The intricacies of balancing career and location for optimal practice function.Proven strategies for successful dental practice acquisitions.How to leverage loans and cash reserves for business growth.Importance of detailed demographic targeting in marketing.Building beneficial partnerships and reliable business relationships.Essential preparation steps to avoid practice ownership pitfalls.The unique opportunities available when starting a practice during a recession.Tune in to discover strategies and insights that could redefine your journey in dental practice ownership!‍‍Guest: Dr. David RiceBusiness Name: Ignite DDSCheck out David's Media:‍Website: ignitedds.comInstagram: instagram.com/igniteddsFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/igniteddsinsidersEmail: david.rice@ignitedds.com‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Podcast episodes:David on Episode 159‍Groups:The Making Of Facebook Group‍Businesses/Services:Henry ScheinBencoBank of AmericaPatterson‍People:Sandy Pardue (Classic Practice)Jon Miller (Patterson)‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

‍Did you know that up to 40% of calls could be going unanswered even during working hours in your practice?In this Monday Morning Episode, I chat with Miles Beckett from Flossy, whose challenging the status quo with an audacious question—should you fire your staff to make way for cutting-edge AI technology? We explore the persistent staffing hurdles in dental offices and unveil how AI can redefine efficiency and service quality. Miles introduces us to Flossy's AI receptionist, Fiona, who skillfully handles appointment scheduling and patient inquiries while significantly reducing no-show rates. This conversation promises a riveting insight into the practical and financial advantages of incorporating AI into dental practices.We examine how incorporating AI like Fiona not only economizes but also enriches team dynamics, fostering a more cohesive and productive work environment. With Miles' expert insights, we tackle the looming question all dental entrepreneurs grapple with: How can AI propel my practice forward while maintaining high standards of human interaction? As we explore the potential future developments in AI, Miles provides a visionary roadmap that could very well be the blueprint for modernizing your practice. Get ready to rethink your staffing strategy, elevate your service offerings, and embrace the future of dentistry with open arms.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The rationale behind considering AI technology in dental staffing.Challenges faced by dental practices regarding staffing and scheduling.Insights into Fiona, Flossy's AI receptionist, and her functionalities.Strategies for integrating AI to enhance team dynamics.Potential future developments of AI in dental operations.Tune in now to discover how AI could augment your dental practice operations!‍‍You can reach out to Miles Beckett here:Website: Flossy.comTwitter/X: x.com/mbeckett‍Other Mentions and Links:‍AI Tools:ChatGPTGeminiDeepSeek‍Education:Board Exam‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Miles, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Miles: Thanks for having me, Michael. My piece of advice that's controversial is fire your staff. Michael: Interesting. Fire your staff. Why so? Miles: I'm obviously being a little bit facetious, but I think you should raise your bar.I know that one of the biggest issues in dental right now is staffing challenges, both finding good staff, retaining staff, dealing with churn. And you know, it's oftentimes a rotating door at dental practices. And the way we think about things at Flossie is that we can help bring AI workers to help you out.And those AI workers really make you reassess How good is this person doing? Do I really need them on this task? Maybe I can have them do something else instead. Michael: So then what was the specific problem that you saw in practices that inspired you to create? I guess or the suite of it, right? Like Fiona and how does AI solve challenges that traditional front desk systems can't?Miles: the new technology around generative AI, which is really the most recent type of AI that we're seeing out there. We've had things like machine vision and learn machine learning and stuff for a while now. It's created voice technology that allows you to build these agents that really sound like you're talking to a human.So I would say over the last year the technology has improved dramatically such that a year ago we were looking at some of this stuff and it didn't really work. But within the last six months or so, all of a sudden, you could really build these agents that you could talk to that sound like you're talking to a human.So we were kind of playing around with this technology. We had already built out a dental discount network that was kind of our core business before. so we were looking at it for some of our own uses. And we sort of had this aha moment where so many of the dentists that we work with were complaining again about this rotating door, particularly with the front desk.And we were like, wow, actually, we could build a receptionist that would sound and function basically like a human. And so that was the first pain point that we really wanted to solve. And it's kind of shocking the amount of calls that go unanswered. not just nights and weekends where typically people are just getting a voicemail that kind of just goes nowhere.But also during the day, about 30 to 40 percent of the calls coming into a dental practice during the day actually go unanswered. Michael: Really interesting, yeah. That's a good, stat right there. Now when it comes to that, did you kind of see, okay, hey, these calls that are being unanswered, the nights and weekends and everything, it can kind of cover all this?Or was there hiccups, problems with that? I mean, I would assume there's like a ton of questions that AI has to be prepared for, right? That a human can do, but I mean, how did you kind of overcome that? Miles: it already works for nights, weekends, overflow. We have practices that, are starting to use it to fully replace the voice reception duties and to be able to have that staff focus on people that are actually in office.And oftentimes front desk workers aren't just answering the phones. They're usually doing a ton of other things. So, I mean, the short answer is that there's an approach in AI development called rag, which basically allows you to marry, Specific proprietary technology databases to the LLMs that are already out there.So things like chat, GPT or Gemini, for this new model that China released deep seek, these are all generic models. And then there's other. Companies that have built specifically models that generate voice for the conversational aspect of the call. But obviously they don't know anything about dentistry.They don't know anything about your specific practice. and they certainly don't know anything about scheduling or scheduling software. So a lot of what we've built is leveraging those generic LLMs. And then adding in dental specific knowledge that comes from, hundreds of thousands of data points that we have from patient visits and patient interactions with dentists over the years.And then also with the practice, ingesting their data to fine tune it even further to their practice. Both in terms of taking, like all their call log data and actually use that as part of the training for the model, and then also basically taking their rules around scheduling and their rules and information about the practice when they're open, when they're not, when the dentist is there.And all of that is loaded into a database that is available to the AI in real time as a person is talking to Michael: them. Have you seen any. Like hesitation on this as far as people taking it on were you kind of hesitant a little bit as far as taking it on And then like it, blew your mind out of the water kind of a thing Miles: Yeah, I think definitely there's a lot of interest.So, you know, we immediately had people signing up for the product right off the bat. However, in the initial conversation, for sure, there's a lot of skepticism. Part of that is because the technology is so new that if I were to tell you what I'm telling you now, that There's an AI you can talk to, and it knows everything about your dental practice and can book you.Sounds a little bit science fiction. And then second, there are, you know, a lot of people broadly in the industry saying, Ah, we have an AI receptionist for this vertical or that vertical, for dentists, for doctors, for plumbers, blah, blah, blah. And frankly, a lot of that technology is not very good, so if people have had some prior experience, they've maybe had sort of a negative experience.And the big reason for that, again, is that if you just sort of slap together a receptionist on top of a generic model, it's not going to work very well. You have to train it on the data brought for that industry. And even specific, like, the model that we have for a pediatric practice is different than the one for an orthodontics practice, as an example.And then again, Providing other data, that is specific to that practice itself. So there's some like initial skepticism, but once they hear it, once they interact with it, once they talk to other customers that have been using it, they're like, Oh, wow, this is pretty awesome. And then once they actually get it live, you know, they're pretty blown away.Michael: Yeah. So patients now expect, and you've seen this I'm sure, 24 7 communication, right? Right. Whether it's like, but on their time. Like, hey, I need it now, emergencies, whatever. So then, how does Fiona personalize patient interactions to improve that satisfaction of patients? And also, how does it help reduce no shows, or does it do that?Miles: Yeah, no, for sure. Yeah. So I mean, there's kind of a few ways that she works. So, most calls coming into a dental practice are for scheduling. majority of the calls are about I need to schedule an appointment. So the primary use case for Fiona, In general, but then really specifically for after hours and overflow is There's a huge amount of call volume that dental practices are getting that literally goes unanswered and goes to voicemail. And what is that person doing? They're calling the next dental practice. That's what we all do. You don't get an answer. You go to the next one. You go to the next one. And so it's giving these dentists an opportunity to actually capture that patient and book them for appointment.Yeah. And she can perfectly book appointments for new patients, answer questions about the practice. Again, it's, uncanny. The second is, as you're saying, no shows. So, people call in a lot and say they're running late or saying they need to reschedule or whatever. typically, that, happens during the day.It also happens, interestingly, a lot before the practice opens in the morning. So, practices will often see a lot of morning no shows and it's because they didn't, hear from the patient. So, She's also capturing those and rescheduling the patient, and so when the doctor gets in, their calendar is actually correct.So I would say those are kind of two of the main use cases. And then there's a lot of question answering, right? So there's, in a pediatric setting, there's, know, how's the first visit going to be? Is it going to be painful? What's it going to be like for my child? They've never been before.If it's a person that has like an immediate issue, can you get me in today? What is your schedule look like? What's the procedure going to be like? I've never had a root canal before. And she can answer all that. So she's actually trained on again a massive clinical data set as well.In fact, she technically passed the board exam. so she's very knowledgeable about dental information as well. Michael: Wow, that's incredible, man. So then I can see how this improves the call, right? It also, I'm assuming saves the practice owner, the business, a lot of money. in some many ways. So can you share a quick example of numbers that illustrate how fast practice could see the ROI?With Fiona. Miles: Yeah, I mean, the ROI with Fiona, literally, if you get one patient booking that you otherwise would not have gotten, she pays for herself that much. Okay. also to give you another example, Fiona costs about one tenth of What a human employee would cost, okay, to answer the phones.So we're talking about a massive cost savings. Above and beyond even the alternative that some practices do, which is like outsourcing to other countries. It's less expensive than that as well. So, the ROI is effectively immediate, especially given the are getting such a large percentage of calls going unanswered.Michael: Interesting, man. So is it like tiers? So, Miles: yeah, we, and again, we really think About these A. I. S. As employees as co workers. And so it basically comes down to like hours of utilization effectively. But you know, like the lowest here is basically nights and weekends and overflow coverage. The middle tier is sort of during the day in a copilot capacity.And then the highest here is just fully taking over all the calls being the first point of contact broadly. That's how we sort of think about it. Yeah. And as we think about all these agents too, I mean, the thing that's kind of cool is that you can interact with them as well. So you can actually have a one on one with Fiona, just like you would with an employee where you can provide her feedback in chat or in talking to her.And then that feedback that you give actually gets incorporated to how she functions going forward. Michael: Interesting. I like that. So then how does this, I mean, maybe you might've seen it miles. Maybe you haven't, does it improve like the team dynamics? Is it more like, Hey, this may take over your job and then the team members are iffy about it, you know what I mean?Miles: Yeah, no, I think it's been fine. I mean, we think of each of these A. I. S. as being co pilot to the workers that are there. And I think the reality is for any practice in particular that's growing or if you're buying other locations, you're constantly hiring more staff. You also, again, there's, a huge amount of churn with dental employees.So oftentimes you have people quitting and then you're hiring new people. So I think what this really lets you do is have a leaner team, not because you're firing people, but because you don't have to hire quite as many people. And for the staff that's there, they can focus on what they, you know, ultimately got into the business for, which is on patient care.You know, most of the staff in the practice are dental techs or hygienists. And oftentimes even front desk people like might even have a credential like that, and they're sort of doing double duty. And so now they can really focus on delivering patient care and also the in office interaction.So talking to the patient that's actually there at the front desk and that you know is getting a treatment, right there in the practice Michael: Yeah, I can definitely see this also a benefit for the startup practice, right? Like somebody who's on a lean budget starting up and then They just need to have someone in the front right now, kind of covering, maybe somebody last minute didn't show up for work because that happens quite a bit.They ghosted him, right? Or something like that. Yeah, right. They just show up and this, is a really good, do you feel like this can a hundred percent replaced? The front desk or more like, Hey, no, we're still going to need somebody there. Miles: I would say that within six months, 99. 9 percent of the phone calls will be able to be handled fully by Fiona.cause she's already can handle. 80 percent of the use cases right now, because again, most of the calls are scheduling related. There will be some edge cases, of course, and those edge cases will require a person, but it's going to be very few and far between. I think it'll be a question of how the practices want to use her and some may be.Just want her in an overflow capacity, regardless of her capabilities. And that's fine. And obviously there's very large DSOs that have call centers. I think we're going to see heavy adoption by them. You know, we're talking to all the major DSOs, rapidly. Yeah. And I think as we think about these other agents that we're building, we really think of it as a suite.Of AI agents for dental practices that all work together. So as a simple example, we'll be launching an insurance verification AI that will automatically verify insurance either through direct connections with insurers, or actually by calling, because sometimes you still can't get the data via their APIs or publicly available sources.And you actually need to call well, great. We have call technology where that AI can just call. The insurance company and now get the verification. And so you can imagine where a patient calls. They talked to Fiona. They're booking to give their insurance info now behind the scenes. Our insurance AI is verifying that data and providing it to the dentist.So they now have a package all ready to go for when that patient shows up. And so for each of these different ones, we're thinking about them working together. And I think in different domains, they'll be able to do, you know, more or less of the work. Some things are more complex, the one that we're thinking about for helping you run your practice, which is kind of like, Sort of a business intelligence product.But again, in the form of like an AI that's actually giving you recommendations, it's not going to be perfect and you're still going to have to run your practice, but it may actually take over the work of, you know, some of the consultants that you use and maybe you can do it a little more efficiently.Michael: Wow, man. Oh, so you guys got a lot, got a lot going on, which is great. It's exciting. So for practice owners who want to explore this further, where can they learn more about Fiona and Flossie? And do you guys offer any type of like demos or trials? Miles: Yeah. Yeah. So they can just go to flossie. com F L O S S Y.com. there's a bunch of info about Fiona on there right now. We offer demos. And we have like Sort of a trial period that we can offer people in, some cases as well. Michael: Awesome, Miles. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find them on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly?Miles: I am on Twitter or X, I guess it's called. I feel like we'll always call it Twitter. Um, and my handle should be M Beckett on Twitter. Michael: And so all that's going to be in the show notes below. So definitely check it out. And Miles, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode.Miles: Awesome. Thanks so much, Mike. I really appreciate it.

‍Navigating the complex world of practice ownership isn't just about mastering the clinical side of dentistry. In this insightful episode, strategic wealth specialist Ross Brannon delves into the less-discussed trials faced by dentists, focusing on the often-overwhelming challenge of people management. Brannon reveals how these difficulties can push some dentists to the brink of considering selling their practices, shedding light on a critical issue that affects countless individuals in the field. His expert guidance is particularly timely given the additional pressures faced by new dentists, who not only contend with professional stressors but also juggle substantial educational debt and delayed career starts.Ross explains these late beginnings in professional life mean dentists often find themselves playing catch-up in financial planning—an endeavor crucial to securing stability and success. Emphasizing a proactive approach, he offers valuable strategies to mitigate these concerns, underscoring the importance of foresight in financial and career planning. By addressing these challenges head-on, dentists can pave their way to long-term success, avoiding the pitfalls that have ensnared their peers. Tune in to discover actionable insights that could redefine your path in the dental profession.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The stress and implications of people management in dental practices.Why some dentists consider selling their practice due to management challenges.The financial impact of entering the dental profession with significant student debt.How delayed career start affects long-term financial stability.Essential strategies for effective financial and career planning in dentistry.Listen now to transform your financial future and career path in dentistry!‍‍Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack/Guest: Ross BrannonBusiness Name: Ross Brannon Financial AdvisorCheck out Ross's Media:Website: rossbrannon-8128715.hs-sites.comPhone: 850-566-7999‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Florida State UniversityMerrill LynchMorgan StanleyRIA - Registered Investment AdvisorParkinson's LawAlly BankBank of AmericaCostcoUsain Bolt 12,000,000 Savings LostDave RamseyDan Sullivan - Why I Don't Believe in RetirementBitcoinDogecoinEssentialism‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

‍Is your dental practice ready to break free from the ordinary and embrace new marketing strategies that truly make a difference? This episode features Shane Simmons from Crimson Media Group, who walks us through unique approaches that transform how dentists connect with their local communities. By leveraging the power of local Facebook groups, Shane shares the secrets to building meaningful relationships and promoting dental services through community engagement. Whether it's through exciting collaborations like organizing yoga sessions or axe throwing events with fellow local business owners, the insights shared in this conversation will open your eyes to the potential of grassroots marketing.But it's not just about joining any group—it's about authentically positioning yourself as a part of the community. Shane shares the value of engaging with these groups using a personal profile to foster trust and connection. These small steps can lead to significant benefits, including cross-promotion with businesses boasting strong social media influence. To cap it all off, Shane extends an exclusive offer to the audience—a complimentary marketing analysis aimed at unveiling the intricacies of local advertising and helping you position your practice for maximum impact.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Innovative marketing strategies tailored for dental practices.How to effectively use local Facebook groups for community engagement.The benefits of collaborating with local businesses for mutual growth.Why personal profiles are better than business pages for building trust online.How Shane's marketing analysis can help you understand your local market.Discover new marketing insights that could reshape your dental practice—tune in now!‍(This episode originally aired on December 26th, 2022)‍‍You can reach out to Shane Simmons here:Website: crimsonmediagroup.comFacebook: facebook.com/crimsonmediamarketing‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Shane. So talk to us about uncommon marketing methods. Tell me one or a couple tactics or strategies that will help bring in new patients. Shane: Yeah, so Michael, we've got one that a everybody can do. So if you've ever been in, you know, these local, like Facebook groups in your communities, you'll find that there's a Facebook group for everybody, moms, dads, but one in particular is small businesses in the area, and it's usually like shop small business or shop, you know, the community that you're living in.And one of the things that we're starting to have clients do is get into these groups and find someone who has a small business in that group that's in your community that could come to your office and do some sort of, Event or just like team building exercise at the practice. so I'll get where, how this kind of comes into getting new patients in a bit.Mm-hmm. . But the first way that you can look at this, is like as a team building opportunity. So think of people like, Yoga instructors or think of someone who maybe teaches people how to meditate. Invite that person to do a session at your office for your team one day. And one, it's gonna be a great team building exercise.It's gonna be something that's beneficial to, you know, everybody on the team. But what you can then do is say, Hey, we would love for, you know, you to post this on your Facebook and your Instagram account. You know, talking about how you had this session here. We'll share. To our audience that way in case you know, people can go check out your yoga studio or whatever the case may be, but then if they're sharing that they came to your practice, they're going to be putting your practice in front of their entire audience too.So it's obviously ideal. To find somebody who has a decent social media following, like, you probably wouldn't wanna do this with a yoga instructor, or somebody who teaches medication who's not on social media. Mm-hmm. . But, finding someone who has an audience and, and cross promoting with each other, um, through that.But then the second piece of this, which is, you know, really the cool thing is if you're in with the Facebook group where you found that individual, you can then, Pictures and videos of that day where that yoga instructor or whoever came to the practice and give them a shout out and tag them in their business in that post saying, Hey, we wanna thank, you know Michael's yoga studio for coming to our dental practice and Rancho Cucamonga and doing a full day, you know, or a half day session or whatever the case is.It's like definitely go check them out. And oh, by the way, if you guys need a dentist in the area, we would love to, be your dental home. So it's a way that you can promote yourself, but while doing so, you're promoting another business and you're not going to get kicked out of the Facebook group because it's not like you're just going in there.And dropping a promotion, it's like you used somebody's services in that group. You supported another local business. So it looks, you know, it shows that you're supporting the community while also just putting yourself out there that, hey, you know, we're also here. We would love to, to help those in the community.So that's really what we're starting to find is Almost like a ground marketing technique really, but just doing it through these Facebook groups, and again, there's so many different options that you could do with this. You could do an onsite, somewhere else where you actually go and do like, a obstacle course.You know, somebody like that owns like an obstacle course thing in the area, whatever it is. I know one thing that's like really popular right now in the Midwest, I don't know if, it's like nationally. Ax throwing is like a thing Okay. That a lot of people like go and do now. So, you know, it's, it's all about just how can you get and support other businesses in the area and then talk to that person and ask about how can we, cross promote each other to our audiences to drive more business.And the great thing about it is, it's free with the exception of whatever you may pay to get the person to come out and do the event, or if you go do. , activity at their place of business. Yeah. Okay. Michael: So then how would you recommend we go about doing this? From step one, we're going inside the Facebook group.We're looking betting, and then we're like, okay, let's see who has a good following. So would that take some time, I would assume, right. . Shane: Yeah. So, yeah, it's just a little bit of groundwork at the beginning. Mm-hmm. . So the first thing you wanna do is, you know, go to Facebook and search small business and then type in whatever, city, town you live in.That's the first thing. And join all of those groups, um, and you would join those from your personal, profile, your Facebook profile, but make sure it has. Listed on your profile, owner, dentist at such and such practice, so that that's listed in there. So first thing you wanna do is join the group.Once you've joined the groups, you can then search the group members. And the first thing that I would personally do I would scroll through the Facebook group and look at. Who's actively posting in there? You know, who are people that are regularly posting or promoting something in that group and looking at what it is that they, do.Are they real estate agents? Are they gym owners? what is it that is their profession? If you find somebody who's really active and you can. , that person could really benefit. my team, we could do something fun with them, have them come out to the office, do a day session, whatever the case is. Then that would be the person, you're trying to, reach. So I would just scroll through the group, look at, see who the active posters are, and then just make a list of, how could we use this service? Could we use this service? And, and then, you know, from there you can check out their.Page profile and see how many followers they have, and then it's from there, Michael, it's just about sending a message to them, on that group and introducing yourself as a fellow small business owner in the community who had saw one of their posts and was like, Hey, I would love to, do this or have my team do this.How can we, get set up with you guys and maybe promote each other, um, in the community. So it's really kind of three steps joining the. Researching the group and finding out, who would be a good fit to kind of partner with. Mm-hmm. and then just reaching out to that person and so far the offices that have done this that we work with, nobody's been turned down because everybody wants to partner with another local business if they can to help mutually benefit each other. Michael: Yeah. Do you think they should also kind of like once they come in, let's just say it's like the ACT's throwing, right? You go to them. We ask like, Hey, is the manager here or the owner here, kind of thing. Like that. Or, Shane: that's a great question, Michael.Usually what we're finding as of right now at least, is it's usually the owners or like the main, manager, branch manager, who is like the member of these groups. Mm-hmm. , um, because they're the actively, the ones that are trying to. Grow their, footprint in the community. So if for these smaller businesses, it's usually, you know, the owners that, that we're seeing in the groups.So it's a lot easier to, you know, be talking to the, the main person rather than going to their website and then having to see, you know, hey, who's the owner or the manager and contacting them. That way you may have a hard time getting through. that initial gatekeeper, but if you're reaching out to the owner directly on Facebook and you'll be able to find that out, you know, obviously by clicking on their profile and it should say if they're the owner slash operator or whatever the case is of mm-hmm.such and such business. Michael: I like how you mentioned join from the personal Facebook because that, I mean, I get that question.Everybody gives that question like, should we, they wanna join with their like business Facebook? Why is that Shane: not a good idea? Yeah, because I think we're the business. if you create, you know, business page and you try to join through the business group, it just doesn't have that personal connection that, you're looking for.And it can sometimes raise red flags with group admins. I mean, you know, Michael, you're group admin. It can raise red flags of us. This person just gonna come in and spam the group, nobody wants that who's running one of these Facebook groups. So when you join in from your personal profile, it's showing that you're actually there trying to. Meaningful connections. You're not afraid to hide your face right, or hide behind the business, and you're just more likely to be looked at as like a legitimate person or poster contributor to that group, rather than going in and joining through the business page where in that case there's just no personal, touch to that.Michael: Yeah, I can see that a hundred percent. Awesome. And then so when we go in there, we're talking to them, let's just say we're going in there, talking to them and then, The owner's like, Hey, yeah, yeah, come on in. Should we do something where're like, Hey, if your employees Or like, wait and then have them, you know, until you guys interact more.What? What do you Shane: think? Yeah, no, I'm glad you asked this because we would, suggest, or the way we're suggesting it right now is go in, you know, u utilize their service, whatever the case is, kind of use that the first time. And, and that's kind of it. but then follow up, a month down the road and saying something like, you know, Hey, we just wanna say how much we appreciated you guys.Maybe you drop off. to go whitening boxes, you know, crest whitening strips, something along those lines to the, business and to the group, and put some membership. If you have a membership plan, which hopefully you do in the practice, practice, put some membership plan, graphics or a QR code that goes to your membership plan in that gift box as well.And so when you give that to the, the manager there, let them know, you know, Hey, we just really enjoyed, you know, utilizing your service. Obviously, you know, we're another small business in the area. If you don't have, currently any like dental insurance that you're offering your team, because, you know, we understand small businesses, a lot of them don't have that.here's an option for the people who work here where they can come to our office and join this membership plan. And so that's a way where you can then start to. Build that, relationship a little bit more, taking it to the next level and kind of showing them how you can, you with their team and, and provide those type of benefits.But I would say wait at least a month after you've kind of really connected with that person, utilized their services already. That way it doesn't look like you're trying to get something from them. and that's it. You know, you want to look at this as, you know, how can we show them we're wanting to utilize their services as much as possible, we value them. And at that point, reciprocity just comes into play where they're gonna wanna be able to do whatever they can for you to help promote you and your business, um, because you've shown support to. . Michael: Yeah. Awesome man. Awesome. I appreciate this, Shane, and I appreciate your time and if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find 'em on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly?Shane: Yeah, no. So they can, uh, always find us@crimsonmediagroup.com. It's a great way to reach out to us, through that platform. And yeah, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have about your current marketing or what marketing maybe we, you wanna explore doing, you know, definitely reach out to us and we'd be happy to be a resource.Michael: Yeah. And real quick, you, y'all still do the free analysis, right? For. Shane: Yes. So we do, just for Michael's audience here, we do a free marketing analysis for, any practice owners in this group. So we'll go through, we'll look at, what people are looking for when they're, when they're searching for a dentist, who's advertising in the area, what are they advertising? That way you get a really good glimpse of the kind of landscape in your community, and it's just really great insight, if anything. So, yeah, if you wanna check out. what that's all about. You can reach out to us through, again, crimson mediagroup.com and just let us know in the comments that you'd like to request a marketing analysis and, uh, we'd be happy to to do that for you.Michael: Awesome. So guys, that's gonna be the first link in the show notes below, so go check it out, get your free analysis and shin. Thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning marketing episode. Thanks Michael.

‍What does it take to have an unmistakably excellent startup?In this episode, we're exploring the world of dental practice management with Alan Whithall, a seasoned dental consultant with Henry Schein Dental. Alan shares his remarkable journey from Wisconsin to New Jersey, tackling the initial hurdles of the dental supply industry that led him to establish the F.Y.I. Study Club. This initiative has blossomed into a vital resource for dentists, aimed at educating and equipping them with the tools needed to start and expand their practices successfully. Alan reveals how he bridges the gap between dentists and key industry resources, enhancing their business acumen and operational success.Through this engaging conversation, Alan offers an insider's view on critical aspects of launching a dental practice—covering everything from the essentials of obtaining bank loan pre-approvals and managing budget constraints to avoiding pitfalls like underinvesting in equipment and marketing. The episode brims with practical advice, including the benefits of 3D printing technologies and the significance of effective systems and billing for sustained growth. Alan's commitment to his clients shines through as he discusses fostering strong networks, systematizing operations, and leveraging tools like the Henry Schein Practice Analysis to uncover untapped opportunities.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The journey and challenges faced by Alan Whithall in the dental industry.Strategies for starting and growing successful dental practices.The role and benefits of F.Y.I. Study Club for continued learning.Importance of creating a resource network for dentists.Tips on securing bank loans and budgeting for dental startups.The need for investing in quality equipment and strategic marketing.Advantages of adopting 3D printing and scanning technologies.Insights on systematizing operations and managing employee turnover.How to utilize practice analysis tools to boost financial returns.Tune in now to learn with Alan Whithall and elevate your practice!‍‍Guest: Alan WhithallCheck out Alan's Media:Phone: 262-389-0532Instagram: instagram.com/newyorkdentalconsultantFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/326618684157415‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Businesses/Services:Henry ScheinBank of AmericaWells FargoWeCare Practice AdvisorsGoogle AdsWeCapture Media GroupLLI AdvisoryClinician's ChoicevVARDIS‍Tools/Resources:PowerPointHenry Schein Practice AnalysisKasperIndeedDentrix‍People:Justin Ditkofsky (WeCare Practice Advisors)Dr. Kareem OsmanJerry Iaconvano (LLI Advisory)‍Groups:The Making of a Dental Startup (Facebook Group)‍Products:CurodontPerio RestorePrimescan Scanner3Shape Scanner‍Insurance Codes:D0120 - Dental Exam CodeD0140 - Emergency Exam CodeD9110 - Emergency Palliative Code ‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Can focusing on just ONE aspect of your life or practice truly enhance your overall fulfillment and success? Join me as I delve into a fascinating conversation with my return guest Dr. Avi Patel, an expert in the concept of singular focus. Avi eloquently unpacks the transformative power of honing your energy on one dimension of your life or practice. From personal anecdotes of bettering his marriage through therapy to using this single-minded approach in his dental practice, Avi provides a fresh perspective on achieving unparalleled results through the art of simplification.As we explore this captivating topic further, Avi demystifies the age-old conundrum of juggling multiple goals. His advice? Shift the lens from defining a myriad of large objectives to establishing non-negotiable standards. By laser-focusing on mastering one skill at a time and leveraging consultants or mentors who've tread the same path, we can optimize our efforts and enhance our personal and professional lives. Avi shares his current focus which involves expanding his scope beyond the clutches of conventional dentistry and into the intriguing realm of content creation in the dental industry.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How channelizing your energy and resources into one facet of your life can reap more fulfillment and success.The power of simplifying your goals into non-negotiable standards.The benefits of seeking advice from consultants or coaches who have experienced similar situations.The importance of focusing on one KPI at a time and allowing your brain to problem solve and improve other areas organically.Avi's current career pivot - stepping away from clinical dentistry and moving towards content creation.Ready to dive in and discover the untapped potential of singular focus? Tune in now!‍(This episode originally aired on February 5th, 2024)‍‍You can reach out to Dr. Avi Patel here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor.avi/Avi's Clear Aligner Course: https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/launchpad‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Podcasts/Publications:438: DR. AVI PATEL | CLEAR ALIGNER ADVISOR‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Avi. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Avi: So I, my piece of advice would be to kind of simplify, I. Everything you're doing and focus on one thing. And I think a good place to start is with yourself. So, and then even with yourself, right? There's different aspects.There's your mental self, your physical self, your emotional self. And I think if you first focus on your mental self and you do what you can to get that in order and get that into a place where. You have more control. Uh, I'm not talking about mind control, but something, something close to that. But if you, if you focus on your mental self, everything from that point I believe flows.So, um, for example, myself, about two and a half years ago, I started doing therapy. I was doing it because I wanted to improve. Um. My relationship with my wife. Mm-Hmm. And I just wanted to be a better person. I wanted to be able to support her better, but then also myself, just be better. I think that was like the goal.Mm-Hmm. And what I noticed from that point on was I started creating these habits because my focus was on improving. Essentially my mental health or myself. I started creating a morning routine. And so that morning routine was journaling, meditating, stretching. That then led to me being more organized, more focused during the day, uh, less stressed.so that's kind of how it went into the business way of how it helped me in life. But then physically, um, I got into the best shape of my life. I started being more intentional about what I was eating, what I was kinda spending my time on in terms of working out movement, stuff like that.And so just by starting on focusing on one thing by myself or on my mental health rather, all this stuff flowed. And I think you can translate this to other aspects of your life, your business, and everything. Because whenever you're focusing on too many things, right, and I think especially this time of year in January, everyone's got a million goals going on.Probably by the time this thing airs, most people won't have any of their resolutions continuing. But, ' cause I made the same mistake, right? And everyone hears it. Mm-Hmm. And I think I, I felt. So much relief when I looked at the multiple goals that I wanted to basically achieve this year personally and business-wise.And, uh, I felt so good when I eliminated like 90% of them because. I think people get confused on like, having a goal and then actually having something to do, right? So when you have too many goals, then there's so many things to do to achieve all of those goals. You're never gonna get it done. Mm-Hmm.And I kinda just went back to my roots of like, when was there a time in my life where I was growing rapidly, feeling good about myself, achieving a lot of success, and it's back when I was just doing, or focusing rather on like one thing. and so. I kind of remembered that and then I went back to it. Uh, simplified the morning routine again, these days to we're not trying to do 10 things before I start.It's more so just keeping it very simple, very efficient, because what happens is when you start getting those wins, those wins start to stack, and then next thing you know, when you look at it, you know, a year in review, you've achieved so much more just because you were focusing on one thing at a time and kind of chipping away at it.Michael: Gotcha, man. So right now you're kind of mentioning or you're letting us know that have one thing to focus on. Mm-Hmm. so in a specific aspect, we have to have one thing to focus on or like just in general, like, I want a better life, Avi: I would say. So if you are someone who is trying to, like, if you feel lost and you actually don't have a sense of direction or whatnot.Yes, only one thing because what's gonna happen is you're gonna pour, you know you're gonna pour more resources, more time into that one thing, your one big thing, and then from that other things will flow. Right. So if you wanna have a better love life, if you are spending a lot of your free time, you know, focusing on your business, focusing on your health, and like having all these diets working out and all that stuff, and then you're then trying to find time to like do things that would help your love life, you are, it's gonna take you longer to achieve that.Where is, if you say okay. The priority for right now is my love life. That doesn't mean don't do anything for the rest of your, you know, the other aspects of your life. Yeah. But that should be the thing. That should be the main thing. And then once you have that, you, I. We'll find that when, if that is truly what you want to accomplish and like improve your happiness, and there's almost gonna be like a spillover effect, right?Because we're human beings, we're dynamic. It's things are not just, you know, in solitude, but when you're able to focus on one thing, you're able to see, um. More results in that area. And then from that there will be an overflow. Because if you feel more fulfilled in your love life, you are gonna probably have higher energy levels.When you have higher energy levels, you're going to be able to probably do more things, whether it's in your business or for your own health. but it all flows from that one thing where if you're trying to take your limited resource, which is energy, and then spread it out all over the place, a lot of things are just not gonna really move.Yeah. Michael: Could I ask this this year? Like what is it? You're, the thing you're focusing on. Avi: So it's, right now it is, I'm doing it kind of in, in chapters or phases. So we're expecting our first kid in two months. Oh, nice. Okay. Yeah. So I know that's gonna be a huge change.Um, yeah, so basically I was like, cool, well, since life is gonna look different after that, what do, what do I need to do now to be in a place to where I can, 'cause my big thing is all about optionality. I love having optionality. I love, you know, not having to be limited by things. And so the biggest thing that I hear from parents is, you know, the biggest thing that.They get a a, there's a big crunch in time and your energy because now you are kind of giving to this human being. and, and you, you also, and everyone also says it's the most rewarding thing and it's, they always wish they had more time when their kid was younger and they could be there. So I'm like, cool.I need to simplify. Other things in my life to create that space so that way when the baby is here, I can receive that. So for me, from a business standpoint, I have, or I'm trying to currently simplify all the processes in the business. So right now, um. My business is the online ClearLiner Education Program.and a big arm of that is supporting the doctors in the program, but then also creating content on social media to provide free value for people. So I am working on simplifying the content creation part and also simplifying, um. The program itself, so that way it provides the most value for doctors in it.but then also doesn't take up, an extraordinary amount of my time to deliver that support and that value. Gotcha. Okay. Michael: So this, are you only doing now the online Uh, course, yeah. Or are you also working at a practice still? Avi: Nope. So I, I stepped away from clinical dentistry back in September. I was doing it full-time and then slowly went down to part-time, and then with the growth of the program and I.Content creation, social media and all that. I decided to go all in on it because it's just, it's the passion of mine and it's, I feel like it's my calling to help innovate and, um, help move the industry forward And, mm-Hmm. I feel like a quote that kind of stuck with me, or I don't know if it was a quote, but basically someone told me it's like you're either working in an industry or you're working on an industry.Mm-Hmm. And it's hard to work on an industry when a lot of your time is kind of. While you're working in it, right? Mm-Hmm. I think there's kind of like a balance. So I'm kind of using this chapter in my career to kind of step away from the chair and, and dedicate more time and resources into ways that I can help kind of work on the industry.Michael: Yeah. Okay. Man. I like that though. I like that. Um, part of simplifying goals because I feel like goals is like a, sometimes like a shiny, fast, cool word, right? Like, Hey man, I wanna have these goals when it's more, um. Non-negotiable standards. Right? That's what it is. Like I wanna have a non-negotiable standard.This is it. And then I gotta reverse engineering on how to make it happen. And it's easier to do that if you have one, right? Mm-Hmm. One specific one. Boom. Did it next. Right? But if you have all these big, shiny goals and you're like, man, I wanna lose a ton of weight, and you don't know how to do it kind of thing, right?Avi: Correct. Correct. And even just like. Relating it to dentists, right? Like if you've got a practice and you, you have a goal if you want to increase the revenue, right? Mm-Hmm. Where then it's, everyone always tells you, okay, well cool, you pick a number, then you reverse engineer it. How are you gonna get there?Um, from my personal experience, when it came to just like leveling up as a clinician, I found that when I was trying to learn how to do multiple procedures clinically at once, like when I wanted to become a better clinician, I wasn't like. Immersing myself in it, so I wasn't actually able to get as good as I wanted to.The example here is when I started with like implants and aligners, I pretty much learned them both at the same time. and so I was splitting my time between it. Implants. It was a little bit longer for me to kind of get going just because it is surgery and it just, you know, it's very, I mean, it's surgery, so it's, it's, it's pretty crazy.Mm-Hmm. Yeah. Um, but then with aligners I also just started to see, um, more success with it. And then I slowly started to like, immerse myself in that. And so when I was focusing on that one procedure, it wasn't just about moving teeth. It's how do you talk to the patient? How do you get the team on board?How do you schedule them? What do you do? So I was able to like work through all that by being focused. Where if I was trying to like iron out implants, learn it, implement it, and do aligners and like, you know. Do other procedures and, and work with the team and all that, it would be too much. And I know a lot of dentists probably feel that way, but I think the answer is, is like until you're like proficient in something, you should pick like one skill, whether it's business right, or clinical, and focus on that for the year to grow.You will know when you get to a point where you can kind of now choose a different area to focus on. So that's why it's like. I think a lot of dentists, right? Stress comes into play. There's always a lot of hats to wear. but I think kind of taking the pressure off yourself by just wanting to focus on one thing, knowing that other people are going to tell you, oh, you need to look at the KPIs.You need to look at this. You need to look at that. Yes, you do. But what you have to do in the beginning of anything new is focus on one thing. Get good at it and then move on to the next Mm-Hmm. Gotcha. Michael: So then how does that kind of play a role in, for example, software? Right? They're like, Hey, all these features and everything like that, and you're gonna be able to look at your dashboard and your analytics and then you're like, cool.'cause that contributes to the goal that I wanna make more collections. I wanna make a million dollars this this year, right? Like I wanna be Mm-Hmm. A million dollar in collections this year. And then you look at it. I feel like there's too many features of everything. You know what I mean? To just be like, uh oh, we'll focus on this one thing.'cause then like, what if your new patients drop 'cause of the time, or you know what I mean? And all this other stuff. How do we, I guess, keep our blinders Avi: on? So I would say the best thing to do in that situation is talk to someone who's done it before. Right? Talk to the, there's a bunch of dentists, coaches, consultants, people out there who already know what these like successful practices look like.Talk to them, ask them, Hey, if you were to start over again, or if you had to go back, what is one area that you would focus on for 90 days? What is one KPI metric that you would focus on that you feel like has the highest leverage? Right. When you say that, now you're able to lock in for 90 days, you're able to see that metric.And the thing, what's gonna happen is once you go down that rabbit hole, you're gonna find all these other things along the way. So it's not that other things are gonna drop off, you're just, you're shooting your shot. To get better at one KPI, but then when you're doing that, your brain will start to problem solve for ways to improve that KPI.And when you're doing that, you're gonna touch other parts of your practice. Does that make sense? Yeah, that makes Michael: a lot of sense. I like that question. What's the one thing you, you know what I mean? Like for, for you looking back, right? Starting out? Yeah. Because I think you told me one time we in one, a previous episode, and I'm gonna put a link to it in the show.It's below, but. You were looking to do practice ownership, right? But then you're like, uh, I don't know. Or kind of thing, right. Or an acquisition, I wanna say Avi: no. I don't know if I went that route. I think it was more my, my story kind of high levels. I was always an associate, but I'd worked in a bunch of practices and so it was like I was looking at okay, like what can practice ownership give me that I don't currently have?Mm-Hmm. And also like. Is it worth for me to go down that route with all the resources, time and everything like that? And I think, I don't have a knock on practice ownership. I think it's great if you're, you know, doing it the right way. But for me, this route of going into like education and like uplifting other doctors to learn this procedure was like the bigger kind of pull for me in terms of my career story.Yeah. So Michael: looking back. What's one metric you focus on for 90 days? If you had to start over, Avi: uh, as a dentist wanting to like do aligners or just as like a dentist in general, Michael: as a dentist wanting to do aligners, like what you're doing, education. Going down that route. I Avi: would, yeah, if I knew, if I started back and knew nothing, I would get with somebody that knows how to do it.Pick their brain to know what cases are easy to treat, what should you not do, right? And then, um, how to get patients to do it. I would focus on those three strategies. And then the actual, like metric, I would hold myself accountable to the point where every week I would start tracking how many patients did I talk to about it, and how many patients said yes.Like very simple. And then. I guess over time I would see like how many patients on average am I talking to a week? How many you're saying? Yes. And then from there, try to figure out, okay, why aren't they saying yes or how can we get more patients to say yes, or how can I talk to more patients, you know?Mm-Hmm. Like that's how I would do it, but how many people I talk to and how many people said yes would probably be the two metrics I'd focus on. Michael: Nice. Okay. Awesome. I mean, thank you so much for being with us on this Monday morning episode. If anybody had any questions or concerns, where can they reach Avi: out to you?Uh, Instagram is the easiest. My handle is doctor.avi and uh, yeah, just shoot me a DM and I'd be happy to chat. Michael: Awesome. So that's gonna be in the show notes below. And Avi, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Avi: Thanks Michael.

Ever felt stuck in your professional journey despite years of experience and education? This episode dives deep into the transformative story of Dr. Jeff Buske, a dentist whose career took a turn for the better after overcoming early frustrations and burnout. Jeff candidly shares his experiences with un-fulfillment and low patient volumes, painting a vivid picture of how connecting with mentor Dr. Bruce Baird reignited his passion for dentistry. This pivotal relationship steered Jeff towards a profound realization: success isn't merely about hard skills but also a mindset shift.Together, we explore Jeff's profound transformation from feeling overwhelmed to embodying a holistic approach to life and work. Integrating physical, emotional, and mental well-being into his practice, Jeff uncovers strategies for coping with stress and achieving both personal and professional fulfillment. He highlights the power of daily routines centered around four key areas: body, being, balance, and business. Through these insights, Jeff illustrates how clarity and specific objectives can drive lasting growth, supported by practical leadership and conflict resolution skills.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Jeff Buske's journey from burnout to renewed passion in dentistry.The importance of mindset shifts alongside skill development.Strategies for integrating holistic well-being into daily practice.The role of daily routines in maintaining integrity and empowerment.Effective leadership and conflict resolution techniques for team dynamics.How to set clear targets for substantial and sustainable growth.Tune in now for transformative insights from Dr. Jeff Buske's journey in dentistry!‍‍Guest: Dr. Jeff BuskeCheck out Jeff's Media:Instagram: instagram.com/dr.jeffbuskeLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-jeffrey-buske-12201010aCoaching: stan.store/Jbuske‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Education:DawsonLSUDr. Steve Buchanan (Courses)‍Groups:Dentaltown‍People:Dr. Bruce BairdGarrett J WhiteTony RobbinsBrad Pitt‍Movies:Fight Club‍Events:Warrior Week‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

‍Having trouble hiring and retaining GREAT hygienists?In this episode, we're exploring how to redefine your approach to attracting and retaining valuable team members like dental hygienists. I'm here today with Kari Carter-Cherelus, who shares transformative advice for creating more welcoming and inclusive work environments. By advocating for flexible work schedules, Kari sheds light on how dental offices can better accommodate the diverse needs of their staff, particularly women navigating caregiving responsibilities. From job sharing to customized shifts, our conversation delves into practical solutions that satisfy both employee and employer needs.Kari brings a wealth of insights drawn from her interactions in various professional online communities, where she observes the power of communication and fairness in fostering productive workplaces. She emphasizes the importance of respecting cultural diversity and personal commitments, encouraging dental practices to embrace policies that are not only beneficial but also compassionate.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The impact of flexible work schedules on staff retention.Practical examples of successful job-sharing arrangements.The role of open communication in creating a fair workplace.Strategies for respecting cultural diversity and personal commitments.How to cultivate an inclusive and supportive office environment.Unlock strategies for a happier, more cohesive dental office workforce by tuning in today!‍‍You can reach out to Kari Carter-Cherelus here:Website: Bit.ly/burnoutdentalhygienistEmail: cherelussmiles@gmail.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kari-carter-cherelus-rdh-da-65094b49Instagram: instagram.com/kmc.smilesFacebook: facebook.com/kari.cartercherelus‍Other Mentions and Links:‍TV/Characters:Michael ScottThe Office‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Carrie, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Kari: I'm going to say that if offices can be more flexible with their team members, then they probably will be able to attract more and retain more team members. A lot of dentists complain about not being able to find a dental hygienist.Where, statistically speaking, most hygienists are women, even though it is a diverse field, so there are different genders in the field as well. However, that's just the fact of the matter, and most women are caregivers, they may have children they have to take care of, or someone in the house that they have to take care of.So if they can actually make that schedule more flexible, instead of just being straight eight to five or eight to whatever it is, or whatever that time is, and actually maybe job share, then they actually will probably be able to fill that position that they've been trying to fill for a year or two.Michael: Job share. You mean like sharing the position? Kari: Basically. Yeah. for example, I'm a mom. My child is three. I have to drop them off to preschool and pick them up within a certain period of time, or I would have to pay for aftercare before here. And so there's many people in the same positions and they would dream of having a schedule from eight to three where somebody else would like to have a schedule where maybe they could work.12 to five Or seven. So you would be able to have someone who could fill that initial bulk of time that you need. And then if you're trying to accommodate patients by having the office open to a later period of time, then they may be someone who is actually looking for that schedule.Michael: Hmm. Okay. Gotcha. So can you share examples of flexible work arrangements that have resonated most with team members you've worked with or your team members? Kari: Online, I have a Facebook group of about almost 10, 000 people, but I'm in a lot of Facebook groups, and a lot of hygienists would love to have that schedule from like 8 to 2 or 8 to 3, whereas other people need more hours, and so they would like to have a longer period of time I've worked All different types of schedules.And so maybe I've worked full time five days, six days a week sometimes, or I've only worked three days a week. And then there's been times where I had worked from eight o'clock to five. And times when I worked from 11 to seven, sometimes that was broken up throughout the week, and sometimes that was consistent. So when you have different changes in your life, such as being a Becoming a mom or some are widows or different things, then they may need some variations. So not having that cookie cutter schedule, of course, a dental office is a business and they need those hours filled and patients need to be seen. However, just finding something that works. For everyone really has helped a number of hygienists that I've spoken with and dentists have been happy that at least they have someone filling their Chairs, and they're not just having to continue to have temps or to not have patients being seen They're not turning away patients because they have no one to see them.Michael: Got you. sounds awesome would a practice owner or someone be hesitant to do this? Kari: Probably because they just want someone to feel that time. So they just, you would have to be open minded and sometimes in dentistry, not all dental professionals are open minded. They want a certain person to fulfill that job, or sometimes it's a certain look, or a certain gender, and so you would have to actually be open minded to be willing to have a schedule that isn't the normal schedule, and then also we're open Sometimes they're afraid of other employees being upset. Recently I had someone upset in my Facebook group because they had kids and they had to negotiate that schedule. So they felt that the hygienist who had negotiated that schedule, who got off at two 30 to go pick up her kids was a slacker and lazy, so they may not do it because they may feel like other team members may feel jealous.So why does this person get to get off? I have family too. I have kids too. So they're. Jealousy or just treating everyone the same, but in that sense, then you don't have someone who's filling that chair. Now, some practice owners have seen that if they don't do this, then that loyal employee who's been there for a long time is going to leave.They're going to find other employment or they're just going to choose the temp. So it really behooves the office to come up with different ways to make everyone happy, which is pretty, pretty important. Difficult to make everyone happy, you know, that's very hard to do, but to think of different ways to be able to attract and retain team members, because that is hard.People constantly complaining about the dental shortage. instead of just complaining about it. And complaining about maybe having to pay more in wages or not being able to find someone or name calling, actually coming up with different solutions that are going to help the office out as well as the team member and showing that you care that you actually would work with someone allows them to be more loyal to the practice because they see that the office bent over backwards to really help them to maybe have that flexible schedule for whatever the reason is that they've had it.Michael: Yeah, that's true. That's a good point. What happened in your Facebook group too, because I feel like if that starts happening, you start noticing disunity, right? Like, Oh man, the one person's like angry at another person. Is it just because of this reason?Or was there an underlying solution there? Did y'all guys really not like each other this whole time? Kind of A thing, right? Kari: I mean, The whole post got deleted because so many people were like do you just not like the person because of the schedule or are they actually slacking?Like, What is the actual things? Because some people said that's my exact schedule. That's the schedule I have. My doctor bent over backwards. I do a lot of remote work now. And all the different things that I do. So I temp because of having my child, you know, it's very hard to find that schedule.It's very difficult to find it. When I do look online like, what will happen if everything falls apart and I need to get a clinical job? The jobs, they want you to work four or five days a week from eight to seven. So how am I going to raise my child? And that's one reason there is a dental shortage among hygienists because of that offset of the work life balance.Many people feel that they are not actually paying attention. playing an active participant in their child's life or in their own life. So they're wanting to have more balance. So somewhere we got lost in the profession. Quite honestly, I've been in a dental profession for 25 years. One of the reasons I chose it is because it was built to me as a great job for moms.So if everyone wanted to have a kid, then, it was flexible. I can maybe work three days a week and somewhere, maybe because of the insurance industry, I don't know. We kind of lost sight of that and that we are trying to cater to patients so much that we're not really allowing the team to get what they need out of life as well.Michael: that's Something we've been seeing a lot too, but I feel like whenever we talk to a lot of practice owners, hygienists, things like that, right? And dads too. Dads too, but like moms specifically there's a lot of that. Have you heard of mom guilt? Kari: Come on, don't mansplain it. I just gave a course on mommy bird out from mommy dentist and business.Yes, mom guilt is thing, You they have a special thing for my son Friday at his school, he didn't go to school the other day, but I saw the volunteer thing, and they only had three volunteer slots, and it was already filled, and I was like, I would have wanted to go to that, I wish I had, So yeah, we deal with a lot of guilt and a lot of moms who are dentists or hygienists or assistants or whatever, they're missing out on key things with their kids lives.So key events that the office is saying they can't go to, or one dentist she wrote in a Facebook group when I was doing some like research she wrote that she missed the kid's first day of school. And so she asked the kid, how was your first day of kindergarten? And then you're like, Oh, I told dad already, ask him.Michael: no, yeah, you miss out those key moments. You're absolutely right. So then you have to have a team that also wants to support that as well. Not just for the practice owner, but for like the hygienist for even assistant for everybody. Right. Like Understand Hey man, that's, She has to go see her child or something has to happen right, with the child.So how do you train them to be like leaders, to truly support an inclusive and flexible work environment? Kari: It's gonna have to be really having that flexibility. Open communication and then making sure that everyone is on board. So having a positive office environment, does have to be fair, so if other people aren't able to leave or they can't have that schedule, then what are you doing for them?So if they don't have kids, it's not fair that they never get to leave early sometimes too. So how are you allowing them to leave or allowing them to take PTO and things? So that's what's important, making sure that you're there for everyone. Because when I didn't have a trial, sometimes I face like discrimination in a way at the office.Because maybe I didn't get to see a patient that was as productive and I'm, if I'm being paid base and on bonus structure, I was told well, you have a husband, he's got a good job. It's like, what does that have to do with anything? Or I'm a single mom. So it has to be fair because that coin can go both ways.So you have to be able to understand how someone can feel that it's unfair that someone gets to leave every day. But at the same time, do they ever get to leave or can they come in later? How are you accommodating everyone in the office, which although difficult to do, with good communication and making sure that the team, feels that they are part of the practice.They all want the practice to do well. They're invested in the practice almost like an ownership, then they're going to be more inclined to support one another. Michael: Okay. I like that. So then how do you make sure, I guess your diversity and flexibility policies. Are truly felt by the team and not just formalities.Kari: That takes time. So it may be having someone like a coach or consultant come in and make sure that you're actually implementing those different policies, because I'm sure we've all worked in places that said that, Everyone has that little federal guideline that they're supposed to acknowledge as far as we don't discriminate against race or religion or everything like that.But I've been on plenty of interviews where it's not said, but you know, oh, that is actually discrimination going on. So for that to actually not happen or for it to be a diverse environment, then they have to make sure that they're recognizing all the team members. So Think about the holidays.So not just recognizing one particular religion's holidays, recognizing that other team members may celebrate different holidays. If the office has someone, let's say, who's Muslim and they're, dealing with Ramadan, then are you respecting that and what takes place during that time or Jewish or Christian, whatever.So making sure that you're respecting everyone in their Particular beliefs making sure that you're giving people grace just constantly learning about it. One thing that the office could do is to take continuing education courses together, and that way it's not just put all on one person and everyone's not.Awkward and everything, ideally outside of the office, probably, unless you have someone who's training that to come in, you don't want it to be like the office situation with Michael Scott and how it like goes, I love that show, but how it goes contrary to the whole thing. It's like, this is worst uh, example.So actually making sure that everyone feels supported and included. I know even yesterday. I saw on a Facebook post about is it okay for people to take the day off or a mental day and everything? And so sometimes people need to take a mental day. Sometimes what may be affecting one person isn't affecting the other person. Or you may not understand what's going on. you know, there was a lot yesterday since it was the day after election. So just seeing that there are so many different, Thought processes. So recognizing that obviously not everyone may feel like you feel. Just giving everyone grace and being kind is important.So fostering that team is important. Sometimes having team building exercises can definitely help. Going places as a team conferences are the best, making sure that the office is supporting the team. If they're mandatory going somewhere, they should be paid so that you don't have people who are resenting this mandatory.Event is important as well. Michael: Interesting. Okay. Yeah. When you were mentioning the example of different, make sure you acknowledge it. I thought of the office to media was like, Oh yeah. And Michael Scott. So that brings me to one of my last questions besides like the holidays and stuff like that, how do you celebrate different cultures while making everyone feel equally important?Kari: I guess bringing it up, but not bringing it up. I don't know if it's done regularly, then it's not going to be cringe. Because we know it can be cringe around like certain months it's Black History Month. It's like, uh, you know, so why aren't we just doing it all the time?So why are we just celebrating everybody all the time instead of waiting to a particular month and week and it's like, okay, we got that checked off and everything. We got Asian American month checked off. So it's like, stop just checking boxes and actually just living it. So regularly doing it.And One cliche way is to do potlucks, but I don't necessarily like potlucks, honestly, because see on Instagram and TikTok, not everyone has the same standards. So one way is to maybe go to different restaurants. Yeah, you know, they're, the Board of Health has to come in and everything like that.But at least talking about the differences the food and exploring talking about differences and how ones grew up is a way that can be helpful. I think talking about different culture, I've learned from, different colleagues and, talking about different languages, talking about different places that we visited.So just actually being open to having different conversations where we can talk about things that aren't going to be controversial, but just respecting one another, because when we do that, then we can see things from other's side of the coin or different opinion or perspective. Michael: Awesome. I appreciate your time.And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Kari: Social media is really the easiest thing. So they can follow me on Instagram. KMC dot smiles. My name, Carrie Carter Shirelles is on LinkedIn, Facebook, all those different platforms. And then my email is shirellessmiles at gmail. com. And my link is Bitly Burnout Dental Hygienist. Michael: Nice. Okay. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Kyrie, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Kari: Thank you for having me.

Discover how a dentist from Minnesota merges art and science to create a thriving rural practice.In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Heather Holt, who shares her unconventional entry into the dental field, driven by her love for both art and science. Heather candidly discusses the key moments and influences, including her inspiring mentor, that propelled her into dentistry. Her narrative underscores the crucial role of passion and support in shaping one's professional journey, illustrating how a strong foundation of encouragement can pave the way for success.Heather takes us through her evolution from an associate dentist to the proud owner of a bustling practice in Long Prairie, Minnesota. She reveals the challenges and lessons learned during this transition, highlighting the importance of both positive and negative experiences in associateships. Heather provides a detailed look into building a team that values trust, how simple gestures can enhance patient relationships, and the unique hurdles of running a practice in a rural setting. Throughout, Heather's story remains a testament to dedication, the power of community, and the intricate balance between professional demands and personal life.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How art and science can inspire a unique career path in dentistry.The impact of mentorship and family support in career decisions.Insights into transitioning from an associate to a practice owner.Strategies for effective staff management and efficient office systems.Tactics for building strong patient relationships through personal touches.Unique challenges and benefits of practicing dentistry in a rural community.The importance of trusting the process and maintaining empathy in patient care.Balancing professional responsibilities with a fulfilling personal life.Exploring future expansion and the significance of personal values in business.Tune in to uncover the captivating journey of turning passion into a thriving dental practice that leaves a lasting impact.‍‍Guest: Dr. Heather HoltPractice Name: Prairie Family DentalCheck out Heather's Media:Website: longprairiefamilydental.comInstagram: instagram.com/longprairiefamilydentalFacebook: facebook.com/LongPrairieFamilyDental‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Businesses/Services:Wonderist AgencyAvon DentalSnap Fitness‍People:Leanne Mathieu Kramer (Statements Plus Compliance Solutions Inc)Dr. Kathleen Moen‍Books:The Starfish and the SpiderEverything is Marketing‍Insurance:Delta Dental‍Products:A-dec Dental Chairs‍Organizations:OSHA‍Education:University of Minnesota‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

‍What happens when patients don't pay their bill? In today's episode, I'm diving into a revealing conversation with Andy Grover Cleveland, the expert behind Collection Agency Ninja. Forget everything you've heard about the conventional timelines for involving collection agencies. Andy advocates for a proactive approach, suggesting engagement as early as 60 to 90 days post-EOB. This strategy not only streamlines financial operations but also nurtures patient relationships through clear communication.Andy reveals the secrets to choosing reputable collection agencies that enhance, rather than hinder, patient rapport. You'll learn why early intervention is a game-changer in maintaining your practice's financial health without compromising on patient satisfaction. From identifying common pitfalls in the collections process to crafting effective patient communication strategies, this episode equips practice owners with pivotal insights for balancing financial well-being and patient care.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why early intervention with collection agencies can benefit your practice.The importance of notifying patients about balances promptly.How to choose the right collection agency for positive patient interactions.Best practices for encouraging patient payments gracefully.Common mistakes dental practices make in collections.Strategies to balance financial health with patient relationships.Listen now to master the art of patient payment collections in your practice!‍‍You can reach out to Andy Grover Cleveland here:Website: collectionagencyninja.com‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey Andy, so talk to us, what's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Andy: I'm going to give something that probably goes against everything that everyone has ever heard in the dental business. I Believe you should use a collection agency at 60 to 90 days. After the EOB, which is probably very unpopular, but it's really crucial in the business of dentistry.Michael: Interesting. there specific communication strategies that we should implement at 30 or 45 days mark or to avoid escalating to the 60 days? Andy: Yeah, great question. Of course you want to notify. You don't want this to be blind. you do want to notify them that they owe the balance.And even before that, you want to try to collect it at time of service so that you never create the problem. However, you know, you have a real world and you have the perfect world. And sometimes those planets are just not aligned. So if someone does not pay that full balance, After that service is provided, you definitely want to notify that patient at least a couple of times that they owe, letting them know to please pay, but about 60 or 90 days, that's when the tide turns, Michael.That's when people decide, Hey, I'm either going to take care of this obligation or I'm not. So that's the ideal time to use it. Now, if you had interviewed me five years ago, Or 10 years ago, I wouldn't be as staunch on this opinion. It's kind of like merchant services. I don't know if you've seen this trend where now merchant services fees are being passed on to the patient.Have you been keeping up with that? Michael: Yeah, I've seen that. Andy: Okay. So if you asked me five years ago, I would say that's the worst idea. It's cheesy. Don't do it. It totally devalues your practice, but guess what? Every time I order tacos, every time I go to the doctor's office, every time I go to the car dealership, and now every time I go to the dentist, it's passed on. So we're in that kind of spot where it was unpopular, but now everybody's doing it. So why shouldn't the dentist? Michael: Okay. Interesting. So then three steps points or takeaways that you have to streamline this or make it easier, smoother. What would be number one then? Andy: one of the first takeaways is by implementing some type of collection agency strategy that's going to reach out.Number one, it doesn't make you the bad guy anymore. When you think about it, do you want to be known for chasing people for money or do you want to be known for treating patients with clinical excellence? So it's nice to have a scapegoat that you can blame for reaching out for the balance because it's strictly a financial driven practice.So I guess the number one is, it's much more convenient to blame your billing company. Then is for people to complain about someone in your office reaching out too frequently. I think we can both agree the optics aren't that great. Michael: Yeah. I think that's where I guess the patient relationship can get iffy, right?how do you do that then Andy? How do you balance maintaining patient relationships with the need to use a collection agency? Andy: there's no one right answer, but at the end of the day, if you hire someone to help you with the financial part of the practice, you can basically, just stay out of it.So if you're clinically driven, to help patients. That's your focus. Let someone else basically deal with the headache. Now, another part of how that works is it will motivate a certain part of your patient base to come back to be a patient of record. So a lot of times when dentists are doing these procedures, patients will say anything to get out of pain.So once you make that pain go away, it's sometimes could be a little too convenient to not pay. So by having a company reach out, you can actually help motivate that person to communicate with the practice and pay. And ultimately, You want that patient to be a valuable member of your clientele. So you have a divide where you can motivate people who generally value the service you're providing and keep them as a good patient of record. Also, if people choose not to pay the bill, they probably don't value the services that you rendered anyway. And arguably they're going to go somewhere else. So that kind of helps push them in another direction to maybe go down to the practice down the road and not pay them rather than come back for more service and not pay you.Michael: Does that make sense? yeah. So then I guess break it down for me. How does it motivate the patient versus sometimes like, stress them out or irritate him or anything like that? Andy: So it's pretty simple, Michael. If you, you got two phone calls today, once from someone, you owed money to.And it's just their office calling you, Hey, Michael, please pay. And then you get another phone call, Michael, from a collection agency. Again, same thing, you know, you owe the bill, but the collection agency is calling. Who are you going to pay first? Michael: one's a friend and the other one's the collection agency. Andy: They're both the same. you owe two parties. You have no preference one or the other, but one is that business calling you for money, the other one is a collection agency calling the question is, who are you more inclined to pay first? Michael: Oh, I don't know. That's a good question.What are the, data show?Andy: Generally speaking, people are going to pay the collection agency first. Middle class America wants to protect their credit. Michael: So Andy: generally speaking, people are going to pay the agency first. They're going to give it more importance because there's nothing negative that happens if they choose not to pay that original vendor, they'll get another statement or call next month and they'll address it Michael: Interesting. Okay. I like that. So then can you walk us through the process of selecting a reputable collection agency? Like What key factors Should we consider? Andy: Yeah. I mean, You really want to, interview multiple agencies. I would say the number one most important thing that you can do, assuming that people are being ethical, providing good service and being cost effective, which most are is having an agency that works directly with. Your practice management software. So we're in, a digital age and the collections business as a whole has done a very poor job on getting involved with technology. So I would definitely steer any dentist to work with the company that works with the technology. Well, You might ask, why is that important?There's numerous reasons. That's important. Number one. You're going to ensure safe and secure and rapid exchange of information. So accounts will be sent by their team by pointing and clicking, not manually updating a web form. The second thing it's going to do is it's going to tell who's paid. So in the collections business, Michael, and it's obvious you haven't been in collections from some of your responses, which is great.We don't want that for anybody. But sometimes the patient will actually pay as a result of that collection company contacting them. So with companies that work within the software, they should be notified when that happens. So let's paint a picture. Let's just say you're working with a collection company manually. Okay. You've sent patient ABC over for collection and the collection company has been calling them and they will call them incessantly to motivate that person. And let's just say that person paid the bill. Well Guess what? If your front office doesn't contact that agency by logging into the website, calling them, emailing, however that feedback loop is. That agency is going to continue to call that person for money. And it's going to further damage that relationship when they did the right thing and paid. So you want to have like an automatic feedback loop so that if someone does pay, it's automatically reported to the agency. So the agency doesn't cause any further harm. Those are probably the two top biggest reasons. There's many more. Michael: Gotcha. Okay. So collection agency is just essential to have in this process, So number two, what would that look like? Bullet point number two. Andy: Yeah, so that was identify and motivate your ideal patients coming back into the practice as opposed to people that are just dentist shopping So we want to motivate people to pay and also be a patient of record. So when you turn people over to collection Granted, they're not happy about it, but it will motivate people that value that relationship with you to communicate and pay the bill. It will also motivate some people to leave the practice because they had no intention of paying to begin with. Michael: Okay. Got you. Got you. Now, how do you measure any of the success of a collection agency? What benchmarks or KPIs do you track? As a practice owner. Andy: So any agency that has technology to support you is going to give you metrics on how you can judge their efficacy. I will share with you as weird as this is, it's not all about the money. I specialize in working with independently owned dental offices. So it's a little more holistic and how they judge you. I would say that most independently owned practices, it's not about the money. That's more of a group practice thought process.Yes, money's important, but not the most important thing. Independent dentists, they don't compete. With corporate offices on cost, right? They can't, the economies of scale are not there. The flip side is also true. corporates can't compete with independent dentists on culture, right? They have turnover, you're getting new associates every six months. It's just a constant churn. So they don't really compete with one another, but at the end of the day, I think most dentists, will gauge the efficacy of their collection company, not only on the money recovered. And of course it has to be cost effective, but even more importantly than that, does it generate negative reviews?Does it motivate people to accept treatment? Does it allow their staff to focus on other things that are more important? So there's an opportunity cost To chasing your own accounts receivable. So it's much more multifaceted than just dollars in dollars out. Most dentists will hire a collection company basically to make their office run better.Michael: Have you seen that a lot, Andy, where some are hesitant to, bring on or call or ask about, money more for the review. Like, Oh man, I'm going to get negative. Andy: Yeah, of course. But in my experience, if you continue to chase your own money, you're much more likely to generate a negative review for yourself.If you hire somebody else to do it for you, they can give a negative review on that collection agency. Michael: Yeah. Andy: And certainly they could tie it back to you, but you can always, claim indifference, right? Hey that's what our billing department's for you know, you need to deal with them and it absolves you from some of that responsibility. Michael: Interesting. Okay. So then what are the financial risks and rewards of sending accounts to collections at 60 days versus waiting longer or not using collections at all? Andy: Great question. So you have this kind of traditional paradigm with collection agencies working with dental offices and that one is a very traditional approach where the office will work the account for months and months and months and years and years and years. And then they turn it over to collections, and then that company's working on a percentage basis. That's the way it's always been, but that is just not an effective way of running a modern or contemporary dental office. Sometimes you cause more harm than good there because if you wait that long, the accounts aren't collectible anyway. Right. If you wait a year or two, they're basically uncollectible. So I'd recommend just writing the accounts off if you're going to do that. The advantage to turning it over at 60 to 90 days is that's a very fresh account. It's still top of mind for that consumer and from a statistical perspective, it's much more collectible than something if you wait a year or two down the road to go after.So it's more about being proactive with that balance. The other thing you also have to measure in here, Michael. is a lot of times these practices are already getting hit with the PPO fee and basically reducing their billable amount. So they're already losing 30 or 40%. And then if you let that patient balance go unpaid. You're losing the rest. So in this environment, it's just too competitive to run a business like that anymore. You have to be responsible with not only the insurance portion, whether you're in network, out of network fee for service, but you also have to address that patient portion. It's crucial because again, you're taking such a big write off a hit in the beginning. It's really not cost effective for you to take another hit later down the road. You're essentially giving it away. Michael: Interesting. So then what common mistakes do practices make that you've seen when sending accounts to collections and how can they avoid these pitfalls? Andy: one of the things that clouds all of our judgment is emotion.So a lot of times, People get upset, and listen, if someone owes me money, I get upset about my own business, right? It hurts, but people still have that mammalian part of their brain that wants revenge, or maybe the patient was really rude last time they came in. So you have this, Emotional part of being owed money that clouds our judgment.that's a big mistake I see some practices, they just want revenge. That's usually where bad things start to happen when you think along those lines. So as a practice owner matures and goes through practice ownership, there's developmental stages where right in the beginning, it really hurts. Then you can start to kind of objectively step back and look at things more objectively. But at the end of the day, recommend the practice owners look at this from a very non emotional, like a CPA would, right? If you're producing a million dollars in revenue annually, and you have less than 1 percent of the people that owe you money, not pay you, write it off.You're collecting 99%. No one gets a hundred percent. I don't care how cool it is to say in the Facebook groups, nobody gets a hundred percent. There are times where it makes sense to write things off rather than pursue it. Especially if those services are disputed or you're dealing with a really difficult person, a lot of times it's just not worth it and you just have to let it go.Michael: Interesting. I love that. Thank you so much, Andy. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find them on the Dental Marketer Society Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly?Andy: Probably the best way to do it is going to my website. collection, agency, ninja. com spelled just like it sounds. Michael: Awesome. Collection, agency, ninja. com. that's going to be in the show notes below. So if anyone's interested, want to pick Andy's brain a little bit more and so forth, definitely reach out to him there and Andy.Thank you so much for being with us on this Monday morning episode. Appreciate you having me. Thank you very much and keep up the great work. I'm honored to be here.Andy: Thank you.

Dr. Pauline Le's mission statement: "We're humans working on humans with humans."In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Pauline Le, a dentist in Jacksonville, Florida, who shares her inspiring journey from her childhood in a disciplined, high-achievement household to owning a flourishing dental practice. Driven by her parents' entrepreneurial spirit and the rich influence of their immigrant experience, Pauline carved her path in dentistry through sheer determination and perseverance. She highlights the numerous hurdles she overcame and the pivotal decisions that shaped her professional life. Her story is a testament to the power of community as she lovingly returned to Jacksonville to build her practice and give back to the community that shaped her.Dr. Le generously shares the inner workings of her practice, delving into the importance of systems and tools like ClickUp, Slack, and Oryx that streamline her operations. Guided by a compelling mission statement, " we're humans working on humans with humans," Pauline underscores the significance of empathy and human-focused care in her workflow. She discusses innovative marketing strategies and unique offerings like her "wallets" membership plan that set her practice apart. You'll also glean valuable insights into the importance of staff training, stress reduction, and establishing a seamless, efficient practice. Pauline closes with empowering advice for aspiring practice owners, emphasizing the importance of action, continuous learning, and a passion-driven "why" in business ownership.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How family heritage can inspire a successful entrepreneurial journey.The role of community in shaping and supporting a thriving practice.Strategies to implement seamless systems and tools for practice efficiency.Understanding the impact of empathy and human-focused care in healthcare.Innovative marketing strategies for dental practices, including membership plans.The benefits of proper staff training to minimize stress and improve workflow.Insights into personalized, retail-style marketing techniques for patient conversion.Advice on overcoming analysis paralysis when starting your own business.Tune in to join Dr. Pauline Le as she grows her purpose-driven dental practice!‍‍Sponsors:‍‍Oryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx/‍Guest: Dr. Pauline LePractice Name: Le Dental SpaCheck out Pauline's Media:Website: ledentalspa.comInstagram: instagram.com/drpaulinele‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Events:Making of a Dental Startup Retreat‍Tools/Software:ClickUpMondaySlackOpen DentalFlexMangoGoogle Sheets‍Products/Brands:InvisalignMorpheusBotoxComcast‍People:Rania Saleh‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

‍2024 is coming to a close! What learnings did you take from your practice this year?In this final episode of the year, we're diving into key lessons and insights shared by eight previous guests that they acquired in 2024 and plan to apply in 2025. Each speaker emphasizes a unique focus:Dr. Paul Goodman: Advocates for always being in hiring mode and building team redundancy to ensure business stability.Dr. Maggie Augustyn: Highlights the importance of accepting and adapting to unexpected changes, which can lead to unplanned blessings.Dr. Avi Patel: Stresses the significance of focus, particularly in balancing personal and professional life after becoming a parent.Dr. Brittany Dickinson: Plans to blend personal and professional lives on social media to build a stronger community and trust with patients.Dr. Fern White: Encourages investing in personal well-being and leadership skills to enhance professional effectiveness.Dr. Kyle Stanley: Advises prioritizing mental and relational health to improve patient care and team leadership.Dr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: Reflects on the importance of celebrating milestones and being present in the moment throughout the startup journey.Kiera Dent: Emphasizes structuring practices to support personal well-being and fulfillment, endorsing a shift from merely surviving to thriving.Tune in now to gather transformative insights that will pave the way for your success in 2025!‍‍You can reach out to our guests here:‍Dr. Paul Goodman: Website: dentalnachos.comWebsite: dentistjobconnect.comDr. Maggie Augustyn: Website: maggieaugustyn.comPractice: myhappytooth.comDr. Avi Patel: Website: clearaligneradvisor.coDr. Brittany Dickinson: Website: drbrittanydickinson.comDr. Fern White: Website: drfern.coPractice: beaconcovedental.com.auDr. Kyle Stanley: Website: drkylestanley.comDr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: Instagram: instagram.com/dr.milcaKiera Dent: Website: thedentalateam.com‍Other Mentions and Links:People:Tony Robbins‍Quotes:Tony Robbins - "Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure."‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Dr. Paul Goodman: This is Paul, Dr. Nacho Goodman. I'm the owner of two dental practices, also the founder of Dental Nachos and Dentist Job Connect. I love this exercise by Michael Arias. Awesome job. One of the things that will guide me in 2025 is remembering, reinforcing how important it is to have redundancy, another R word, with your team members.Life happens when you're making other treatment plans and dental practices and businesses are so vulnerable. by not having a bench of team members that can step in and fulfill roles, whether it's the lead dental assistant or a surgical prosthodontist, or it is a success coordinator in your business. So I want to focus on making sure I am always in a hiring mode.Always able to build my bench. Always knowing good people who can help me. It doesn't mean they need to be hired tomorrow, but just, ABC, always be connecting And I want to change that to ABH, always be hiring, always be looking for new talent. What we do is so complex as dental practice owners and things have happened in 2024 that have left my practices vulnerable, left them stressed.And I want to commit to always be hiring, always be looking for new talent. It's not easy to do in the midst of getting through your day to day, but it's so important to the long term success and sanity of your business, your dental practice, and you.Dr. Maggie Augustyn: Maggie Augustine, Happy Tooth Elmhurst, Illinois. This is a lesson that we keep learning every single year, and I am wondering, and actually I am praying, that this year the lesson sticks. And the lesson is that no matter how much We plan and plan over and recheck the plans that we make for both our personal life and our practice life.They don't always end up coming to fruition the way that we had hoped. And life, no matter which perspective we take, and no matter which way we look at it, and no matter whether it's our personal or professional life, we'll continue. to change and evolve. And we must learn to accept those changes, and we must be able to pivot with those changes.truth be told, some of those changes, despite not being planned for, end up truthfully. Becoming our greatest blessings. And I think that's what I look forward to the most next year.Dr. Avi Patel: So a key lesson from this year that will guide me in 2025 in my personal and professional life is the concept of focus. So I think now more than ever, I have clarity on terms of what I want to do and what I like to do. And after having new addition to our family this year, our daughter, she is eight months old. I'm focused as a dad to be the best version of myself, to have better boundaries with work and home life and with my business and supporting doctors. Learn about and implement clear liners in their practices. I am very clear on what I need to do. And one of those things is to be able to continue to support the ones who are currently in the program and to stay consistent with my messaging, to be sure that I'm getting in front of the doctors who are looking for this program as a solution.So that is what I'm taking in 2025. And I hope you will do the same cause focus is key for anything that you do.Dr. Brittany Dickinson: A key takeaway that I learned a bit from in 2024 that I really want to lean into in 2025 is marketing in terms of community building and almost pulling back a little bit from that technical branding. So what I mean by that is technical branding in terms of a perfectly curated Instagram feed with, colors that all flow together.And, it looks like it's almost been arranged, having a beautiful background for every single reel, things like that, and leaning into building a real sense of community. And what I mean by that is really blurring the lines between my personal life and my business life. When you think about it, dentistry really is a personal business.We work really up close with our patients, especially me as a cosmetic dentist. I am getting to know them really well, and in turn, they get to know me fairly well, also. And I want them to be choosing me because they trust me, they like my work, but they also like who I am as a person. And this is something that was brought up to me by some of my patients that came into my practice this year.They said that, one of them said a friend had recommended to me, one had just seen my business page on social media, and both of them noticed that my personal page was set public. And so they started watching who I was, what I do, and that's what really got them to come in, because they saw that we connected on certain things, besides the fact that they liked the dentistry that I did.And it made them trust me, because I was showcasing who I was. And not only did we say have a friend in common, we also had yoga in common. They could hear me talk through stories and things like that, that I'm more likely to do on my personal page. And they already felt like we had connected on that trust level.And when we came in, I felt that trust already and it made our first appointment go so, so well. So for me, what that's going to look like going forward is keeping up my business page, keeping it there so that people can find it at least, but really when, in terms of building my community, focusing on that through my personal page, doing a lot more on stories, doing a lot more.That's uncurated. just showing who I am, but also showing a lot of dentistry on my personal page, which I haven't done in the past, actually. Something that I've changed maybe in the last two or three months where I'm actually sharing some of my before and afters, which I never used to do. I used to be so terrified that my friends would be annoyed and that they didn't want to look at teeth.And some of them don't, and I'll show up less often in their feeds. But for those who do, it reminds them, Hey, my friend Brittany, she's a dentist. She can help you and they're more likely to talk you up to their co workers, their friends, things like that. So I'm making that little shift in 2025 and I'm really excited to just be able to show up as who I am all the time instead of arrange and make sure my makeup looks good, my hair looks good, the background looks good.It's so much less energy and I think it shows up much more authentically.Dr. Fern White: Hi there, it's Dr Fern White here from Beacon Cove Dental, Port Melbourne in Australia. Now after 21 years of being a dentist and 15 years now of practice ownership, I would have to say that the most important thing that you can invest in, in your practice, in your business, is yourself the CEO, as the owner, hopefully you're the owner and not the operator.So obviously it's so important to make sure that you're upskilled as a clinician and on top of all the technology and all the amazing things that are coming your way in the world of dentistry. But it is more important to into leadership by Practicing what you preach by actually spending time upgrading yourself emotionally, mentally, physically, so that you can have vitality, have energy, but also move away from the doing doing, doing, and allow yourself to flow and be in nature and just to rest your brain.away from those beta brainwaves and allow expansion and creativity where the new ideas come through. So really it's important to put yourself first and focus on some things every single day. The small incremental things that you put away will be the best for you. So you are your best investment.Dr. Kyle Stanley: Hi, this is Dr. Kyle Stanley, and my advice for the coming year would be to focus on your mental and relational health. I think so many doctors put all their focus on their patients, and that sounds very just, and it sounds very virtuous, but if you treat patients, or if you run a practice, you know that if you're not in a good state of mind, you're not doing your best.You're not efficient, you're not performing well, if you're tired, if you're going through depression or anxiety. So as the plane goes down, remember they say put your own oxygen mask on first. And sometimes we need to do that. It's not selfish, it's actually selfless. So when you're in a good place, you can lead your team, you can treat your patients better, you can be there for your family.And that is my. Biggest takeaway from the last few years, and that's why I think it's become one of my main focuses on teaching other doctors now. Thank you very much.Dr. Milca Mendez-Ceballos: This is Dr. Milca from Positive Pediatric Dentistry, and looking back at the year, something I'm taking away, and I wish I would have done a better job of, but I still hope to implement into next year, is really just celebrating each of the milestones of the startup journey. There's so many things that go on, and we worry about the next thing, and the next KPI, and the next way to improve collections, and the next way to improve our marketing, and How can we do more?But being more present in the now and celebrating the now and being more grateful in the now is something that I hope to implement starting now and taking further. So hope everyone had a great year.Kiera Dent: Hi, my name is Kiera Dent, and I am the owner and founder of the Dental A Team Consulting, and something that I noticed as we head into 2025 of key lessons that I learned personally, but also from working with hundreds of offices across the nationI think we're in this new era of how we live and how we do our lives. And so really a lot of our offices this year, it was making sure that our practices are set up to fulfill our personal lives to make sure that we're forecasting this year going into 2025 of what vacations Am I going to take to spend that time with my family?What things do I need to do for my body and for my health to make sure that I am my best self for my practice? And it's been interesting because as we've consulted hundreds of these offices and talked to these doctors, when they start to shift to put themselves first, To make sure that their lives are there and then they're able to build their goals around what days off are we going to take?What vacations are we going to build in? What provider goals do we need to set? The practice actually comes together in an incredible way. And so really, really, really taking that into 2025 of you, need to have your practice set up to serve you, to serve your life. You took the risk. You went in, you built a practice.And if that practice is not serving you and allowing you to live that fulfilled highest level life with your family, with your friends, with your personal self, what are we doing and what do we need to change? And so really thinking about the doctors that have done this this year successfully, who are building their leadership teams, who are helping them to grow into this new area, I think is something really important to take.And I know that might sound a little woo woo. It might feel like, are you kidding me? But this year, personally for myself, I actually had a complete and total life breakdown in the end of June. And I took a month off in July for personal health reasons. And it was crazy because I felt like I actually had a forced reset of what are my priorities?What are the things that really matter to me? And I realized in that time. That life is my passion and dentistry is my platform and thinking about what are the lives that I'm helping the doctors that we coach and what are goals and ambitions that they want and are they really living this fulfilled life and doing that at their highest self to be able to then serve at the highest level of dentistry.And when I was able to get that 30, 000 foot view of my own personal life, it was crazy how much came into perspective. It was crazy to realize how Much I was exhausting rather than replenishing. when I started going to the gym again and when I started going to therapy and when I started spending time with friends and family, when I started doing hobbies that fulfill me, I started to become a better CEO and I watched hundreds of offices do the same thing.And so I really think as we head into 2025, set your intentions of the practice in the life that you want to have. And let's make sure that practice is fortifying you is growing. You is driving you. And it's something where I'm so excited because we're bringing dentists together in person next year to be able to share their tips of how they're doing this successfully.We're bringing leadership teams together to be able to help those doctors thrive and not just survive. I think a great quote from Tony Robbins is success without fulfillment is the greatest failure and you can have all the money in the world. You can have the production. You can have the things, but if you're not fulfilled and happy and healthy and having those incredible life relationships, what are we really doing here?as you head into 2025 we're not just going to survive in 2025, but we're actually going to thrive. And that's something I'm just so excited about with our online and our virtual consulting at Dental A team and helping you have that dream life with ease, helping you have that practice that grows you.So thinking of my own life, yeah, this year it's, building my own personal life, making sure I've got the time for the things that fuel me and inspire me so that way I can show up and be my best self. And I would encourage you to do the same.

Curious about the untold stories behind building a dental startup from the ground up?Today we've brought on Dr. Lauren Koch to unravel her unique journey and the profound lessons learned along her path to ownership. Lauren recounts how her career was sculpted by a series of unexpected turns, starting from her undergraduate years to the challenges faced during her dental school applications, right up to her transformative relocation to Chicago. In this episode, Lauren shares the pivotal mentorship experience that ignited her professional growth and ultimately led her to realize her dream of opening her own practice. As she navigates through various professional settings, including a DSO and other associate roles, each twist in her path is a testament to resilience and adaptability.In Chicago, surrounded by family and the lively urban atmosphere, Lauren delves into the real-world dynamics of running a practice. She candidly discusses the triumphs and trials, emphasizing the necessity of a respectful team culture, effective scheduling, and transparent communication in a successful office setting. As Avondale Dental Studio nears completion, Lauren articulates the thoughtful decisions guiding its creation, from equipment selection to staff hiring, aiming to craft a patient-centric, community-integrated practice. Her story is enriched with practical insights for dental associates and aspiring entrepreneurs alike, highlighting the significance of networking, mentorship, and trusting one's instincts to navigate career choices confidently. Lauren's enthusiasm and dedication light the path as she prepares to unveil her new venture, committed to fostering real connections and delivering exceptional patient care.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The journey and challenges leading to opening a dental practice.The impact of mentorship on professional growth and decision-making.Key strategies for establishing a successful dental office environment.Practical advice on managing a dental startup.Dr. Koch's ground marketing plans to promote her practice.Insights on navigating different work environments and their influence.Essential networking tips for budding dentists.Tune in now to discover Dr. Lauren Koch's life-changing journey from student to dental practice owner and glean insights to empower your own career path!‍‍Sponsors:‍‍Darkhorse Tech: For DSO integrations, startup solutions, and all your dental IT needs, let our sponsors, Darkhorse Tech, help out so you can focus on providing the amazing care that you do. For 1 month of FREE service, visit their link today! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/darkhorse-deal/‍Guest: Dr. Lauren KochPractice Name: Avondale Dental StudioCheck out Lauren's Media:Website: avondaledentalstudio.comInstagram: instagram.com/avondaledentalstudio‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Events:Midwinter Meeting‍Products/Services:On PointBencoJoseph Rossi & AssociatesJoseph Rossi & Associates Team: Dominic RossiDCI Series 5 ChairsMidmark ChairsBelmont ChairsForest Chairs‍Businesses:The AldermanStarbucks‍People:Dr. Bill Simon‍Groups:Chicago Dental Society‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

‍Navigating the financial intricacies of maintaining a dental practice can be challenging, and this Monday Morning Episode offers a timely conversation with Ashley Best, Director of Partnerships at Dental Intelligence, on just that! Delving into the controversial topic of surcharging patients for credit card fees, Ashley provides a comprehensive look at why this practice might do more harm than good. She sheds light on the potential damage to patient loyalty and the complex web of regulations that complicate imposing such fees. Instead, Ashley advocates for refining payment processes to sidestep unnecessary costs while sharing insightful statistics on consumer attitudes towards these charges.Ashley doesn't stop at highlighting the problems; she offers actionable solutions that can redefine your approach to practice management. Listen in to discover alternative strategies such as renegotiating insurance fees or updating your fee schedule, all without alienating your patient base. For those practices that have already embraced surcharging, Ashley offers practical guidance on reversing this decision and regaining patient trust. This episode is a treasure trove of advice for any practice owners aiming to curtail costs effectively while nurturing valuable patient relationships.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The impact of credit card surcharges on patient loyalty.Regulatory challenges related to patient surcharges.Insightful statistics about consumer opposition to convenience fees.Alternative strategies for managing practice financials without surcharging.Effective methods for reversing already implemented surcharge policies.Tips on negotiating with insurance companies for better fee structures.How to reassess and optimize fee schedules in your practice.Gain valuable insights into managing patient fees effectively—tune in now!‍‍You can reach out to Ashley Best here:Email: abest@dentalintel.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashley-best-9052b022Other Mentions and Links:‍Articles:Credit Card Processing Fees: Why 71% of Customers Are Avoiding Certain Businesses‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michaela: Hey, Ashley. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning. Ashley: Thanks, Michael. Appreciate it. I thought long and hard about this and my biggest piece of advice for new practice owners, existing practice owners is to really take a look at your payment methodology in the practice. And I know we have a lot of doctors considering surcharging their patients for those credit card fees, which I'm the first to admit, like they're getting higher and higher, right? It's, a cost of doing business, but absolutely do not pass that charge along to your customer.It's what's called surcharging to the patient mainly because of the impact that's going to have on the practice. I know it seems like an easy fix and a really quick way to. Avoid the processing fees that you're paying from those credit card companies, but there's a whole set of implications that come with it internally for the practice.Things like requiring you to notify the credit card companies. If you're going to do this me. Can't just start doing it. It's illegal in some states. And so not knowing your state's legality can get you into some trouble there. And then. Furthermore, you do have to display specific signage in the office. And so it's not one of these things where you can just try to slide it in and hope it has to be its own line item. Right. So the press see it anyway on the statement, but you have to publicly display that.And what worse way to commoditize your practice than having that little plastic sign that says we're passing along our fees to you. Michaela: Yeah. Interesting. So have you seen this? Spike, a lot recently practices asking about this asking you actually, how do I present this to the patient? Ashley: I have.Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Started in dental marketing from 2015 to 2021. And in those six years, I cannot tell you I was ever asked about this once. And I know there are companies out there that do, that's a piece of their software in terms of payments is to push the charge over to the patient. So I think that's why it's becoming top of mind because they're hearing it at shows, Hey surcharge, surcharge, and it's top of mind. But what I don't think they've thought through completely in the conversations that I've had is the implications losing patients being a big one. There's actually a study done that said 71 percent of small business customers say that they try to avoid companies that charge a fee to use their credit card. So that's a big number. That's a huge number. 57 percent of consumers think it should be illegal. So we're talking about a big number here. It's not just a few people that are passionate about it in consumer landscape. And making sure that they're following the guidelines if they do it. So you have to cap it at whatever rate you're paying.So if your 2 percent and you come display a sign that says 3%, like my nail salon does, Again, I don't need Dennis out there that wants to be seen as a commodity or like a nail salon, or that is a commodity. Right. And that's where I see it in my day to day at my nail salon. So 3%, believe 3 percent is the cap, and it's only eligible for credit cards.Can't do it on debit cards, my nail salon. They're trying to do it on debit. It's like they don't know the ins and outs of it. And they're so it's a can of worms in my opinion, not to mention the fact that patient loyalty is going to just dissipate. I firmly say if I walk into my dentist next week for my appointment and this is displayed, I'm finding a new dentist and I really like my dentist, but I'm with 71 percent of consumers that think, wow, I'm going to avoid. And I don't know that the offices that I've spoken to about have thought through the domino effect of what's going to happen it's a cost of doing business. It just, unfortunately, I encourage them to take a look at their fee schedule the last 10 years in dentistry. I have offices who. They haven't raised their fees, obviously for their fee for service patients. When insurance is involved, it's obviously fee negotiations there and their fee schedule with insurance. But even then there's opportunity. There's companies out there galore that will help you negotiate higher fees with insurance. SoLet's put it this way. If I go to my dentist next week and they've negotiated 3 percent higher fees with insurance or I'm paying out of pocket because I'm fee for service, I'm not going to notice that. But what I am going to notice is that Sign on the plexiglass that says I'm paying for your credit card processing case.So let's just avoid it. If you want to be seen as a trusted advisor, you want to set yourself apart from the competition. There's so many dentists in your area, right? I don't want to be seen as a commodity. What's my unique selling proposition? How can I offer a service to patients?This is just not the way to go about it. Michaela: So then If you don't mind me asking, Ashley, what's the emotion behind it? Like the surcharge, is it more like, I don't want to pay that extra, however much dollar amount, or is it more like you can't cover this. You can't cover this for me. Ashley: I think it's the latter.Yeah, for me, 3 percent of whatever number. Now, I will also add to that, Michael, I have a pretty healthy mouth. So 3 percent of my fees, what I'm paying, it's probably a small number. But to me, it's more about the principal. But if I'm coming in for a big case, and we're talking a big number, 3 percent of a really big number, That's impactful to people's pocketbooks.It just is. So for me, it's the emotional side of it. And like, come on, really, for me personally, just because I'm not investing thousands and thousands of dollars at my dental practice, but there are people who are. Michaela: Yeah. No, that makes a lot of sense. I know, for example, whenever you order something, at least I do this, I don't know if you do this actually, but like there's Amazon or something, and you make a big purchase or Let's just say like big purchase, like a car, right? Not an Amazon, but a car. And then they try to do the little, Oh, the shipping is this. And you're like, Oh my gosh, nevermind. I mean, but it's like, like a little small fraction of the whole thing. And technically we're like, we're already paying this.We should pay for that. Ashley: Right. Michaela: But that ops me out. It's the mentality Ashley: of it. You know what? I had this conversation with girlfriends and they'll go shopping online for clothes, whatever, spend a couple hundred bucks and then go to checkout and it's 7. 95 to ship it. And they're like, no, I'm done. Like they don't check out. And we're like, why it's 8. We were going to spend hundreds on clothes. And it's the, frankly, I would rather that sweater cost 7 more and the shipping be free. There's something about the mentality. It's just, I can't get around it. It's really hard for me. And I think there are others who have the, same thought as I do on it, and then let alone the people who are spending big bucks at the practice and then realizing, oh my gosh, now I have to cover this 2 percent fee that you're trying to pass along. Michaela: Okay. Is there ever I guess for someone who has already, they're listening and they're like, Oh, yeah. Oh my gosh, Ashley, I've started doing this a year ago though, and they have been seeing the drop off or they have been seeing the negative effects. How can they just stop doing it? Is that it?Do you just stop doing it and that's it? And take off the sign? Or? Ashley: That's a great question, Michael. I don't know the ramifications with the credit card companies. If you chose to reverse this, if you saw the negative implications and said, Oh, I made a horrible decision. I can't imagine the credit card companies are going to be upset about that because if you think about it from the credit card company's perspective, what you're doing is encouraging that patient to pay by cash or debit card or write you a check. So the credit card company wants their processing fees, whether it's coming from the doctor or the patient. So my guess and total speculation is. It's not going to be too hard to just stop doing it, which obviously, other things involved, like you're going to have to probably obviously get rid of the signage, but then redo the way that your current setup is because when you collect that fee from a patient, you're not actually collecting what the fee was. It's above and beyond. So reconciling that with the practice management system is a beast too. And so there are systems that probably do it for them, but if not, and they're just going rogue and surcharging there's a bigger set of complication there because if your total bill, Michael's supposed to be 1250, we placed a crown and it was 1250, you're paying out of pocket, and then that's added on you're collecting a different amount than the balance that was actually due, if that makes sense. So to reconcile that in the practice management software, because the office is walking that 1250 out onto the patient's ledger and then collecting. 1250 plus. So that's just a nightmare. If the software is not doing it for you, but I would argue even if it is, there's ways to stop doing it.You're not locked in to doing it, and I'm sure there are people listening that are trying it and haven't seen a huge drop off. Maybe their existing patients are staying and they do have loyal patients and that's great, but how many new patients are not coming? They'll never know. You'll never know. can't tell me just because I didn't leave. If my friend says, Ashley, I'm thinking about going to Dr. Smith. Is he great? Is she great? I'm going to say, yeah, but guess what? They pass along their credit card fees to you. They might go somewhere else. So that wasn't necessarily a loss.I didn't leave, but I prevented three of my friends from coming as new patients. So I think there's things that you can't track. You'll never really know the extreme implication, but I think there's a lot. Michaela: Do you ever think there's like practices that say this is minuscule or small.We just need to care more, do more, be better, streamline the process better, or present the surcharges in a way that the patient's kind of like, Oh yeah, of course. no problem. Ashley: how would that sound? I can't think of a way to make it not sound like it's about me because as a patient and humans in general, it's what's in it for me. maybe I'm just like got my blinders on. But if you're a patient, Michael, I articulate that to you in a way that didn't make you feel like it was me? Me, me, me. Michaela: Yeah. Ashley: About my bottom line so much that I'm willing to pass that charge on and potentially lose you as a patient or prevent you from referring others.I don't know how you articulate that well. Michaela: Yeah, that's true. Yeah. because if you are doing it, there could be a good way to articulate it well that you're not doing it anymore on behalf of them or something like that. You know what I mean? Ashley: Potentially, yeah, yeah. I was going to say the places that I've frequented or seen this happen, it's never been verbally articulated. It's always that sign that says, If you pay by credit card, you're going to pay a 3 percent surcharge. You're paying a 3 percent fee. Never have I ever had a conversation. It's never come up and I'll see it and roll my eyes and like, okay, like it is what it is. Like you're at the nail salon. I'm going to keep using that. Cause by the way, that's the place that does it in my neighborhood. I, Don't have any medical providers that I see doing this.I will tell you that dermatologist, dentist, my eye doctor, none of them are doing this. So that's great. But the nail salon, like your nails are already done and you don't have cash. What are you going to do? you're going to pay the 3 percent you are. But it's never been a conversation.So I don't know how you articulate that you're. Starting to do it and make it not sound about you and, kind of self centered from the practice perspective, but I can see your, point of view, if they stop doing it, being able to say, Hey, we tried that we care so much about our customers.We're actually not going to do that anymore. We're waving it. Yeah. However you want to articulate it. But yeah. think that would come across well. I just don't know of a way to deliver that message when you're doing it. Michaela: No. Yeah. But it's interesting. I like this topic because I remember seeing it a couple of times in a couple of Facebook groups. And that's when it was like made aware that, Oh yeah, it is. a pain point that practices are experiencing. And I guess it could be an easy pain point that you just erase. If you're just, Hey, this is the cost of doing business. Like we gotta eat it right. Ashley: Yeah. There's so many other things they make that exception for in their practice.When you think about everything that they're investing in, there's lots of things they're making exceptions for and costs of doing business Make this one of them, right? find other ways to get that, like literally hire a company to negotiate your fees for you. There's so many good ones out there.I've seen some awesome ones. And then taking a look at your, fee schedule for your fee for service patients. Not that you're penalizing them for being fee for service, but looking at it from both angles or finding an area in the practice to save. think if a doctor sat down and have partners that I work with that do this, they do an analysis of your spend and where everything's going and try to, make things more efficient, start there before you just default to, Hey, I'm going to just pass that along to the patient is my advice. Michaela: Yeah. Any specific companies that you recommend that can help with negotiating? Ashley: Yeah. Yeah. We have a few, I won't throw any out just because there are so many, I don't want to seem like work with all of our partners and I have another team that works with our partners. So I definitely don't want to seem like I favor anyone else over the others.But yeah, if you Google dental fee negotiation The good ones will pop up. I've done those searches recently and the good ones are kind of rising to the top, but yeah, I mean, offline, if somebody wants to shoot me a message on LinkedIn or, something like that, I'm more than happy to provide a few resources, but there's plenty that I've been doing it a very long time actually.And they're really good at it. So I would love for practices to start there if they're able to, obviously there comes a fee with that too, but I think the benefits outweigh the fee or the negative there. So,Michaela: Yeah. Awesome. Ashley, I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find it on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you?Ashley: Yeah. LinkedIn's great. I'm very active on LinkedIn. It's Ashley best director of partnerships at dental intelligence. If you're trying to find one, I don't know if there's too many actually best out there seems like a common name shoot me an email. You can always email me a best at dental intel.com. I'm happy to answer questions provide referrals or references to the companies that I know do this really well with practices. Michaela: Awesome. Awesome. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Ashley, thank you for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Ashley: Thanks for having me, Michael. Take care.

Should dentists be worried amidst a declining economy?Xaña Winans joins us today to delve into the strategic world of dental practice management during economic fluctuations. Xaña, a seasoned expert, opens the conversation by contextualizing the recent economic tumult and its effects on patient behavior, emphasizing the pressing need for practices to adapt swiftly. She shares invaluable insights on fostering patient loyalty and retention amidst adversity, underscoring that establishing a loyal patient base requires a harmonious blend of technology and personal interaction. Xaña argues that while automation is crucial, the human touch remains paramount for cultivating long-term relationships with patients.Beyond personal connections, Xaña dives deep into the significance of membership programs and the strategic articulation of a practice's unique selling propositions (USPs). These strategies not only solidify patient loyalty but also stabilize practice revenue flows. Special attention is given to effective communication through social media and maintaining robust marketing efforts during trying economic times. While many dentists want to cut costs during a recession, Xaña shows how the opposite approach may boast a 246% return on investment!What You'll Learn in This Episode:How economic changes affect patient behavior and practice dynamics.The role of personal connection in minimizing harmful cancellation rates.Strategies for creating meaningful patient relationships through automated tools.The benefits of implementing membership programs for patient retention.Importance of clearly defining and communicating practice USPs.How to maintain effective marketing strategies during economic downturns.Utilizing SEO and digital advertising to grow market share.Crafting consistent, emotionally resonant messaging on social media.How investing MORE when the economy is down could give you a 246% return on investment.Tune in to change your practice's approach to patient loyalty and economic resilience!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/‍Guest: Xaña WinansBusiness Name: Golden Proportions MarketingCheck out Xaña's Media:Website: goldenproportions.comYour Perfect Patient Match Webinar: bitli.pro/2eP73_4cf464bf (Contact Xaña to inquire about the recording!)Xaña's Go-To Phone Script:Other Mentions and Links:‍Dental Membership Plans:KleerBoomCloud‍Software/Tools:Google AdsGoogle Analytics‍Insurance Companies:AetnaBlue Cross Blue Shield‍Brands/Companies:NetflixAmazonWalmartWhole Foods Market‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

‍How can you transform problem-solving into an art in your practice?In this Monday Morning Episode, we welcome Dr. Pauline Le, who provides a fresh perspective on common dental practice challenges. Dr. Le reveals how universal these challenges are and how essential it is for businesses to identify and candidly discuss them. With a focus on collaborative environments, she delves into the power of professional groups and demystifies the often-tricky realm of team dynamics.Dr. Le breaks down the renowned three-step problem-solving process from the book "Traction," offering listeners a foolproof approach to untangling business issues. By fostering an environment where discussing issues is not only encouraged but expected, businesses can distinguish between personal and professional problems and maintain focus on solutions. With actionable tips on nurturing a transparent culture and keeping an up-to-date issues list, Pauline's advice is invaluable for practice owners seeking to empower their teams and effectively address persistent hurdles.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Strategies for tackling common business issues in dental practices.The significance of open discussions in resolving workplace challenges.Benefits of joining professional groups and improving team dynamics.How to implement the three-step "Traction" process for problem-solving.Techniques for creating a safe environment for issue discussions.Understanding personal versus company issues in a business setting.Importance of maintaining a consistent issues list for effective meetings.Tune in now to uncover transformative strategies for overcoming dental practice challenges with Dr. Pauline Le!‍‍Sponsors:‍‍Oryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx/‍You can reach out to Dr. Pauline Le here:Website: ledentalspa.comInstagram: instagram.com/drpaulineleOther Mentions and Links:‍Books:Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business‍Software:ClickUp‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Pauline, so talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Pauline: I would say that we all have issues. Michael: Interesting. Can you expand on that a little bit more? What do you mean? Pauline: In any business, we all have the same exact issues and the sooner you will admit that you have issues and identify them, we can discuss them and we can solve them.That's Michael: Okay, so then many practice owners feel they have challenges that are one of a kind, right? at what point did you realize that the issues you were facing were not unique to your practice? And then how did this change your approach to solving those issues?Pauline: When I started joining different groups of other dentists, other practice owners, and a lot of the Facebook groups are really helpful. I just started seeing a trend where people were posting the same questions, the same issues, the same problems and grateful for this community, right? But what I was finding was some of these groups can become where people are just coming in to vent and they weren't necessarily actually solving the problem.issues. So that's when I started noticing that, okay, it's the same recurrent problems. And I grew up where my parents owned businesses. And although different businesses than mine I started seeing things parallel, people have the same complaints, whether it be about patients. People, your team or procedures, right?So processes people always end up having the same types of issues in whatever business they have. So I just started seeing things parallel. Michael: Interesting. So then in these groups specifically, what were some of the things where you feel like. Man, you're just venting like this is a common thread where people just vent and vent and vent Pauline: I think the most common one lately has been what they can't find hygienists.They can't find quote unquote good people good employees It's the same vent. It's the same complaint that all business owners want to fall victim to Michael: Let's just talk about that, fixing that specific problem that everybody's complaining about. I can't find a hygienist or a team member.Pauline: in the general idea of issues, first off, I think it's a mindset thing. We need to own that. We all have issues. Every single one of our businesses will have issues and we should actually welcome them and we should foster a culture where your team can openly talk about issues, right?It's not a safe environment to bring things up, then you're just going to have an ongoing nagging to do list or unresolved issues. And that's just going to slow down the growth of your business. So the sooner you can build this. Culture, and it starts with your leadership team of having open, honest conversations about issues.The sooner you can actually solve them and save energy, save time. So when it comes to issues, there are three main steps that we take here at Laudanusvall, and we learned it from the book Traction. So first step is you want to identify the issue. And really every single business. There's really three main types of issues.it's either going to be a true problem that actually needs to be solved, it can be information that needs to be communicated or agreed upon by the team or an idea and opportunity that needs feedback, brainstorming or insight, right?And once you actually identify the issue, then you can move on to the next step where you discuss it. This is where you're probably going to spend the most time in your meetings is discussing the actual issue. And then when you are discussing, you'll find that sometimes you go off on tangents and then sometimes other issues.arise from these discussions. So it is really important to foster a culture where you can talk about issues, but you can also say, tangent alert, or can we put a pin in that? Or can we just list it on our issues list and then get back to it, right? So it's not gearing you away from discussing that one issue that was first brought up.And then, You would go into solving the issue. So this is the main point, why we should be having an issues list, right? Because we need to solve things and keep things moving. And what I find in these dentist groups and, you know, being around my other colleagues, is sometimes they don't actually want to solve things. Pauline: And sometimes people just want to vent or feel like okay, there's other people like me going through this, which, there is importance in that. But at the same time, we need to be leaders and we need to solve issues and keep things moving for the rest of our team and the rest of our practice.And you'll notice as you start solving issues, you don't want to make the mistake by solving just the very top issue down. You need to prioritize issues. So you'll notice that as you start solving the bigger issues that hold higher priority, your other issues below it start diminishing, start disappearing.Because really, you're already solving it when you solve the bigger issue and all these other things start being like, oh my gosh, that makes so much sense now. Okay, that already got resolved because we talked about this bigger issue. So I think regarding the hygiene problem that a lot of practices are having.identifying the actual issue, right? My issue might be different because I'm a fee for service office, might be very different than an office that is PPO or an office that's HMO. Even though the chief complaint would be we can't find a hygienist, Identifying the actual issue is going to be so different in each of our practices, So my practice we are a fee for service office, you know, we ask a lot from our team members because we deliver a very, patient centered type of care. We data collect, we scan, we are very thorough and comprehensive. So that's not for every hygienist out there, and so that goes into being very clear with your vision and your expectations and your hiring process is going to be a lot longer, than.most practices, I would say. So like I said, actually identifying the issue and then discussing it and then how you're going to solve it is going to be so different between the three different types of practices, even though the chief complaint is the same. Michael: interesting. Okay. So then if we rewind a little bit, you said you want to foster an environment where it's safe to discuss about issues.How do you know you're in an unsafe environment? Pauline: Based off feedback, right? So a lot of leadership. Isn't true leadership. I would say some practices. I think some business owners already know how they want to answer without even involving, I guess, their leadership team and discussing the actual issue. when people bring up ideas or they bring up An issue, like how you respond to it, is so important. If you shut down your team member or, you know, you're blaming it on them no one's going to want to keep coming to you with an issue then, because that's just how you're going to react.Versus We all make honest mistakes here and communication is the biggest of it all in order for us all align and be on the same page right where one person might be only looking at it from one viewpoint and another person might be looking at from a different viewpoint like oh my gosh I didn't even see that what you saw thing.by discussing it you're actually able to then solve it and that's really important. An open communication a safe environment talk about things versus oh you didn't do this. This wasn't done Versus the understanding the why maybe this happened or that happened And that's why the issue was there in the first place Michael: I like that.So let me paint you a scenario like we talked about hygiene, right? you ever had issues with like team members, Like a team member. All the time. Every single business. Yeah. So like let's just say team member A has an issue with team member D and you're listening. You're like, talk to me about team member D then team member A, right. and you're listening and stuff like that, but they continue to bring you with issues that team member D is I guess creating happening or whatever. Do you start prioritizing team member A saying like, Hey, We need to sit down all three of us and discuss and then team member D is like, I didn't even know there was something wrong.I'm sorry. I didn't know I was rubbing you the wrong way. And then, you know, when you confront it, it's like nothing's wrong. But then two days later, it's like something's wrong again. How do you handle that? Pauline: the first example you gave where team member A is. listing all these issues they're having with team member B, right?And then you're asking do we put us all three together to resolve these issues? I think You're making it now a personal problem versus every week we have department meetings and every team member is to bring An issue to the meeting and we have in our click up.a list. It's our quote unquote issues list and it may not necessarily be an issue. Like I said, it may just be an announcement. It may just be a discussion that we want to have that we were trying to resolve. If you don't. So comfortable bringing it to that meeting where it could be discussed whether it's operations meeting, sales meeting, admin meeting, then it doesn't really sound like it's a company issue then, right?And sometimes it may be very well a personal issue. Then that goes on to, okay, are we spending our resources and our company time resolving this when we're all adults here? Could they have resolved this on their own? Or is this actually a true company issue? If it's a true company issue, now what department does that lie under and what department is tackling that issue then?Michael: That makes a lot of sense. So then if it's a personal issue though, Isn't that just as much as a red flag? Cause it's like, Hey, there's no unity in the team. What the heck? how do you handle that? Pauline: So that now goes into like the people portion of your business, right? Like I said earlier, there's going to be like.Your patients, your people, and then like your processes, So now you're now going into the people portion, which is your team members, your employees. So that goes back to having the right people. So what does that mean? We use the people analyzer here and including me, the business owner, you should have your employees also rate you and analyze you as well.So they have to align with our core values. You have to define the metric that you want to analyze people on for that. We only have three core values, so you have to have all of them, not just two out of three or one out of three. So it has to be a plus or minus there. And we need pluses there.And then it goes from core values. It's either you get it, you want it, or you have the capacity to do it. And that's just now analyzing the person. Okay. Right In that position, and that will then start resolving a lot of that. And then you're able to remove that personal aspect out of it. So like when we have leaders, who are onboarding and training, and I see them getting frustrated with team member B, I asked them to start dissecting down.Is it any of the core values that they're having issues with? Or is it? They get the assignment, They get the job, they get the expectations, but do they want it? Some people don't want it, right? Going back to hygienist position in my practice, we scan every single patient here. Not every hygienist wants to do that, and that's okay, but we need to know that when we're hiring, right?And then do they have the capacity to do it? Okay, if I'm asking them to take x rays, scan, 2D photos, Am I giving them enough time in their appointment slot to do that, So that just now allows you to start dissecting all the different compartments of it versus just taking on this, Oh, this person doesn't want to do their job, or they're not, doing a great job.Then they start taking things personally, or she's giving me an attitude when I'm asking her to do this, right? It's okay. Well, Maybe they didn't get it. Did we lay out clear expectations? Of needing a scan on every single patient. Did we lay out clear expectations that I expect an updated scan every year?Was that on us? Did we clearly convey that? Did we communicate that? Okay, if they get it we communicate all that. So that part is checked off. Now, do they want it? And that was where, Okay. We identified the issue here the hygienist did not want to do that. So then it comes down that it's not oh, she's giving me attitude when I asked her to scan that becomes personal, right?Michael: Makes a lot of sense So then one of the last questions I want to ask you is when you guys are discussing the issue And you mentioned that lot of times we go on tangents, right? And you're like, Hey, tangent alert. Does that make the issue list grow? Is it an ever ending?Pauline: So there has to be a time limit for sure. So our meetings every week are only an hour. we start with a segue personal best business best five minutes. And then patient employee had headline five minutes and then rocks review five minutes. And then our issues list. the bulk of your meeting is going to be that issues list. And like you said, when you start going off tangents, it keeps growing, but you're not just like adding to your issues list and expecting to tackle it, that meeting. So throughout the week, for instance, let's say suction is down in room four.We're not just like. panicking and, alerting the rest of the team this is the issue. If it's something that needs to get resolved, but it can wait until the weekly meeting, put it on the issues list. And we know that it's going to be spoken about during our weekly meeting.So that issues list is constantly growing but it's also constantly getting resolved. And when we onboard people, we also have them like, Hey, go through our issues list that we've solved in the past, because the questions that you're having probably have already been asked and we've already discussed it and we've solved it.So go through and read all that because the same issues you're having, we once had as well. Michael: Awesome. Pauline. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Pauline: My Instagram, Dr.Pauline Le. Michael: All right. That's going to be in the show notes below. And Pauline, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode. Pauline: You're so welcome. Happy Monday.

Through associateship, starting her own practice, and all the challenges along the way, Dr. Landi Rosenau's journey is a testament to resilience and ambition. From her initial career as an ER nurse, Landi discovered her passion for dentistry through firsthand exposure within her then-husband's practice. This pivotal encounter, combined with an unmet need for continuous patient care in nursing, motivated her transition to dental school. The story truly takes shape during the COVID pandemic, when Landi seized the opportunity to reinvent her career, establishing her own practice. Her decision was fueled by the desire for autonomy and improved work conditions, which she successfully achieved through strategic patient management and strong internal communication protocols.Take a deeper dive as Dr. Landi Rosenau candidly shares the ups and downs of developing her practice. Building her business mainly on referrals and word-of-mouth, she underscores the essential role of an efficient, coordinated team. Yet, her path was not without challenges, facing critical issues with external partnerships like her IT company and other vendors. These setbacks not only taught her the power of instinct and control over financial aspects but also strengthened her resolve. As she reflects on these experiences, Landi provides invaluable lessons about balancing personal and professional demands, making patient-centered choices, and emphasizing the importance of a supportive work environment—insights that resonate deeply with anyone navigating the dental industry.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The journey from ER nurse to entrepreneurial dentist.How the COVID pandemic influenced Dr. Rosenau's career decisions.Key operational strategies for a successful dental practice.The significance of communication systems and patient relations.Overcoming challenges with external partnerships and financial management.Insights on team coordination and its impact on business growth.The importance of resilience and adaptability in dental careers.Dr. Rosenau's process for maximizing patient benefits.Tune in now to discover how Dr. Landi Rosenau turned challenges into opportunities in her practice!‍‍Guest: Dr. Landi RosenauPractice Name: Flourish Family & General DentistryCheck out Landi's Media:Website: flourishdentistry.comFacebook: facebook.com/drlandij‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Insurance Companies/Services:Delta DentalWisdom Dental Billing‍Brands/Products:Lowe'sBotoxBenco DentalGaldermaPatterson DentalDentistry Support‍Practice Management Software:Curve DentalOpen DentalDentrix‍Press:Change Healthcare Data Breach‍Books:The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

‍Imagine a dental practice where team well-being takes center stage, resulting in enhanced patient care!In this Monday Morning Episode, Josey Sewell reveals groundbreaking dental practice management strategies, particularly focusing on effective recruitment and retention of hygienists. Emphasizing that the team's wellness is as crucial as patient care, Josey shares how attending to the needs of your dental staff can transform your practice. We get an insider's view into the common pitfalls in leadership that often drive valuable employees away and discover Josey's transformative "Connect, Measure, Coach" framework designed to uplift leadership and engagement.Dive deeper as Josey introduces her comprehensive five Ps framework—Purpose, People, Power, Prosperity, and Performance—where each facet plays a pivotal role in creating a thriving work environment. By setting and tracking goals within these realms, leaders can mitigate burnout and boost workplace satisfaction. Josey also shares valuable insights on how the delicate balance between vulnerability and authority can cultivate trust among the team. This episode empowers dental leaders with practical tools to enhance their leadership skills and build a dedicated, satisfied dental team.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Innovative strategies for enhancing dental practice management.Key leadership mistakes that lead to high employee turnover.Insights on the "Connect, Measure, Coach" framework.An introduction to the five Ps framework for improved engagement.Techniques for reducing burnout and boosting workplace satisfaction.The role of balancing vulnerability with authority to foster trust.Dive into today's episode to learn more about team growth and the team-centered approach!‍‍You can reach out to Josey Sewell here:Instagram: instagram.com/joseysewellEmail: josey@joseysewell.comOther Mentions and Links:‍People:Simon SinekJohn C. MaxwellBenjamin HardyDan Sullivan‍If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)‍Michael: Hey, Josie. So talk to us. What's one piece of advice you can give us this Monday morning? Josey: Oh, I'm so excited about this. My piece of advice is that your number one customer is absolutely your team. Over your patients. And I know a lot of dentists probably panic when I say that, but we spend a ton of time and effort and energy on marketing and taking great care of our patients.But when we take great care of our team, that's going to translate to great patient care. And today I'd actually like to talk in particular about recruiting and retention of hygienists. Having been a hygienist myself, been a hygiene director, I've been a COO of a dental group. And what I will tell you now as a coach helping people across the country is that every single one of the clients that I work with, they are struggling with finding and retaining dental hygienists.And what I find is that a lot of people typically use COVID as an excuse. They'll say, Oh, COVID happened. It shut the world down. And we saw hygienists leave the profession. And we know that about 10 percent of hygienists did leave the field. And I think that that's really unfortunate. But now what we hear is that people just say, there's just not any hygienists available.They just don't want to work. They don't want to be in clinic. And what I would say from being a hygienist and being in the hygiene community is actually that hygienists do want to work. They do love clinical, but the reason that we've seen some of them leave the field and the reason that we see a lot of hygienists who have chosen A permanent job as temping is because we have a leadership crisis.And what I mean by that is hygienists are choosing not to work in your company because you're not leading them in a way that is meaningful to them. Michael: Okay. Gotcha. So then what specific leadership behaviors have you observed that push Hygienist and team members to leave and how can practice owners correct these behaviors before losing valuable staff?Josey: Yeah So I have a very simple framework That I find works really well for you to remember when you're thinking about leading and that is connect measure coach and so what I mean by that is to connect with people in a meaningful way and I mean trying to get to know them as a human being understand what's going on in their life even You Taking time to find out what their dreams and their goals and their aspirations are.So that's connect. Measure is how do we appropriately measure success. And that includes utilizing key performance indicators or KPIs. But with hygienists in particular, sometimes they're afraid of numbers and metrics. So they feel like if a practice is asking me to be a high producer or to track my numbers, that means that they care more about money than about patient care.And so what you have to do in helping hygienists understand metrics is you have to connect Those metrics to patient outcomes and to clinical care. And you also have to teach them a little bit about the business of dentistry, because when they have a greater understanding and they know how these numbers fit in, they absolutely will engage and appreciate those numbers.So there's a special nuance into introducing numbers and metrics. And the last one is coach. I love the quote by Dan Sullivan, that he says, people don't want to be managed. People want to be coached. our team members, whether they are hygienist or not, have a very different expectation in what they want from us as employers and in our work environment.And they want to be coached. It is not just about their job. It is about their life. And so we need to coach people up into a position. So maybe I'm a front office person and I'm growing into a manager position or I'm a hygienist and I'm going into a hygiene lead.That's up in my position is primarily what we do in dentistry is we're helping people achieve mastery over time. But so many hygienists feel like there's a very short ceiling to their career. I will tell you, I left clinical because I thought there's nowhere for me to grow. And yet I was motivated and excited about advancing what I did as a clinician, but I felt limited because my doctors did not actually engage in the same CE or passion that I had.for prevention or treating periodontal disease. So providing a pathway to grow. And then sometimes, Michael, we have to coach people out of our business. Because sometimes our business outgrows our people and sometimes our people outgrow our business. For those of you who are especially getting started in dentistry, some of you have this expectation that I'll graduate from dental school.I'll have my practice and I'll find this amazing team. And this amazing team is going to be with me forever. However, lifelong employment is a thing of the past. And a lot of people don't. grow up as a little girl or a little boy dreaming about answering the phone at her front office. And so we have to just know and recognize that people are going to come and go in our business and our relationships don't have to be dependent on an employment agreement.So again, connect in meaningful ways, measure performance, be very clear what your expectations are, and then coach people up in or out knowing that sometimes it is better for them in their life to move on. And that doesn't mean we can't still remain friends. Hmm. Michael: How would you connect in meaningful ways?Josey: Great question. So we actually have a framework that we've developed after working with literally thousands of employees and helping hundreds of managers grow. we call it the five Ps, and that is the various different parts of their life where we will have people.Take a look at these five important critical areas of their life and challenge them to set a vision for themselves and then also to set 90 day goals. So a very specific example is we have one of them that's called power and power is my physical, mental, and spiritual health. And it's encouraging people to have healthy habits for how they take care of themselves.In dentistry in particular, one of the saddest things that I see is when clinical careers are cut short due to different musculoskeletal things or injuries, and so Are we encouraging our people to have regular habits of exercise or mindfulness or whatever that is? And so we have a framework that we have people fill out what their goals are.And we sit down within the first 90 days of employment and we go through that and we just get to know our people in a meaningful way. And then we check in on them occasionally about every 90 days on their goals. So some people, it makes them feel really uncomfortable to think am I really going to ask?My people about their personal goals. And the answer is yes, you are because they are a person with dreams and goals and aspirations. And the more that you understand who they are and what's important to them, the more that you can connect those goals to what the business goals are. And then we can win together.Michael: So you said there's five P's, right? Josey: Yeah. You want me to go through all five? Michael: Yeah. Real quick. That'd be Josey: great. So the first P is purpose. And that is like your personal Y or your personal core values. And so this one is probably the toughest one for to define a vision for themselves or their 90 day goals.But what I have seen after working with so many incredible entrepreneurs, and I'll speak to you as the owner dentist for just a second. Is dentists have been successful their whole life. They probably did well in high school and got great grades. They got them into college and then they did well in college and they got into dental school and then they get out and they buy a practice.And so often I see people attach their personal worth. To their practice and yet the practice is going to struggle. Not if it's going to struggle, it's when it's going to struggle. So things like struggling to make payroll or having a team walk out or not being able to fix, you know, marketing, your practice is going to struggle and you have to have a purpose in your life beyond what your practice is.So that's what we help people do in purpose. The next one is people. So people is about relationships. And our relationships really are the greatest indicator of longevity and health. And what you will find is that when you're struggling in your relationships, whether it's with a spouse or a partner or with kids, or your people are, they're not going to show up as a 10 at work.And so how can we encourage people to take care of the people that they love and to have positive relationships. Number three is power, which is physical, mental, and spiritual health. The fourth P is prosperity. And so prosperity is going to be, it might be wealth, especially for you as a practice owner, but for some of your team, prosperity might be more autonomy of their time, or it might be saving for something like a house or a car, or, preparing for something in their life.And then the last one is performance. And that's what connects this personal stuff to the professional stuff. So performance is how are we doing in our job? How are we performing in our position? And that is a critical part of having this whole life. We talk about how everybody has one life space.And if we're not minding those five different areas, we will struggle. Now I'll quickly say, we hear a lot about burnout. We hear a lot about overwhelm and most people are blaming that burnout and their overwhelm on work on what they do on a day to day basis and they're quitting their job and they're hopping around searching for greater work life balance, which is the lie.right? There's no work life balance. It's work life harmony. And what I find is actually that burnout may not be happening from what we do every day in the dental office. It may be because I'm not minding my relationships or I'm not taking care of my physical health I'm not in alignment with my personal values.So what I find is as you utilize these five P's and helping people set goals, Long term and short term, you might find that there's decreased overwhelm and burnout because they're actually taking better care of something that's going on in their life. Michael: Interesting. So I feel like that's so complex though, Josie.every 90 days, do you follow up and be like, where are we deficient on which P Cause I feel like it would always change, right? every level. Josey: absolutely changes. So first of all, if you are a manager or a practice owner, it is not your job to ensure that your employees are checking off the boxes and achieving their goals.So you're not going to like, Hey, you set a goal of saying, saving 5, 000. Why are you still getting Starbucks every day? That is not what we're going to do. It's actually just about creating a safe place where people can verbally share their goals and feel as though they're seen as a human being. And so I do it once a year.I'll really just dig deep into their goals and I'll ask them questions. Then every 90 days, I recommend doing what we call a quarterly check in. That is a structured conversation where we use this idea of connect, measure, coach, and on that connect part, I just simply say, how are you doing on your goals?You know, How are your five P's? You said last quarter you were going to call your mom once a week. How's that going? So I check in so that they feel heard and seen, but it's not my job to track. To manage, to ensure that they get it done. It's really just about seeing and knowing who they are. And it's incredible.The experience that the employee has, I've had many people come back and say, I was shocked, Josie, how many tears there were. And not that it was tears of sadness or discomfort. It was that nobody had ever asked them what their vision for their life was. Michael: Yeah. Now that's interesting. I like that a lot. it opens the door a little bit more, So Josie, in your experience, how do leadership blind spots practice owners contribute to team frustration and disengagement and how can owners uncover and address these blind spots? Would it be? doing this? Josey: This is one great way to absolutely uncover those blind spots.I think that in many ways if we're a dentist and a practice owner, so much of what is happening is about achieving our goals. The practice is mine. This is, my business, my dream, and everybody's helping me. And that's actually not what most employees are excited about is helping you build your dreams.They want to build their own dreams too. they want to help you win, but they also want to win. So I think that that is a blind spot that sometimes we can be very self centered as an entrepreneur. And that is not shame or judgment. I am an entrepreneur myself and totally know. But the other blind spot that I would say is that we just don't have a good system for this and you need a good system for leadership.And so I'm sure if you're listening to this podcast, you're probably also a pretty avid. Reader or listener to other podcasts and there's incredible people who talk about leadership like Simon Sinek or John Maxwell or, Ben Hardy. There's all of these authors that we love, but how do we take the idea of what it means to be a leader and how do we actually execute on it?And that's where you need a system. And I think that's what I've seen. spent the better part of the last 10 years of my career doing is how to create a systematic leadership approach, meaning how do I do this connect measure coach, but how often should I be meeting with my employees? What should we be talking about?How do we have difficult conversations and how do we align with what I need in the business and what you want with your life? So I think that one of the blind spots is there's not a good system or there hasn't been a good system. And that's what we're trying really hard to build. Michael: I like that. I like how you mentioned how can I, ask these difficult questions, talk to them, play like, just for example, when you're approaching them and asking them about, did you call your mom this week?Kind of a thing, right? It's kind of weird asking your employee, right? So I guess, how can owners or leaders, right? Balance vulnerability with authority to foster a culture of trust and support, especially during times of high stress or change. Josey: Yes, I love that. That is the constant need of how we do. I love that you called it out vulnerability and authority.what I share is that I want to help you create an environment of high love and high accountability. a lot of people think those are two things on the opposite end of a spectrum. spectrum, but we can't have high love and high accountability. Now there is absolutely an important nuance and that is that I can love and care for you as a human being without being your buddy, where it's like not appropriate for us to go out on the weekends together or us to go on vacation together or, doing things like that.There absolutely has to be a professional line in how much we're sharing our life, but I do think that vulnerability. allows other people to be vulnerable. So a specific example is where business owners or managers feel like I have to have all of the answers and I can't tell people that I'm struggling.And yet, when you're real about the struggle or real about the fact that you don't have the answers, it actually gives your team permission to do the same. And we create an environment where it's a greater partnership and we work together. So, There is absolutely a nuance in understanding who people are and what motivates them and not getting like too involved in their lives, right?Not inserting ourself or feeling like we know too much or ask too many questions. Michael: Awesome. Josie. I appreciate your time. And if anyone has further questions, you can definitely find her on the dental marketer society, Facebook group, or where can they reach out to you directly? Josey: So my email is just Josie at Josie Sewell.com. Make sure you spell it right. j O S E Y S E W E L L. And then on any social media platform, you'll find me at Josie Sewell. Really happy to answer any questions that you might have on how to create a healthy, happy team. Michael: Nice. So that's going to be in the show notes below. And Josie, thank you so much for being with me on this Monday morning episode.Josey: Thank you.