GAP Australasian Dentist Mar Apr 2020

Category Austràlàsiàn Dentist 109 Dr Toni Surace the Managing Director of Momentum Management. Momentum is the premier dental practice management consultancy and training firm in Australia. Momentum has been empowering dentists in Australia and New Zealand to reach their professional, personal and financial goals for over 16 years. On average, Momentum clients increase production by 30- 40% and achieve a 579% return on investment from the Momentum Practice Management Program. If you would like to learn more about Momentum Management programs, call 1300 519 000, and request a free 1-hour consultation with an experienced coach. be comfortable with verbal skills for doing this. ào give you and your OHà more information and support, contact us to attend one of our short courses. We have a great deal of success training hygienists and OHàs in these skills. Dear Dr Toni, I’ve had a couple of people mention that I should talk to the businesses around me about ways we can support one another’s businesses. This idea makes me so uncomfortable! What do you think? Dr RS, Qld. What you’re asking about is what we in marketing call “business-to-business” (B2B) marketing and it can be very effective! ào my initial invitation to you is to get over your discomfort and take on board some tips here. Firstly, what’s your ideal patient, and do those businesses support that type of patient? àf your ideal patient is likely to be found in those businesses, B2B can be great. For example, if your ideal patient is a cosmetically-minded woman over 50, and you’re surrounded by high-end cafes, a yoga studio and a few nice dress shops, you might be in luck! (àess lucky if you’re sandwiched between a tattoo parlour and a fish-n-chips joint!) àecondly, assuming that you do have neighbours wanting to attract similar people, you should go to them in person, and approach them as fellow small business owners wanting to support one another. àveryone who owns a small business knows how tough marketing and promotions can be, especially in the face of lots of big businesses with big marketing budgets. àhe concept of “shopping local” can be really appealing when you all get behind it. àhirdly, work out a strategy that you think will appeal to your joint ideal patients/customers. àeaving business cards at each other’s front desks is a Beàt àraàt eà Q&à traditional approach to that, but it’s not very proactive and often doesn’t work very well. Cross-promotions on each other’s Facebook pages can be good; e.g. “meet the neighbours” photos with a bit of a bio on the local businesses. àf you’ve got local real estate agents or hairdressers, it’s a good idea to offer them a special deal for themselves; they’re good at talking to their own clients and making recommendations. àf your own philosophy is very community-minded, look at ways that will endear you to the local community and promote yourselves that way. Finally, manage your own expectations! Doing B2B activities is àOà going to solve a big shortage in patient flow any more than flossing monthly is going to magically prevent decay. But it is a bare minimum of marketing, and worth persisting with. àt’s also usually quite cheap, although can be a bit time- consuming to do properly. And get in touch with us if you want more ideas about how to do this effectively! u For further information on Momentum Management, visit www.momentummanagement.com. au or call 1300 510 000 for details on short courses, Momentum’s Management Program, coaching package, in-practice visits, or other ways in which Momentum can assist you. “ If you would like advice on a situation impacting your practice or would like to make a comment about issues affecting the dental industry, you can direct them to Dr Toni Surace at toni@momentummanagement.com.au Please title your email subject as “Best Practices Q&A”.