Sales Playbook COSMETIC DENTISTRY Contents: SECTION 1 1.1 The What 1.2 The Why 1.3 Display Advertising 1.4 The Lingo 1.5 The Economy SECTION 3 3.1 The Conversation 3.2 The Questions 3.3 The Goals 3.4 The Value 3.5 The Expectations 1.6 The Seasons 1.7 The Playing Field SECTION 2 SECTION 4 2.1 The Decision-Maker 2.2 The Gate Keeper 4.1 The Inbounds 4.2 Offline Providers
Section 1 1.1 THE WHAT Cosmetic dentists offer a range of services primarily designed to artificially improve a smile, whether through implants, teeth whitening, fake fronts (veneers), or even some orthodontic work. As a comparison, general dentistry focuses on routine maintenance and overall oral health through routine cleanings and emergency services, such as chipped teeth, cavities, or root canals. 1.2 THE WHY While some cosmetic dentistry services have a low transaction value such as teeth whitening, which can run from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand other services can be pricey, such as dental implants, which can cost in excess of $10,000. Each new patient is highly profitable for the dentist, meaning there is great opportunity for high ROI. But because cosmetic dentistry is typically not covered by insurance, the pool of potential patients with the resources to pay for the services is significantly limited. As a result, cosmetic dentists are willing to pay for successful marketing campaigns. Dentists, including cosmetic dentists, are highly educated, spending as much time in medical school as medical doctors (dentists are technically Doctors of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine). They are interested in technology and science and have high capacity for learning new concepts, such as digital marketing. Unlike with general dentistry, where most patients already have a family dentist for scheduled cleanings or emergency visits, patients are more likely to take their time before choosing a cosmetic dentist. As a result, most marketing efforts by this vertical focus on staying top of mind through display ads, or promoting a special offer. 1.3 DISPLAY ADVERTISING Are cosmetic dentists good display advertising candidates? Yes! Many people may already be predisposed to the services that cosmetic dentists provide. They may not, however, be in the consideration or purchasing state of the buying cycle until they see a banner ad. The retargeting component helps the dentist s services stay top of mind should the prospective patient not make the appointment right away. Also, PropelDisplay is a great way for a dentist to get the word out about a specific offer.
1.3 DISPLAY ADVERTISING, con t. Keep in mind that display advertising is cheaper than pay-per-click advertising. This type of brand advertising could be the differentiator between the high-end cosmetic dentist and the average dentist. The high-end dentist is concerned about awareness, from local commercials and billboards to display. 1.4 THE LINGO Help develop your role as a trusted advisor by familiarizing yourself with some of the industry s terminology: Implants The process of fastening a replacement tooth into the jawbone using a titanium screw. Veneers A thin layer of material often porcelain or composite material placed over and bonded to a tooth. Crowns An artificial covering or cap for a damaged tooth. Teeth Whitening A process through which a bleaching agent often hydrogen peroxide is used to reduce teeth staining, leaving smiles whiter. Orthodontics The use of appliances, such as braces or a retainer, to straighten teeth and jaw misalignments. Sedation Dentistry The use of sedatives either injected or inhaled to cause loss of consciousness during a procedure. Be familiar with some of the popular cosmetic dentistry brands: Brite Smile Invisalign Zoom Teeth Whitening Cerec Zoom 3 Lumineers 1.5 THE ECONOMY Many cosmetic dentistry procedures are considered by insurance companies as nonessential or optional procedures, and thus not covered. Some insurance companies may cover emergency cosmetic repairs to front teeth. Because of this, cosmetic dentistry is affected by a shaky economy.
1.5 THE ECONOMY, con t. Some may still seek out cosmetic dentistry services particularly if they think it would help during a job search but there will likely be more comparison shopping involved, or more work required to convert a lead to a sale. 1.6 THE SEASONS Dentists may see a spike in calls in late summer prior to the start of school, or as the holidays approach. There may be an end-of-year spike as individuals look to empty their health spending accounts. However, generally speaking, cosmetic dentists are always looking to add new patients. 1.7 THE PLAYING FIELD Dentists typically pull patients from within a 10-20 mile radius, but some patients are willing to travel up to 50 miles to see a preferred cosmetic dentist, widening the playing field to include more competitors. Because of the high transaction values involved, cosmetic dentists understand the need to market themselves, even if it s just to keep up with their competitors. Adding confusion to the field is that some cosmetic dentists also offer general dentistry services. Dentists are highly educated entrepreneurs, and usually involved in the business side of their practice. They know industry numbers as well as their own, such as average patient value, transaction value, patients per month, and average calls that lead to a new patient. Section 2 2.1 THE DECISION MAKER The practice owner is typically the decision maker, but a partner, spouse, or office manager may be brought in for advice. Cosmetic dentists usually have busy schedules, but spend most of the day in the office. Because dentists are doctors, be sure to refer to their patients, not their clients.
2.2 THE GATEKEEPER Cosmetic dentists always have a receptionist or an office manager. They can easily claim a dentist is fully booked which is likely true so demonstrating your importance as a valued marketing advisor is important. Some tips on getting through the gatekeeper: Stop by the office. At least drop off your business card. Try to gather information while there. If the dentist is with a patient, find out if they have a break in their schedule and ask to call back then. Ask if the dentist sets aside a day or time to meet with vendors. Demonstrate some knowledge of the industry. One way would be to ask if they do certain procedures or use certain brand products. Mention other dentists in the area that benefit from Propel, including any hard data on lead generation. Email the dentist directly. Sometimes the dentist checks email personally. It also gives you the additional opportunity to provide collateral materials. If your only option is to allow the gatekeeper to present your sales pitch to the dentist, make sure you do a good job on your presentation. He or she won t be able to explain what they don t understand. Section 3 3.1 THE CONVERSATION Here are some starter questions you can ask the decision maker to better understand his/her business and his/her advertising goals. How large of an area do you serve? Do you have any other locations? Any plans for additional locations? How many new patients can you handle each month? How many patients do you currently see per month? Do you have any specialties that may be considered separate profit centers? What procedures do you like doing? Do you take before and after pictures? What procedures are you looking to increase over time? Which ones do you think will become more popular with patients over time? Is there a charge for a consultation? How much? Do your competitors? What are some popular services that potential patients are searching for?
3.2 THE QUESTIONS Is the economy impacting your business? How much research do you think patients are doing before calling? Does this represent an increase or decrease over past experience? If they don t have a website, ask why not. If they do have a website, ask how they currently get traffic to it. Do you see value in having a strong digital marketing presence before your competitors do? What about not giving up market share to other practices that are already have digital marketing strategies? How do you track ROI from your print advertising campaigns? Are patients who visit your website likely to call? Fill out a form? Email? How effective is your staff at setting the appointments from the initial call? Have you ever recorded the incoming calls (be aware of HIPAA)? Discuss the website. Is there a call to action? Specials? Information about education and experience? Which procedures are covered by insurance, flexible spending accounts, etc.? Is there an increase in appointments and procedures at the end of the year? Do you receive any coop money for marketing from brands you deal with? 3.3 THE GOALS Who are they looking to target with their advertising? How would they define a successful marketing campaign? Because cosmetic dentistry procedures aren t typically covered by insurance, dentists tend to target more affluent demographics. They also may target a wider geographic area. Are they more interested in generating leads? Staying top-of-mind? Promoting a new procedure or product?
3.4 THE VALUE Cosmetic dentists have a high ROI because the cost of their procedures is high. And satisfied patients may have multiple procedures. To best evaluate lifetime patient value, ask these helpful questions: How many procedures does a patient receive over the years? Do procedures get more involved? More expensive? Do patients refer other patients? What percentage of new patients come from referrals? 3.5 THE EXPECTATIONS Dentists typically focus on overall monthly growth of patients, not the cost per lead. Long-term satisfaction requires the dentist to understand that new patients come from leads generated with help of Propel s products and services. The dentist also needs to understand the cost of generating those leads, and how the competitive market drives those costs up. Focus on ROI and the need to keep the playing field level. Section 4 4.1 THE INBOUNDS Lead aggregators, some specializing only in medical Online directories Online yellow pages ReachLocal Other SEM & SEO companies Ideas on speaking about the competition: We are building the dentists individual brand, not delivering the patient to an online list of other dentists. Explain how searches take place on search engines, such as Google and Bing, not online directories. Propel provides a comprehensive approach to online marketing, providing uplift across all advertising modes.
4.2 OFFLINE PROVIDERS Print yellow pages/directories Direct mail/valu-packs Newspapers Billboards Talking points in regards to offline providers: Discuss growth in Internet search, decline in phone books/yellow pages, particularly among new generation of homebuyers. Less real-time than Internet-based advertising.