Grabbing the "Extreme" Dental Brass Ring:
The Leap to More Smile Makeovers More Often

If you're happy only doing whitening, and one to four unit cosmetic cases, read no further.

How do you move from a whitening-here-and-four-units-there practice to working more consistently on real smile makeovers? This is accomplished by making image, message and internal communication changes so that your goal is obvious to your audience.

Many dentists want to perform smile makeovers, but they promote a one-tooth-at-a-time image. This brand straddling, non-strategy confuses the audience and dilutes the value of a smile makeover. However, before you decide to take the leap, here's a reality check: there might only be room for a few in town who can grab the "brass ring" of a real smile makeover practice.

Therefore, you need to honestly and thoroughly assess your situation, location, image and demographics. And then, hit your audience (and surpass the competition) with a seamless communication approach.

There are many dentists who can become smile makeover dentists that aren't trying to be and some that are trying to be that shouldn't. In the end, you need a strategy that will do what you need first (keep revenues flowing) and what you want second (increase the frequency of large cases). You don't need to be the showman or be nationally renowned to make this leap; you just need to cover all the bases enough to build "recognizable value". This means they know what they need to know to say YES!

Successfully making this leap is not easy, but the freedom it offers is quite exciting and fulfilling. Many dentists want to do 8 plus unit cases three to five times a week rather than once or twice per month. Instead of narrowly defining their image and refining their message to attract this audience, they straddle an image that appeals to many audiences so they get only a smattering of complete smile makeovers.

This image change does not require you to become an over-the-top "Spa" practice or the out-of-reach-for-everyone-except-the-rich practice. What it means is that everyone to whom you present should understand why he or she is there and that you are THE expert in what they need:

1) They should know their case presentation might not resemble their uninitiated expectations: they think they need four teeth changed and you recommend 14.
2) They should believe in your fees; then those who charge less will be suspect in their eyes.
3) They should have reviewed your Web site and have specific knowledge of your "expertise value".
4) They should not ask about whitening but about how you can change their life!

To make these informed and ready-to-go clients a reality, you need an upgrading dental IQ approach. This approach is focused: avoiding the shotgun method for "cosmetic" clients. The shotgun method requires significant client management: many phone calls, many consultations, many no-shows, and many one to four unit cases.

Yes, the shotgun method gets you a few smile makeovers, but the percentage of big-cases-done-to-patients-seen is usually very low. But why juggle clients of every stripe? Wouldn't it be better to funnel in only those clients who really want your highest-level expertise? You can continue to be the heart surgeon seeing the podiatrist's patients or start doing exactly what you can and want to do.

How do you get there?

A) First... Divine your place in dentistry.
     Decide who and what you want to be and do.
B) Then... Define your image and Refine your message.
     Take this seriously or your desired audience will be forever wanting.
C) Forget about whitening:
     Heavily promoting this service can confuse your audience if you really want to do more, larger cases. Plus, Crest and many others do whitening--maybe not as well, but competing in this arena is costly and not very helpful in differentiating your brand.
D) Quit promoting veneers and crowns:
     This is about lives not products!
E) Drop the Family Dentistry moniker:
     You can't be an "expert" in adult smile makeovers AND fighting little Johnnie's cavities.
F) Save your money on Yellow Pages:
     This is so last century: the smile makeover clientele does not find its services here.
G) Deep six Garfield, Happy Teeth and Coupons:
     This row has been hoed, people! Cheap and generic do not rhyme with expertise.
H) Get your Expertise Published Locally:
     Advertising is good; even your referrers can use the help.
I) Tell the Media what you are doing:
     Do it again, and, again and yes, again. They need news; why shouldn't it be about you?
J) Make sure your team is saying the same exciting things about your brand (and that they believe it):
     If your team is saying different things, your audience is confused and less likely to commit.
K) Go online with a Web site and tell your story:
     Present your expertise evidence (professionally) and make sure they can find you in local searches.
L) Get going now!
     You never know what your competition is doing to your future.

The smile makeover leap does have its pitfalls and stresses. Staying put with your current strategy or only gradually changing could stave off these disruptive issues. Then again, getting overrun or overshadowed by your competition who is reaching for and getting the "brass ring" might not be very appealing either.

Making the leap to more smile makeovers requires the same energy and confidence you needed to pursue your advanced dental expertise. There are thousands of dentists in the country who are at the same crossroads. I have worked with over one hundred of them. They have a practice that is working well in many ways, often financially sound. However, it functions at a level below their expertise.

Their knowledge, skill and education have increased, yet current clients and the majority of their potential audience still believe the "smile makeover thing" is only for celebrities, TV news anchors, cover models and "Reality TV" makeover contestants/participants.

This "brass ring dentist" is looking to leap to another place on the map: "What if I had about half the clients and was doing two to three $8,000-$18,000 cases per week? Plus still get half of all the other work I used to do. Now, that would be a location to arrive at!"

The next time you present a $15,000 case remember this: they aren't any more likely to say yes to your recommendation than you are to a consultant's multi-$1,000 fee for giving you the makeover you need. If they and you aren't enlightened to the value of your respective makeovers, neither sale will be closed.

If you want new and current clients to grab the makeover brass ring you offer, you need to have your own makeover brass ring in hand. Divine. Define. Refine. And, after some diligent work, you can... Recline more often.

Marketing Commentary by Dick Chwalek - Niche Agency, Director
NicheAgency.com -- BetterReferrals@NicheAgency.com