With so many big corporate practices around, are independent practices in danger? How can you compete against $39 cleanings and free TV giveaways?
Independent practice owners worry about these questions a lot. They’re stressed enough as it is. Having to worry about a big corporation putting them out of business is the last thing they need. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to end badly for you. In fact, the $39 cleanings big corporate practices offer can be a great thing for you. I’ll tell you why at the end. For now, here are three ways to compete against the big corporate practices. These strategies will help you never have to worry about $39 cleanings again.
1. Change your circles.
Sometimes, the real question isn’t how we compete with offices giving away free TVs or $39 exams. The real question is how we attract people who don’t care about discounts and can afford our services.
How can you get in front of people who buy luxury brands?
How can you get in front of people who pay a few extra bucks to valet their car at the mall instead of hunting for a spot?
How can you get those people to your office?
You get in front of those people by joining the same business and social circles. Look at the circles you’re in. Are you spending time with people who can come to your office and get whatever services they need?
There are tons of local groups full of amazing people making big impacts in the community. Look for groups like your local Rotary or EO. Many groups are full of people who want higher-end services and don’t care about $39 cleanings. The people you meet there will have friends and family who can as well.
Get out and network in the right circles. I know this can be a stretch for many dentists because a lot of us are introverts. Many people think I’m an extrovert, but I’m actually an introvert, too! I’m actually really quiet and shy. But I know I need to stretch myself to grow. I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone quite a bit to build my practice and with Delivering WOW!
2. Change your story.
You won’t compete against $39 cleanings until you develop a unique practice story. We make our office an escape from the stress and busyness of everyday life. Our patients feel important when they’re here. We help fearful patients ease their anxiety. We offer luxury amenities. We give tours of our offices. We respect our patients’ time with our on-time guarantee.
By doing so, our practice’s story becomes about much more than teeth. People talk about their experience with us when we’re not around. What are they saying about their experience at your practice?
Why do people buy Apple’s $199 AirPods when they can listen to music using other headphones? The people who pay $199 for AirPods aren’t buying headphones. They’re buying the convenience of not having to deal with cords. They’re buying the status of wearing $199 headphones.
Why do people buy Range Rovers when they can get to work in a Honda? They aren’t buying transportation. They’re buying the status of driving a luxury car. They’re buying the feeling of driving with high-end features.
Why do people valet their cars instead of searching for a free parking spot? They don’t care about the spot. They care about the convenience. They’d rather pay $5 or $10 to avoid spending 10 or 20 minutes of their lives hunting for spots and walking to the mall.
What do your patients say about your practice when you’re not around? Why should someone choose your practice over the $39 cleaning? How do you make them feel?
3. Be different.
We’ve done some incredible things in my practice over the past few years. We’ve added high-end services. We’ve invested in training for our doctors and other team members. We’ve invested in high-end equipment.
But we’re not done. We continue to invest in the best and most advanced training available. We know technology moves fast, so we’re taking dentistry to a whole different level.
We’re not worried about what’s going on around us. We don’t care if practices do $39 cleanings. We don’t care if practices give away TVs for reviews. We know what we do will help us make their $39 cleanings irrelevant to our success.
One of the best ways to compete against big corporate practices is to always be different. Keep growing. Stand out.
Are you ready to compete against big corporate dental practices?
At the beginning of the post, I promised to tell you why it can be good for you when other practices offer $39 cleanings. Here’s why.
You’ll never be able to make more and work less as an independent practice by offering $39 cleanings. You’ll have to work too hard to make the numbers work.
If big corporate practices are willing to do it, great. It might push you out of your comfort zone a bit. I get it. In the long run, these strategies will help you build a bigger and better practice. They’ve worked well for me and many of my Inner Circle members.
You’ll have happier patients. You’ll have more satisfied team members. And you’ll make more while working less.
If you want help growing, running, and marketing your practice, sign up for your 14-day trial to Delivering WOW U. In there, you’ll find my best training, systems, and strategies for building, growing, and marketing a dental practice.
You can also join my free Dental Marketing and Profits Facebook group, where thousands of dentists and I help each other build better practices. Finally, if you want even more personalized help, sign up for the next business bootcamp session, where I work with you and a small group of other dentists to implement these and more strategies into your practice.
This article originally appeared on DeliveringWow.com.