Willful Disinformation

By Christopher Hall / PRDent Ltd

I am a big fan of Michael E. Gerber, the author of the E-Myth series of books. I cannot recommend enough that you read his books.

In E-Myth Revisited he talks about some well known theories which have been my Mantra for years but obviously he has a unique way of getting these thoughts across in a practical and easily understandable way.

He states that most small business owners (I know this does not exclude Dentists) think of Marketing as just good old common sense. Dentists are the same as any other business owner in the fact that they suffer from "Willful Disinformation". This is where you decide what you want to do without any researched information to guide you. You just go ahead and do it without any interest in what is true!*

I have been guilty of the same thing myself several years ago. I can now see my mistake!

Your stationary may be designed by the local printer with a logo thrown in for free. Colours are picked by your wife, husband or neighbour and signs are designed by the local sign writer who's experience is sign writing, not determining what colours and shapes are psychographically correct.*

If I can add one of my own here, this happens to be my biggest gripe! Web Developers who are really web builders who know a bit about Marketing and a bit about Graphic Design but not enough. This takes me back to an old saying which is that people should stick to what they are good at and not try to be a jack of all trades.

Before you know it you will be sending a whole lot of mixed messages out there which may or may not get to your target market and if it does could confuse them.

If you are a business owner you must take a serious interest in Marketing but you do not necessarily have to be sensitive to the science of marketing. An interest is good enough!*

The entire business process by which your company does what it does is a Marketing Process!*

"It starts with the promise that you make to attract patients to your door.*

"It continues with the sale you make once your patients are there.*

"It ends with the delivery of your promise before they leave the door.*

Dentists really must see the Marketing process as not only how to attract patients but how to deal with them when they call you or visit you in person or via your website. This is where the branding and customer experience comes into it which is all Marketing. Finally, you want your patients to leave with a positive experience that will surely be passed by word of mouth.

The Lead Generation, Lead Conversion and Client Fulfillment is an essential key process.*

The whole process should be seamless and totally connected. How well you do it will determine how successful you will be at making them come back to you for more. Getting existing patients to come back to you is a lot less expensive than finding new ones all of the time, although new patients are the life blood of any dental practice.

Marketing never stops!

* Michael E. Gerber, E-Myth Revisited (New York: Harper Collins 1995), p.230-232.