Gary Johnson Explains The Elements Of The "Wow Experience:

I have the opportunity to lecture to thousands of dentists and orthodontic staff around the country. In my lectures, one of the areas I emphasize is providing the “WOW” experience. While many practices do a wonderful job providing a great clinical experience, my research shows that we take many aspects of the first impression or interactions with the patient for granted.

Let me give you an example. One question I always ask of the staff is to estimate the dollars spent each year to market the practice. I explain that the marketing budget is everything they think is done to attract new patients. I get a wide array of answers ranging from $0 to as much as $100,000 per year. When I explain to them that they are not even close to the real number, they all look at me with disbelief until I explain.

I ask the staff members to assume that their doctor had just come from back from a marketing symposium. At that symposium, the first speaker was an expert on the Internet and suggested that if you plan to be in the field of dentistry over the next 10 to 15 years and do not have a strong web presence, you are in big trouble.

The reason for this is because research shows us that two out of every three people under the age of 50 will search the Internet first when trying to find a local business. In addition to being on the web, the expert continues that you must not only have a presence, but you must be within the first two pages of their search, or they won’t find you. This means that search engine optimization (SEO) and Really Simply Syndication (RSS) are absolute necessities in the development of your site.

The marketing expert goes on to describe the critical nature of choosing your “meta tag” wisely. A meta tag is the paragraph underneath your practice’s name in an Internet search. Most businesses unfortunately allow the search engine to randomly pull information from your site to place in your meta tag. The expert strongly recommends that you prepare these words wisely as this is what the searcher is reading to determine which site to click on.

In addition to SEO, RSS, and the meta tag, the marketing guru tells the audience that research shows that once someone clicks on your site, you have a whopping 4 seconds to make an impression before the searcher will hit the “back” button. This means that aspects like coloring and ability to easily navigate your site are critical. Other important considerations include pictures of staff, clearly demonstrating what makes your practice unique, and answering frequently asked questions.

Armed with this new information, you go back to the practice, and make changes to your website as suggested by the marketing consultant. You hire your region’s most expert website developer. You bring someone in from the novel writing department at the local university to write the meta tag and to reconstruct all wording throughout the site. You hire an interior decorator to make recommendations on the “right” colors for each web page. You send the staff to the mall to get their pictures taken by Glamour Shots®. The site now truly looks incredible.

aNow that your site is ready and available for viewing by the world, let’s go back and answer the question about your annual marketing budget. “Mom” is in search of a new dentist. She goes to the Internet and finds your site on page one of her search. The meta tag underneath your practice name catches her attention. She reads it and cannot wait to click on your site. She clicks and truly cannot believe the beautiful coloring of your site. The words on the site are like poetry. All of her questions are answered with flair and precision. She notices pictures of your staff and imagines how wonderful they will be to deal with. Everything about your site tells her that she has found the panacea of dentistry. She hurriedly dials the phone with great anticipation of the beginning of a long and wonderful relationship. Then, everything comes to a screeching halt when the person on your end of the line answers and sounds like “Bonnie Bad Day” or “Nancy Negative.” What happened to all the money you spent to attract this potential new patient to your site? It went right down the drain.

As humans, we are emotional decision makers, and every encounter with us is measured and analyzed. Mom will make decisions on whom she will pick to be her family’s dentist or specialist based on how your team makes her feel, not on the quality of your dentistry.

Staff will have the greatest impact on the growth of your practice. Period. No matter how good you are clinically, no matter how much you advertise, the greatest growth factor is the perception your staff creates in the mind of the potential patient. That is why you should never, never, never, take the first encounter for granted. Unfortunately, most practices do take that first impression for granted, and that is why their “appointment kept” ratios are not where they would like or their patients’ starts are below expectation.

So when considering your marketing costs, always remember that the first encounters we have with the patient are critical – everything from your website design, your search engine optimization, the look of your practice, but most importantly, the way your staff makes your potential or existing patient feel.

Gary Johnson is a national lecturer on practice management and author of The Momentum Maxim: Using the principles of W.O.W. to revolutionize your practice. He is a scheduled speaker for staff at the 2014 AAO in New Orleans. He offers free practice management for clients of DynaFlex. His website is www.practicemanagesolutions.com.