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The world of dentistry is constantly changing. In most areas, the market for dental services continues to grow, but so does the competition. On too of that. there's the continued downward pressure on fees from managed care and the need to steadily increase the number of procedures, as well as your efficiency in moving patients through the pipeline. You're trying to accommodate all these changes without making life more complicated and still ensure a high level of patient care. You've heard that new laser technology could be part of the answer, but lasers are a whole new animal and they're expensive. Sound familiar?
You're not alone. Along with keeping up with improvements in office administration and resource management, dentists are re-examining the equipment they're using and carefully selecting the technology that will enable them to better serve their patients. Many are finding that lasers are the perfect tool for performing a wide range of procedures efficiently, with improved patient outcomes.
Even though price vs. performance for lasers has greatly improved over the years, a simple marketing plan will help to maximize your bottom-line potential. For many, marketing means high-priced advertising agencies and mega-dollar television commercials. This can dissociate the average dentist who, conversely, now pictures himself as a simple country dentist with a budget to match.
Low tech = grass roots marketing
Lasers can be a wonderful addition to any practice, but they should be marketed properly to reach your strategic objectives and return-on-investment goals. How can you do effective, yet affordable marketing? Often overlooked is the low tech or grass roots approach to marketing and promotion.
Gail Siminovsky, executive director for the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), offers some key advice for anyone getting started in laser dentistry. Gail...