Relationship marketing

“Relationship marketing was first defined as a form of marketing developed from direct response marketing campaigns, which emphasized customer retention and satisfaction, rather than a primary focus on sales transactions.”[1]

In general, this type of marketing differs from other forms in that it recognizes the longitudinal value of customer relationships and extends communication beyond interruptive advertising and sales promotional messages. If you’re good at this, your patients will come back again and again and ask for you. Practiced correctly, relationship marketing creates an emotional bond, generates a memorable experience and increases customer engagement and loyalty.

In the dental office this might mean the extra time it takes to settle-in a nervous patient or help a mom distract her children so she can get an exam. Make an effort to maintain good notes that are not only clinically correct, but have some personal detail that can demonstrate your interest and jog you memory so you can continue the conversation from the previous appointment. People want to matter and they want to be remembered. The genuine interest in your client/patient will help facilitate success on both your part and theirs.

If your interaction stems from a place of curiosity and kindness, your day tends to go much faster and you feel more effectively energized. On the contrary, if you approach a patient with much anticipated dread or inactiveness, it wears everyone down. In essence, if you practice relationship marketing in your operatory, for example, when you have a mishap or are running behind, you are able to overcome these obstacles with a minimum of feather smoothing because you have established a positive connection.

This scenario is applicable from the moment a patient sits down in your chair. If all you do is proceed with the “robot prophy” and make no effort to talk to the patient and ask open-ended questions, you lose the opportunity to open the door to relationship marketing.

When a patient does not understand a procedure or has a question regarding a specific product, you are the expert. This affords you a huge opportunity to be of service and also a source of information. This is an example of a moment where trust and rapport are established. Connection is a verb. Action is required. Demonstrate interest and curiosity and you may be surprised at the outcome. It really is in our DNA andmakes us happier.

We’re hard-wired to connect

Not only do we have an innate desire to relate to other humans, our DNA practically compels us to tell stories about them. People will spout endlessly about who was on “American Idol,” should the government shut down, what’s happening with the royals, etc. Then there are people’s opinions about Tiger Woods. The Woods example is a strong one: Most of his sponsors pulled away because they didn’t want to be identified with his behavior and the fallout.

Having a human identity that people can identify your brand with makes your products/services intrinsically more remarkable — that is, intrinsically easier to tell stories about. On a smaller scale, your patients relate to you as the face of whatever you are representing. Most of all, you are representing yourself and the services you provide, and I urge you to do that with genuine authenticity.

Create positive relationships to get ‘permission’

Let’s explore another example of relationship marketing in action outside of the operatory. Maybe you can relate to the following scenario.

One of the most dreaded things for any sales representative is to enter an office and see people scatter like mice when the lights have been turned on. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead they came out from every nook and cranny to see you just because you were there? It is possible that people will seek you out for information; however, you need permission. Is there any representative that you are really happy to see when he or she comes into your office? If so, step back a bit and reflect on why that might be.

My guess is that this person connects and enjoys it, and as a consequence of that effort, you feel appreciated and happy when you encounter him or her. This connection gives you the “permission.”

Permission marketing

“Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.”[2] You’ll be amazed at how much easier and fulfilling it is to talk with someone who is “warmly interested.” You won’t convert everyone and you don’t need everyone.

Why not cultivate real relationships with your would-be and existing patients? Build your tribe and make an effort to genuinely connect to your patients.

As this applies to the dental office, be genuine, you won’t convert everyone to be a life-long flosser, however, there are patients who will be receptive to your message.

This is the recognition of the new power of the best consumers to ignore marketing. It realizes that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention. You can convert previously disinterested patients by connecting to them from a unique perspective

You can use marketing to cultivate and grow relationships, but there are some important guidelines to follow. Electronically, don’t send out “spam” because it won’t be read, and don’t info dump because it won’t be digested.

In order to get permission, you make a promise. You say, “I will do X, Y and Z. I hope you will give me permission by listening.” Next is the hard part: that’s all you do. You don’t assume you can do more. An example in the dental office is sharing an article on a specific procedure or product a patient is interested in learning more about.

You don’t sell the list or send spam to a patient’s e-mail. This is disingenuous sales practice that is used for self-advancement, regardless of how it works for the patient. Patients are quick to detect and judge someone as insincere, so do everything possible to avoid coming across this way.

“Real permission works like this: If you stop showing up, people complain, they ask where you went.”[3] The point is, you want to establish such a positive relationship with your patients that they miss you when you’re gone.

Permission marketing vs. interruption marketing

It all funnels into the same idea: Create a stronger emotional connection with existing patients and you will turn them into loyal advocates. Not only is this more fun, it’s much more profitable. Selling to someone who knows, trusts and likes you takes fewer resources than selling to strangers. I came across some best practices that distill this concept down to concepts that are applicable on a daily basis.

No. 1: Be in the groove

Be open minded to the ideas and opinions of others. Ideas come from all kinds of sources and being open and non-judgmental are key to expanding your creativity in the workplace.

It may be a challenge to pitch your idea to the dentist. Some of that may be your mindset. Coming at something from the perspective of the other person is a great way to persuasively anticipate his or her objections and move forward to better, more enjoyable job performance from everyone. Finally, “be a product of the product,” which means you need to believe in the message you are delivering. Be real.

No. 2: Make marketing a conversation

Any marketing for a dental practice should be part of a conversation, but don’t take yourself too seriously. In other words, skip the hard sell, or any sell, when using social media tools to interact with your community. Make your website consumer friendly and human. So, connect and join by all means, then make it meaningful.

No. 3: Make your product your marketing

Make your office a place people look forward to coming to. OK, maybe they just look forward to seeing you. That’s how much power we all have in this.

What are the ways to make your product or service interesting enough for people to talk about to others? Being remarkable is being interesting enough that someone is remarking about you. This is the best kind of marketing, word of mouth. In a positive light it is effective and free!

For example, how about giving every patient who visits your practice three-referral coupons to give to friends and family for a discounted exam? The patient’s name is written on the coupon so that when it is redeemed, the patient gets a $25 credit to her account for her next visit to the practice. This patient is likely going to be eager to share these referral coupons, and may even share the fact that she has them on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

No. 4: Empower your customer

If you empower your patient, more often than not, the benefits outweigh the risks. Include your community in certain aspects of your business. Maybe people in the community could submit ideas for the design of a new office logo.

After community members critique it and vote on it, many may become new (and likely very loyal) patients. As a result, they have a vested interest and a sense of ownership in what the practice does. Use your imagination and extrapolate to fit your business. There is likely some aspect that patients could have input in creating.

No. 5: Act human

Authenticity is non-negotiable for anyone selling anything, be it a pair of shoes or a tooth whitening procedure. It’s about treating your patients as you’d want to be treated. Employees should speak to patients in a voice that is truly theirs, but also represents the company.

Engage the community

Turn your patients into a community and engage them to participate in many aspects of your office’s operations, including product and service development. For example, you could conduct an online survey asking which days patients would prefer that you have earlier or later office hours. Involving patients in this change will carry two transformational benefits.

First, the quality of your understanding of your patients’ needs and expectations will increase exponentially. Second, patients will change how they view your dental practice. They will shift from viewing you as a “supplier” of products/services to a practice that offers relevance, personality and even friends with whom they choose to communicate over time. This sets you and your staff clearly on the path of relationship marketing.

Note: This article was originally published in Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition, Vol. 4 No. 8, August/September 2011. A complete list of references is available from the publisher.

About the author

Bridget Conway, RDH, BA, lives in Camden, Maine. She has been a featured speaker at the ADHA and other hygiene association meetings and has had several articles published. Conway has held positions in sales and education as well. Currently she works on the business side of dentistry for a corporation. You may contact her at bridgetrdh@gmail.com.