Is it still possible for solo dental practices to win the battle against large, competitive pressures?

We say: absolutely.

Though the growth in the corporate dental industry can be overwhelming, the reality is that savvy dentists—those who are rocking their marketing and running a five-star practice—will continue to beat out larger competitive pressures, day in and day out.

The key is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of corporate dental practices, and adjust your marketing strategy to take advantage of these opportunities accordingly.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled the top tips and tricks from seven renowned dental industry experts.

Follow these exclusive insider secrets and your dental practice will be well on its way to winning new patients in the competition against corporates today:

How Can Dentists Win New Patients In The Battle Against Corporates?

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS of Dental Practice Solutions

Small means BIG when it comes to keeping patients in your dental office. Take advantage of the personalization your practice can offer patients. For example:

• Send a simple birthday video message to every patient when it's their birthday.
• Have the doctor call new patients to welcome them to the office and begin rapport building before they step foot in the office. After your new patient leaves, later that day or evening, have someone call to ask how their first appointment went.
• Anytime a patient receives local anesthesia (hygiene patients included) or had a challenging appointment, call to check how they are doing later that day.
• If you offer a "Lifetime Whitening" Program, have the bleach syringes imprinted with your office name and information instead of using syringes with a brand name (which means nothing to your patient.)
• Each employee needs to ask at least one patient, each day, for a new patient referral.

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David Maloley, DDS of Relentless Dentist

You can't make this an "arms race".  The big corporate practices will always outspend you on marketing.  However, you can out-hustle, out-passion and out-personalize the patient experience.  It can be as simple as Dale Carnegie's advice from the classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People.  He outlines six rules for making people like you.

• Rule 1:  Become genuinely interested in other people.
• Rule 2:  Smile.
• Rule 3:  Remember that a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound…
• Rule 4:  Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
• Rule 5:  Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
• Rule 6:  Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.

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Alex Nottingham, JD, MBA of All Star Dental Academy

Develop a relationship-based approach. Spend more time with patients. Build more value. Demonstrate amazing customer service. Train like the best service companies in the world!

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Reza Izadi, DDS of  Denteractive

Practices need to build and foster personable relationships with their patients through positive and effective communication channels. Our patients need to feel the genuine compassion and care that is often lost in a fast-paced corporate setting. We can build loyal friends and patients by providing optimized oral healthcare education not only in the office, but also through technology and social platforms. This is the basis for a successful collaborative approach to personalized dentistry.

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Kristine A Hodsdon RDH, MSEC of Kristine A Hodsdon

The key to winning new patients is creating a practice culture that patients want to be a part of. Focus, first, on connecting with who “that” practice owner or team would BE in the fulfillment of attracting new patients to your office. Connection matters more than anything. Patients do not care how much we know or how skilled we are until they know how much we care. Connection and intimacy are the energies we need to bring into our new patient conversations or, for that matter, ALL patient communications.  We must have the willingness to connect genuinely with patients so we deliver an authentic practice experience.

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Carl Guthrie of ETS Dental

My client base is made up of those private and small group practices competing with corporate dentistry. They have to be economical and convenient to compete.

Practices don't have to be the cheapest, but they need to be creative: in-house financing, $0 patient out of pocket cleanings, etc. Secondly, convenience: expanded hours such as evenings and weekends are highly sought after by patients. Patients see dentistry in much the same way they see retail. It must be available when they want it.

Our most successful and faster growing clients are paying attention to when patients are available and want their appointments. Additionally, they provide information and resources to help patients move beyond the insurance roadblocks.

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Adam Zilko, Cofounder of Firegang

Differentiate themselves. Look at the first page of Google, and look at all the websites on the front page. Notice how everyone is saying the same thing... Notice how everyone is trying to educate people on 'what' services are and 'how' they work.

Patients aren't there to learn about the what and the how. They're there to learn about 'why' they should choose you to help them. What makes you different than the 30 dentists down the street? Why in the world should I pick you over them?

What can you offer that they're not? Are you open on Saturdays? Do you have a unique promotion to get people in the door?

Think about this, and promote it. But whatever you do, don't be like the masses. Stay away from saying things like "friendly and professional staff". Things like that are generic and thoughtless, and does nothing to help you differentiate yourself.

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Follow these insider steps above and your dental practice will continue to beat out the competition, including large competitive pressures, now and in the future.