DTUK1610

June 14-20, 201018 United Kingdom EditionPractice Management A unique selling point (USP) is a marketing concept that defines a product’s competitive advantage, and can often sway a potential patient into choosing one practice over anoth- er. A simple, attractive USP is one way to make your practice shine through, and its goal is to create an undeniable reason for the pa- tient to choose you. No two practices are the same. Even if you have identical equip- ment, techniques, and even iden- tical chairs in the waiting room, there will be elements that differ between you, and the surgery do- wn the road. The key is to track do- wn what makes your practice diff- erent and maintain it – this is your USP. It may be new technology that is not available anywhere else, a fantastic team who are able to put even the most nervous patient at ease, even down to the choice of beverages available in the wait- ing room - all could mark your practice stand out as different, and attractive to potential patients. Analyse your patient list Before deciding on your USP, it is important to look at the patients you already have. Are they mak- ing use of all the services your practice has to offer? Can you of- fer something to maintain their loyalty? Increase their interest in your services? When considering a USP for your practice, it is vital not to al- ienate existing patients, so make sure you ask your current patients what they find positive about the surgery. Ask customers to sign a visitor book and comment about their experience or even gather customer testimonials. The word- of-mouth approach to marketing is incredibly effective and you will get an excellent insight into what patients find to be the best fea- tures, and services, of your prac- tice. After all, if you provide something specific that they find attractive, it stands to reason that other patients may be looking for the same service! That said, you are market- ing with a view to encourage in- terest from new patients, in the areas that you want to be doing more work in, so you will need to research these markets thor- oughly as well. Find out what is important to your target audience. It may be your ability to offer tai- lored treatment plans for nervous patients, for others it may be the use of the most cutting edge tech- nologies, and for some it may be as simple as being able to enjoy a decent cup of coffee and an up-to- date magazine whilst in the wait- ing room. Market yourself well Once you have decided upon your USP, it is important to mar- ket it correctly. You know the client base you are aiming for, so some simple research into how they would search for a practice is needed. Many people choose to utilise the internet when seeking a dentist, so advertising your ser- vices on an appropriate website may be the way forward. How- ever, if you are targeting the old- er generation, publicising your services in the local press may be more profitable. Promote your USP Organising events to publicise your USP is a useful tool as well. If you are going to focus on your facial aesthetics options, it may be beneficial to host an event invit- ing potential patients to the sur- gery for a glass of champagne and an opportunity to meet the team and ask any questions they may have. You could also follow the event with a free consultation for the attendees. Whilst this may not result in any immediate appoint- ments, potential patients will be aware that it is a service that you offer, and the dentist’s surgery is not an environment merely for fillings and lectures on flossing any more! It is important to find out what your competitors are of- fering. After all, a USP is not unique if it is the same as the practice two doors down. Re- search what other local surgeries are offering, even pay them a visit them to see what they have done to their practices – and then do something completely different. People are expecting a bespoke service from you, a completely original smile; they do not want to achieve it in an identical surgery. The final key thing to remem- ber is that it is vital to maintain your marketing plan; patients chose to have their procedure carried out at your surgery for a reason after all. Flash-in-the-pan marketing can work in the short term, but in order to sustain any longevity it is important to fo- cus on a USP that is not going to change regularly. Your patients may be excited to hear that your receptionist made it through to boot camp on The X Factor, but this is not a USP that will withstand the test of time. Patients want to be confi- dent that they will find a familiar and welcoming environment on consultation, treatment, after- care and even their yearly check- ups. Madonna may be able to reinvent herself every year with impunity, but your USP needs to remain stable. DT The importance of the USP With more and more practices offering a huge variety of treatments, it is vital your practice can offer potential patients something a little bit different. You need to find your practice’s USP, urges Dr Solanki About the author Dr Solanki stud- ied medicine at the University of Ox- ford followed by a PhD, having come from a business- orientated family he followed his pas- sion of starting up a dental marketing company with its strengths in on- line search marketing in early 2007. Since then, he has undertaken exten- sive search engine optimisation (SEO) training from some of the world’s lead- ing experts in this field and continues to do so. He offers advice on SEO, busi- ness consultancy and strategic market- ing campaigns for his clients. He is also the founder of the world’s most visited dedicated cosmetic dentistry website www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk. Dr Solanki now offers dedicated market- ing strategies for dental practices on a referral only basis.