Marketing Tips I Learned from my Dentist
In over the 18+ years I’ve been helping people get seen, heard, and paid, I gotta say, dentists are by far some of the best marketers in the world.
Believe me, it’s not because I know a few of them personally. 😉
Ever since I was little, my mom was one of those moms that made sure my teeth were clean. She’d make sure I brushed my teeth properly every time I would eat and brushed my tongue until there was no weird, white gunk. She even took me to the dentist every month to my checkup to make sure my teeth and gums were going to be a-ok.
And if they weren’t, dentists use what marketers call an upsell to get you, the customer, to pay for an additional service.
It’s interesting that even though dentists aren’t necessarily straight-out labeled as entrepreneurs, they sure know how to operate like one. Long gone are the days where you can go to one doctor to get everything from your eyes to your teeth check. Nowadays, every business has a target niche, including dentists.
If you’ve ever been to the dentist office, you may already know how long it can take to get one thing done. And I’m not talking about the long wait in ‘the chair’; I’m talking about the countless visits since dentists don’t do everything all at once. Even while you’re there, you’re surrounded by other advertisements such as teeth whitening or Invisalign, all of which make you think long and hard about all the other wonderful services your dentist offers.
“Maybe I should get my teeth whitened.”
“Hmm, my teeth are a little crooked. I guess I can get my teeth straightened out.”
“Oh, the dentist just offered a really great deal I think I should take.”
These are the kinds of thoughts your customers should have as they browse through your store or website. You need to make sure you’ve captured not only their teeth, but their hearts, too if you get what I mean?
Dentists do this through cognitive dissonance. The marketer, aka your dentist, will present to you two sides of the story: one that speaks to your heart and one that speaks to your head. Most of the time, the heart sends the signal for the purchase decision.
For example, my dentist said to me, “You know, your teeth are pretty good but we’re noticing some bone loss that can cause gum disease, which then can cause heart disease. Now these are the things that you need to be looking at, especially around your age.” At this point, my dentist already caught me by my teeth but also everything else.
So, the question for you is when you get your customer in your virtual chair, how are you serving them in a way that makes it a no-brainer for them to take the next step with you?
Do you have a follow-up system do you have in place where, if they’ve shown some interest, set-up to follow-up once they’ve opted in with you?
If not, take a cue from the dentist and begin the process. It’s never too late to reach a customer.
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