Friday, March 26, 2010

What My Dentist Taught Me About Being Relevant

Lynne, my dentist, is also my client. I have spent the past six months helping position and promote Lynne and Abbie’s practice to their patients. The goal for their marketing is more referrals. They so some of the common things that all dentists do. But they do it much differently than any dentist I have ever seen.

While helping Lynne and Abbie express the promise of their practice I began to think about how I feel about my current dentist’s office - and the differences. There are three things that differentiate Lynne:

1.  Schutte & McKnight’s promise is a personal and satisfying dental experience. They communicate how the health of your teeth is connected with your overall health. They explain how health problems show up in your mouth, and how something wrong with your teeth can affect other parts of the body. What an attention-grabbing concept I had never thought about. This made dental health relevant to my life.

2.  First impressions matter. My appointment began in the dentist’s personal office with she and my new hygienist (Stacey), just talking for 15 minutes. We talked about why I decided to come to the office, what I expected, and  if there was anything about a dental office that bothers me so she could make sure to avoid that concern. Unique. Really thoughtful and engaging.

3.  When your level of service is authentic and very consistent, it’s easy to live your brand. What Lynne showed me had heart, and expertise. She tactfully showed me, at 50 years old how to properly brush my teeth. She taught me something.

Needless to say they deliver on the other little things too: Lynne’s handwritten thank-you note, the iPod that distracted me from the drill, and the late afternoon phone call “just because”.

Lynne and Abbie did not start off thinking I would be their patient, and neither did I. Like any other service business, you can gain great advantage “…doing common things in an uncommon way.” (George Washington Carver. That, to me is the best definition of relevance.

If you can say “wow” about a dentist, I just did.

To learn more about Drs. Schutte & McKnight's practice, please visit www.schutteandmcknightdds.com.
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