The Dental Marketer

‍

Are you flushing money down the drain with SEO?

In this episode, Ali returns to debunk the myths surrounding SEO for dental practices and offers a candid lens into the world of effective online marketing. Instead of seeing SEO as an elusive, vague investment, Ali encourages dentists to view it through a strategic lens that demands understanding who manages their SEO, how it's done, and the tangible outcomes they should expect. With his pragmatic approach, Ali sheds light on the shadows of SEO, warning against common pitfalls like misleading metrics and the allure of hollow promises from some agencies.

Delve into the nuts and bolts of successful SEO tactics and learn why it isn't just about throwing money at a problem—it’s about smart execution. Ali emphasizes consistency in quality content creation, the necessity of maintaining a user-friendly website, and understanding that SEO shouldn't stand alone; diversified marketing is key. In this episode, Ali walks you through clear steps to optimize your content, pinpoint target areas, and enhance your website’s quality. And if you're looking for a professional evaluation of your SEO efforts, Ali generously offers a complimentary web assessment via DocSites.com, ensuring your SEO strategies are aligned and effective!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why effective SEO is a strategic investment, not a waste.
• The role of consistent quality content and user-friendly design in SEO.
• Common SEO myths and traps to avoid in dental marketing.
• How to diversify your marketing strategies alongside SEO efforts.
• Step-by-step guidance on optimizing your website content and tags.
• The critical importance of tracking new patient sources to measure SEO success.
• How to evaluate the performance and transparency of your SEO provider.
• Access to a free SEO web assessment that provides genuine strategic feedback.

Let's find out if your practice’s SEO is set up for success today; listen in!

‍

Sponsors: DocSites: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention The Dental Marketer for $500 off! docsites.com

‍

Guest: Ali SoufiBusiness Name: The DocSitesCheck out Ali's Media:‍

Website: docsites.com

Email: ali@docsites.com

Phone: 818-616-3919

‍

Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Terms:

SEO - Search Engine Optimization

‍

Tools/Services:

Wix

Squarespace

Google Maps

ChatGPT

Semrush

‍

Products/Brands:

Invisalign

‍

Research:

WebMD

Wikipedia

‍

Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]

‍

p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Imagine turning casual event interactions into lifelong patient relationships.

In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we dive into a complete, actionable framework for dentists eager to expand their practices. I unpack the art of pre-event planning, setting intentional goals, and constructing an irresistible activation kit. Drawing on wisdom from marketing legend Seth Godin, we learn that storytelling lies at the heart of effective marketing. We'll cover the essential roles within an event team— the magnet, the messenger, and the connector—each playing a crucial part in generating and nurturing potential patients.

We'll discuss hands-on tips for booth presentation and interaction strategy. Learn how captivating signage and engaging team activities can drive your booth traffic through the roof! This episode brings to light the importance of crafting messages that avoid clichés and resonate with potential patients. Discover key metrics to gauge your event’s success and develop an adaptable, scalable marketing system that ensures no opportunity slips through the cracks.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Strategic steps for effective pre-event planning for dental practices.
• The pivotal roles each team member plays in a successful marketing event.
• Techniques for creating engaging, memorable booth experiences.
• Essential do's and don'ts to maximize your event's impact.
• The art of immediate lead follow-up and team evaluation post-event.
• Insights into metrics and tools for tracking and optimizing marketing efforts.

Get ready to transform community events into powerful marketing victories—tune in now!

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/

‍

Sponsors:CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack

CallRail: Call tracking + AI that turns calls into campaigns that convert, quality patients, and cost savings. Start a free trial today! Don't forget to mention The Dental Marketer sent you!) callrail.com

Oryx: All-In-One Cloud-Based Dental Software Created by Dentists for Dentists. Patient engagement, clinical, and practice management software that helps your dental practice grow without compromise. Click or copy and paste the link here for a special offer! thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/oryx

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

People:

Seth Godin

‍

Groups:

Chamber of Commerce

Rotary Club

‍

Tools:

Eventbrite

Google Forms

Jotform

Mailchimp

ActiveCampaign

Google Sheets

Airtable

CareStack

CallRail

Oryx

‍

Businesses/Brands:

Invisalign

‍

If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:

My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/

The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍

Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)

Michael: leveraging community events for maximum impact. This is gonna be the step by step guide to making an unforgettable impression. At local events and converting it into real growth. Now, community events aren't just about handing out freebies. They're a powerful system for relationship building, trust marketing, and establishing your practice as the go-to in the neighborhood.

Seth Godin said, marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but the stories you tell. But here's the kicker. To win at these events, you need more than a table and smiles. You need smart systems, a team with purpose and follow up that drives revenue. I cannot tell you how many times I've gone to events where I'm either just an attendee or I'm a vendor.

it's almost like a pet peeve of mine where I see so many things going wrong. It feels like, oh man, this, employee who's hereis the wrong employee. You're doing the wrong things. You're just not feeling it. And you can see the mistakes.

You can see almost the opportunities lost in every single minute almost,not just every single interaction, every single minute that they're there. So this episode. Definitely it's gonna be a, game changer for you because you're gonna realize a lot of things that maybe you've been doing wrong or a lot of things that you could be doing better.

Now this is real data why this works. 43% of patients only visit the dentist once a year. 27% go twice a year. Events help turn rare visitors into loyal patients, okay? They see you, they talk to you, they engage with you, they interact with you. They're more likely to go with you. 59% of dental practices rely on front desk staff for marketing.

Your team needs training to represent you well at community events, so it's not just like, Hey, let's all go out. The whole team has to go out. They need to be trained. 77% of patients prefer online booking, but only of practices offer it. So your event setup should promote real time scheduling.

Don't let it get lost in the weeds where maybe you are booking people on the spot, maybe you have a specific software right, and you're booking them on the spot, on the iPad, and then you book them. And then you notice when you get back to the office, it's triple booked double book, and it's not cohesive.

Don't lose people like that because I cannot tell you how bad it will be if you have to call that lead back and say, Hey, you know, the time you booked doesn't work. Can I put you in another time? First you gotta get them on the phone, try and find them, try and reach them, right? But you most likely will.

And then from that point on, gotta convince them to, to change. So no email marketing, ROI is 44000%, It's huge. Capturing emails at events is high value. If you can capture phone numbers or even text them even better, right? So here's a step-by-step guide, step one. This is crucial pre-event planning.

This is the foundation phase, so choose the right events 90 days in advance if possible. Easy breezy. How to do this. You look for events where your ideal patients already gather. You look at PTA meetings you hear word of mouth where they're going, they're doing.

Farmer's markets, events in the Chamber of Commerce calendar and the rotary, club calendar, school health fairs. You just ask for events, right? A lot of apartment complexes have events, community center, senior homes. You can even use platforms like Eventbrite Facebook parent groups, Facebook groups in your community.

And like I said, chamber of Commerce right now, here's a pro tip. If any of these events, you decide, Hey, I really want to go to them, try to attend first as a guest. Observe the crowd flow, the booth engagement and the vibe before you commit. And then you can go. A lot of the times in the ground marketing course, I teach you how to do this and how to actually get fantastic referrals and partnerships, but new patients without ever participating in an event.

Meaning like without ever being a vendor, you're just there. But if you're like, oh my gosh, the booth engagement is fantastic, we gotta be here, we gotta support. Yeah, definitely continue to pursue that. Right now you wanna set clear measurable goals. So example targets. These are examples, right? I want to collect 75 emails or 75 contact information.

I wanna book 15 appointments on the spot. On site, and I wanna generate 200 plus impressions in the community. That means 200 plus people know about us, we've handed out. Something specific to them, they know about us. And then now you wanna work backward from your goals. Reverse engineer. If your team can engage 20 people per hour, plan your booth design game, call to action accordingly.

Okay? You wanna design it that way? It doesn't just happen that way. For example, let's just say it's a huge event and only one person's available and they're going, they're setting up, they're doing it all. They're at the booth, they're talking. right?

You're not gonna get everything that you want. You're not gonna get 200 email contacts or contact information or 200 leads because it's just one person. So you gotta, adjust accordingly. Now, you wanna design portable activation kit. The whole system for this, the actual layout, pictures and everything is in the ground marketing course.

Like I'm gonna tell you right now, you don't need flash. You need systems that trigger interaction and capture data. That's it. I've never been too over the top or over fancy with it. I've seen a ton of boots like that, and that's great. That's fantastic. But in this episode, you're gonna hear what's most important and what you need to invest more in on than being off lash right now.

What you're gonna want in this portable activation kit is branded tablecloth and banners. With your logo, maybe a game if you like, right? Like a spin to win or a Plinko board. IPads with intake forms, It can have Google forms or jot forms or a signup sheet. I still do the signup sheet, but it's up to you, You can have the iPads with linked to your practice management software. I know Cares Stack and orx do it fantastically. Great booking portals on there. Then obviously lead magnets, right? Pre kids, dental, emergency guides, or all the freebies you want to give out that are in there, hygiene kits, information flyers, things like that.

So that's step one. Okay? The pre-event planning Phase A, you're gonna choose the right events 90 days in advance, if possible, or just in advance, right? You don't wanna go on the calendar and say, oh, snap, there's an event tomorrow, let's make it happen. No. Take time to plan ahead. B, set clear and measurable goals crucial.

Have to have measurable goals. Never once did I go out and say, let's just see how many people we sign up. No, in the moment, you're gonna be like, oh, you know what? This is not that good, or whatever. You're gonna get in your head and you're gonna just sign up. Five people. You gotta have clear, measurable goals and say, okay, you know what?

From here we're gonna do 75, and that means you're gonna put in the work to get those 70 fives while you're there. Right? Be set. Clear measurable goals. See design a portable activation kit, like I told you, cable tablecloth, banners, maybe a chair if you like. spin the wheel, whatever freebies you wanna give out, and something to sign up people on.

Okay, step two is the booth strategy. So make it magnetic. This step is all about stopping people in their tracks. Creating a magnetizing presence and turning curiosity into conversations. Most booths are background noise. Yours should be the events gravitational center. So what you wanna have is a solve a local pain point with words that actually work.

I'm gonna give you three examples of what not to say anywhere in the booth. Hey, we're accepting new patients. No. That's so long ago. Don't ever use that again. Two, come get a free toothbrush. Nope, throw that out. Three. General and cosmetic dentistry. Throw that out. These are vague, they're overused, and they don't spark emotional or practical urgency.

You want to craft micro messages that solve actual local problems. For example, could be a pediatric practice. You can say. Somewhere in the booth, right? Struggling to get your kids to the dentist without a meltdown. Ask about our no tears visits. Why this works. It uses parents' pain point tantrums, and stress.

It includes emotional relief. So no tears. And it's specific. It's not generic. Here's a cosmetic example. Want to boost your confidence before your next big event. Ask about our mini smile makeovers. Same pain points that attacks the next one. Busy parent example, no time for dental appointments. Ask how we get families in and out under an hour.

Boom, ate and insurance neighborhood example. Confused about your insurance. We simplify it and yes, we take yours. Boom. This one right here, members have used, I got this one from members. Fantastic. I'm gonna say it again, confused about your insurance question mark. We simplify it and yes, we take yours and the exclamation point that one does fantastic.

And you can have like a sandwich board in front of your booth and have that on there, right? These examples, these sayings. Now pro tip, print your core message in large text or on your banner, right? And have every team member memorize and repeat it naturally. So have these banners with these messages on there as well.

But like, what I like to do is to have a sandwich board, right? Just in case it changes up. I don't have to get a new banner for every little thing. Now that was a right. A, is solve a local pain point with words that actually work. B. Grab attention within three seconds. Why? Well, The average event goer decides in under three seconds whether or not to approach your booth.

So you must stack the deck in your favor with visuals. Motion, sound and simplicity. Use a high visibility game, right? Why? ' cause movement plus potential reward equals attention. Examples are spin the wheel, right? Each wedge is a prize. Maybe free whitening, something specific

In one of our live ground marketing workshops that we had this past month in March, 2025. We dove deep on incentives. So if you're a member of the ground marketing course, definitely go check that out. But that is gonna be an episode for later on. In the ground marketing series.

Now you can discuss the incentives with your team. See what you want to give best Plinko board, right? It's nostalgic, it's fun and easy to brand with dental punts. you can do a mini basketball hoop or ring toss. These are especially effective for family events and kid heavy areas. Now the signage above the game should read the incentive.

The incentive only, Not all these instructions, not the name of your practice and everything you do. No, just win free whitening, spin and win. Everyone gets something. Play for a free gift, right? That's it. That's all it should say. Important point here is to display what prizes are available.

are drawn to visible rewards. Keep them attractive, but within budget. Whitening, goody bags, water bottles, gift cards, whatever you decide as an incentive, have that out on display. Have standing team members outside of the booth avoid the mistake of sitting behind the table. Always. Instead, place the magnet.

A few steps in front of your booth. Now I know what you're thinking. What is the magnet? We're gonna discuss that a little bit further down. On the roles of who they are. But the magnet is someone, it's a person you wanna put them out and about, right? Train them to use eye contact, hand gestures toward the game prizes, and an enthusiastic opener.

Something like this. Hey there. Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. The one that works the best, the one that I always use hands down, never fails is, Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free, and that's it. I just stay quiet after that, and then they come and then boom.

The further out a person stands without blocking walkways, the more psychological welcome they create. That's a pro tip. You can use t-shirts with a hook as well. These are walking, talking billboards. Don't just put your logo, use a question or statement that invites curiosity. Here are examples that you can use to put on your t-shirts.

Ask me how we make kids love the dentist. Ask me about free whitening Fridays. I can get you out of pain fast. Your smile deserves this. Those are examples, right? Or like I said, you can do the Medicaid example one. And yes, we do take yours, right kind of a thing with insurance. So assign different shirt slogans to different roles.

There's gonna be three specific roles, and we'll discuss that in a little laterin this episode. Now the three second layering formula to ensure people engage with your booth within three seconds. This is it. There's a visual element, and then I'm gonna discuss the purpose. So the visual element, bold banner, purpose.

Communicates core offer or pain point. Visual element. Motion game purpose creates eye catching interaction. Visual element, a friendly greeter. Purpose builds trust, initiates engagement, visual element, branded t-shirts. Purpose reinforces message and makes team approachable. Visual element giveaways displayed purpose creates curiosity and visual incentive.

Now, the common mistakes to avoid is too much text on signage. Keep it short. Five to seven words max per message. That's including the sandwich board. Passive team members who wait for people to approach. Oh my goodness. This is, I had a. Dime for every time I saw this, this is a humongous mistake.

Passive team members who wait for people to approach do not be that person. Do not have anybody like that on the events. Okay? Third, boring swag. Ditch the basic stuff sometimes unless it's branded and bundle it with a compelling offer, right? But remember, whenever it's at a booth, you want it all.

Decompartmentalize. You don't want everything in a baggie. Convenience is not the name of the game When you're at an event, the name of the game is for them to come and chat and sign up, That's what you want them to do. You don't want them to just grab a little baggie and go and say thank you and buy.

You want them to be there and shop around, talk, and then finally over cluttered tables with no clear flow. So you don't want it to be over cluttered. You want to have a system in your table. In the ground marketing course, I show you exactly how to do that with just a regular hygiene kit.

I don't do anything over the top or too flashy. Now, there's been many, many great examples of this, but I'm gonna give you an example of a member of ours. It was at a local PTA carnival. It was a pediatric dental office, and they use a spin to win, no cavity club prize wheel. T-shirts said, no meltdowns, no tears.

Just smiles. And a team member who shouted, You wanna win something your kids will actually love? That's all they said. Hey, win something your kids are actually gonna love. Come on in. Come on in. They collected 112 contact information, so point of contacts, 112, booked 27 appointments immediately, and had a 74% show rate over the next two weeks.

All from one. Afternoon. That's just one afternoon. That's amazing. So that's what you wanna do when it comes to be right. Grab attention within three seconds. Now here's the key C rolls and flow. This is the, that you're gonna have for the events. It's your triple threat event team. So instead of calling everyone helpers, give them roles with clear purpose.

The first role is The magnet. Where are they gonna be? Right outside of the booth. Right next to the booth. They're just not really standing right behind the booth the whole time. They could once in a while, but they're outside of the booth and their role. Is just to say hi to everyone in the most bubbly way.

Attract and invite foot traffic, right? Their script. Get ready for this. If you can write this down, it's, Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. And that's it. That is their script. the work that they're gonna have to do honestly is hold themselves back from saying too much. Because that can kill the curiosity of the event goer.

All you wanna say is, Hey, and then wave your hand, right? Like If you can see, if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see me wave my hand. Hey, grab whatever you want. It's all free. And then point to everything that's free at the booth that's it. Have them draw closer to be like well, what's all for you?

What is all you're not gonna answer? That they're gonna answer that themselves with their eyes and when they go to the booth. So that's it. That is the script. Hey, Grab whatever you want. Come on over here. It's all free. Don't, oh, and the toothbrush is free. And then the floss is, no, don't do any of that.

Just say it's all free. And then have them come over. That's it. And you get the next person. The next person. Right Now the next role, the next person. Your team is the messenger. They are inside the booth. Okay. I like to say that instead of behind, but they're inside the booth. Their role is to have these conversations, answer questions.

If somebody's in there, like opening their mouth and saying, why do I have sensitivity here? Can you see? And then they're engaging, their role is signing people up. Also, the magnet could be signing people up too. Just in case it gets too busy. That's why I say they're outside of the booth sometimes.

But if they see that the booth is popping and it's packed, now the magnet has to go behind the booth and sign people up while the other person is talking to everyone else, right? They're engaging with the person. So the magnet kind of has two roles. They have to have their eyes on that booth.

Now the messenger, their role is to educate, answer questions and point visitors to sign up. Hey, yeah. what we're doing this month is we're signing up everyone, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, right? This month we decided to partner up with this business, and what everybody's doing is they're giving us their name and number, and I personally will give you a call.

What's your name? And then you continue to sign them up. That's the messenger's role. They're behind the booth. Honestly, everybody in your team should probably never be sitting down, even, even in a lull, right? they're standing, they're engaging, they're doing things.

So that's the messenger. Remember now you have the magnet. They're outside of the booth. The messenger is inside of the booth, and now you have the third team member. The connector, okay. Their role, they are walking around the event to the vendors, to the other vendors. Their role is to build relationship with the vendors, the organizers, the schools, the small business owners, every other booth there.

And the people who are in charge of the event. Their role is to get their business information to sign people up on the spot. 'cause remember those people the, at the booth, the vendors at that booth, they're most likely not walking around. You have someone walking around, you have someone signing them up.

You have someone collecting their business information, building rapport so that tomorrow you can go to their place of business and get the rest of the employees to sign up, maybe do a lunch and learn, maybe have some type of collaboration or program that you can do just for them. That's your role. Okay.

The connector's role is to go out to the vendors and sign up the vendors. 'cause most likely they're not your patients, so they can come on it. And then you're collecting their business information so you can go to their place of business and execute more strategies, ground marketing strategies, and build great partnerships with those businesses.

So there's three, right? The magnet just outside of the booth. The messenger, they're inside of the booth and the connector, they're walking around. Creating partnerships with the other vendors and the organizers. Got it. Awesome. So then step three is you're gonna offer a design from freebie to the front door.

So your goal is not just to give things away, it's to trigger interest, build reciprocity, and create momentum that gets people to book, show up and become long-term patients. This step turns the booth from a passive branding tool into an active patient convergence system. So a, you want to create a compelling ethical incentive.

Forget free cleanings, right? It's overdone, undervalued, and invite slow commitment window shoppers. Instead, craft layer tiered offers that feel exclusive and valuable requires something in return. And reinforce the long-term value of your practice. Now, I'm gonna give you an example. This is for adults.

The offer could say, Hey free first Invisalign session and take home whitening kits, Or you can say Free smile consultation. Plus take home whitening kits. Then you can put on the bottom. It includes examine x-rays, custom smile assessment and a whitening kit must attend appointment rate and then continue why it works.

Whining is seen as a cosmetic bonus, not a fix. It also positions your practice as cosmetic forward and modern, and it's easy to tie in with Invisalign or SMILE design conversations for kids. Your offer can say, join our no cavity club. The entry into your monthly, quarterly raffle prizes, could be like toys, ice cream, gift cards, electric toothbrushes, right?

So that's part of the no cavity club. You always get prizes and then you also get free dental prize bags, right? Branded floss stickers and cool kids swag, all that other stuff. So your enter to win in a raffle all the time if you're part of the No cavity club, to win a huge prize. And then you're also, get, you know, like hygiene kits.

But. Rebrand it, call it something different. That way it feels more exclusive and it works because parents love recognition programs for kids. It adds community and reward structure and it gets families emotionally invested, inre care and return visits. A pro tip for this is display a poster at your booth with last month's winner and a real kid photos with permission of course, that always works when you actually have proof, right? Hey, this is the last month's winner. Especially if it's a community event. People will, Hey, I know that kid goes to, he's my best friend, right? Or all these things, they'll feel more inclined or families. You can offer a smile makeover giveaway.

One entry per household. One winner gets a full consult with digital smile design and bonus prizes for all entries, right? Small gift bags. Et cetera. Right? And it works because it's aspirational. People love the idea of a transformation. You collected dozens or hundreds of leads and create cross selling into whitening, ortho, and cosmetic options whenever you do a raffle.

Real quick, I wanna mention something. Don't ever have just one winner. Everyone should win something, right? So always plan that you want people to come in. Not just give you a bunch of names and numbers and say, oh man, they all wanted to win, but they didn't make everybody a winner. Now with, visuals, the offer type and the suggested sign copy, this is how it should stay on your booth, right?

So let's just say you're offering whitening. You should say, Hey, free whitening with your first visit. Ask us how. The no cavity club kids can win big. Join the No cavity Club today, right? Smile makeover. Want a new smile? Enter our makeover giveaway. Make these signs bold, easy to scan in under eight words, right?

Don't make it too wordy. You can add scarcity and urgency. Even the best. Offer false flat without psychological triggers, scarcity and urgency. Create fomo, which drives people to act now instead of later. So you can have a whiteboard or a flip chart at the booth nine Invisalign spots remaining.

13 whitening kits left today. You can even have a countdown timer on an iPad screen and say, next free whitening session giveaway is in five minutes. Right? People will, wait at your booth until they can be the first one to do it. If you do catch them waiting to be the first one to do it, make them feel like a VIP and say, Hey, you know what?

You ain't even gotta wait. I got you in right now. Are you gonna be available Monday? I'll even put you on the schedule immediately. Boom. You'll make them feel special, important, and they're gonna show up no matter what. And you can also have a physical prize board, right? Cross out slots as people win or book, right?

Oh, we only have 12, 10, 11, 13. And verbally, you can yell out, you know, we only have 10 whitening kids left, so grab one while they last. The smile makeover drawing closes in two hours and turn out to be included. We only block five Invisalign day specials each month. You want one right.

And it works because it makes them feel exclusive. Not everyone gets this. You're one of the few. It's simple. It's super easy. It takes 30 seconds to sign up and scarcity, only a few left. Once they're gone, they're gone. And you got one. This trifecta bypasses analysis paralysis and motivates decision making on the spot, even from skeptical attendees.

So that's gonna be fantastic to utilize. Now, here's the key. Mainly one thing post event follow up. This is where the ROI is made. This is one of the final steps, you wanna segment and nurture leads within 48 hours. So sort your context right from hot. Those are the ones that are booked or very interested to warm.

They were curious or maybe they weren't committed and then cold. They just entered a raffle. Now tools you can use is,a lot of our members use Cares Stack or orx or their practice management software right, to see the appointment follow up. You can definitely use that. I know Cares Stack and Orx

sponsor the podcast. So if you ever needed a couple months for free to utilize them, definitely go in the show notes below. It's not gonna be in the first link in the show notes below, but scroll a little bit down you can click on their deals that they have for you if you are interested in.

Cloud practice management software, an all in one cloud practice management software that a lot of our members utilize that they can just put on their iPad and then they can schedule on the spot. So it's pretty fantastic. You can also use MailChimp or, an email system, like Active Campaign or anything like that.

You want to use these tools to know, okay these, are booked appointments. Cool. Awesome. And then these were other people that just entered for a raffle and they're cold. Or maybe they're warm and you wanna retarget. So post event recap, right? Maybe you're saying We met 150 plus amazing families this weekend.

If we missed you, our event special is still Available. Click below to book. You want to do that? Send it out to your actual cold leads and maybe even send it out to some of the patients you haven't seen in a while that you know, they're in their community because this will make them curious.

See what it is, what are they doing? Oh man. What was the special that was happening at the event? Oh, cool. They're participating at the community. So now you're not just targeting, the people who were at the event. You're also targeting people who you haven't seen in a while. So definitely do that, and then you can use the same photos and text or emails so they recognize your team and so forth.

Now, for hot leads, call within 48 to 72 hours. I mean, As quick as possible. Offer a warm, friendly touchpoint and a clear call to book if they haven't booked yet. So that means if they signed up, they put their name, number, and you said, I will personally give you a call to get you on the schedule this week.

now's the time to call them. Be warm, friendly, and then get to the point. Just give them options. Don't say when are you available? No. Give them options one to two that they can schedule. Now, step five. Here's the big major part you wanna measure and optimize. This is gonna to be everything for you.

This is the difference between a random act of marketing and a repeatable system that builds wealth. Community events are only profitable if you can measure exactly what you gain from them. Identify what's working and scale it and eliminate what's not, and save time, energy, and money. track these metrics.

Every time without exception, you need to quantify both the top of funnel, that means leads and engagement, and the bottom of funnel appointments and production. Here's what to track. Okay? Leads collected. So total number of new contacts. Who gave you permission to follow up? That means emails, phones, or booked

Both Total and source. So if they were booked at the event, track it. If they were warm, they gave you the info, track it. If they were only raffles, track it. Like I said, you can use Cares Stack or Orx their forms that you can use directly on iPads or if you want, you can sync Google Forms to your CRM, right?

But tag the event source. So these leads are trackable in future campaigns as well. So that's number one. Leads collected, track it, two appointments booked. Number of appointments scheduled on the day and within the following seven days. So breakdown by onsite bookings, maybe let's just say it was 20 post event bookings via email or text message.

And then you wanna track the show rates. Why this matters. This is your true conversion rate. Don't just measure interest. Measure action. Like I tell you before, your practice management software, they may let you segment by source and measure, show rate versus no shows and then revenue generated.

Now this is within 60 days total treatment, accepted and paid from patients who came from the event. You don't want to wait six months to evaluate ROI look at hygiene visits, emergency treatment, accepted whitening, or ortho starts, and follow up family bookings. Set up event lead as a referral source in your practice management software, and then run a report after 60 days with that filter.

Right now, cost per lead, the formula is total event costs, plus number of quality leads. So example is, let's just say the booth fee was $400. Materials is $300, the total 700, but leads collected was 105. Cost per leads are $6 and 67 cents.

Why this matters? It helps you compare this event's efficiency against others. Other things as marketing such as ads, mailers, et cetera. Sometimes you don't have to, majority of the time, I wanna say at least like 80 something percent, you don't have to pay for a boothymaterials, you're gonna get them anyways to hygiene kit in the ground marketing course.

I show you exactly how to do all of this just with hygiene kits. Your cost is super low. What I just said right now, the example the booth V $400 materials 300, that's a lot higher. That's a lot higher than I've, ever really done. But we're taking it there because I want you to see the potential.

five is return on investment, right? So the formula for the ROI is revenue minus cost. Divided by cost. So the example is revenue generated is $4,000. The cost was $700, like the example we said. So 4,000 minus 700 divided by 700 equals 4.7. So 470% was the ROI. Now this matters because you'll know exactly which events to repeat, which to drop, and which to scale with confidence.

Not every event is gonna be a banger. Some events are gonna be like, okay, you know what? We did get a good amount. It's good to, for us to continue that, you know, every quarter and some events are gonna say, oh my gosh, we have to do more. We have to invest more. And that, that we've gotten an incredible amount.

Let's back them up. Let's see if we can create our own event with them. And then some events are absolutely fantastic, but they only host 'em once a year, right? Like employee benefits fairs or school events and things like that. But at least you know it's fantastic.

The ROI is great and you're locked in for years and years to come. Tool options, right? You can collect these leads with an iPad, Google Forms or Cares Stack, right? Appointment tracking, like I said, you can use. Your practice management software, if you're looking for a new one, like I said, cares Stack and nor sponsors our podcast.

So definitely check them out. You get an exclusive discount, and you can check 'em out for free too. Revenue by Source. You want to collect reports right on your practice management software, the metric ROI tracking. You wanna use custom Google Sheets or Airtable or just a way to collect the ROI and then dashboards.

You wanna have insights so you can do that with. Your practice management software. I know if you have Cares Stack, I think it's smartview. And then orx is Orx Insights. But you can utilize whatever practice management software you want to utilize,something that will help fantastically with the leads collected appointments booked, the revenue generated.

An easy way to track this you can use a software called CallRail. their new sponsor for the podcast. And they're fantastic at what they do. So for example, they have call tracking conversation intelligence. So they transcribe all your calls. And something I think is cool is they convert assist, so they convert leads with AI powered next steps.

Coaching and follow up messages. So they'll literally highlight, okay, they were looking for this is a trend we see that all the leads want in the community. Or maybe my tone wasn't the best or what I said, I fumbled here a little bit too much. And that's what caused them to be disengaged in the conversation on the phone or whatever.

Right? But primarily they track. lot of great things. So I would definitely use them when you can, not only to figure out how many leads are coming in, where they're coming in from, if they booked appointments, but at the same time see the conversation, see the trends and so forth. And then on top of that, you know, you can track everything else.

So if you want, you can check them out for 14 days for free. So what I would do is on your next event that you have coming up, enroll for the 14 days for free. Then after that in your debriefing meeting, okay, let's look at the hot leads, look at all the data generated from Call rail and see where you guys are.

if there's any cracks leaking, where you can glue them when it comes to answering the phones converting them, getting them in the practice and so forth. And how many leads came in. I mean, Call role makes it super easy. But definitely I'm gonna put a link in the show notes below if you wanna.

Check them out. They help with everything like that, with ROI, tracking, appointment, tracking leads, collection, even improving your front office skills and phones, right? So, Yeah, I do that. Check out CallRail or if you want, you can use Google Sheets or whatever practice management software, system you have, and try to, you know, maneuver it that way.

and the key is to debrief after every event. So within 24 to 48 hours of the event, gather your team for a 15 to 30 minute huddle.

This is where all the magic happens. This locks in wins, identifies flops and builds your repeatable event engine. Ask these seven questions. What worked extremely well? Not what worked. What worked extremely well? Scripts, offers, games. What got the most attention? Did the magnet, the messenger, the connector shine?

Who shined the most? what worked extremely well? Question number two is what flopped or fell flat? Was there a prize that wasn't exciting enough? Did anyone get confused about the offers? Three. Did people understand our messaging immediately or did we need to explain things over and over?

Four? Was there any downtime? Track the busy times or slow times, right? For future booth placements, sometimes it's a popping event. Where you decided to set up is not popping. It's not that good. It's in a dead spot of the event. So that's something to keep in mind. Was there any downtime? Five. What questions came up repeatedly from attendees?

This reveals content gaps you can fix with signage or handouts. Six. Did any tech or process slow us down? iPad glitches. QR codes didn't load. You know, you wanna fix that immediately. And then seven, how did each team member feel in their role? That's probably one of the most important because they're gonna be your main ones, right?

For this whole thing to be successful. So they have to feel super comfortable. And then you wanna build a post event template and you can use a format. Now we do have this format in the ground marketing course. It's for all our members. So if you're remember and you're listening, definitely go check out that format.

Download the post event template so you can use it, utilize it all the time. And go from there. If you're not part of the ground marketing course, definitely enroll. I'd love to see you in there. You can go in the show notes below. It's the first link in the show notes below, and you can check out everything that's inside of the course and we continue to add to it all the time.

But you wanna continue to do this, track it. Do a post event huddle, repeatable growth engine. That's what this is gonna be. Once you do this three to four times, you'll have a playbook of top performing offers. You'll have a refined booth strategy and a trained team that knows how to execute without micromanagement, and most importantly, you'll have a predictable new patient system.

Awesome. So if you have. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me on this. But the best way to reach out to me, especially with ground marketing, is being a member of the Ground Marketing course. You can go in the show notes below, click on the first link in the show notes below to check out more, and roll into the course and see everything we have to offer you.

And thank you so much for tuning in. I'm excited to see you in the course. And for the next episode. It's ground marketing at schools. What you need to know, we're gonna discuss how to approach schools and offer value to teachers and parents. Alright, thank you so much for tuning in.

We'll talk to you in the next episode.

Are you a new startup owner ready to dodge common pitfalls and steer your practice toward success?

Join us today as we walk through the inspiring journey of Nishant Pandit, a visionary in dental business development. From dental school in India to impacting the U.S. practice management scene, Nishant's experience is as diverse as it is practical. Listen as he shares his professional growth, discussing the pivotal steps he took to launch Atlantic Medical Supply and his own consulting company, Built Easy Solutions. Nishant guides us through the intricacies of managing and growing dental practices, emphasizing the necessity of proper staffing, strategic cost management, and effective marketing techniques.

Nishant doesn't just stop at the basics; he unravels advanced insights into the industry. Discover how integrated practice management software like CareStack can revolutionize your practice's efficiency. Learn why robust HR policies and compliance measures are not just formalities, but essential to operational success. Listen to negotiation tactics with insurance companies, methods for minimizing overhead, and the art of budgeting for dental supplies. Whether you're struggling with no-shows or seeking to streamline patient scheduling, Nishant offers his expert strategies to enhance every facet of practice management.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Key strategies for effective staffing and cost management in dental practices.
• Benefits of using practice management software like CareStack.
• Importance of comprehensive HR policies and compliance measures.
• Tactics for negotiating improved fee schedules with insurance companies.
• How to budget efficiently for dental supplies and manage overhead costs.
• Strategies to reduce no-shows and streamline patient scheduling.
• The impact of continuous learning through networking and educational resources.
• Ways to develop a flexible, long-term strategy in a dynamic industry.

Let's dive into Nishant Pandit's startup strategies today!

‍

‍

Sponsors:‍CareStack: Modern, Secure, Cloud-Based Dental Software for Growing Your Practice! With state-of-the-art features including Online Appointments, Integrated Payments, Text Reminders and more. Click the link here for a special offer: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/carestack

‍

Guest: Nishant PanditBusiness Name: Built Easy SolutionsCheck out Nishant's Media:‍

Atlantic Medical Supplies: atlanticmss.com

Built Easy Solutions: builteasysolutions.com

Phone:  848-247-8014

‍

Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Tools:

Google Chrome

Google Ads

Meta Ads

YouTube Ads

‍

Businesses/Brands:

DentalXChange

Primescan

UPS

‍

Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]

‍

p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

Feeling like rejection is closing doors on your ground marketing efforts? What if it could be your secret weapon instead?

In today's episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we're exploring the misunderstood realm of rejection, redefining it as feedback rather than failure. Through a blend of down-to-earth examples and actionable tactics, we're learning how practice owners and marketing teams can convert rejections into golden opportunities. Drawing from personal experiences, we demystify the reasons behind common rejections—from automatic no’s by gatekeepers to the fear of change among decision-makers—equipping you with the insights to turn these hurdles into stepping stones.

We'll unveil effective strategies like the "Coffee Drop" and "Customer Referral Play" to thaw the initial frosty interactions with potential partners. We'll dissect typical rejection types, providing countermeasures and a strategic three-step framework for cracking the "no" code. Each rejection, whether reflexive or cautious, is navigated with a value-first approach, ensuring a positive relationship. Wrapped with a real-world case study, this episode reaffirms the power of persistence and strategic finesse in transforming every negative into a partnership in ground marketing.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How to interpret rejection as feedback, not failure.
• The common reasons why marketing efforts meet resistance.
• Strategies like the "Coffee Drop" for connecting with gatekeepers.
• How past experiences influence current rejection responses.
• Techniques for maintaining relationships despite initial rejection.
• A step-by-step approach to counteracting different types of "no."
• Insights into crafting value-oriented propositions.
• A real-world application through a detailed corporate case study.

Press play and let's learn how to turn every "no" into a strategic partnership opportunity!

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Organizations:

American Marketing Association

Harvard Business Review

‍

Businesses/Brands

Walmart

Salesforce

McKinsey & Company

‍

If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:

My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/

The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍

Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)

Michael: Overcoming rejection in ground marketing.

Now rejection is not failure. It's feedback. Every rejection in ground marketing is a data point that tells you something about your approach, your value proposition, or your target audience. And the biggest mistake practice owners and marketing teams make is personalizing rejection, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to adjust, refine, and improve.

So let's talk about the real reasons rejection happens in ground marketing. Understanding rejection at its core removes the emotional stink and allows you to adjust strategically. So that's why we're gonna get down to the real reasons first, number one, and this one is huge. It happens all the time.

Gatekeepers are trained to say no. Now this is a statistic from the Harvard Business Review. 90% of cold approaches in sales and marketing are met with an initial rejection because gatekeepers have been conditioned to filter out non-essential interactions. So they've been trained on the interactions what they need to do.

And anything else besides that, they're just trained to say no, they don't wanna mess up, And a lot of the times in ground marketing, I wanna say this is like above 90%. The reason you get no is 'cause of this. Mainly because you're speaking to the wrong person first and foremost.

So if you do your strategy or your script and you talk to the gatekeeper, They consider that interaction most likely a non-essential. They're like, I don't know what's happening. What do I do? This is above my pay grade. No. I think I've spoken about this in the past many times, but.

I remember when I wanted to, ground market and provide a specific service and get in front of a lot of the warehouse members at a Walmart center. It's like a Walmart distribution center. It wasn't an actual Walmart. Huge, thousands of employees. And I tried getting in many times and I would ask to speak to HR, human resources.

Can I speak to hr? Can I speak to hr? That's just me thinking, right? Common sense hR would tell me no. I would get their voicemail a lot and still a no. And it wasn't until I spoke to someone who was pretty awesome at HR and they said, oh, we don't handle that. We only handle the front end of Walmart, like the actual store.

You wanna speak to the logistics center? Let me transfer you. They transferred me to the logistics center and then I just said, Hey, can I speak to someone there who's in charge of maybe HR or maybe they're your supervisor?They passed me to the supervisor and guess what? Within the first just ask.

I said, Hey, love to see if I can provide more services. Could we do like a lunch and learn like an event for the day? You're like, yeah, sure. Come on by. We'd love to have that. It was a lot thousands of employees, but it worked. It's 'cause I was speaking to the wrong person from the get go.

And you can just give up from that point on and then say, okay, you know, it doesn't work to get into the warehouse or distribution center at Walmart, but it does. It does, as long as you're speaking to the right person first and foremost. And then from that point on it continues. So here it's gatekeepers are trained to say no.

And that's a good example, that gatekeeper was the wrong person, first and foremost to speak with. And at the same time, all they know is just to say no if they don't know anything else. So the solution is you wanna bypass the auto rejection by making your presence non-threatening and value driven. So instead of selling, introduce yourself in a way that benefits them immediately.

This is going to disrupt their autopilot rejection and gets them to lower their guard. So number two, the lack of perceived immediate benefit. Now, this is a statistic by Salesforce research.

72% of decision makers only engage in partnerships they perceive as immediately beneficial to their customers or employees. So the solution tie your offer or your approach directly to their top priorities. you're gonna have to do a little research for that. Three, fear of extra work or change.

This is a statistic by the McKinsey and Company Group, and it's 85% of businesses avoid change unless it's easy to implement and requires little to no effort on their part. The solution make it effortless for them to say yes. And four, they've had a bad experience with another dentist. This is a statistic by the American Marketing Association, but 76% of businesses that reject a partnership do so because of past negative experiences with similar offers.

The solution address this head on now. We're gonna dive into some scripts right now. Okay. On how to do this. So how to make businesses want to work with you without ever talking about yourself first. That's the key. You don't wanna go in there and saying, Hey, we're the new person down the street. Hey, does anybody here need a dentist?

Hey, we're taking on new patients. That's all you. That's the mistake you're making already. If you are making that, you wanna walk in without ever talking about you first. so these scripts, they're gonna trigger curiosity, establish trust, and subtly make businesses feel like they owe you something reciprocity.

Remember, that's one of the principles in ground marketing without ever pitching your dental practice up front. So number one, we used to do this all the time. It's the coffee drop. This is for any business with a gatekeeper. This is an in-person strategy. Okay? So the target is any business with a front desk staff.

It could be gyms, daycares, retail stores, even corporate offices. And the goal is to warm up the gatekeeper, disrupt their automatic no, and create an opening for future interactions. Now the script is the first visit. You're disrupting the automatic. No. You are walking in maybe with a coffee holder and a smile or just a coffee in hand and you're saying hey, how's it going?

Yeah, I know you're busy. I just wanted to see if you guys wanted some free coffee. Actually, no strings attached. We just appreciate everything you all do here and our practice does a kind eat every day for a business in our community, The gatekeeper's gonna say, oh yeah, wow.

Thank you so much. I appreciate, what's your business? Where are you located? Who are you? Right? They may even say no. If they say no, that's perfectly fine. They're still gonna ask, who are you? And then who's gonna shrug casually and just say, you know, I just know that the front desk teams keep business running and I know we appreciate our front desk, and I wanted to show you that today.

And continue right Now, not only do they have their guard down, but they feel, oh man, this person really understands what I'm going through. Maybe they might be having a bad day that day and you are the sunshine that just came in. But this works because gatekeepers lower their defenses. When they see that you're giving, not taking reciprocity kicks in, they feel inclined to engage.

They will engage no matter what. Even if they say no, they'll say, oh wow, thank you. No, you know, I appreciate that. Thank,it'll be just as good as if you did bring in their coffee and then they associate you with positivity, making future conversations much easier. So once that happens, let's just say you just established it.

You're like, okay, cool. After that, you know, you leave, you don't feel like poking the bear or anything like that. 'cause maybe they're busy, they're talking to someone, you just drop off their coffee. At least you have a second date. Now you can follow up and say, Hey, last time I was here, I meant to ask, do y'all do any events for the employees here?

Remember, they associate you with positivity. Your future conversation is happening right now, and now it's easy for you to ask, Hey, do y'all do anything for your employees here? Do y'all have an employee's benefits day, a health fair? Could we do something like that? Do y'all have a employee wellness month in the newsletter?

You can ask anything at this point on your next visit. Now they're sharing their business and you can strategically introduce your practice. Okay, so that's like a one-two step. That happened all the time, and it took me a while to realize it's a one-two step. I would come in all the time. Hey, I love what you guys are doing here.

If you want, going to the coffee shop right next door from you. Do y'all want anything? Yeah, sure. You know, I love that. Oh my gosh. Yeah. No, no. Thank you. I appreciate it though. Okay. I just know you guys are super busy and sometimes I know our front office is like, I wish I had AFR coffee right now and I'm just thinking about you guys.

So that's all. We tend to do a kind deed for a business out here every day and you're like, oh man, well, who's your front office? Where are you from? Where are you located? Right. And then you kind of continue to talk more and you can actually, at that moment, even if they say no, still. do the ask, right?

Do y'all do any events for the employees here and so forth? But a lot of the times they might get busy, the phone may ring, whatever, right? Then you can just say, okay, bye room, and then they'll know. Wow. he was literally just asking me for if I wanted free coffee and that was it. That was awesome. And come back in a day or two and then say, Hey, real quick. I wanted to come by and see if you guys do any events for the employees. I meant to ask you that. I forgot. Sorry. Easy breezy. They'll be super open from that. Okay. Now number two, the customer referral play. This is for gyms, salons, and wellness centers.

The target is businesses that benefit from having more customers, Make them see you as a referral source before they realize they can refer people to you. the script is, you're gonna walk in casually creating curiosity, right? You're gonna say, Hey. I've been hearing some great things about you guys.

A couple of my patients have been talking about how much they love coming here, so I figured I stop in and see what the buzz is all about. they're gonna be intriguing. They're gonna say, oh, really? That's great to hear. And they might talk a little bit more, and then you say, yeah, you know, they were raving about a specific service that they provide.

And then you're gonna say, I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations on places like this. So I just wanted to check it out for myself. What makes this place stand out and then you continue. Right now, that's the key right there. I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations on services or places like this.

They don't know if it's just one person who asked you, or a million people who asked you. They just see, oh wow, is a referral source. They can provide me with a lot of customers or whatever. Right. This works because they now see you as a referrer first, not someone trying to sell them something.

Second is curiosity builds. They want to explain why they're great, so make sure you ask what makes this place stand out. Third, they will naturally ask what you do, making it easy to bring up your practice organically without fail. A thousand percent. When you say, I get a lot of people asking me for recommendations, especially you say, A lot of our patients ask us about recommendations on places like this or your services, 1000%.

They will ask you, what do you do? Or where are you located? Now you can follow up before leaving. You wanna use reciprocity to get a referral, right? You can continue to say, you know, I love what you guys are doing here. Do you have anything I can give to my patients in case they're looking for an mention of service, right?

That they offer. They're gonna get you a folder filled of stuff, their business cards, and we both know those business cards that they have are just sitting in the back collecting dust, but now they have a reason to give it to you. So don't feel bad or don't feel like, oh man, just gimme one. If they wanna give you a hundred, let them give you a hundred.

Don't feel bad about it. Most likely they'll give you like 10 or 20, but You could put 'em in hygiene kits if you want. You can feature a month or whatever. But that is your opportunity for the follow up ask, right? Where you're like, Hey, could I ever bring you guys any of our information as well?

And then boom, they feel obligated to ask for your info in return, or they will feel obligated to take your info and return without even actually feeling obligated. It's just a nice deed, right? So that's the number two. Number three, the secret shopper play for retail and local businesses. Now the target is mainly coffee shops, retail stores, boutiques, things like that.

And the goal is to make them feel like a VIP and subtly, subtly position yourself as someone who sends them customers. walk in with genuine curiosity, and then you're gonna create exclusivity. You're gonna say, Hey, you know what I was just over at. And then continue with saying, and they mention that this is the best place in town for mention a specific product or service. So now I have to see for myself how incredible this place is. And then stop there. They're gonna say, oh wow, thank you. Yeah, we love doing business with them, or we like them too, or who mentioned it over there, and you're just gonna be like, I don't remember their name.

Right. And then continue with it and say, oh wow, that's great to hear. I think people love us because. Then they're gonna mention reasons too. Then you say, yeah, that makes sense. I feel like more people should know about this. Do you guys ever do collaborations with other local businesses? No. Boom. They're either gonna say, yes we do, or no, we don't.

If they say, yes we do. Cool. Can I participate? And they say, no, we don't. Oh man. We always do, collaborations with other types of businesses. Would you ever be interested in doing one? Then they're gonna say yes, right? Yeah. You know, We've been thinking about it and so forth. It works because you make them feel special.

They now associate you with bringing them business, and they start thinking about partnerships before you even mention your practice. So they're already thinking of partnerships. Yeah. You know what? I can definitely do a partnership. We've thought of doing a partnership, but let's make something happen.

And later in the conversation you can follow up. You know, You can say, I love supporting local businesses like yours. If you ever want to do something fun together, I'd be all in. Actually, you know what? We're only picking three businesses this quarter for a free wellness initiative. Could I save you a spot?

Boom, right then and there, right? If you're already creating a partnership, a collaboration, it's gonna be happening. And then once they say yes, as you're leaving, you can say, Hey, could I ever give you some of our information too, as well, right? That way you can look us up a little bit more for your customers, and then just provide them with more things.

Doesn't hurt to do that. But this gives them a sense of being afraid of missing, especially if you say, we're only picking three businesses this quarter for a free wellness initiative. Should I save you a spot? Number four, the Business Insider play. This is for corporate offices and HR managers.

Now, the goal is to make them feel like an exclusive insider in their own company. You are gonna walk in with an observational comment, and you're gonna use the fear of extra work to your advantage, right? You're gonna walk in and say, you know, I was just talking to someone who works here. They were raving about what a great place this is to work.

So I had to stop by and see for myself, what do you guys specialize in? Boom. They're gonna say, oh, wow, that's so great to hear. You know, we really focus on boom, right? They may ask, oh, who are you speaking with? And then say, you know what? I can't think of their name right now, but likethey were super excited about it and they mentioned equality.

They were super excited about it. They were really warm. They were awesome. They were.talking it up and I'm like, man, I gotta go check this place out and so forth. once they say, you know what we really focus on, and then they're gonna mention their company culture. You're gonna say, you know, that makes a lot of sense. So if someone was new here and wanted to make the most of their experience, what's the one thing they should know about this place? And then they're gonna mention their specific things about their corporation and so forth. And it works because you instantly build trust because you're not pitching anything.

They see you as someone who understands their culture, and they will start seeing you as an insider, making them more likely to say yes later. Now, a follow-up move you can have later in the conversation is, I love hearing about workplaces that actually care about their employees. Do you all do any cool perks for your team?

If you mention, oh my gosh, I love hearing how you guys take care of your employees and everything you've taken into consideration for them and their needs. Do y'all do anything for your team, for your employees? Do you have any cool perks? Do you do a health and wellness day? I don't know, something like that, right?

But just the best thing you can say is, do you all do any cool perks for your employees, for your team? And then they're gonna let you know everything they do. Now you can do two things. You can say, oh. What, What it cost or how can I be a part of any of that? Just hand out everybody, some freebies too. And then they're gonna ask well, what do you do?

And so forth, right? And then boom, it'll be easy breezy from there. So you can do that, or you can say, okay, cool. Awesome. Could we ever host something here? We have quite a bit of patience and I know a lot of your employees, have questions about some specific procedures that we offer. Then they're gonna ask, okay well, what do you do?

And then you can continue and boom, you might be able to host your own event. So those are the two things you can do, right? Participate in one of their events or host your own event with them, or provide some type of perk for their team. Now, the final takeaway for this is flip rejections into wins by controlling the narrative.

Most businesses reject partnerships, not because they don't need them, but because they fear extra work, competition, or wasted effort. So by using curiosity, reciprocity, and effortless value, you position yourself as an ally, not a solicitor. So remember, the key thing is give before asking, create exclusivity so they feel grateful to work with you and make your offer seem like a zero effort perk.

Rather than a commitment. Now, the chapter two of this, we're gonna discuss the psychological breakdown of rejection types, right? So rejection is not a one size fits all. Each type requires a custom response. So I know what you're thinking with the scripts that you heard. You're like, oh man, I'm just gonna use that one script sometimes for all the rejections.

And you cannot, right? We've discovered this the hard way. there's about three types of rejections. The ground marketing scenario number one is the reflexive, no, it's an automatic rejection. The cause is an automatic response. They're not even listening to you. An example.

No, we don't allow, allow soliciting, right? You just walk in. The solution is interrupt the pattern and it works because it disrupts their automatic no response and forces them to reconsider like thecoffee drop example. You're walking in, you're giving them coffee.

That's it. And then once they say no, or maybe they might say yes, right? And continue on with their day. You can come back and they're used to it. They're, oh man, you're here again. What's up? it disrupts their no, and they will be more open to you, providing more information.

they're gonna ask more information about you. It's one of the best ones. Number two is the cautious, no. This one's a trust barrier. They don't fully trust your offer yet, or they don't trust you yet. the solution is remove competition from the conversation.

You're not replacing their current Provider. You're adding value. So remember that. And then number three is the busy no. And that's a timing issue. They're overwhelmed and don't have the bandwidth for your offer. They say, not now. We're swamped. The solution, acknowledge their situation and ask for something quick.

You respect their time, making them more receptive later. So there is a three step rejection counter attack framework that's chapter three here, right? Every rejection is an opportunity to refine your strategy. Number one, you wanna pause and acknowledge the objection, why this step is critical.

Psychological insight, right? People feel validated when their concerns are acknowledged. The next thing is when you resist the urge to argue or sell, it disarms their resistance, and then you acknowledge them. Acknowledgement lowers their defenses, making them more likely to reconsider. Now, this is a statistic by the Harvard Business Review, but 67% of people are more likely to continue a conversation if.

Their concerns are first validated instead of immediately countered. So let me give you an example of something wrong. The business says, we already have a dentist we refer to, and you say oh, you have them, but we're way better than them. This is wrong. You've now positioned yourself as a competitor, making them defend their existing partnership, and it puts them on the defensive.

Making it less likely, they'll engage. The right response would be, oh yeah, you know, I totally get that. That's incredible. A lot of businesses I talk to say the same thing, and then you continue, right? It works because you validate their decision. They don't feel like they have to defend it. You keep the conversation open instead of shutting it down, and it makes them more willing to listen to what you have to say next.

You can follow up with that sentence by saying, Hey, outta curiosity, what do your employees love most about that partnership? Boom. And you continue, The conversation. Then you find the cracks, and then you see where you can be the solution to those pain points. Now you've turned their rejection into a conversation starter.

Next, you wanna pivot to a value first approach. This step is critical. When people feel they're gaining something rather than being sold something, they are far more likely to engage. If rejection doesn't come with a loss, they are more open to new possibilities. A Salesforce research statistic says 83% of people are willing to listen if they see an immediate low effort benefit.

So lemme give you the wrong way to do this. The business says we're not interested. Then you say, well, let me just explain why our practice is different. That's gonna fail. They don't care about you yet. They care about what they gain. So you're trying to overcome the rejection instead of pivoting the conversation.

So the right response is, if they say, we're not interested, you're gonna say totally fine. By the way, do you guys ever do anything for the employee wellness days? They're gonna say Employee wellness days, no, not really. What are you talking about? Why? They're gonna say no reason. Just have something that might be cool for your team and I I can drop it off next time if you like.

This works. You shift away from your offer and make it about them. Instead, you create curiosity, making them more open to your next visit, and you frame yourself as someone bringing value, not pitching a service. Once they engage you now have a chance to build value naturally. And then the final thing is you can follow up in a non-threatening way, right?

In value-driven way, 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups, yet only 8% of salespeople persist past the first rejection. Following up is key with any marketing in general. But especially with ground market, you've got to follow up. Life happens to many people, you need to follow up.

The key to successful follow-ups is making them feel effortless and organic. the key mistake people make is they never follow up or they follow up to aggressively. So let me give you an example of a wrong way. Maybe you're returning in two weeks and you say, Hey, I just wanted to check back and see if you're ready To start referring patients to us, that's gonna fail you. They immediately feel like they're being sold something. and it's all about you, not about them. The right way is, Hey, I was in the area and I figured I'd drop off a few of these free hygiene kits or a few of these free travel hygiene kits for your team.

Just a little something to say. Thanks for all you do, and that's it. The business is gonna say, oh wow. Thanks. That's really nice of you. You're gonna say, no problem at all. And by the way, I saw something the other day that reminded me of our last conversation. Mind if I ask you a quick question? This works because if you give them something before they're asking for anything, it feels natural, not like a sales follow up, and it creates an opportunity for a real conversation.

You can follow up by saying, you know, by the way, if any of your customers ever need a good dentist, let me know. I'd be happy to take care of them. You can present them with a specific offer or a new patient exam or whatever incentive. Right now, they are offering to refer people to you, which is the key.

That's what you want, and there's many, many other things we can do, right? Rejection doesn't mean never, it means not yet. The key is knowing how to change the dynamics of the interaction so that the business sees you as a valuable partner instead of a solicitor. We can leverage reciprocity, the psychology of reciprocity, and it works fantastic, right?

And a way you can do this the right way is maybe you're targeting a gym that initially rejected your partnership. Now if that happens, you can say, Hey, I was grabbing some snacks from my office and figure your team could use a little fuel. I know how hard you guys work here. So I just wanted to say thanks.

And then hand them over some bottled waters and protein bars. Staff is gonna say, oh wow, that's so nice of you. Thank you. You didn't have to do that. You are gonna say in a nonchalant way, it's no big deal. I love what you guys are doing here. Actually, quick question. Do you ever run into members asking about teeth grinding or jaw pain and then this is gonna work, right?

Or they're cosmetics or teeth weening. Now this works because you're giving, before asking, triggering the psychological need to reciprocate. It doesn't feel salesy. Makes them more likely to engage. The question naturally transitioned into your services without being pushy. So works fantastic. You can also use tactics like scarcity and urgency as well, right?

You can say, Hey, we're only selecting three businesses this quarter for our no-cost wellness initiative. I mean, I know you guys have such a great team. I love to include you. Can I save a spot for you? That's one, and there's many, many more, right, that you can adjust to in this scenario, which is gonna be done in a later episode.

How we can go to businesses that maybe perhaps we messed up before we started listening to these episodes and we said, oh man, they've already told us no, they've already rejected us. They've even like kicked us out. How you can turn that around and now go into these businesses and fix it? Fix it and create strong partnerships.

So that's gonna be an episode, later down the road, but it's turning around rejections, which is a lot easier than you think. Now I'm gonna give you a, case study on, rejections and how it'll work specifically with corporate office rejection, right?So there was a business that immediately rejected a proposal for an in-office dental screening.

Instead of walking away the dentist, they emailed HR with a customized dental wellness month proposal focusing on how it could help employees with stress related dental issues. By the way, in the ground marketing course, we are about to drop all to do this. How to email HR with a customized dental wellness month proposal.

And then in the course as well, it's gonna break down the SOP, the standard operating procedure and the system on how to effectively host a dental wellness month with a corporate office. Fantastic. I'm excited for it. It's something we've done a lot, but it's gonna be in the course coming up here probably by the time this episode drops.

So we're excited for that. So if you're not a part of the ground marketing course, please feel free to go in the show notes below. Click on the first link in the show notes below to enroll into the Ground Marketing course. You'll get all these strategies and way more specific in-depth scripts and strategies, and this too, as well, the Dental Wellness Month proposal.

But at the same time, you'll get a lot of these live ground marketing workshops with myself. But if you are a member of the ground Marketing course, look out for that. It's coming up right here pretty soon, so get excited. Now. The next thing is reframe the event as an exclusive benefit rather than a vendor service.

And then offer a small, no pressure reduction, just a free guide in hygiene kits for employees. The results were amazing with this member HR approved the wellness initiative after seeing it framed as an employee benefit. Over 50 employees signed up for screenings within the first month, and the company now offers the dentist services as a permanent employee part.

The lesson. If they reject you in person, pivot to the email and make it a tailored offer that fits their priorities. That's what was happening here. The business immediately rejected the proposal in person, but then the email is what got it, is what took it right. So a good takeaway from this episode is rejections are simply missed connections.

You can turn them into opportunities by giving before asking reciprocity, right? Creating urgency and exclusivity, scarcity, finding an insider to advocate for you. You have an internal champion and reframing your offer to match their priorities. Customization. So definitely keep this in mind.

These scripts are gonna be fantastic. There's more scripts that are gonna be in the ground marketing course, like general approach. I wanna refer my patients to you. I wanna support your members. I want to help your families. I love to support your customers. I wanna help your students getting them to promote you.

These scripts are gonna be inside the ground marketing course as well under this, specific unit. But yeah. If you're not a part of the ground marketing course, like I said, definitely go in the show notes below. Click on the first link and see everything it has to offer. And if you are a member of the Ground Marketing course, I'm excited to talk to you in the next Live Ground Marketing workshop and look out for the Dental Wellness Month proposal, the email, and the actual SOP for that that you can start implementing and utilizing soon.

Alright,

in the next episode, we will be discussing leveraging community events for maximum impact. Talk to you soon.

Which path offers more freedom in the long run: corporate dentistry or owning your own practice?

In this episode, we're getting into a candid conversation with Ken Kilday, who expertly navigates the often-complex waters of transitioning from corporate dentistry to practice ownership. Ken brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, uncovering the numerous advantages of owning a practice and debunking the myths surrounding corporate dentistry's ease. With control, flexibility, and autonomy on the line, Ken emphasizes what truly transformative practice ownership can be when driven by intentional planning and clear goal-setting.

The episode is chock-full of indispensable advice, from striking a balance between the clinical and business elements to fostering an uplifting workplace culture. Ken shares insights on using strategic templates for success, asking the right probing questions to align your motivations, and embedding core values into your business ethos. Wrapping up the discussion, Ken provides a roadmap for corporate dentists eager to make the shift, while also shining a light on strategies to keep passion alive and dodge burnout in the demanding field of dentistry.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why owning a dental practice can offer unmatched control and freedom.
• The importance of clear goal-setting and intentional planning.
• Practical tips on structuring your practice with specialized templates.
• Key questions to clarify your motivations and business aims.
• Techniques for integrating core values into your practice.
• Steps for transitioning from corporate to practice ownership.
• Tips for sustaining passion and avoiding burnout in dentistry.

Don't miss out on Ken Kilday's valuable insights into transforming your dental career—join us on this episode!

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment

‍

Guest: Ken KildayBusiness Name: Leader's CutCheck out Ken's Media:‍

Website: kenkilday.com/industries/dentistry

Ken's Resources: makingthecut.biz

‍

Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Books:

Through the Looking-Glass

‍

Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]

‍

p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

What would make patients EXCITED to refer their friends and family to your practice?

In this episode of the Ground Marketing Series, we unveil the secrets to crafting a high-performing patient referral program tailored for dental practices. Navigating the maze of compliance might seem daunting, but we're breaking down the barriers, offering you a roadmap to a program that is as effective as it is legal. We dive into a list of innovative strategies and enticing rewards designed to inspire your patients to become enthusiastic promoters of your practice. Learn how to play within the rules while making your referral program the talk of the town with ideas like luxury mini items, mystery gifts, and VIP dental perks.

Beyond strategic insights, this episode provides a personal touch with practical examples, real-life scenarios, and ready-to-use scripts for engaging patient conversations. Discover how to transform your referral program from mundane to mesmerizing by tapping into psychological triggers such as urgency and surprise. By the end of this episode, you'll not only have a blueprint for invigorating your patient base to refer, but also learn how to stay within state regulations while doing so. Don't just aim for passive referrals—dare to craft an experience that keeps patients talking.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How to design a referral program aligned with legal and ethical standards.
• Impactful reward ideas that excite and engage your patients.
• The role of urgency and surprise in enhancing referral participation.
• Harnessing luxury mini items and local business perks for maximum appeal.
• Scripts and scenarios to easily implement these strategies in practice.
• The power of social proof to amplify your referral efforts.

Let's learn how to create a captivating referral program—tune in now!

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

TDM Articles:

 Legal and Ethical Patient Referral Strategies for Dental Practices

‍

Organizations/Laws:

Anti-Kickback Statute

State Dental Boards

Sunshine Act

‍

Businesses/Brands

Chanel

Dior

YSL

Invisalign

Klatch Coffee

‍

If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:

My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/

The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍

Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)

Michael: The ultimate compliant and irresistible patient referral program. We're gonna be diving into strategies and gifts that actually work. So this episode with ground marketing, we're gonna talk about creating a referral program that works. How to make patients want to refer while staying fully legal and ethical.

Now, most referral programs fail. They don't excite patients enough, and let's be real. No one cares about appreciation clubs or educational seminars that much patients want something they actually desire. But we also need to ensure full compliance with the A KS, the anti-kickback statute, and the state Dental Board regulations.

This episode's gonna break down highly enticing, fully compliant, and unique referral strategies that make patients want to refer without violating federal or state laws. Now, just a heads up, by the time this episode comes out there is going to be a article, out on the website titled Navigating Referral Marketing for Dentist.

It's gonna say compliance and ethical strategies. And in there, I mean, you can kind of see the draft right here if you're watching on YouTube, but you can kind of see, I talk about understanding the Sunshine Act and the a KS for dentists. How can dentists reward referring offices without violating the law?

Gives you exactly, Hey, gift cards, are they okay or not? What kind of gives thank you cards? What's legal and ethical? I break that down. How to stay compliant with referral marketing. So much more. And I'm gonna go deeper into the article as well. So that article is gonna be out.

I'm gonna put a link to it in the show notes below by the time this episode goes live as well. But going back to this episode with ground marketing, we're gonna talk about right now, the secret to making a referral program work. Now, a successful referral program has three key components. One, the reward must be something they actually want.

So if it's boring, they're not gonna refer right? Two, it must be compliant. So that means no cash, no high value gives, or direct financial incentives. And then three, it must feel like an effortless bonus. So effortless, the patient should feel like they're getting a pleasant surprise rather than being bribed.

Okay, and I dive deeper into this in the ground marketing course. Now, the goal for this, instead of saying, refer a friend and get $50, we want to create an exciting, ethical, and legal reason for patients to spread the word. Okay? So now that we got that down, the three things that have to be in a referral program, has to be something they want.

Nothing boring, must be compliant, and it must feel effortless, like an effortless bonus, right? So that moves on to number two. Now, here's where we can dive deep and let our imagination run a little bit more wild. But at the same time, remember the state that you're in, the law and everything like that.

So I'm gonna give you some things that our members have used, I've witnessed, I've used, that is an incredible, fully compliant reward, right? It's highly enticing. So number one. Luxury experienced based gifts. Now, why this works? Patients love unique experiences. It makes them feel special. So instead of cash, offer low cost, but high perceived value gifts.

Okay, A compliant experience-based reward. Here's some ideas. Luxury candle or skincare gift set. This can be under $15 coffee subscription, a one month trial, right under $15 as well. Designer Lip balm they have Chanel, Dior, YSL, et cetera. Those are under $15. Artisan Chocolate Box or Gourmet snack Pack, Those can be under $15. Then maybe like a cozy night in package, and that can involve face mask, herbal tea, mini candle, right under 15, $20. A lot of the times it's the way you're gonna word this and package it, I'll give you an example of the wording and how important it is. A lot of the times we may say, Hey, Free consultation on your Invisalign. And we see that everywhere all the time. Everybody's like, Hey, course it's free. Everybody else is offering it free. But if you say, Hey, your first session of Invisalign is free. Now, people who are ready to get it in their mindset. They're more ready than the free consultation person.

They're thinking, holy snaps, I get the first session for free. They don't know. The first session is a consultation. They're just in their mind. The first session is free. Let's do this kind of a thing. Boom. So the wording has a lot to do with this. So you can, instead of just saying, Hey, face mask, herbal tea, and mini candle package, you know, you just say, Hey, a cozy night in package right?

an example script for this could be, Hey, thank you for referring your friend. As a little appreciation gift. We have a luxury skincare set waiting for you at your next visit. I can guarantee this is gonna ensure. That they will show up for their next appointment. And it works because people associate luxury with high value, even if it's a small cost designer brand.

Mini items feel premium, but they stay compliant. So that's number one, right? Luxury experience based gifts. Two monthly surprise gift box. Now, this adds like a fun mystery factor and why this works. Patients love the ex excitement of mystery gifts. The psychological trigger of surprise and delight makes them want to refer more and how this works.

Each month have a small mystery referral gift box in your office. Patients who refer get to pick one at their next visit. It's a mystery box and the example items, they're all under $15. Okay. this is what you can have in these mystery boxes. Mini essential oil set. You can have a high end travel toothpaste kit, gourmet popcorn or snack packs, many hand poured soy candles.

And now depending on the community you live in, you can purchase some of these things from small businesses in your community and have these in the mystery. Bags or gifts. And then not only are you partnering up with another business and creating rapport, and maybe y'all guys can do even more things together, but boom, this is your foot in the door in order to get into that small business and get the employees to come in.

But at the same time, now you're having them participate in something. for example, the mini hand poured soy candle, right? There can be a candle shop somewhere. And then another one is premium hydrating lip balm, right? Like the ones we discussed before. So mini essential oil set, high end travel toothpaste kit, gourmet snack pack, popcorn, anything like that.

Candles, mini hand or soy candles, and then premium hydrating lip balm. Anything in this referral gift box, can have that, right? An example script for patients is, Hey, you've earned a pick from our mystery referral box. So go ahead, pick which one will you choose, and you can even record this, put it on social media, make it a big deal.

It's fantastic and it works because patients will refer multiple times to try different gifts. The mystery element adds extra appeal, so it's not just a one-time thing. They're gonna try to refer multiple times to get multiple things right. So that's number two. Monthly, surprise gift box. It adds a fun mystery factor.

Now, three local business perks. Now this one's huge. This is one we always do all the time with a lot of our members in our offices. Now this works because instead of a cash or gift cards, you partner with local businesses to offer exclusive low cost perks that feel high value. Now, example of local business perks are VIP perk at a coffee shop.

Hey, your next drink upgrade is on us, right? Two free ice cream scoop at a local spot. Hey, enjoy sweet treat on us. Three exclusive, $10 boutique store credit so you can get store credit, paid by your practice. You don't have to buy a whole thing. It can just be this is for store credit. Next 10 minute chair massage at a local spa.

Same thing, right? Store credit. Another one mini flower bouquet from a local florist, that's it. I mean, Those are example local business perks. And the script you can say for that is, Hey, we partnered with The local business to treat you. Your referral earns you an exclusive free drink upgrade next time you visit.

however you want to word that right? Your referral earns you an exclusive $10 boutique store credit at. And it works because patients get real perks at places they already visit. Making the reward way more exciting. So this involves you getting to know, obviously, your target audience, where you want more of your target audience to come from.

But at the same time, if you do an EPA, which we talk about that in the course, an existing patient analysis where you sit down. And think, who are my favorite patients that I currently see right now, or that I want to see once my practice is open, write it all down and boom. You're like, okay, where do they go?

Where do they shop? What kind of coffee do they like? Where do they work? Where do they live? All these things. Now you're able to tailor make your referral program to that. So let's just say they go to Clutch Coffee, right? And they love Clutch Coffee. They talk about all the time, I know that I've even seen them there.

Blah, blah, blah. Boom. VIP perk at a coffee shop once their referral, right? So if they send a referral, be like, Hey, I got you a VIP perk at a coffee shop. Your next drink upgrade is on us. You ain't even gotta worry about it. they're gonna love it. They're gonna see, that's my favorite coffee shop. How'd you know I go there all the time?

Oh, much, much bigger impact than, Hey, here's 50 bucks. Here's a reward, right? And then the ethics plays a role in that, and you're not gonna get as much. So trust me, that is huge. The more you pay attention to your patients and where they go and what they like to do and who they are, the easier it is to build a rewards referral program and it will skyrocket your practice.

From that point on, you can do a number four, which is a VIP dental perk. So this is non-monetary, but highly valuable. So real quick, a recap. We discussed three things so far on building a Referral rewards program. So number one is luxury experience based gifts.

Michael: Two is monthly surprise gift box, which I think is fantastic. Three is local business perks. Another one. Fantastic, right? All these are fantastic, but local business perks creates a community hype. The community gets more involved. You know what I mean? You'll get more referrals from other businesses like that and so forth.

Now, number four is a VIP, dental perks non-monetary, but highly valuable. Now, this works because patients value, convenience, and special treatment more than discounts. compliant VIP dental perks idea would be first pick for preferred appointment slots. Priority scheduling for family members, complimentary comfort upgrade.

So maybe aromatherapy, neck pillow, something right that you guys do. Massage chairs or a skip the line fast pass for check-in, right? That works once in a while, but you can do something like that, especially if you are a highly, highly busy office. So an example script for patients that you can say is as a thank you for referring a friend, you are now on our VIP priority list for scheduling.

And you can mention things like that. And it works because it creates exclusive benefits without violating compliance laws. So those are the four things you can do now, how to make the referral program feel more enticing. This is huge right here because you've created it, you're excited about it. You wanna put it out there.

But you want people to start referring and you want them to take advantage of this program that you've created. So if you're just offering it, Hey, we have a rewards program, that's not enough. You need to present it in a way that makes patients excited to participate. So there's a couple things we can do, but I'm gonna mention three.

Number one, use fomo. Fear of missing out, how to apply that instead of, Hey, refer a friend and get a gift. Maybe you should use, Hey, there's only 20 mystery referral gifts available this month. Once they're gone, they're gone. And then you continue. This works because people don't wanna miss out.

Limited quantities equals higher participation. Two, make it feel personal and unexpected. This is how you're gonna apply it. Instead of telling everyone ahead of time, surprise them after they refer with the small, unexpected reward. So an example script for patients.

Would be, wow, you refer to friend. Thank you so much. That's amazing. We have a little something for you next time you visit, And then you have it. Or if you already have it right then and there, that's perfect. You can just give it to them. But it works because you surprise them. And surprise rewards feel more special than expected ones.

Now, number three is use social proof, make people see others referring. So feature referral shout outs in your office or social media. An example is like, Hey, thank you so much for this patient's name for referring a friend. We love them. Enjoy your mystery referral gift, right? And then they get the mystery referral gifts.

You can make it a whole thing. And this works because patients feel encouraged to participate when they see others doing it.

Now, these referral rewards program have reciprocity. People refer when they feel they owe you something. So if someone receives value first, they feel an obligation to return the favor. This is the science of reciprocity, so how you can apply this before asking for a referral. Give patients something first.

Offer a small, unexpected gift at the end of an appointment, Branded lip balm, specific gum, or a $5 coffee card. And when they say thank you, mention the referral program. Yeah, you know what we love surprising best patients with small gifts. Here's a little something to say. Thank you. Oh. And if you know anyone looking for a great dentist, we'd love to take care of them too.

Do you know anyone? And then that's it. Ask the question. Hey, by any chance, do you know anyone? we'll give the time. Be in silence for as long as you need to be until they come up with a name. And then now it starts working. Now you can start asking for that referral. It works because patients now feel obligated to refer because you gave first.

So train your team to mention the referral program every single visit. That's it. That's what's gonna do it all honestly, is the consistency of that. Your front desk and hygienist should mention it at checkout or any moment that they get and create a pre-written script for staff to use. Make it themselves, use their personality with it, but should be something short, sweet, and to the point.

So how to create an unstoppable referral program. In summary, you want to offer high perceived value gifts, select luxury mini items, local perks, surprise gifts. Use VIP scheduling perks or priority treatment as incentives if you want. Leverage, mystery and exclusivity to create fomo. Partner with local businesses for exclusive referral only perks, and make patients feel personally appreciated instead of just earning a gift. What you don't want to do is offer cash, gift cards, or high value incentives, That's a violation of the a KS. You don't want to make it feel like a transaction instead of an appreciation, and you don't want to use complicated referral processes.

Keep it effortless, even to the point where take out that card. Sometimes we see that, Hey, here's a card if you want. Just give it to someone then write your name on the back. And then when they come into the practice and then they give me that card, I'll see your name and I'll know that you're the one who referred.

That's too much it should just be like, Hey, come to my dentist. And that's it. It shouldn't have to be that whole long process where you need to get all that stuff. So the final winning strategy, make the referral gift something patients genuinely want but wouldn't normally buy for themselves.

Use this strategy and your referral program will be the most enticing and legally compliant patient growth machine ever. Okay, now let me give you some examples how this works. The situation a dentist struggles to get consistent referrals. So we're gonna call this person Dr. Samantha, the general dentist at a small but loyal patient base, yet very few people were referring friends or family, and she had tried offering $25 discounts and free whitening, but she realized that these incentives weren't compliant and didn't excite patients.

The problem patients saw discounts as unexciting. Two, her referral program felt like a transaction, not a reward. And three, the discounts could violate anti-kickback laws. The solution she had to have high perceived value, low cost luxury gifts. So Dr. Samantha switched to a referral gift system based on small but desirable luxury items.

So instead of discounts, she offered mini Dior. Chanel or YSL, lip balms, luxury scented candles, organic self-care kits all under $20. Now how it worked, A patient referred a friend and when the referred friend came in, the refer received a luxury mini gift at their next visit. So the friend came in and, yeah, I came in from this person.

Okay, cool. Awesome, wonderful. And then they gave a gift. Then patients loved it because it felt premium and personal, not like a discount, and the script was, you deserve a little luxury. You know, When you refer a friend, we'll have an exclusive Dior lip bal, or spa candle or mystery gift waiting for you at your next visit.

It's exciting. They come in the results. Are incredible. You'll triple referrals in a short amount of time. Patients actively were asking, do you still have those little gifts available? And it's completely compliant. There's no cash, no high value incentives, just low cost appreciation gifts. Always remember people love branded premium feeling gifts, even if they're small luxury beats discounts every single time.

You can also do the mystery box, right? mystery box works well. Patient refers a friend when they came in for their next visit, they got pull a mystery gift from the box, and patients love the excitement of not knowing what they'd get. So when that happened, I mean, referrals skyrocket, right?

Some patients referred multiple people just to get another mystery box, and it stayed compliant because the gifts were low cost, but fun and desirable. And remember, people love surprises and games turning referrals into a fun experience makes them want to refer again. if you do decide to do the mystery box, make sure you record it.

Post it on social media, make it a whole thing that's exciting, that's fun. And also the local business local community referral rewards program. That too, record that, post that on social media. Make it a big, huge thing. Now, all these successful programs had many things in common.

they offered something patients actually wanted, they avoided financial kickbacks and stayed compliant. They made referrals feel special, not transactional, and they created an experience. Patients wanted to repeat. Now, if you want more referrals, do that. Do exactly what you heard in this episode and this whole episode along with the scripts and everything you're watching and seeing along with more scripts will be in the ground marketing course.

If you're not a part of the ground marketing course, make sure you go in the show notes below. And enroll. I love to see you in there. We're always growing at making more, in there as well. But at the same time, you'll see the scripts. You'll learn how to get into businesses. You'll learn how to get into corporations everywhere in your community and not just start tracking new patients obviously immediately, but at the same time, you'll start becoming the go-to practice in your community.

go in the show notes below. Click on the first link in the show notes below. Check to see. All that's inside of the course. We continue to add to it, but at the same time, you can already see everything that's inside of the course and I'd love to see you in there. So in our next episode, we're gonna be talking about overcoming rejection in ground marketing.

So thank you so much for tuning in, and I'll talk to you in the next episode.

‍

Ever wondered how to navigate life’s big challenges while single-handedly running a dental practice? In this episode of The Dental Marketer, Dr. Melissa Torres details her journey from contemplation to execution and her eventual success in the realm of dentistry. Despite the weight of decisions, self-doubts, and life's unexpected turns, Melissa persisted, primarily banking on personal introspection and journaling for clarity and direction. She exposes her innovative approach of assembling a team with less experience but a profound willingness to learn, crediting social media as a primary platform for recruitment.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How personal introspection and journaling can help gain clarity and purpose while facing significant decisions.
• Insights on how to effectively manage consultants and contractors for the success of your business.
• Melissa's unique approach to recruitment and why she chose to train newcomers instead of hiring experienced professionals.
• Strategies for coping with unforeseen setbacks and staff changes before and after launching your practice.
• Melissa's experiences and recommendations about different companies she associated with while setting up her dental practice.
• A personal story of managing a profound personal loss while still handling the daily operations of a thriving business.
• Harnessing the power of social media not just for brand visibility, but also as an recruitment tool.

Listen as Melissa shares her riveting journey of the ups and downs of the dental industry!

(This episode originally aired on 1/4/2024)

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment

‍

Guest: Dr. Melissa TorresPractice Name: Miel Dental AestheticsCheck out Melissa's Media:

Website: https://mieldentalaesthetics.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmelissatorres

Email: inquiries@drmelissatorres.com

‍

Companies/Software/Services: 

• Open Dental
• Ideal Practices
• Identify Designs
• Darkhorse Tech
• Cisco
• Casper
• Transcendental, LLC (marketing company)
• Google Ads
• Indeed

‍

People/Communities: 

• Dr. Ashley Dawson - Dawson Modern Dentistry
• Dr. Taher Dhoon
• Dr. Christopher Green

‍

Books/Publications:

• The Practice Launchpad: Insights From The Experts: Unraveling The Complexities Of Practice Ownership

‍

Establishments/Brands:

• Howard University
• Target
• Starbucks

‍

Products:

• StairMaster

‍

Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer

For more helpful tips, strategies, ideas, and marketing advice, join my weekly newsletter here.

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]

‍

p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.

How do some dentists seem to always have a steady stream of patient referrals without hefty advertising budgets?

This episode of the Ground Marketing Series covers the art of effective networking for your practices. Get ready to uncover the secrets behind successful in-person marketing as I share valuable networking hacks to elevate your practice's local presence. From pre-event preparation to executing a seamless follow-up system, you'll learn how to transform casual conversations into lasting partnerships. I also share a compelling case study about a practice owner who became the top pediatric dentist in her area by building a strong referral network with local daycares, showcasing the transformative power of strategic networking.

By tuning into this episode, you'll discover advanced networking tactics like becoming a connector and leveraging reciprocity to keep referrals flowing. We emphasize the importance of leading with value and expecting nothing in return, a mindset shift that will undoubtedly enhance your networking outcomes. Whether you're a multi-practice owner or new to the field, these strategies will help you cultivate meaningful connections that extend beyond the dental chair.This is not just about making connections—it's about making the right ones that will sustain your practice's growth.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Effective pre-event preparation techniques for meaningful interactions.
• Strategies for making instant connections and reinforcing relationships.
• Building a robust follow-up system for converting contacts into partners.
• Advanced networking tactics to generate ongoing referrals.
• Real-world success story of a dental practice owner boosting her community profile.
• The philosophy of giving value first in all interactions.

Don't miss out—hit play now to learn the networking strategies that can elevate your practice!

‍

‍

Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:

Website: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment/

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Groups/Communities:

Eventbrite

Rotary Club

Chamber of Commerce

‍

If you want your questions answered on Monday Morning Episodes, ask me on these platforms:

My Newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/

The Dental Marketer Society Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2031814726927041

‍

Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)

Michael: Networking hacks for dental practices. Now, why most dentists struggle at networking events, this is gonna be the guide and it's a tactical, researched backed guide to winning local events.

Michael: Now, networking is one of the fastest, lowest cost ways to generate referrals. Partnerships and community presence for your dental practice. However, most dentists fail to make the most of networking events because they one go in without a clear plan, so that leads to wasted time. Two, they focus too much on selling instead of building relationships.

Three, they fail to stand out from other attendees. Just another dentist in the crowd, right? And then four, they do not follow up properly. Connections fade fast. So following up is huge. So the key to networking success is to position yourself as a resource for others, build strategic connections and leverage follow-ups to create ongoing referral pipelines.

So this episode provides detailed steps. Backed by psychology and real world networking strategies, what we've done. So you dominate every networking event you attend and turn contacts into long term patient sources. So number one, preparing like a pro before the event. Most of the work happens before you even walk into the event.

So first thing you wanna do is set a clear goal so you walk away. Real results. Okay, so most dentists attend events thinking, you know, I'm just gonna meet people and see what happens. No, don't ever do that. Okay? That's a huge mistake. Instead, define your specific objective.

Here's an example. I wanna get three strategic partnerships with businesses that can send me patience. I wanna meet at least five key decision makers who can refer people to me. I wanna get 10 high quality follow-ups from business owners who fit my referral criteria. So an example you can tell yourself is by the end of this event, I will connect with three businesses that attract my ideal patients and set up follow-up meetings to discuss collaborations.

so that is step number one. You wanna set a clear goal. This is all the pre networking strategy. So imagine this all falls under the pre networking strategy umbrella. So number one, set a clear goal. Two, research the event and attendees so you know exactly who to target. Most networking attendees go in blind.

But the most successful professionals research attendees ahead of time so they know, number one, who is attending. So look at the events. Facebook, LinkedIn, or RSVP list two, what businesses align with your ideal patient profile, right? If you're a pediatric practice and you see a pediatrician going, you see a gymboree owner going, you see specific locations where they.

Provide, information or medical attention, or they provide clothes or whatever to pediatrics or schools, that's who you wanna see, right? Businesses that align with your ideal patient profile. Brie, who are the sponsors or speakers who are often the most influential people in the room? For our competitors attending.

Not to over highlight that, but just so you know, you know, you wanna differentiate yourself before the event, so our competitors attending. Now what you can do is look up attendees on LinkedIn and find common connections. You can check Google reviews and social media of businesses attending.

Find something specific to compliment them on. Okay. Then search for recent press releases or events hosted by key businesses. Why this works? ' cause you enter the event with strategic targets, not just random introductions. You already know something personal about the people you meet, making your approach memorable and you can prepare specific conversation starters that make you stand out.

so we wanna research the event and attendees.

Step three, strategic positioning. Where to stand, maximizes high value conversation. This is huge. this is something we never think about, but you need to start thinking about it. And once I tell you about it, you're gonna always think about this now, where to position yourself, areas to avoid. So near the entrance, people are rushing in not paying attention.

Avoid that. Near the food table, people are focused on eating. Get outta there at the far end of the room. There ain't no foot traffic there. Get outta there. The best spots to stand near the drink station people gather here naturally be there in the center of the room. That's where the highest traffic flows.

Flows to event organizers. They can introduce you to VIPs, near keynote speakers or sponsors. People approach them first. Okay? So the best spots and then the worst spots why this works. But you place yourself where conversations naturally happen instead of forcing them, you get introduced to key people without effort, and you make it easier for the right people to find you.

Those are the three things under the pre networking strategy. You wanna set a clear goal, number one, two, research the event and attendees, and three, know where you're gonna be. Strategically position yourself for maximum conversation. Now the second major step is how to approach people and make an instant connection.

There's a couple steps here. Now the perfect first impression formula. This is a psychology hack. Studies show people decide whether they like you within the first seven seconds, the three step first impression formula. So number one, open with value instead of introducing yourself. Okay? So instead of saying, Hey, I'm Dr.

Smith, a dentist in town right here, that's generic, forgettable, right? Say, Hey, I love what you're doing with, and then mention their business name. I actually mentioned your business to some of my patients recently, and I say, really? Oh wow, wonderful. What do you do? Right? That's beautiful. Hey, I love what you're doing with their business name.

I actually mentioned your business to some of my patients recently, or I mentioned some of your work or anything like that, right? To some of my patients recently. That's it. So that's step one, your opening with value. Step two, ask a question that gets them talking. Great networking questions are like, Hey, what inspired you to start your business?

what's been the most exciting thing happening in your business lately? Or, Hey, what kind of clients do you love working with the most? So I know that way I can send you those type of patients. Boom, right? That's what they're gonna love. I personally do number three all the time. What kind of clients, patients, customers do you love working with the most?

That way I know I can refer those type of patients to you, or talk about your business a little bit more, right? That's step two. Ask questions that get them talking. Step three, use the name Reinforcement Trick. So as we know, we've heard this a lot of the times, we can say their name. Hey, that's really interesting, Mike.

I'll have to check that out. It was great meeting you, Mike, right? Studies show that repeating someone's name makes them like and remember you more. Why this works, you immediately offer value. Instead of sounding self-promotional, you get them talking about themselves. Which makes them enjoy the conversation and you become instantly memorable.

Now, how to stand out from other dentists so this makes them remember you. so most dentists at networking events sound the same. You know, I run a dental practice, we do this, that general cosmetic dentistry, but instead of saying that, say something that sparks curiosity. Yeah. Help professionals get the kind of smile that closes business deals.

I make sure parents never have to fight their kids to get to the dentist. Or I work with athletes to improve endurance through better oral health. This is according to their business. That's what you're gonna say. So if it's like a fitness studio I work with athletes to improve endurance through better oral health.

It's a children's facility, daycare, you know, I make sure parents never have to fight their kids to go to the dentist. Awesome. It's professionals, right? Realtors or whatever, I help professionals get the kind of smile that closes business deals. Wow. Intrigues them. Why this works. It gets them asking questions instead of tuning out.

It makes you stand out from every other dentist in the room and it shifts the conversation into how you can help them. So that's what's gonna be under the how to approach people and make an instant connection. You did that. You made an instant connection.

Now here's three. The follow-up system turning connections into long-term partnerships. So what most people do is they either try to hand out business cards or collect some and then they never follow up or they send a generic nice meeting you email. What you should do instead is follow up within 24 hours, reference something specific you talked about and give them value before asking for anything.

an example email can be the subject. Hey, it was great meeting you at this event. And then their name, Hey person's name, it was us meeting you at the event last night. I really enjoyed our conversation about a specific topic that you guys talked about. I wanted to follow up because I think we really align well and I'd love to feature you in our next patient newsletter.

I'd love to have some of your information, in our hygiene kits so our patients can see it. Do you have any promotions or events? I can share with our patients. And that's it. Looking forward to staying in touch. All the best. Your name. Now, when you do this, It's an open-ended question.

You're waiting for them to hear back and they're like, yeah, we do have promotions. Yeah, we do have events happening this month and all that. Now it's easier for when you go and pick up their information. You can just say, Hey, could we ever participate in your events? Set up a small booth to the side.

They're gonna say, yeah, of course. Remember that's that little small percent. You've done all this leg where you've done 95%, you've done it all. You're saying, Hey uh, can we do this? Can we do that? Blah, blah, blah. Oh my gosh, yes. They're looking for a way to give back to you and you say, Hey, well by the way, can we do this?

And then boom, you're able to do it. But that's the email fault. Well, if you want to do why this works, it reminds them of your conversation. It gives them something before asking for anything, and it naturally leads them to returning the favor. perfect right now. A lot of the times you can have advanced networking tactics, so you wanna become the most valuable person in the room, you know, instead of just networking for yourself, introduce people to each other.

Meaning if you meet a personal trainer and a chiropractor, introduce them. Hey Mike, you should meet Sarah. She runs a fitness center, and I think your services would compliment each other. That makes it even easier for all three of you to do an event together. But this works because they now see you as a valuable connection and they will naturally start sending referrals your way.

So the final takeaway for this is the golden Networking Rule that guarantees results. Give value first. Expect nothing in return, and people will want to promote you. Okay, use this strategy and you will never leave a networking event empty handed. I love doing this. I love getting everyone's business card as well.

Michael: And then I love following up with them in person the next day at their place of business. And then I'm able to even leave signup sheets, leave information, so now I can attract their employees from their business to come. I'm not just going to networking events, trying to get these one-off patients that are there.

You know, Hey, are you looking for a dentist, a gym owner, then yeah. Come to my practice. Hey, are you looking for a, dentist? Yeah. Come to my practice. No, it's not all about that. You're looking to create these partnerships. Now there's many examples on how a lot of our members have done this.

For example, there's a practice owner, she mastered networking to partner with a daycare and became the number one pediatric dentist in town. She searched Facebook events and looked for business networking groups. She checked her local Chamber of Commerce websites, which many cities list upcoming business mixers and luncheons by the way.

So it could be a Rotary Club, chamber of Commerce website. She found a women in business meetup happening at a coworking space, and this was smart ' cause daycare owners are often female entrepreneurs, and this event had a. high chance of attracting them and parents groups and women's networking events often have small business owners who run child-focused services.

So how she checked the RSVP list to find key attendees. She checked the events online page. She visited the Facebook event page and clicked the going tab. She noticed a few names she didn't recognize, but saw a woman named or a specific woman. who owned and it said like founder and director of Little Explorers Learning Center, local Daycare Center.

She also checked the Eventbrite attendee list. That's sometimes available, sometimes that's not available. And she saw names linked to local businesses, and then she typed in, you know what I mean, the businesses, their names and found their websites Facebook page. So she's doing a lot of the pre-planning.

She checked their reviews to see what parents loved most about the daycares. She followed the daycare on Instagram to get a feel of their branding and parent interactions, and this was smart. She knew who she wanted to talk to before even arriving. She discovered conversation starters from reading the daycare's reviews.

Parents loved their hands-on activities and personal attention, and then she positioned herself to offer value based on what the daycare's valued. So how does she stand out? She didn't stand by the food table or in the corner. Instead, she positioned herself near the drink station, then closed the event organizer, and obviously in the center of the room, she didn't force conversations.

She let them happen naturally. The organizer introduced them, and it was perfect from that point on, right? a lot of the times you just walk in there and you're in the back of the room and you're thinking, I want to talk to that person, you're gonna talk yourself outta that. You're gonna overthink something.

Don't. Talk to other people, be where everybody's at. Then finally, the perfect conversation started so it didn't feel like a sales pitch. She said, Hey, I've heard such

great things about your daycare. but she mentioned the name. A couple of my patients parents rave about your daycare. What's been your favorite part of running now? She immediately made the conversation about her, the business owner, not herself.

She mentioned the parents' testimonials, which showed the business owner's daycares reputation was spreading, and she used an open-ended question, allowing the business owner to talk about her passion. Now. It was fantastic. The response was fantastic. She even told us the response. She was like, wow, that's amazing to hear.

I love that we get to build a safe and loving space for kids. It's been so rewarding. But at this point, the doctor has done three key things successfully. She complimented the success, and then she made the business owner feel appreciated and valued, and she got the business owner to open up about her challenges, then the reciprocity. Using reciprocity to make the business owner want to help in return. So the practice owner, the doctor I remember said, I love how much you prioritize a positive environment for kids. know, I have a lot of families in my practice who are always looking for great daycares.

I'd love to share your daycare in our next patient newsletter. you have any upcoming enrollment events I can mention? Now, this was genius because she offered something first, pre-promotion. She made it low effort for the business owner, just sharing existing events and she subtly positioned yourself as an expert on child wellness.

Now, the business owner obviously was like, this is fantastic. I love it. Yeah, let's make this magic happen. So then step five, she kind of continued, she also offered a way, would it be okay if I left a little signup sheet, once she was in there for the parents who might have questions about baby teeth and first visits?

Maybe we can do a workshop or, do patient education, but at the same time we can, if they need a visit right now, we can offer that too. Here's a signup sheet and it was perfect. ' cause it wasn't a sales pitch, it was framed as a helpful resource. It aligned with the daycare's values, right? Child development, and it felt like a natural next step in the conversation.

So she loved it and that was it. After that, it was basically just following up, going to the events, And this was a long-term referral system that followed and the daycare kept, our members signup sheet on display year round, which was fantastic because that was like a major resource for her.

Every new group of parents saw it, saw this signup sheet that was always on display, and signed up for the first visit tips, at the same time for first visits and also the daycare actively referred new families whenever questions came up. And then uh, our members sent occasional check-ins and continued to promote the daycare too as well.

The results are fantastic. Over 20 parents signed up within six weeks, continue to refer and lo and behold, our member became the number one recommended pediatric dentist in the community. it's fantastic. So the final takeaway is the networking formula that guarantees referrals.

Five things you wanna research before the event. Two. Open with a compliment and an engaging question. Three, offer to promote them. First. Four, introduce a signup sheet as a helpful resource, not a sales pitch if you can't do that. And then five, follow up within 24 hours with a personalized message.

So you want to do that right at these networking events. Now, introducing a signup sheet as a helpful resource, not a sales pitch. if you're at their place of business and you decide to leave a signup sheet, you don't have to right In the ground marketing course, obviously there's much, much more into depth.

We discussed this, especially how to network, how to drop off signup sheets and stuff like that. So if you are and you wanna enroll into the ground marketing course, I highly recommend you do that. You can go ahead and check out everything that's in the course. Go on the first link in the show notes below, and you can go from there.

But yeah, that's basically how to make this happen at networking events. So go ahead and check that out. I'm excited to see you in the ground marketing course if you decide to enroll, we're having tons of success with our members there, like you just heard right now. And that's just with one strategy, right?

That's just what networking at events or a daycare strategy that's not with all the other businesses and locations that you can be involved in and, have, right. Definitely make sure you enroll into the ground marketing course to have that type of success and so much more. So thank you so much for tuning in, and on our next episode we're gonna be discussing creating a referral program that works.

So I'm excited to dive into that. thank you so much for tuning in. I'll talk to you in the next episode.

‍

What's holding you back from being the face of your business?

In this episode, we're sitting down with Linda Ugelow to uncover the intricate layers of public speaking anxiety, especially in the digital landscape of social media to bring visibility to your practice. Linda breaks down how past experiences often fuel these fears and guides us on a journey of self-discovery to forgive and embrace self-compassion. She shares simple yet transformative tactics, like starting a video diary and befriending the camera lens, that ease the anxiety of speaking to an audience, fostering authentic connections and confidence.

The discussion goes beyond the surface, diving into how these unresolved fears can stifle business growth and disrupt team synergy. Linda illustrates the necessity of reshaping our mindsets surrounding sales and public interactions, proposing a enlightening approach to redefine these experiences. She encourages us to celebrate our achievements and acknowledge our points of vulnerability to ensure practice growth in a more meaningful way.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Discover the root causes of public speaking anxiety.
• Cultivate self-compassion and forgiveness to overcome fear.
• Practical tactics for improving comfort with speaking on camera.
• The effect of unresolved fears on business growth and team dynamics.
• Strategies for redefining your approach to sales and public interactions.
• How self-reflection on pride and forgiveness can enhance speaker effectiveness.

Let's learn how conquering our fears of public speaking can change our practice and our life for the better with Linda Ugelow!

‍

‍

Guest: Linda UgelowBusiness Name: Linda UgelowCheck out Linda's Media:‍

Website: lindaugelow.com

TikTok: tiktok.com/@lindaugelow

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindaugelow

Coaching: lindaugelow.com/work-together

Linda's Book "Delight in the Limelight": lindaugelow.com/delight-in-the-limelight

‍

Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!

‍

Other Mentions and Links:

‍

Terms:

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

‍

Groups/Communities:

Rotary Club

‍

Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]

‍

p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.