Developing a niche will allow you to dominate your market. One thing you never hear when you ask somebody what they think about where they live is “Oh, it's great, but there's a severe lack of dentists.” Why? Because almost anywhere there is a need for a dentist, a practice has already popped up. So instead of focusing solely on the best location for your practice (don't get me wrong, this is very important), you should also spend a reasonable amount of time creating your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) as a dentist. Nearly every successful dentist can differentiate himself from the crowd, usually with a USP.
Listen to this blog post:
If you don't have a USP for your dental practice (heck, for any healthcare practice), then this is a must read! Add in the comments what your USP is and how it has impacted your practice.
If you don't know, a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is simply what differentiates you from your competitors. It is what makes a client choose you over another dentist, even if the other practice is more convenient to their location. Having a USP in an industry such as dentistry is vital to the success of any practice, no matter how little or much experience you have as a dentist.
Instead, try looking at it this way:
By changing the nature of the competition. Instead of going up against other practices in a head-to-head comparison of services, degrees, certification, equipment, staff, location, etc., eliminate the competition altogether (or as much as possible) by going outside of the standard practices.
This is the core concept behind a successful USP and why it works, even in the most overcrowded industries—when you are different, you stand out and with the right message, this will translate directly into success. Let's talk about what makes a dental practice unique.
Here are four ways to start to define your USP:
The goal of creating any USP should be to choose the roads that lead to the most recognizable value. This can be achieved by looking at your USP in two parts. The first part requires that your USP marketing efforts create a good chance that a client might say: “Oh, yeah I've heard about you. You're the dentist that...”
When you have this type of recognition, you're halfway to a USP that works. The other half is even more important, however. It's fine and fairly easy to get recognition: “Oh, yeah I've heard about you. You're the dentist that was lighting a candle and set his last practice on fire!” While that will bring you recognition, it won't bring you value.
A value proposition here would be something more like: “Oh, yeah I've heard about you. You're the dentists that uses mood lighting to relax patients who are scared of needles.” Or maybe you're the dentist that shows old cartoons to patients to keep their minds off of the work being done (or other perks or amenities).
The point is you want your recognition to add value to your practice. Without that, you're just a gimmick.
One of the most effective methods for creating USPs for dentists involves solving patient pain points. A pain point is something that creates friction for your patient, in most cases with dentists, this is either fear of the dentist (or needles) and the cost of dental services.
These pain points are in place among most dentists in your area because they don't rest within the object (i.e., the dental practice), but rather live in the subject (i.e., your patient). If you can remove these pain points from the subject through your practice, then you've successfully differentiated your practice from the others in your area.
For instance, if you have an innovative solution to getting people over their fear of needles and/or dentists, this solves a major pain point that other dentists might not address. Similarly, if you provide better payment options and plans (or even lower prices), then you're also addressing another pain point. When you remove the pain points from the customer, you have a frictionless transaction ahead of you, meaning it's much easier to transition the person from lead to client.
The key to all this?
An effective online marketing campaign for dentists, which is complete and thorough, and then communicating your USP through marketing efforts including SEO, your website, and effective content marketing.
For tips on effectively marketing your practice, be sure to read these posts:
Perhaps the most effective way to check and see if your USP is viable is to ask yourself if you can back up your claims with proof. It's great to say that your techniques cause little to no pain, but do you have the customer testimonials to back it up? When you're able to prove everything that you are claiming in your USP (including that it is unique), then it's time to integrate your USP into your brand message and all marketing materials.
Contact us to learn how to put your USP to work for you.
What is your USP and how has it impacted your brand?
Want more healthcare marketing advice? Be sure to check out our podcast.
Recommended Reading: