Be interesting: Part 2
Nate Booth, DDS
For more on this topic, go to www.dentaleconomics.com and search using the following key words: Be interesting, who you are, what you do, Dr. Matt Bynum, Nate Booth, DDS.
In last month’s info-packed column, you learned that you must be interesting if you want people to be interested in your dental office. As you recall, there are three ways to be interesting:
- Who you are
- What you do
- How you do it
Last month, we discussed No. 1. This month you will learn how to tap into the energy of No. 2 — what you do.
There are two ways to look at what you do. Most dentists think what they do is the actions they take. A few dentists believe what they do is the value they provide for others.
As an example, Dr. A believes she provides cosmetic dentistry and promotes that to her community. Dr. Matt Bynum of Simpsonville, S.C., believes he changes people’s lives by changing their smiles, and he makes this his marketing message.
Three questions for you:
- Who is more interesting, Dr. A, who places veneers, or Matt, who changes lives?
- Who has the more intriguing marketing, the veneer-doer or the life-changer?
- Who receives more emotional and financial rewards from the profession, the mechanic or the magician?
Matt knows that people are not very interested in a message about him. They are much more dialed in to tunes playing on their favorite station — WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) I know what you are thinking. Your office has numerous wonderful features.
You worked hard to create these features, and you are justifiably proud of them. These do not mean squat to people ... unless they see how the features benefit them.
A couple of years ago, Matt had a marketing campaign called Change Your Smile, Change Your Life®. He used radio, print, and even billboards to shout out to his community what he does. Below are the two sides of his flipping billboard. Side one was the before photo, and side two was the after photo. Yes, it’s the same person. She looks completely different because her life was transformed.
Matt’s radio commercials echoed the same story. They were recordings of Matt’s patients talking about how his smile-changing dentistry dramatically improved their lives.
His glossy magazine ads did the same thing with before-and-after photos of patients, along with short descriptions of what their new smiles mean to them.
Don’t sell, educate
As a salesperson dentist, you always tell your story. As an educator dentist, you tell the stories of others. This is a big deal because salespeople are treated differently than educators. Salespeople tend to be ignored and discounted. Educators are typically listened to and highly valued and people gladly pay more to do business with an expert.
Next month, you will learn how to be interesting by “How You Do It.” In the meantime, catch “be interesting” fever. It’s contagious.
Matt and his good friend, Dr. Art Mowery, have written a terrific book called “The Boomerang Effect: How Your Beliefs Return and Create Your Personal and Professional Lives.” Send an email to Matt at [email protected] for more information.
To receive information on the following, send an email to Dr. Booth at [email protected] or call (702) 444-1362.
- A complimentary report on The Five Biggest Comprehensive Case Acceptance Mistakes Dentists Routinely Make
- Dr. Booth’s 75-minute, interactive “Yes” System training webinar that you can attend from the comfort of your home
- Dr. Booth’s live and lively presentations to dental groups