Setting the scene
Think about the last time you traveled somewhere new. What crossed your mind as you ironed out the details? What airport will you fly out of? What hotel will you stay in? Are there any great restaurants nearby?
How much time did you spend scouting this unfamiliar place online? Before going to a new restaurant, maybe you’re like me and like to review the menu, seating, and parking. It feels nice to know what you’re walking into. Maybe all this groundwork eases some of your anxieties. That’s exactly how a new patient should feel on their journey from looking at your website to walking through your door.
Dental anxiety affects a significant number of potential new patients, and for some it’s severe enough to avoid dental care altogether. Your digital presence, built through a complete and esthetically pleasing website, should include photography of your interior and exterior and provider headshots and bios to set patient expectations and ease discomfort. Industry leaders supplement this with a virtual office tour and an engaging social media presence.
The digital landscape of patient search
Potential new patients search for their care providers online more than ever before. They’re reading your reviews, scouring your social media, and perusing your well-crafted bio on your website. All these digital stops should work together to create a seamless, comfortable experience. When the tone, language, and overall vibe they’ve encountered online is reflected in your office, it's reassuring. It tells them, "Yep, I'm in the right place."
The importance of your in-office interactions mirroring the messaging you’ve perfected online is paramount. Recall the disappointment you felt when a waiter placed a meal in front of you that looked absolutely nothing like the photo from their online menu. Imagine that feeling with a layer of fear when a new patient realizes who they chose to trust with their health care is not the person they saw online.
Define your unique brand voice
At the core of your digital marketing should be a unique and irreplaceable brand voice. This blend of tone, style, and personality distinguishes you from other dentists. This is the personality of your practice—your vibe. While your brand voice works in concert with your visual elements, it’s much more than a logo or color palette. A strong brand personality helps create a relatable and memorable brand and should align with your values and target audience.
Reflect your brand in every interaction
You decide what your brand voice embodies. Are you a colorful, bright, peppy pediatric dentist? A serious authority in the oral surgery space? Maybe a warm and reassuring general family practice? This should come across in your social media, email newsletters, and how your team interacts with patients. Your mood and atmosphere should be clearly projected in every interaction you have with a patient, from social media interactions to chairside manner. This consistency builds trust and recognition in your community.
Train your team for consistency
Once you’ve decided how to be reflected through your brand voice, it’s imperative that your staff mirror this as well. Your voice should carry through appointment scheduling, welcome materials, treatment discussions, and patient communications. When patients encounter the same professional tone in your office that they experienced online, it creates a seamless, reassuring experience. This consistency enhances patient comfort and strengthens their connection to your practice, potentially converting one-time visitors into long-term patients and enthusiastic referrers.
Emphasize authenticity over scripts
Training your staff isn't about handing them a script to recite; in fact, please don’t. Your voice should feel natural and authentic, not forced. It’s robotic and off-putting when multiple team members use the exact same verbiage. This is consistently about embodying your practice's culture, values, and voice, whether you're posting on Instagram or greeting a patient at the front desk.
Your voice should be flexible and adaptable to different contexts and audiences. It’s OK, and even welcomed, to be laid back and silly on TikTok or during in-office giveaways, and to carry a more professional tone on LinkedIn or during financial conversations. Your tone has freedom to change depending on circumstance while your values of kindness and knowledge remain steadfast.
Foster understanding through team meetings
Hold staff meetings to help your team understand the essence of your brand voice—your tone, values, and key messages. Encourage your staff to internalize these elements and express them in their own words, which allows for genuine, personalized interactions. Regular discussions about your standards and ethics help staff become fluent in your brand language while maintaining their personalities.
Authenticity invites conversation and connection and resonates with your patients. These experiences create a deep connection that leads to your patient base not only recommending you, but actively rooting for your team. There’s no better advocate.
Create a trustworthy environment
Maintain a sincere approach when addressing patient questions and concerns. This is crucial for building trust and fostering a supportive environment. Consistently addressing patient concerns can turn potentially challenging situations into opportunities for strengthening relationships. Create an open atmosphere that invites curiosity and discussion. Patients trust brands that are open about policies and shortcomings and that communicate honestly through challenges and mistakes.
Navigate crisis communications
Consider discussing crisis communications in staff meetings. Negative feedback, unexpected delays, or emergencies are inevitable. Trust that your potential patients are reading your practice reviews and paying attention to how you respond. Those who acknowledge a potential failing or misstep are often viewed more favorably than those who choose to ignore a one-star rating.
Transparent and solution-oriented communication
Effective crisis communication is not about maintaining a falsely positive front. It’s about being transparent, sincere, and solution-oriented while staying true to the core values that define your practice. The goal is to navigate these situations in a way that addresses the immediate issue and reinforces patient trust.
Ongoing training and reinforcement
Use recurring staff meetings to share success stories, highlight great implementations, and gather feedback. Use these opportunities for ongoing training and focus on different aspects of communication each time. Beyond formal training, foster a culture that values and reinforces your brand voice.
Leadership and continuous improvement
Encourage leadership and management to consistently demonstrate your ideal communication style. Acknowledge team members who excel in patient interactions and create a supportive environment and open feedback. Be prepared to evolve your brand voice over time based on your practice needs.
The way you communicate is as vital as your clinical care. A consistent brand voice sets the tone for your practice and creates a seamless experience that alleviates anxiety and builds trust. Remaining dedicated and consistent to your brand voice enhances patient comfort and fosters loyalty and advocacy. When patients feel understood and valued, they’re more likely to return and talk about their great experience to others.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the January 2025 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
