This article appeared on www.spiritofcaring.com. In a Spirit of Caring is the "The online newsletter, gathering place, virtual library, information and resource center for dentists and team members who are serious about the people part of dentistry". Go to www.spiritofcaring.com to check it out.

To be a top-level, private care dentist, you have to market yourself and your practice every day. Every thing you do in your dental practice is related to marketing. Top-level dentists are top-level marketers.

There is a lingering perception in dentistry that if you are really good, you do not have to market your practice. Your innate excellence will bring people into your practice.

This is true especially in dentists that have been in practice since the 1970's and early 80's. The 70's and before were known as the golden years of practicing dentistry. They were perceived as golden because there was a shortage of dentists and all you had to do was put your name in the phone book. Most dentists of this era felt this was all the marketing they had to do.

These dentists still feel they have failed if they have to market. For them marketing is a dirty word that indicates failure. They remember that in their early years of practicing, only poor dentists would market or advertise their practices.

There are dentists whose practices boomed in the 1990's that feel the same way. The current slowdown is scaring them into marketing their practices.

"There are different kinds of marketing - internal and external. Internal marketing is where relationship-based practices marketing efforts should be focused. "

Some dentists who practice health-centered or relationship-based dentistry feel that if they are relationship-based they don't have to market their practices. Patients will flock to them because they are relationship-based.

These perceptions are not true.

Most dentists who started in the mid 1980's and later have grown up knowing that they have to market to be successful.

They don't stigmatize marketing.

In the 1970's and before the top-level dentists were master marketers. It wasn't called marketing then - it was called practice promotion. Just read L.D. Pankey's book on the philosophy of dentistry. It is a master's book on internal marketing.

To be a top-level dentist, you have to market yourself and your practice every day you are in practice. Every thing you do in your practice is related to marketing.

Top-level dentists are top-level marketers.

But, there are different kinds of marketing - internal and external. Internal marketing is where relationship-based practices marketing efforts should be focused.

• Internal marketing is building effective helping relationships with your patients, team, suppliers, lab people, and community.
• Internal marketing is win/win and service based. It is focused on Quid Pro Quo - giving before receiving. It is being energized or re-energized about practicing dentistry.
• Internal marketing is; asking for referrals, building missionaries, team building, personal growth, spiritual growth, learning, being an outstanding leader, being a continual student, practice building, practice management, caring for the caregiver, listening, facilitating, influencing, building wealth.
• Internal marketing is being adept at the co-diagnosis process, post-case presentations, having an outstanding team, being emotionally intelligent and technically excellent, asking for help from your study group, consultants, team and staying in touch with the best people in your practice.
• Internal marketing is being visible in your community sphere of influence by volunteering for and supporting activities you believe in and for which you have a natural affinity.
• Internal marketing is having excellent systems that are congruent with your mission, vision and philosophy.
• Internal marketing is remembering what worked best for you when you were building or re-building your practice.

External marketing is focused on promoting your practice using traditional selling mediums like print ads in magazines and newspapers, large phone book ads, coupons, radio ads, TV ads, welcome wagon ads.

External marketing works. External marketing is not bad. It is the primary way products are marketed. Business-centered dentists use external marketing effectively.

External marketing usually fails in relationship-based practices because it is not congruent with the dentist's mission and values. Most relationship-based dentists who do external marketing do it out of fear and desperation. This sets up his or her marketing efforts to fail.

Realtors say the three most important things in selling a property are location, location, location. Marketing experts say the three most important things in marketing are test, test, and test.

Focus on maximizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. Pay attention to what works best in marketing your practice and do it over and over and over again.

Be relentless.

Most relationship-based practices get in trouble because they put their practice on cruise control and they stop marketing their practice every day they practice.

And, yes the economy affects a dental practice. For most practices the cushion is much thinner in the 21st century than it was in the late 20th century. Your practice can stall or dive much faster.

In the golden years a dentist could afford to coast occasionally. In the 21st century you cannot.

Play to your strengths.

Test, test and test your marketing and market, market and market (internally) your practice.

"Selling the Invisible" by Harry Beckwith is an excellent book on marketing professional services.

Beckwith, Harry, "Selling the Invisible" Warner Books, 1997. A bull's eye book on marketing for the service professions. Easy to read. * Top Ten book * www.amazon.com to order

Click on "Win/Win marketing" under "Departments" http://www.spiritofcaring.com/members/department33.cfm to see articles on marketing.

Distribution rights: © 2004 - The article is copyrighted. You are free to distribute it to others without any deletions or changes, and with full attribution to the author including contact information. (See below) With permission in advance, we are happy to make edits to suit your space requirements or editorial needs. Lynn Carlisle, DDS @ webmaster@spiritofcaring.com. ____________________________________________________________

Lynn D. Carlisle, DDS, FAGD practices dentistry in Fort Collins, Colorado. He has served on the Board of Directors of The Pankey Institute and has been president of The Bob Barkley Foundation. He is the author of the highly acclaimed book, In a Spirit of Caring. He is the publisher and editor of the web site In a Spirit of Caring. The web site is dedicated to helping dentists and teams with the people part of dentistry. For more information on the web site, go to www.spiritofcaring.com.