By Luc Wade, Marketing Director at Hive Business
About a year ago Pure Dental Health in Truro was a reasonably successful practice. Actually, it was a tad more than reasonably successful; patients travelled from across the South West and even from France, Geneva, and the Azores to be seen.
Then Mark Durnall bought it and pressed forward with an aggressive marketing agenda that’s included brand repositioning, a total IT overhaul, an equipment upgrade and a building upgrade.
There is now a lecture room which hosts regular referral meetings with local dentists, there are four new parking spaces for patients and there is a new designated beauty room.
All the surgeries now have plasma screens on the ceilings and there is (of course) new stationery. We are about to start work on a series of videos and animations with him to boost the practice’s online bookings. Mark has created a new role too — patient advisor.
It’s this last change that I think proves he is not just going through the motions of having a bit of a punt at marketing. We see so many dental businesses do that — have a stab at a few marketing activities before their commitment tapers off in fits and jerks.
Mark really is one of our favourite clients to work with because he just gets it, so we can avoid those long, circular conversations you sometimes get with dentists about details. In short, he sees the big picture, and the big picture is framed by a very healthy bottom line.
He is clearly transforming the patient journey and he has gone as far as creating information evenings just for people who are interested in high value treatments.
With no obligation to buy, prospective patients are invited in after work and given a sandwich and a drink and as much information as they want — from the clinician — about the high value treatment they have been intimidated by at other practices, often for years.
Mark has a clear grasp of where he wants his business to be and is quick at making decisions and moving forward. He loves competition from his rivals as that spurs him on to improve — competition means patients win. These things help, but they are not the real reason he’s winning.
The reason is this: all Pure Dental Health marketing activities serve Mark’s strategy. He has positioned the practice as Cornwall’s leading advanced dental clinic and this brand positioning fits well with the location.
The key thing is he’s following a clear and logical strategy; he’s continually investing in his practice and making sure it represents the brand positioning.
The patient advisor, the lecture room, the new signage, the car park spaces; they may not seem it, but they are all marketing tactics that serve the strategy of being Cornwall’s leading advanced dental clinic. And that strategy serves a financial objective that I won’t disclose here, but that Mark is on track to meeting.
If you’d like to change gear like Pure Dental Health and transform your practice with a strategic marketing plan, call me for a chat on 01872 300232 or email us at hello@hivebusiness.co.uk.
