The problems of dentistry in India seem to be fraught with
contradictions. On the one hand, dentists are growing in number and the
population (potential patients) is growing at an even higher rate. Moreover,
the general population has a growing awareness of maintaining proper oral
hygiene. The supply is relatively limited but the demand is growing. This would
be a boon to dentists.
However, the patients are spoilt by the increasing number of
options, inflation has been quite high so costs are going up, but the charges
must be discounted to win back and retain the customers.
The dentist today is faced with lot of competition and if one
is starting up a clinic, it really becomes important to get the word out and
bring the patients in. Patients today expect the very best of equipment’s and
to cater to this demand, an increasing number of dentists have modern and
professional facilities. This is good, but they have higher overheads in
comparison to medical doctors who have old, small one or two-room offices with
a far lower rent.
Yet, these challenges can still be overcome. The true
problem, though, is more endemic. The true problem is that dentistry in India
is being marketed poorly. This, itself, is as a result of three other problems
or issues.
First
issue: A limited market for the new dentists
India has always had a rich tradition of churning out
lawyers, doctors and engineers. Earlier though, the supply was severely
restricted because of the paucity of educational institutions. In the past decade,
though, colleges and universities have been growing at a furious pace, and
there are more and more and yet more such professionals.
Very many of them have been lucky and have been able to
emigrate with their degrees to Australia, the United States, Singapore, Dubai
and other places. Dentists, however, have not been as fortunate. Their degrees
are not recognized in these and other countries.
In other words, they can only operate mainly in India for the
most part. They set up shop in their locality. They may excel in that area,
they may have a good pool of patients, and they may be considered as being the
“King of the pond” but it is still a small pond. This is not always
sustainable.
What they must do is to educate these patients. Instill in
them the need for regular checkups and for good oral hygiene. Spread this
through word of mouth. Generate awareness is key to marketing.
Second
issue: Prevailing myths
Many patients believe that dentistry is unnecessarily costly,
and necessary only when urgently needed. Although dentistry can be costly when
not managed well, it is not necessarily so. Even if it were costly, the
problems are exacerbated by the prevalence of myths, and the lack of
counteracting truths.
How,
specifically, can you provide such truths and remove the myths? There are
several ways:
Put your pricing on paper, a chart, wall hanging and/or
brochure. Every person in India asks about fees and costs. People go to a hotel
and want to see the tariff. People go to a small restaurant and want to see the
menu readily and easily. Every other business provides these; you need to do
the same. In some countries this is forbidden though.
In the field of real estate in the United States, agents are
drilled in the concept of “location, location, location”. As a dental
professional, your task is to “educate, educate, educate”. Provide your
patients with the options that they have for their necessary treatment, especially
in paper or brochure form and especially if it has images or diagrams.
Related to this is to talk to your patients about the
importance of prevention, the importance of proper oral hygiene. Inform them
that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, that although regular
checkups could cost 500 rupees per year, it can prevent the need to spend
30,000 rupees in otherwise preventable situations.
Have a flat, fixed and verifiable (by brochure or rate chart)
price. Indians are good at haggling, but you do not want to spend the time and
energy in this activity. Moreover, patients are like children; if they hear
that their next-door neighbor got a discount then they will want to get that
same discount. Eventually, everyone will want a discount, obviating the need
for a rate chart, and lowering your margins.
The one exception to the above is to give a discount to the
very poorest patients. In the United States, lawyers and doctors sometimes
provide their services pro bono or for free (and a few hospitals in India are
doing this). In all places, though, it is on a case-by-case basis. Believe it –
when done in moderation – this will build your brand and image of a good
dentist.
Do not use jargon. It may be impressive and acceptable if you
are writing an article to a professional journal, but do not use it when
communicating with patients.
Most of all have clean and straight teeth yourself. Practice
what you preach. Your patients need to have that verification. Otherwise, they
most likely will not trust you.
Provide the truths and you will squelch the myths and the
misperceptions. This, too, is key to marketing.
Third
issue: Reluctance to spend on marketing
Dental Courses In
Mumbai The fact or the end result of having a website can be nice. It lends
credibility to the dental office or clinic. It is something that few
competitors have, so it sets you apart; it can be the reason why a patient goes
to you and not to another dentist.
The real truth, though, is that it takes too much time, money
and effort to have and maintain it. Everyone is capable of answering a
telephone; it is as natural as walking. You could answer the phone at your
clinic, but if you have a patient at the time or are reviewing important
medical records then it would be counter-productive. Thus, you hire a secretary
to do this job. In a similar way, if you are considering having a website then
hires an online marketing professional.
Proper marketing means doing the things that you can do, and
letting others do the necessary things that would be ineffective for you to do.
Source: http://bit.ly/2gUGeHc
