Where To Find the ‘Right Patients’

Just about every dentist eventually reaches the point in their career when it’s time to “go deeper to go higher.” In the early stages of a practice’s development, growth usually comes pretty swiftly and steadily. Then you reach that saturation point where you realize you’re already busy, so adding a lot more new patients is not the answer. You want “better” patients.

It’s at this point that many dentists spend a lot of time, energy, and money on marketing strategies to attract the “right” patients who want higher-value and more comprehensive treatment. I think this is a mistake.

It’s a mistake because for the most part, the people out there who value comprehensive care have already had it done; they already have dentists. That’s the bad news. The good news is there’s still a pool of great patients within your grasp — you just have to grow them yourself.

I’d be willing to bet there are a number of patients in your practice right now who have been accepting only basic insurance-based dentistry but could, with the right attention and under the right circumstances, become the ideal patients you’re seeking. The right patient in this sense is any patient you can have an impact on and move up the scale of value.

Most so-called “elite” practices are built from the inside out. You slowly but steadily build awareness and standards among your existing patients in a way that lets you “grow” internally. And that is when you start attracting new great patients in a natural way through reputation and invitation. These patients arrive with a higher value, but you still have to do your part.

So don’t write off today’s basic dentistry-only patients as hopeless; think of them as great patients in training.