In these challenging economic times, dental practitioners have to work smarter, not harder, to weather the storm. But the good news is that with a number of simple strategies, you can market your business and bolster the success of your practice in the face of the current downturn. According to Jeff Francis, marketing director at Practice Café, dental practitioners can follow a few essential practices that will serve you well.

Put yourself in the shoes of a potential new dental patient calling your office for the first time. You may be in pain, nervous or just plain old shy. Nothing would be more reassuring to you than speaking to someone that is calm, concerned and patient. So how do you make sure that this is how the phones are being answered at your dental practice?

Imagine the reaction of your dental patients if they were all greeted by your staff by name. It certainly would go a long way in building relationships with your dental patients and making them feel at home at your dental practice. This is something that can easily be achieved with a small monetary investment and time commitment from your dental staff.

When Roger Levin graduated from the University of Maryland College of Dentistry in 1982, he had no idea what career changes lay in store for him. Like any new DDS, Levin imagined his life as a full-time practicing dentist. But once he was firmly established in his family’s practice, he soon developed a new passion, and one that would change the professional lives of hundreds of dentists: practice management and marketing.

You now it’s important to market your dental practice, but you need to avoid some “rookie” mistakes.

Your dental patients are your practice’s most important asset. A key to forming long term relationships with them is to develop a relationship. By connecting with your patients they will choose to keep coming back and be more likely to comply with their course of treatment.

One of the most important ways to ensure dental practice growth and patient compliance is good communication with your dental patients and making sure they are educated about your dental practice and the services you can provide. These simple tips will help you ensure that your dental patients are educated and informed.

A little gesture truly goes a long way in making a good impression with your dental patients. It’s important that your dental patients truly believe that you and your staff care about them. Patients that feel their dentists and staffs are invested in their well being are more likely to complete treatment and refer friends and family. It truly is the small things that will show your dental patients that you and your staff care.

As the founder of the Lanmark Group, the first full-service advertising agency dedicated to the needs of dental professionals, Joe Lancelotti has watched the evolution of dental marketing from its nascent stages in the 1970s to the advent of the worldwide web. Today as the owner of Camelot Marketing Services and DoctorsMarketing.com, Lancelotti uses techniques he and his team have developed over decades of experience to fulfill the marketing needs of dental professionals across the country.

Are you meeting with your dental staff every morning? If not you are missing an important opportunity to improve your dental practice. Take a cue from successful organizations, they know that to get the most of every day you have to begin with a goal in mind. By meeting with your dental staff daily and setting out a game plan you are starting down the path to maximize efficiency and minimize stress.