These days, is your dental practice busy just trying to cope with patient flow, staffing issues, the latest in dental technologies, and business realities? If so, make sure you’re not missing one of the fundamentals that can help you not only survive, but thrive: the often-overlooked arena of image management.
Image management is the ongoing process of evaluating and controlling the effects of your appearance and behavior, as well as the responses they produce in you and others. It includes how you and your team members dress and groom yourselves, of course, but also how you communicate, how your office is organized, and that elusive thing called your personal or professional brand. Let’s start with that.
Your Brand
The phrases “personal brand” and “professional brand” get thrown around a lot, but what do they really mean? Simply put, your personal or professional brand is the overall perception others have of you and/or your practice. It’s based on your experiences, expertise, opinions, choices, behaviors, look and style, and the impact you and your team have within your community. It’s everything that you are and, most importantly, everything that others think you are.
Defining an authentic brand and consciously working with it over time can help you present a coherent individual and team “self” to your patients and others. A coherent, conscious approach to branding can do wonders for your practice. Consistently communicating a well-defined professional brand will amplify your credibility, authority, and reputation. As a bonus, a distinctive brand will give your practice a competitive edge.
Whether you’re fully conscious of it or not you already have a brand. Others have defined how they experience you from the first time they met you or someone in your practice. So you need to be aware of what others think that brand is, change anything you don’t like, and be more deliberate about using that brand in your daily professional and personal life.
Your Appearance
Your practice’s appearance includes your team’s dress and grooming habits, of course. But it also includes how your office is organized, the colors you use, and even the odors that linger in the air. Here are a few points to consider:
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- •People like to do business with people and dental practices that appear “put together.” A polished, neat appearance promotes trust and positive interactions.
- •Strategic, well-thought-out appearance standards generate patient confidence in your team and the care you offer. This includes seemingly simple things like the colors and designs you use for your furniture and scrubs.
- •Having a professional-looking, efficiently run office is a signal that you’re well-trained, competent, organized, prepared, paying attention to detail, and are working as a team to provide the ultimate in dental care.
Ultimately, your practice will be judged not just on the care you offer but also on your appearance. There are many ways to dress and organize your office appropriately. So take some time to define the appearance standards that will align best with your practice and your professional brand.
Your Communication
How you and your team members communicate with one another and your patients is one of the most critical factors in image management. Good communication grows trust and rapport, improves efficiency, and can lead to happier patients and more referrals. Poor communication can shatter even the best attempts at creating a positive brand and appearance. Here are three things to consider.
First, to develop better front desk and chairside conversations, talk in a manner your patients will understand. Your team members don’t have to “dumbify” their education/knowledge. They just need to listen carefully, be respectful, and remember to keep the topic of dental/health concerns top priority in their conversations.
Next, in business communication, you want attention to come to the face and eyes, then on to the business at hand. For example, during initial interactions and exams, make frequent direct eye contact. When discussing important findings, recommendations, or care options, look at your patients instead of focusing on a monitor or their records.
Finally, communicate as a team by using a systematic, collective approach to your verbal and nonverbal communications. Have a team process that helps patients feel secure and cared for whether they’re in the hygiene chair, preparing for an exam with the doctor, or moving to and from the front desk. Your patients should never feel lost or neglected.
The dental services sector has been changing for well over a decade, and those changes appear to be accelerating. More than ever, dentistry is a big business in addition to being a personal healthcare service. Whether you’re totally independent or working with a dental support organization (DSO), part of today’s reality includes consciously using image management to generate greater success for your dental practice.
About the Author
Kelly Duggan is a registered dental hygienist (RDH), executive presence consultant and personal brand strategist, with combined expertise from more than 30 years in the dental and image industries. Her certified company KELLY DUGGAN Image Consulting, LLC (KDIC) is an award-winning member of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI). With a focus on helping practitioners, teams and individuals in the dental and healthcare sector, KDIC is committed to elevating the experience and care that patients receive while helping practices gain in performance, productivity and profitability.
Interested in learning more or scheduling a strategy call? Email us at support@kellyduggan.com or call 269.873.1598.
