Defining Your (orthodontic) Brand and the Language of the Patient Referral

We (humans) are where we are in the food chain because of language. We can uniquely share experiences and discoveries with subsequent generations such that they are not force to re-invent, but rather can expound on prior achievements. Does an idea have value? No. Not unless it can be adequately verbalized such that others can understand both its necessity, logic, and execution. Why are franchises statistically more successful than their privately held counterparts? Because the systems and tasks required for their continuance and growth are easily transferred between employees by spoken and written word. Language, whether it be in the form of a mathematical proof, user's manual, or business plan, is required if the idea is to be effectively shared between individuals.

You, the entrepreneur orthodontist, likely employ this concept even if you've never taken the time to define it as I have above. Many, if not most, orthodontists script much of the treatment coordinator's presentation of the treatment plan. You probably have some form of a script for the front desk, whether for answering calls or greeting patients as they come in. Note: If "no" is the answer to either of these, stop what you're doing and call us :)  But the vast majority of orthodontic practices do not script perhaps the most important facet of practice communication that there is; the "language of the referral."

In presentations, I typically put some poor staff member on the spot with this, "Tell me why I, a person that you met socially and has a child in need of orthodontic care, should choose Dr. 'Smith. Go." Invariably, the person stammers as the thoughts swirl only to coalesce into some form of, "Dr. 'Smith' is the best orthodontist, is caring, and is professional." I'm not sold. Are you? 

At this point I usually turn to the orthodontists in the group and ask if anyone knows their mission statement(s) off hand. You probably haven't looked at it in ages. But no worries, you probably wrote it when first you left residency to begin or join a practice. The fact is that this mission statement needs to include the words that YOU choose to describe your practice in a short enough sentence that it can easily be memorized by the staff and shared beyond your walls. Choose these words to reflect what is special about your practice. Use them in every consult, and every appointment, and every patient interaction so that the patients themselves use those same words to communicate you forward.

We have a client practice, Romani Orthodontics, that has a beautifully short catch-phrase that they use to define the brand, "Experience the perfect smile." While this is probably shorter than you'd want for a mission statement, it works beautifully as a call to action.  I get it and I'd buy it. So work on the language that you use to describe your practice, share it with your staff, make it a part of your every patient conversation . . . and you'll be amazed that your patients will use it as their own in describing you to their peers.