The way to stand out in an industry which is being flooded by more and more clinics, is to find your point of difference, highlight that which is unique to you that is important for your patients. What makes you special? Why should patients come to you? How can your message be heard and remembered?
To help you get an idea of how to stand out, let’s talk about Donald Trump. Don’t stop reading, bear with me for a moment. While the world was shocked at the results, and social media went into meltdown, asking America- How could you? The reasons behind his victory over Hillary Clinton are remarkably relevant to how you need to stand out from your competition.
Hillary Clinton is a career politician. Her husband is a past president, and during the Obama regime, Hillary was Secretary of State, a very powerful position for a person. Many commentators remarked that she would be more qualified for the job as President of the United States because she was a politician with decades of experience and vast connections.
And that was her downfall. She was so similar to all the other politicians, from all who came before her, that people could not tell her apart from all the other grey-suit-wearing politicians.
The reason Donald Trump was successful, is because the people who voted for him, his target audience, feel disenfranchised by the typical political elites. Donald Trump spoke their language, or represented a shift away from the normal. An option that wasn’t the same old cookie cutter politician, but someone who is going to rattle the cages.
And this is what you need to consider when thinking about your point of difference. Do you sound like everyone else? When marketing yourself, are you repeating the same message as those around you, as those before you?Do you truly offer a unique experience for current and potential patients? And to be honest, whether you like it or not, Donald Trump can be considered a unique experience, amongst other things.
Now we are not suggesting that you ramp up social media and start insulting people and saying things which could get you into trouble. But setting yourself apart from the norm by being flamboyant, showing off something you’re good at even if it’s not directly related to your profession, doing something different, being able to connect to the ‘everyman’, is what you need. One example is the current Internet sensation of the Singing Dentist who was able to combine his love of singing and creativity with dentistry.
When marketing yourself, are you repeating the same message as those around you, as those before you?
Be sure to do something that feels natural to you though. For example, if you are not afraid of the camera, do video blogs on topics that you are passionate about and use social media to spread the words. Do something fun, like the Singing Dentist, which will get your content shared with a new audience, potential new patients for you. Think about it- who else is better than you at being yourself? Focus on your strength and show-off what makes you unique in your profession.
Have you had the same waiting room décor for many years? Why not change it up? Have new art, paint it, make it tropical with an inflatable palm tree. It might not look like other dental waiting rooms, and you may feel like it looks cheap, but isn’t that what we thought about Trump, with his fake tan and strange hair?
And yet, he became America’s President. The people voted him in.
So look at your practice as a whole. Does your online presence represent what you want to project and shows off that uniqueness? How you greet people, where patients sit and wait, look at your marketing and ask yourself- does it look like everything else? Or can I Trumpify my marketing, my clinic, my business?
If you want someone to brainstorm a few unique ideas with you, why not contact us directly at info@2080solutions.com.au or call us on (03) 9028 2080 and let’s start a conversation on how we can Trumpify your practice.