I was going to write about Spring, Easter, Passover and the hopeful message of rebirth. Instead, an event occurred that changed my mind and it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up.
I was shocked, like so many were, when “The Donald” beat Hillary for president. It’s not often one gets to vote for a Vice Presidential candidate like Bill Weld, who was also a patient, so I voted Libertarian.
But thinking about that race, reinforced something that I find so common among dentists. Politicians think like politicians and dentists think like dentists. Everyone is biased. Trump thinks like a businessman and a showman. And that gives him an edge.
What’s more important, is that normal people do not think like businessmen, showmen, politicians nor dentists. So, a politician’s or dentist-crafted message to regular folk, often fails to hit the mark. Trump understands this better than most. The people we often see in politics, academia, or on CNN, MSNBC, or FOX, are not “everyday people”.
They are not his audience.
Defining your target market is JOB ONE when doing any marketing. Political campaigning is marketing. Attracting patients is marketing. Getting patients to accept treatment is marketing. Getting them to refer others and return entails marketing.
EVERYTHING INVOLVED IN PRESUADING OR INFLUENCING ANOTHER PERSON IS MARKETING.
Do you think a ‘normal’ person wants to know the details of the ‘procedures’ you offer? Do they want to see pictures of disembodied teeth, sharp instruments, or scary equipment.
Yet, when you look at most dental websites, that’s exactly what is shown.
MOST MARKETING (not just dental) SUCKS.
I am often asked to review and critique marketing pieces, like websites, emails, newsletters, brochures and even business cards. My first question is; Who is this meant to attract?
What I commonly see in dental marketing is INEFFECTIVE MESSAGING TO AN ILL- DEFINED MARKET.
It’s a result of trying to be everything to everybody. The result? It’s nothing to no one.
Like it or not, Trump won the Presidency because his messaging, even though many might have found it reprehensible, resonated with regular people, not people like you or me.
Now, with an indictment, his messaging can become even more powerful. As a “victim”, “underdog”, and being “persecuted”, his message might resonate even beyond his traditional base. Never underestimate the power of good marketing. And, Trump is, like him or not, a marketing master.
How will he use this to craft a message, and to whom?
How can YOU refine your marketing messaging?
It’s NOT done by thinking like a dentist but rather, by thinking like a normal person, a non-dentite. Fearful, unwilling, confused, resentful, and stressed are just a few emotions a potential patient might have.
Will your messages speak to those emotions?
Using the right media to reach your ideal patient will allow your message to be heard. Here too is where Trump will gain a significant advantage over all other presidential candidates. There’s NO news media that will not cover this spectacle. Trump revels in this attention and will turn it to his advantage.
We can’t change the spectacle that will play out this week. Whatever your political leanings, learning from this however, can help you create your own economic reality by defining and identifying your ideal patient, crafting better messages, while delivering them more effectively.
Here are the questions you should ask prior to embarking on any marketing campaign:
I’m fed up with politics. You might be as well. But watching the game can educate you, if you know where to look and can separate your emotions from the spectacle.
Yes, elections have consequences. But they can also be enlightening.
Towards your enlightened marketing,
Michael
P.S. Want to more about non-dentite, effective marketing? Join The Liberated Practice Program. When join as a yearly member, you’ll receive a 25% discount on all Practice Perfect Systems’ solutions, including website and marketing analysis.