Do you know what your brand is and where it comes from?   

It is how you’re seen in the world — how people experience you and your practice.

Whether we’re intentional about it or not, we all have a brand. The key is to be intentional…  and I’m not talking about advertising!  Advertising is fine, but only if it is aligned with our “true” brand, which is the experience people have in our office.

Basically, in dentistry, our brand comes from our culture. 

We may be going through the motions, delivering good dental care, following accurate and effective systems and doing all the right things, but WHAT we do doesn’t differentiate us or create a “Wow!” experience or customer loyalty.  It’s really all about HOW we do it— the WAY we do our dentistry, the WAY we communicate, the WAY we are… people can feel it and it either resonates or it doesn’t. 

I like when our culture is so clear to the people that come into our office that they know whether it resonates or not.  And if it does, they become “raving fans” and if it doesn’t, they leave.  That way we end up with a practice full of people that are a joy to be with; it’s way more fun to work with patients and team that are aligned with our philosophy and value what we do—it’s energizing!

Here are the steps I recommend for creating your brand deliberately:

1. Get clear on your values and philosophy… what you stand for and believe in in your life and practice.

2. Share the above with your team clearly and passionately.

3. Be sure you are modeling the behavior and acting in alignment with your values.

4. Design experiences for your patients that make your “brand” obvious.  Be intentional about having them EXPERIENCE it in action!

5. Watch as the patients and your team tell their family and friends about your practice and grow your practice for you!

This only works if it’s authentic, so please take the time it takes for #1. That’s the most important step! You can’t say you stand for something when you really don’t.  People can sense it!  Spend some quiet time and ask yourself questions to find out what’s most important to you.

What brand are you creating?  What brand do you want to create? Share your insights below in the comments area. 

Let me know how it goes!

Allison