Have You Thought About An Office Newsletter?
Not many orthodontic offices are taking advantage of the communication and practice building potential of an office newsletter. It should be emphasized that this is communication and practice building, not advertising, when it is sent only to patients of record.
The contents of a newsletter are limited only by good taste and the imagination of the orthodontist and his staff. It can contain news about the practice, about the doctor, about the staff, about the patients, about orthodontics, about dentistry. It can have artwork, cartoons, photographs, puzzles, contests.
The doctor and the staff could be introduced, over a period of time, with photographs, brief biographical sketches, and some personal information about them and their interests, sports, and hobbies. New employees are introduced in this way, and professional activities of the doctor and the staff can be reported.
News about patients includes their accomplishments outside the office--in school, in sports, in unusual hobbies and interests--with photos; photos of the patient of the month; former patients who are in the news, especially sports and beauty contest winners. Patients are also invited to submit items--news, poems, cartoons.
Announcements can be included about the practice--if the office will be closed, what phone number to call in case of emergency, suggestions about parking, innovations in practice administration. Hypothetical questions can be asked and answered about administrative procedures--why some appointments must be made during school hours, what the excuse procedure is. It would be informative to write about some of the office equipment and how and why it is used; and about new equipment.
The newsletter is an opportunity to inform patients and parents about orthodontics and about dentistry. The influence of orthodontic treatment on appearance; reprinting of an article or news item, or a report of these which describes the importance of appearance to one's self-esteem; how and why to wear headgear, elastics, retainers, positioner; some simple ideas about technique and what you are trying to accomplish; the reasons for cooperation; the explanation of cooperation in keeping appliances in good order, in following instructions, in keeping appointments; why retention is important; toothbrushing; fluoride gels, rinses, toothpastes; what x-rays are needed and why; frank talk about the hazards of radiation and what this office does about it; new materials; new appliances; why regular dental checkups are important; will it hurt; why it takes so long; bruxism; TMJ problems; occlusion. The list is endless, and subjects can be repeated.
What we have here not only in the act of sending this kind of communication, but also in the quality of the content, is the chance to express to patients the distinctions about your practice. It is only one, but an important link in the message that is so important to most practices today--the creation in patients' minds of a perception of difference between your practice and all other practices.
Since the medium is also the message, it is vital that the newsletter be itself a reflection of the quality of care that is rendered in your office. Care should be taken in the design, in the name, and in the production of the piece. A local commercial artist should be consulted to design it and to select type styles. A local printer should be consulted for selection of paper stock and for an estimation of the costs of printing and distributing the newsletter. Since photographs will be reproduced, a good quality coated stock should be selected, to show the photos to best advantage.
A monthly newsletter might be a bit much, but a quarterly would seem to be appropriate. Even a quarterly is going to put some stress on the doctor and on the office personnel to get it out. This is an activity in which one of the staff people or the doctor's wife might take a lead role. The doctor should have some kind of personal message in each one. Since so much of the content of a newsletter should be personal and intimately related to the practice, it is probably not possible to set the appropriate tone and do the intended job with a commercially prepared newsletter, if such are available. You receive that kind from insurance salesmen, real estate firms, and accountants. They may occasionally have an item that catches your eye, but more often you probably sail them into the round file without giving them more than a cursory glance. That won't do if you are trying to establish that perception of difference, and if you are gearing the entire output to your individual practice and the people in it.
The idea of a newsletter introduces another concept that is new to most practices, and that is a practice promotion budget. It would be a useful idea if it only got the orthodontist and the staff to begin to think about what may be involved in practice promotion, what it might cost, and how the practice should budget and plan for it. Before you get into so complex a project, be sure that you want to spend what it will cost to do it right in terms of money, time, and energy. If the answer is "yes", set up a flow chart--a timetable of events--planning, organizing, scheduling for the overall project and some provision for feedback from all concerned; and then specific time schedules for production of the first few issues. There may be reasons why a newsletter is not appropriate for your office--cost, lack of time, lack of necessary talent, or it may just not be attuned to your value system. However, if you are comfortable with the idea, go for it. It can be a most powerful communication and practice building tool.
