Practice Image
Every practice has an image. The real question is whether it is the image you intend to convey. There should be a conscious effort in a professional practice to establish its image to suit its value system, its sense of mission, and--importantly--its target audience. The orthodontist's image problem is complicated by the fact that we have at least four target audiences--child patients, parents, adult patients, and family dentists--with at least two different image requirements--child and adult. Short of devoting one's practice exclusively to adults, there may be no simple way to unify one's image.
In welcoming a child patient and his or her parents into a practice, at whom is the greeting aimed? Can there be one standard greeting in the mailing prior to the first visit or in the greeting at the first visit? At whom is the conversation directed in the discussion that occurs at the initial examination and in the subsequent case presentation? It seems clear that if there is to be an effective start to the relationship, there must be two approaches--one for the prospective child patient and one for the parents. In cases of divorced parents, it may be necessary to deal with and communicate with three people.
Administrative office paperwork has to be geared to three levels of understanding-- the child, the parent or adult patient, and the dentist. That means that instead of one form letter for every occasion, there must be two or three or four. The contents of an office newsletter should be appropriate for the target audience. Unless one were to have two office newsletters--child and adult--the emphasis in the newsletter should be on information of interest to adults, with an appropriate mix of information of interest to children.
At whom is the physical image of the office aimed? Is the office decor designed with the child in mind or the adult (parent, adult patient, family dentist)? It would appear that the adults win this one, three to one, although some area or areas of the office can be designed with a child audience in mind. Especially today, when more and more orthodontists are inviting family dentists and their staffs to visit their offices, the dentists should be the No. 1 target audience for image simply because they are in the best position to refer the most patients. Next on the list of influential referrers are adult patients, next are parents of child patients, and last are child patients themselves. All of these people have an influence, but since they can't all be served by the same image, priorities should prevail.
More opportunities exist for establishment of image with child and adult patients during the long, close relationship of treatment. There are fewer contacts with parents and dentists. Therefore, the image that they perceive at those infrequent meetings and communications is especially important.
Some orthodontists believe that a luxurious office denotes success. Others think they might scare patients away with an opulent office; they opt for plain vanilla. Some refuse to spend their money on the office. They furnish their offices when they move in and never change anything. Others renew the environment fairly often.
The building itself sends a message. Its location, appearance, upkeep; its parking lot; its image in the community--office building, professional building, private home, storefront all project different images.
Staff attire is part of image. Do the doctor and staff wear uniforms or their choice of clothes? Are there office policies with regard to hairdos, cosmetics, jewelry? A general dentist who is neat and organized may get a negative impression of an orthodontic office that appears to be laid back and disorganized.
Before you can begin a conscious effort to project an image, you have to decide what image you want to project. Here is a step-by-step procedure for formulating a practice image:
1. Involve staff. Practice image must not be dictated from on high. It is important to involve all the staff--doctor and assistants--in the process. At a staff meeting or meetings, write down all the qualities you consider to be important to the practice image you want to project. These might include competence, friendliness, caring, efficiency, high quality, sincerity, trustworthiness, team effort, success.
Consider the specific ways that each quality can be expressed in a practice. Having decided on an image you want to project, how do you wish to be perceived by the four audiences that are important to your success--child patients, parents, adult patients, and dentists? In what ways can you address your image needs for each? When these would conflict, which should prevail?
2. Make a realistic assessment of your present image.
3. Decide what needs to be done to bridge the gap between 1 and 2 to project the image you want to project, and write a plan of action.
4. Establish priorities and proceed to implement the plan.
5. Evaluate the success of the plan, and periodically reevaluate your priorities.
6. Keep in mind that unless the realities in your office live up to its image, the image will be false and people will perceive that. You can't tell people you care about them and then not be sensitive to use of their time, to scheduling for their convenience, to being available when they have emergency needs.