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Posts Tagged ‘engaging and connecting’

Pull up any blog post, look at a twitter stream, or log onto Facbook and you are going to see some mention of Social Media and what we should do to connect and engage with customers or in short, how to build relationships. 

I just have to share this “real time” example.  Just about every morning I stop by McDonalds on my way into the office. Being the creature of habit that I am, I’m usually ordering the same thing…A Susage McMuffin and a Value Sweet Tea (I’m a Southern girl and lovvvvvvvve my sweet tea!). 

McDonalds has trained their employees well, right down to the drive through person who takes the money at one window and the drive through person that gives you your food at the next window. 

The fellow that takes my order (any money) has gotten to know me and my order so well, when I order a “Coke with lite ice” , he would say “You aren’t getting your sweet tea today?”  I even made a mistake one day and ordered my Sweet Tea without adding “no ice” and he said “No ice, right?”

This doesn’t sound like much, but think about it, hundreds of people are going through their drive through each day. Many are ordering the exact same thing I’m ordering, but the drive through person “knows” me and my order and that makes me feel special. 

Now isn’t that what social media is all about:  connecting and engaging were it counts…with the customer!

Technorati Tags: Building Business, Dental Marketing, engaging and connecting, engaging social media, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing

Today’s social media market is one of engaging and connecting, which puts us in constant contact with our viewers, clients, and patients and brings our email addresses and our cell phone rings in the limelight from time to time.

As patients and clients give us their email addresses, it’s amazing, sometimes comical, some of the names created to be used.  The cell phone rings we hear in the office can also be quite funny. 

A great example of your cell phone ring and how it’s heard is the Geico commercial when they are discussing ring tones and the CEO’s cell phone rings and his ring is totally out there!

If at all possible, have your email address linked to your website address. Best would be your name @your web address.  If that’s not possible, then use your name @gmail.  What you don’t want is something like “redneckgirl @yahoo” or “dudeman @gmail”.  If you’re using it for your business email, then keep it professional. 

The same thing goes for your cell phone ring tone.  True when someone calls you they don’t hear your ring tone,  But what if you are in the middle of a business conversation and you’re right at a critical point and your phone rings playing…”Take This Job and Shove It”! 

In short: Keep it professional.  If in doubt…don’t use it.

Technorati Tags: Building Business, Dental Marketing, engaging and connecting, engaging social media, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, Social Media and Telephone, social media marketing, Telephone skill

Social Media has changed marketing as we know it.  It’s instant, engaging, and presents a multitude of opportunities and benefits for connecting with new and exisiting patients. 

However, one of the oldest and still most cost effective social media marketing tools in your practice is your telephone!  Are you utilizing it to it’s full potential?

Although we don’t want to place or keep a caller on hold, in reality we know it’s going to happen. 

Since your caller is holding, a captive audience you might say, it’s the perfect opportunity to grab your listeners attention, but I can’t tell you how many offices I’ve called (speciality and general) and I get to listen to music  or worse yet, be placed on a dead line while holding. 

Obviously the caller wanted some type of information when they called, why not offer them additional information about you, your team, and your practice/services they may not be aware are available.

Some of the services you can share with your caller:

• Your credentials – the caller may have attended the same school
• Types of dentistry provided (ie. general, cosmetic, family, children, RCT, Perio)
• Infection Control – patients are very concerned about this area
• Your location
• Office hours – early morning, evening, or even Saturday appointments?
• Oral Cancer screening -Oral cancer is on the rise… (ie: Vizilite, Identifi3000, etc)
• Zoom Whitening (or the type you offer)
• Implants – one of the most searched for dental procedures
• Invisalign – let them know you offer clear braces
• Referrals – they may not know you’re accepting new patients
• Arestin
• Laser treatment – soft tissue management and uclers for starters

Even your patients that have been in your practice for awhile probably don’t know all the procedures and services you offer.  Let them know in a short, timely message shared while they are on hold.  Never underestimate what your caller knows, or doesn’t know, about you, your services, and your practice.

I’ve come back on the phone, after placing a caller on hold many times, to have them say “I didn’t know you offered…..   Could you tell me more about it? or Can I make an appointment?”  You never know what else your patients may be looking for…let them know what services you have available.  

Again, we should do everything possible to not place a caller on hold, but when we do these are a few of the procedures and services you can have your callers listen to while holding. 

What additional services or procedures can you add?

Technorati Tags: Building Business, Dental Marketing, engaging and connecting, engaging social media, Livvie Matthews, Patient Relations, social media marketing, Telephone and social media

Over the weekend, I was a panelist at the 2nd Annual All Women’s Social Media Summit.  But contrary to the title, there also was a Men’s Panel there for discussion, questions, and answers regarding women in business and social media.

They shared information from protecting your identity online to how our pictures (Avatars) are viewed.   

Points presented on protecting your Identify:

• Be careful about posting your children’s names
• Be careful not to post your address
• Do not post pictures of your home

I’d also like to add to be extrememly careful of posting where you are going to meet friends or family and the time to be there.  By posting this informatin you’re opening yourself to someone waiting in the shadows from you when you get there, when you return home, or possible burglary.  Posts with specific details are best left to personal messages. 

But the most pointed question was “In their opinions…What should women STOP doing?”  I think all of us in the room expected several answers to be given, however they all answered the same…”Stop apologizing!” 

We all were amazed and at the same time knew this was so true. For whatever reason, we women think we have to apologize for everything…even things that we didn’t do. 

When someone says they’ve had a bad day…I find myself saying, “I’m sorry”.  I didn’t cause them to have a bad day, so why should I apologize?  If I do feel the need to apologize, then what I should say is “I’m sorry that your day’s been difficult”. 

Another point brought up was the tone used with your voice.  A high pitched voice is equated to less experience or youthfullness.  But a medium to lower pitched voice projects more authority.

Something to be aware of is to NOT raise your voice at the end of your sentence as we were taught several years back to do, but rather keep your voice at the same level at the end of your sentence.  This is projecting trust. 

These where just a couple of the items discussed from a man’s point of view for a business woman, and were important factors to be shared. 

What about you…what do you think about these few items?  Do you have one to add?

Technorati Tags: a man's point of view for women in business, Building Business, engaging and connecting, engaging social media, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, women in business, women using social media

Social media is presenting many opportunities for practices and busineses to market their business as never before.  This means change and for many of us, change doesn’t come easy because it requires us to leave our comfort zones.

Our comfort zones are just that…comfortable.  We feel good about them, we excell in them, we don’t even have to think about them, we know them like the back of our hand…they wear like a comfortable pair of old shoes. 

But there comes a time, like it or not, we have to replace those old shoes and break in a new pair.  Now sometimes, this can be painful….stiffness, tight fit,  maybe even a blister…but often times that pair of new shoes becomes more comfortable than the old pair and a lot more beneficial for our feet.

That’s how it is with social media.  Like it or not it’s time for a change and we have to replace (or adjust) the old static traditional marketing of print ads and break in the new interacting marketing social media presents.

Social media causes you to boldly go where  you haven’t gone before and this can make it painful…stiffness (learning the how to’s), tight fit (learning how to not be distracted), maybe even a blister (finding what to say and what not to say) but social media is a fast learn, becomes a lot more comfortable (less expensive than traditional), and is incredibibly more beneficial for your practice!

Through your social marketing strategies and platforms, you have an ongoing representative marketing your practice…24/7…creating credibility for you and your practice…gaining their trust…and building profitable relationships.  You’re REAL…they’ve gotten to KNOW you! 

What steps have you  taken out of your comfort zone?

Technorati Tags: changing how to market, Dental Marketing, engaging and connecting, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, Social media and Internet marketing, social media comfort zones, social media marketing