We sat down for an interview with marketing expert, Kurt Schubert, from Brisbane’s leading marketing agency, Ronin Marketing. Kurt took us through the 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion, which are the key pillars to any marketing strategy. While these pillars may seem like a simple formula to follow, actioning them takes substantial strategic planning.
Product
Today, we’re diving into “Product”. As suggested by the name, the product is the good or service that the company sells. It entails everything that is available for the consumer. Read on to discover expert tips to help you action a successful product strategy within your dental practice.
Establish A Clear Product Offering
When it comes to your product offering, dental practices need to clearly establish what they have available.
“List off what you provide and what you sell, and what components make up a good dental surgery. Make yourself seem like the experts,” Kurt said.
“This makes your customer feel comfortable and confident that they’ve got all the possibilities covered when they choose to visit your practice. Your customer may not require certain services, such as dentures or teeth whitening, but knowing your practice offers a broad range of services instils confidence in your customers.”
When describing this product differentiation strategy, Kurt draws upon the ‘Bunnings Effect’.
“You used to go to your corner hardware shop if you wanted a pack of nails or something, but the upshot if you go to Bunnings is you have a much better chance of getting exactly what you want, because their range is amazing,” Kurt explained.
Environmental Perception Influences Product Perception
Dentists sell a highly skilled and personalised service. It’s paramount that your customers feel at ease at every point of contact.
“From a marketing perspective, every point of contact; the phone, emails, social media, your website; is critical. You’re not just selling what’s tangible. All of these unconscious things your customers pick up on influences whether they will want to deal with you – and whether they will keep dealing with you,” Kurt said.
Turn Weaknesses Into Strengths
Dental practices need to showcase what products they do have, and highlight the industry networks they can offer to their customers.
“Sell your onsite capabilities and your offsite networks. This might mean promoting the strong relationship your dental practice has with specialists.
“You’re not just selling your products, but also selling your network of professionals that can look after all your customers’ dental needs.
“Nothing is necessarily a weakness – you can turn it into a strength. Or, hire a good marketing company to help you do that,” said Kurt.
Every Dental Practice Should Have A Product Strategy
A product strategy is imperative to the success of any firm. For dental practices, selling your capabilities as effectively as possible to your customers can yield highly lucrative benefits. At Dental Depot, we play a major role in enhancing the product offering of dental practices. We equip you with the tools to get the job done so you can keep your patients at ease. Be sure to get in touch with our team of qualified and experienced experts if you have any questions about our products.
