Let me get straight to the point:

• 80% human interest stories about the patients whose lives you have changed for the better
• 15% human interest stories about how you and your team are growing as a result of working in your business (including your CSR)
• 5% products, services, special offers, open days, education, information, news

Advertising falls in the 5% zone.

In advertising, the only way you can make yourself heard above the noise is to SHOUT LOUDER.

The subject that advertisers most frequently shout about (including dentists) is PRICE.

“SPECIAL OFFER”, “GROUPON”, “HALF-PRICE”, “BOGOF”, “CLOSING DATE”.

It’s a race to the bottom in which, as Seth Godin says, the biggest risk is to win.

Marketing falls in the 80/15% zone.

The only way you can make yourself heard above the noise is to tell a good story.

You can be bold but you don’t have to SHOUT.

Good stories makes us laugh, get angry, cry, stop and think – our hearts are uplifted, moved or broken and we reach for the share button.

A good story can include:

• a selfie
• a review
• a video testimonial
• a letter or email
• a newsletter article
• a recommendation during a personal or professional conversation

The good story will be 5% about the equipment and procedure, 15% about the people in the practice and 80% about the difference that you made to the patient.

80/15/5 – tell stories and stop shouting.

P.S.

When things go wrong, the bad story will be 5% about the procedure, 15% about the person who made the mistake and 80% about how it was handled.

P.P.S.

The only time you turn these numbers on their head is when you are a referral practice looking for new GDP’s. Once you have found them, revert to 80/15/5.