Is Your Dental Practice Ready for the Holidays? Check Out These 5 Tips
How To Get Your Dental Practice Ready for the Holidays
It can be easy to get so focused on the day-to-day of running a dental practice that you overlook getting ready for the holidays. But the holidays offer a great opportunity for your dental practice to connect—or reconnect—with your patients. From expressing gratitude for their loyalty to celebrating smiles of all kinds, your practice has a great opportunity to leverage the holidays to your advantage.
What exactly does that mean? Well, it means some fun holiday marketing but also some important reminders for patients about normal dental practice hours and holiday office closures. So how do you communicate all that effectively? And what do you need to do? Check out 5 tips from Jameson Management & Marketing to make getting ready for the holidays a piece of cake (or a juicy red apple, if you prefer a more tooth-friendly idiom).
Just as your patients are gearing up for holiday celebrations, so, too, is your team. And hopefully you are in that boat as well. This means that with everyone a bit sidetracked with images of sugar plums and presents dancing in their heads, getting ahead of the game is a must.
Here is what to do to make your holiday season a bit less hectic.
1. Update and communicate holiday hours.
The holiday season often means adjusting office hours to accommodate your, your team’s, and your patients’ schedules. Whether you’re closing early for special events or offering limited appointment slots, update and communicate your schedule well in advance.
Make sure your website marketing reflects any changes, and post reminders on your social media channels to keep patients informed. Consider adding physical signage in your office so that patients are aware during their visits. By doing this, you can help everyone plan ahead and avoid confusion during the busy holiday period.
2. Manage team members’ time off.
The holidays are a time when families try to get together, especially those who do not live in close proximity. Because of that, you may have team members ask for extra time off. Yet balancing this time off without sacrificing patient care can be tricky during the holidays. Start by creating a clear schedule that allows your team to enjoy their holidays without disrupting daily operations.
You might consider either hiring temporary team members to fill in or adjusting your appointment slots to make the most of your resources. You may even want to consider closing your practice for the week between Christmas and New Year’s to give your team members a break. This combined approach can keep your practice running efficiently and prevent gaps in care. Make sure your team is on board with the plan and communicate any scheduling adjustments with your patients ahead of time to avoid any last-minute surprises.
3. Plan for office closures.
If your practice will be closed completely for several days in a row, planning ahead is a must. We’ve already recommended that you inform your patients of these closures early on by sending out emails, posting on social media, and updating your office voicemail messages (see tip #1).
But consider also creating a patient resource specifically for dental emergencies. A great option is to provide a list of nearby urgent care centers or practices that can assist patients while you’re out of the office. This will give patients peace of mind, knowing they won’t be left stranded if they face any issues during your closure.
4. Engage patients in special holiday activities.
Getting ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be limited to planning for office closures and time off. It can include planning fun activities, too. Whether your practice treats strictly adults or you treat pediatric patients as well, why not add some extra fun and joy to the mix?
Consider hosting a holiday-themed contest, such as a greeting card design competition or a toy drive for a local charity. Post some fun holiday-related blog articles to give your search engine optimization strategy a little nudge. These activities help create a sense of community and show your patients that your practice cares. You can also offer special discounts on services like teeth whitening or holiday-related promotions.
5. Prioritize continuity of care.
The holidays are no reason to put ongoing treatments on hold. For patients undergoing long-term care, it’s important to reach out before the season begins. Send checkup reminders and encourage them to book follow-up appointments well in advance so they can continue their treatments without interruption.
You might also provide patients with advice on how to manage their oral health during the holidays. By helping them prepare, you’re making sure they continue to feel prioritized.
Need some assistance with dental practice marketing for the holidays?
Whether you need some marketing tips and content to help you get ready for the holidays or you are in need of dental practice marketing all year round, we’re here to help. At Jameson Management & Marketing, our team of dental marketing consultants can help you maximize your marketing efforts to keep your existing patients engaged and to help you find more.
Ready to get started? Learn about our dental marketing offerings today.
