Well, I think we are all going to get one of these eventually. It’s impossible to please everybody, especially in dentistry, no matter how hard you try. So don’t take it personally. I get asked all the time “Graig, how do I get rid of a bad review from a patient?”.
How do you get rid of those nasty reviews?? Well… You can report some of them. Chances are that it won’t work, so you can get that thought out of your head now that they’re going to get removed, and it’s not worth the trouble nor money.
But I always say the best defense is a good offense. You can waste time chasing down low wage paper pushers to remove the negative review or you can work on increasing your good positive rankings and reviews, and get more patients and dominate your competition. So the focus should be on getting more 5 STAR GOOGLE positive reviews from your patients and push those bad reviews down! (DemandForce, Smile Reminders, Lighthouse, 1800 dentist DON’T COUNT! These reviews don’t post to Google and I can actually show you Google hates these reviews)
The REAL moral of this story is what are you doing to protect yourself online? Your online practice reputation impacts every form of marketing whether it’s direct mail, radio, TV, reactivation campaigns, EVEN internal referrals! Because the first thing someone does when they get a piece of your marketing is they “Google your name and business”. Period!
If you look disorganized and have little to no Google reviews (or worse negative reviews), the prospective patient is gone…headed right on over to your competition. If you look professional and have LOADS of raving Google reviews, with videos of your best patients on page 1 of google, and your Google + page has mobile coupons and you look like the expert dentist in town, you get the patient… you get my point 😉 .
You get the patient, NOT the doc down the street! It’s free money.
Let me ask you a question….
- Do you have a Google reviews system that proactively gets you “5 star” online reviews?
- Do you have a automated internet alert system that tells you when someone’s talking bad about you online?
- Do you have a video testimonial system that generates videos of your best patients bragging about you online?
Now everyone has a bad day and can get a bad review, BUT this is 100% preventable. Here’s how….
- Give your front desk and staff a script to say to every patient that filters out who will leave a bad review and who will leave a good review. This allows you to be proactive in getting more good ones than bad ones. (BTW- it’s near impossible and not worth the time and energy to get a review removed)
- Get more “5 star ” Google reviews than bad ones. Google reviews TRUMP all other reviews online. Unfortunately most dentists have been lied to by DemandForce, Smile Reminders, 1-800-Dentist and Light House, telling them that they can post reviews on Google. That is completely false. All you have is “virus, spammy” looking link at the bottom of the Google + Local page, that no one clicks on or reads. You need Google reviews, it’s what patients read first and trust most.
- Create a video testimonial system that collects 40-60 second videos of your best patients talking about how you changed their life for the better. There is nothing more powerful than 3rd party social proof talking about how amazing of a dental practice you are.
- Syndicate and rank the videos to Youtube and dozen’s over other video sites that Google endorses. Now, this will require some internet marketing skills , but can be done and should be done because if no one sees the videos when they “google your name and practice” they’re worthless!
- Get articles and press releases written about you and your practice that “talk you up” and load them with patient quotes talking about the amazing practice you have and how great the staff is. Then what you do is syndicate them on the web, using PR web services, so that the whole internet can see, and anyone Google’ing around for you can read first hand from a 3rd party site that you’re a trustworthy dentist. They will definitely call you to book an appointment after reading one of these!
These 5 steps should get you started. Your online reputation is all you have when someone is trying to decide whether or not to pick up the phone and call you VERSUS the doctor down the street.
So put your best foot forward and be the doc EVERYONE trusts and calls!
If you’d like an EXACT game-plan to skyrocket your reviews and your revenue…
Click Here To Get A Personalized Practice Action Plan (FINALLY Get A Clear Road-map to Success)
It will help you achieve More phone calls.. More New Patients. More Profit!
Have Fun & Do Something Great!
Graig Presti
CEO Local Search For Dentists® , 3 TIME Inc. 500 Approved Company
CEO New Patients For Life ™
#1 Best Selling Author
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