Küster Dental Blog

Posts Tagged ‘emotional branding’

Is Your Dental Office Green?

Posted on: February 18th, 2013 by admin No Comments

Color of the Year 17-5641

Is your dental office green?  While I normally write about being environmentally conscious in your business practices and dental office design, today I literally mean, “Are you green? Emerald to be exact.”

Pantone, the arbiters of all things color related, has named Emerald the 2013 color of the year.  Specifically, they have named Pantone 17-5641 to this prestigious honor.  The color is lively and radiant while wrapping a room in a lushness and comfort rarely found in other colors.  A dental office reception area using Emerald will definitely project a sophistication, lushness, and harmony to patients that they will find welcoming and relaxing as they prepare for their health care visit.

So, as you plan your 2013 dental office design updates give some thought to emerald.  It may just be the jewel you’ve been looking for.

Watching the Snow Fall

Posted on: January 21st, 2013 by admin No Comments

I am sitting here this morning at my neighborhood Starbucks with a cup of dark roast coffee, light jazz playing on the stereo, watching fluffy flakes of snow drift past the window.  As it is Martin Luther King Day and all schools and government offices are closed, the Starbucks is very quiet this morning.  Mellow even.  A great atmosphere for thought, reflection, and writing.  This is not always the case on Monday mornings.  Often at this time of day the place is really hopping as people hurry in to grab a coffee on their way to work.  What is the atmosphere in your dental office this morning?

Does your dental office atmosphere create an environment that is calming and soothing for your patients like my Starbucks is this morning?  If not, what can you easily change to inch the design a little closer to that experience?  Since investing in a snow machine might be a bit extreme, examining the music that is played on the stereo is a great way to start.  Now, we’re not big fans of Muzak, so we suggest finding some great instrumental jazz that can be played softly in the background to help create a calming atmosphere.

If you have a fireplace in your office, a snowy day like today is a great one to make sure it is on to help warm patients up as they come in out of the cold. Welcoming them with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa is another little way to help them relax and feel good about making the journey to visit their dentist when it’s cold and blustery outside.

Keeping the lights in the Reception Area turned down low until later in the morning also is a great way to help create a more relaxing mood.  Obviously, the lights where the staff is busy with production need to be bright, but those up front certainly don’t.

Look around your dental office this morning and make an assessment as to how warm and inviting it is and think about those little things you can tweak in its design that will enhance its patient experience and your interior branding along with it.

All About the Setting

Posted on: October 17th, 2012 by admin 2 Comments

Lake Wazeecha in Autumn

When I’m in Wisconsin I have a lovely setting for my evening walks.  The path around Lake Wazeecha is 4.1 miles in length and the perfect setting for a vigorous, one hour walk.  Regardless of the season – okay it is a bit rough going when there is snow on the ground – I’m surrounded by amazing natural beauty which takes my mind off the fact that I’m actually exercising.  Isn’t this precisely what your dental office design is supposed to do?

So many people hate going to visit their dentist, and a great way to help them forget their anxieties and relax is to surround them in a setting that takes their mind off the fact that they are engaged in an activity that they probably would rather not be doing.  Of course, great treatment with a friendly staff is critical to a great patient experience, but a soothing, relaxing dental office design is a key factor in this equation.  One simply cannot have a terrific patient experience if the office setting does not promote relaxation and comfort.

Farther along my walk – Lake Wazeecha, WI

One probably can’t move one’s operatories outside into a wood on the shore of a lake, but there are plenty of opportunities, even in a big city urban environment, to create a dental office design that offers comfort, relaxation, and calming vibes.

What’s Your Color?

Posted on: October 12th, 2012 by admin No Comments

What is your favorite color? Do you have a favorite?  Some people say they don’t really have a favorite color, but I’m not sure that’s true.  I know my eye is always drawn first to black.  Black clothes, black furniture, black cars – everything I own would be black if I didn’t make a conscious effort to buy other colors.  Black is the color that defines me.  Ruby Ernica says that black, “…denotes independence and Determination.”

The 2012 Pantone Color of the Year is Tangerine Tango.  According to Pantone Color Institute Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman, Tangerine Tango is, “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive.”  The color is, “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, [and] marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”  This sounds like a fun color to brighten up the walls of a dental office design.

What color defines you?  Better yet, what color defines your dental office?  Is there a singular color that marries the personality of you, your staff, and your practice that will stimulate an emotional response in your patients that will remind them of this personality?  When working with new clients we spend time trying to uncover this defining color.  Often times the dental practice has already worked with a marketing consultant to develop a color scheme for the brand and if so, we run with that color palette.  If not, then we really work to uncover what the personality of the dental practice team is so this color will be reflected in the interior branding of the new dental office design.

Think about it.  What color defines you and your brand?  The exercise may surprise you!

Personalizing the Patient Experience Through Music

Posted on: September 5th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Last week on the Henry Schein sponsored #DentalChat the topic of conversation was music in the dental office.  The general consensus of the conversation seemed to be that music in the office definitely helps create a more soothing, relaxing atmosphere that helps patients have a more positive dental experience.  Many participants recommended using individual iPods or mp3 players and headsets to create an individualized experience for each patient.  As we are big believers in the creation of patient experiences that prompt patients to make referrals and want to visit their dentist, we really like this idea.  This is not an expensive or difficult thing to pull off.

There are a number of ways to accomplish an individualized music experience for your patients in your dental office design.  One of the first things is to begin capturing a patient’s music preference in your patient database.  Then load up a collection of iPod players with playlists of songs from the various genres that your patients have requested.  By offering patients the use of an iPod player when they check in, they can then spend their time in your office listening to exactly the type of music they like.  Of course, through your dental office website and appointment reminder system encouraging patients to bring their own iPod or mp3 player and then they’ll be able to spend their time listening to their own music.  This approach also avoids any licensing issues.

Regardless of the approach you take, the key is to help craft an individualized experience for your patients through the use of music.  What some people find relaxing and soothing may really set others on edge, so offering a wide range of music options is important.  What those participating in the DentalChat last week all agreed on was to avoid just having a television playing in the Reception Area or a radio station playing over your office wide sound system.  Neither of these produce a relaxing and calming atmosphere and in no way make your dental office experience a pleasant one.

Dress for Success

Posted on: August 3rd, 2012 by admin No Comments

We’ve all been told that we should dress for success right?  Well, what does this mean exactly?  To be successful as a dentist how should one dress?

As a child my dentist growing up always wore a white shirt and tie with a white lab coat over it.  Later, when I was in high school he changed this to a medical smock thing and slacks.  Very 1970’s. These days my dentist wears scrubs along with the rest of his staff.  They look right at home and appropriate in these.

This is not a blog on what dentists wear, however, as much as it is about how the office is dressed.  I’m talking about the physical office, though I’m a big believer that everyone in a dental office should be in an appropriately chosen uniform that reflects the branding message of the dental practice.

Research has shown that (and I was reminded of this while watching a movie recently), consumers and clients are willing to pay more for a service from someone that is well dressed over one that is not.  Think about this.  With a small amount of attention to detail concerning what one has on, your patient or client will not hesitate if your fee is higher than your competitor’s. Scrubs being scrubs this also spills over to the physical space of your dental office and how it is “dressed.”  A touch more attention to detail and making sure your dental office is “put together” can mean the difference between commanding a premium in your market or not.  Of course, our good friends at Fancy Scrubs would probably really like it if you specified some of their more designer scrubs for your practice’s uniform.

The Elements of an Interior Brand

Posted on: July 18th, 2012 by admin No Comments

We speak frequently about the importance of the dental experience and knowing and defining this experience.  One of the best ways to figure out what your patients are truly experiencing is to have your dental office mystery shopped.  During a mystery shop experienced shoppers visit your website, they call your office, they book an appointment, and they even have a simple cleaning or consultation performed.  All the while they are making notes about what they are experiencing during this process.  A body of shoppers – usually three to six – make a good shop and their notes are compiled into a single report that you can use to help guide improvements to your dental experience.

As Michael Gerber writes about in, “The E-Myth Revisited” all businesses are really in the business of selling an experience and this true for dental office, too.  We go on to believe that the sum total of the dental experience defines your dental office’s brand and is the reason that patients tell their family and friends about you, book return appointments, and don’t cancel their appointments when they have a chance.  There are five elements that go into creating a strong Interior Brand.  They are:

Color, Light, and Texture

Human Interaction

Application of Technology

Ergonomics

“Defining Touch”

These five elements work together to create an emotional reaction in the minds of your patients and define your dental practice for them.

What Dental Experience Do You Offer?

Posted on: July 9th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Do you know what experience your dental office offers to your patients?  Every business, including dental offices, is defined by the experience they offer their clients and dental offices are no exception.  The experience is what defines the business in the minds of the client and becomes the businesses brand.  The experience is what clients talk about to their family and friends.

Michael Gerber in his book, “The E-Myth Revisited” says that consumers do not really shop for products or services but instead are shopping for an experience.  Whether they know it or not every business is in the business of selling an experience and the sooner the business owner figures this out the more successful they will be.  If you don’t believe Mr Gerber and me on this point, just think of the last car ad you saw or clothing ad.  Did the ad say much about the car or clothes or was it really invoking a lifestyle – an experience that the owner of such car or article of clothing will have by virtue of owning the thing?  Think, too, about Starbucks.  Is Starbucks really about a $4 cup of coffee or the total coffeehouse experience that the $4 buys you?

Now, what is the experience of your dental office?  Think about the experience from the moment a potential patient first finds your website on the Internet all the way through booking an appointment, visiting the office for the first time, having an exam, to checking out, paying, and booking their next appointment.  What do your patients see, hear, smell, touch, and taste?  Are the sights, sounds, textures, and tastes ones that you would want to experience?  What are they saying about you as a business?  How does your website and your staff interact with the patient?  Are all of these things that you want your business to be known for?  When you were opening your dental practice initially did you think about each and every one of these experiences and decide what you wanted them to be or did some or all of them just happen to evolve?

If you are like most dentists you probably were focused on getting your dental office up and running and worried more about the technical side of the business and not on the experiential side, but that doesn’t mean now that you’re in operation you can’t go back and fix things.

An Easy Way to Add Zing to Your Dental Office Design

Posted on: May 14th, 2012 by admin No Comments

A recent arrangement of red Gerbera daisies

We really love flowers. We think there is hardly any better way to brighten someone’s day than with a bouquet of bright, fresh flowers.  In dental office design planning a spot on the Reception Desk where a bouquet can sit on a regular basis is key to helping insure patients feel welcome when they first enter the office.  Plus, an arrangement of fresh flowers in the dental office also helps to put the staff in a brighter mood, too.

Now, we realize that there are downsides to fresh flowers.  Many people have allergies that are aggravated by fresh flowers.  We regularly send bouquets of red, Gerbera daisies to our clients as “Thank You” gifts and as a way to stay in touch with them; however, we have a couple of offices that we cannot send to because members of their office staff are allergic to flowers.  This depresses us, but we try to make up for it by sending them chocolate instead.  This solution probably isn’t as good for their teeth.

Take a look at this dental office reception and notice just how much the orchids add to the welcoming and relaxing nature of the reception area.  The colors blend together with the branding message seamlessly and really sets the mood for the entire office.

A recent centerpiece for a client

So, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to add some zing to your dental office design, think about how you can incorporate some fresh flowers.  You’ll be amazed at how much better of mood everyone will have.

The Power of a Logo

Posted on: May 9th, 2012 by admin No Comments

Monday evening I went to a live, variety-style production by several performing arts troupes.  Typical of live performances ads were sold to help fund the printed program.  As I was leafing through the program one ad stood out from all others.  The ad was placed by Eli Lilly and Company and all it contained was their iconic, script Lilly logo.  Perhaps in other parts of the world this would not be sufficient, but in Lilly’s home town, nothing more needed be said; their logo said it all.  Seeing it on the page immediately reminded the reader of the company’s strong presence in the community as a philanthropic leader, major employer, and producer of life saving pharmaceuticals.

Other major companies have similarly powerful logos, such as Apple, Ford, Starbucks, and McDonald’s.  Depending upon one’s experience and relationship with the company the logos probably conjure up different emotions and mental images for the viewer.

The important thing to remember is that the logo is not the brand.  The logo is merely one physical representation of the brand.  When a company does an excellent job of defining, sculpting, and living its brand, in time, the logo can become potent.

We so often hear small business owners say they need a brand and go out and hire a logo created.  This is true for many dentists, too.  They completely miss that the logo is merely one representation of their brand.  A dental offices’ true brand lies in the emotional remembrances of the experiences of the patients that frequent the practice and of the staff that work there.  Everything must be working in tandem; the interior design of the dental office; the interaction of patients and staff; the interaction between staff and doctor; the quality of service and care received; and the ease of the transactions to produce one, singular emotional response.  This is the dental offices’ brand.  If one’s really good at building a brand, over time, seeing the logo will be all that is needed to trigger the desired response.