Your customer is not buying an electric drill, he’s buying a hole!

In the last blog I discussed the theory of mission statements. In this blog, I’ll discuss how to develop your mission statement. However, before I do that, I’ve given some thought to what I told you about “Markets” and “Products”. Let’s talk a little more about your “Product”.

You’ll notice the quote about buying a hole and not a drill. In sales and marketing, you must meet a need and, before you can meet that need, you must either determine the need or create the need.

For example, when you go into a store to buy an item, what are you really buying? “I’m buying a shirt, or a dress, or…” Are you really? Then next time you go to Macy’s to buy a shirt, go to the department that sells them, find your size, and grab any old style or color. No? Why not? Because you are filling a specific need. You will buy comfort, style, color, utility, etc. You are buying “I’m going on vacation and I want to look good and be comfortable”. Those are your real needs. Let’s face it; you’re way beyond the need to simply not be naked!

So, how does this apply to your product? Here are some examples:

  • Is your product “Cosmetic Dentistry”, or “A Beautiful Smile”?
  • Is your product “A Pain-Free Mouth”, or “Being Able to Eat Ice Cream and Popsicles”
  • Is your product “Painless Dentistry”, or “A Pleasant Patient Experience”?

Think about what your potential patients need and want, and address it. That will be your product.

All that being said, let’s get into the actual nuts & bolts of a mission statement.

This process is not easy, but it will lead you to insights that you really need to consider about your business. Entrepreneur online magazine discussed 10 questions you need to answer before writing your mission statement (How to Write Your Mission Statement, 2009):

  • Why are you in business? What made you want to go to dental school? What is it that burns in you about being a dentist? How can you keep that fire burning? (Really makes you do some self-evaluation, huh?)
  • Who are your customers? We discussed these above and in the last post. Remember, you need to be specific. Who is it that you can best serve and add quality to their lives?
  • What image of your business do you want to convey? Everyone that comes through your door will have perceptions and form opinions about your practice. This is everyone from the mailman, to your suppliers, your patients, even your employees! When I move into a new area and am looking for a new dentist, do you know who I ask? Someone in the dental supply industry! Why? Because they know who runs a clean office, has a happy staff, shows concern for their patients, and only uses the best materials and techniques.
  • What is the nature of your products and services? Again, see the discussion above about product offering. What determines your fees and quality of service? How do these relate to your reason for being in business?
  • What level of service do you provide? Do your patients feel you are offering the best quality available? Don’t be vague here – define exactly the level you want to provide and stick to it!
  • What roles do you and your employees play? “Wise captains develop a leadership style that organizes, challenges, and recognizes employees”.
  • What kind of relationship will you maintain with suppliers? Have a relationship that will benefit you both. When you succeed, so do they!
  • How do you differ from your competitors? Remember, there are only so many dollars out there to be spent on dentistry; and you probably have a pretty good idea of how many dentists want a piece of the pie. Is your dentistry better? Do you offer more services? Are you ‘painless’? (smile) Like it or not, you are in business – what weaknesses do your competitors have and how can you exploit it? This may be a hard thing to run through the old digestive track, but you do have to compete for every dental treatment dollar. You don’t have to put the bad-mouth on your competition, but you can be aware of how you are better and emphasize those products and services.
  • How will you use technology, capital, processes, products, and services to reach your goals?  Change is a constant and there are a lot of great technologies coming down the pike that are beneficial to both you and your patients. Have a strategy to decide what you want to integrate into your practice.
  • What underlying philosophies or values guided your answers to the previous questions?

I would recommend having your core principles written down and placed where you and your staff can see it. Here is mine:

 

We will contribute to the continuous improvement of dentistry by offering effective tools and customer service that delight our customers and make them more effective in their practices. We will offer an honest service and product at a fair price. Our employees are the face of our company; management will consider employees to be our greatest asset and will treat them as such. We will hire honest, loyal, hard-working people with a desire to do their best every day. Employee development is a priority for us.

While a mission statement should be short, typically a paragraph or long sentence, you can see that it requires a lot of thought. This will be part of your public face. You should frame it and put it in your waiting room. If you have a website, it should be right up front.

The process:

  • Plan a date and get your staff together. You may want to meet for an afternoon offsite. (Yes, it’s that important) This will take several hours!
  • Have a short preliminary meeting and explain what you’re trying to do. Have your staff prepare ideas for the development meeting. You may want to assign 1 or 2 of the above development questions to each member of your staff.
  • Be prepared with blank flipchart pads, white boards, etc.
  • Brainstorm – consider every idea even if it seems silly. Go online and print out some sample mission statements to help stimulate discussion.
  • Once your finished brainstorming, have everyone write a mission statement; then, read them out loud and choose the best words and phrases.
  • Use words that create dynamic, visual impressions. Don’t hesitate to use flashy words. “If you want customers to boast about your goods and services, say so--along with the reasons why”.

Once it’s done, I recommend asking 3 or 4 trusted patients to look it over. Watch them carefully – you need to see if their BS meter is spiking.

After you’re satisfied, publish it! Put it in your practice marketing materials, your website, or anywhere else your target market can see it.

Don’t hesitate to respond to this blog with any questions you may have! I’m here to help.

 

Works Cited

How to Write Your Mission Statement. (2009, October 29). Retrieved August 30, 2013, from Entreprenuer.com: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/65230