Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 8, 2011

Relationship marketing / CREST ORAL-B announces second year of ‘Pros in the Profession’ awards / Plackers and Oral Health America team up to fight oral disease / ‘Share A Smile’ founders - volunteer dentists featured in inaugural ‘webisode’

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HYGIENE TRIBUNE
The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper · U.S. Edition

August/September 2011

www.dental-tribune.com

Vol. 4, No. 8

Relationship marketing
By Bridget Conway, BA, RDH

I bet when you first glanced at the
title of this article, you might think…
“Hygiene, relationship marketing?
Help me connect the dots.” Especially in our profession, developing a
relationship — a rapport — is critical to our success and our patients.
Think about the definition below
and extrapolate it to the operatory.
The emphasis is on the connection,
not the production.
“Relationship marketing was first
defined as a form of marketing developed from direct response marketing campaigns, which emphasized
customer retention and satisfaction,
rather than a primary focus on sales
transactions.”1
In general, this type of marketing
differs from other forms in that it
recognizes the longitudinal value of
customer relationships and extends
communication beyond interruptive
advertising and sales promotional
messages. If you’re good at this,
your patients will come back again
and again and ask for you. Practiced
correctly, relationship marketing
creates an emotional bond, generates a memorable experience and
increases customer engagement and
loyalty.
In the dental office this might
mean the extra time it takes to settle-

in a nervous patient or help a mom
distract her children so she can get
an exam. Make an effort to maintain
good notes that are not only clinically correct, but have some personal
detail that can demonstrate your
interest and jog you memory so you
can continue the conversation from
the previous appointment. People
want to matter and they want to be
remembered. The genuine interest in your client/patient will help
facilitate success on both your part
and theirs.
If your interaction stems from a
place of curiosity and kindness, your
day tends to go much faster and
you feel more effectively energized.
On the contrary, if you approach
a patient with much anticipated
dread or inactiveness, it wears
everyone down. In essence, if you
practice relationship marketing in
your operatory, for example, when
you have a mishap or are running
behind, you are able to overcome
these obstacles with a minimum
of feather smoothing because you
have established a positive connection.
This scenario is applicable from
the moment a patient sits down in
your chair. If all you do is proceed
with the “robot prophy” and make
no effort to talk to the patient and
ask open-ended questions, you lose

the opportunity to open the door to
relationship marketing.
When a patient does not understand a procedure or has a question
regarding a specific product, you are
the expert. This affords you a huge
opportunity to be of service and also
a source of information. This is an
example of a moment where trust
and rapport are established. Connection is a verb. Action is required.
Demonstrate interest and curiosity
and you may be surprised at the outcome. It really is in our DNA andmakes us happier.

We’re hard-wired to connect
Not only do we have an innate desire
to relate to other humans, our DNA
practically compels us to tell stories
about them. People will spout endlessly about who was on “American
Idol,” should the government shut
down, what’s happening with the
royals, etc. Then there are people’s
opinions about Tiger Woods. The
Woods example is a strong one: Most
of his sponsors pulled away because
they didn’t want to be identified with
his behavior and the fallout.
Having a human identity that
people can identify your brand
with makes your products/services
intrinsically more remarkable —
that is, intrinsically easier to tell stories about. On a smaller scale, your

patients relate to you as the face of
whatever you are representing. Most
of all, you are representing yourself
and the services you provide, and
I urge you to do that with genuine
authenticity.

Create positive relationships to get
‘permission’
Let’s explore another example of
relationship marketing in action
outside of the operatory. Maybe you
can relate to the following scenario.
One of the most dreaded things
for any sales representative is to
enter an office and see people scatter like mice when the lights have
been turned on. Wouldn’t it be nice
if instead they came out from every
nook and cranny to see you just
because you were there? It is possible that people will seek you out
for information; however, you need
permission. Is there any representative that you are really happy to
see when he or she comes into your
office? If so, step back a bit and
reflect on why that might be.
My guess is that this person connects and enjoys it, and as a consequence of that effort, you feel
appreciated and happy when you
encounter him or her. This connection gives you the “permission.”
g HT page 2C

CREST ORAL-B announces second
year of ‘Pros in the Profession’ awards
Crest® Oral-B® continues to recognize Registered Dental Hygienists who go above and beyond the
call of duty every day with the second annual “Pros in the Profession”
awards program.
The awards distributed through
this program acknowledge the
essential role of dental hygienists
and the important part they play in
their patients’ lives. In fact, many of
the practicing dental hygienists in
the United States serve on the front
line of oral care at the dental office,
providing patients with recommendations and advice that promote
good oral health.
“With the success last year when
we launched Pros in the Profession,
we recognized the need not only
to extend, but to expand our com-

mitment to honor dental hygienists
for their dedication to improving
oral health care for the public,” said
Wendy Bebey, RDH, BS, P&G Dental Hygienist Relations Manager.“In
year two of the program, we will
continue to honor distinguished professionals whose passion and commitment to making a difference in
patients’ lives inspires us all.”
Throughout the year, Crest OralB will reward six deserving professionals, as nominated by their
peers, who truly make an impact
on patients and for the oral-health
cause.
Winners will receive a $1,000
monetary prize, a plaque, an allexpense-paid trip and recognition
g HT page 3C

Year one Pros in the Profession winners, from left, Trudy Meinberg, Ann
Benson, Mary Lynne Murray-Ryder, Sharon Stull and Linda Maciel (Photo/
Provided by P&G)

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Practice Matters

f HT page 1C

Permission marketing
“Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering
anticipated, personal and relevant
messages to people who actually
want to get them.”2 You’ll be amazed
at how much easier and fulfilling
it is to talk with someone who is
“warmly interested.” You won’t convert everyone and you don’t need
everyone.
Why not cultivate real relationships with your would-be and existing patients? Build your tribe and
make an effort to genuinely connect
to your patients.
As this applies to the dental office,
be genuine, you won’t convert
everyone to be a life-long flosser,
however, there are patients who will
be receptive to your message.
This is the recognition of the
new power of the best consumers
to ignore marketing. It realizes that
treating people with respect is the
best way to earn their attention. You
can convert previously disinterested
patients by connecting to them from
a unique perspective
You can use marketing to cultivate and grow relationships, but
there are some important guidelines
to follow. Electronically, don’t send
out “spam” because it won’t be read,
and don’t info dump because it won’t
be digested.
In order to get permission, you
make a promise. You say, “I will do
X, Y and Z. I hope you will give me
permission by listening.” Next is the
hard part: that’s all you do. You don’t
assume you can do more. An example in the dental office is sharing
an article on a specific procedure
or product a patient is interested in
learning more about.
You don’t sell the list or send
spam to a patient’s e-mail. This is
disingenuous sales practice that is
used for self-advancement, regardless of how it works for the patient.
Patients are quick to detect and
judge someone as insincere, so do
everything possible to avoid coming
across this way.
“Real permission works like this:
If you stop showing up, people complain, they ask where you went.”3
The point is, you want to establish
such a positive relationship with
your patients that they miss you
when you’re gone.

from all kinds of sources and being
open and non-judgmental are key
to expanding your creativity in the
workplace.
It may be a challenge to pitch
your idea to the dentist. Some of
that may be your mindset. Coming
at something from the perspective
of the other person is a great way
to persuasively anticipate his or her
objections and move forward to better, more enjoyable job performance
from everyone. Finally, “be a product of the product,” which means
you need to believe in the message
you are delivering. Be real.

No. 2: Make marketing a
conversation
Any marketing for a dental practice
should be part of a conversation, but
don’t take yourself too seriously. In
other words, skip the hard sell, or
any sell, when using social media
tools to interact with your community. Make your website consumer
friendly and human. So, connect
and join by all means, then make it
meaningful.

No. 3: Make your product your
marketing
Make your office a place people look
forward to coming to. OK, maybe
they just look forward to seeing you.
That’s how much power we all have
in this.
What are the ways to make
your product or service interesting
enough for people to talk about to
others? Being remarkable is being
interesting enough that someone is
remarking about you. This is the
best kind of marketing, word of
mouth. In a positive light it is effective and free!
For example, how about giving
every patient who visits your practice three-referral coupons to give to
friends and family for a discounted
exam? The patient’s name is written on the coupon so that when it
is redeemed, the patient gets a $25
credit to her account for her next
visit to the practice. This patient
is likely going to be eager to share
these referral coupons, and may
even share the fact that she has
them on sites such as Facebook and
Twitter.

pair of shoes or a tooth whitening
procedure. It’s about treating your
patients as you’d want to be treated.
Employees should speak to patients
in a voice that is truly theirs, but also
represents the company.

HYGIENE TRIBUNE

Engage the community

Chief Operating Officer
Eric Seid
e.seid@dental-tribune.com

Turn your patients into a community and engage them to participate in many aspects of your office’s
operations, including product and
service development. For example,
you could conduct an online survey
asking which days patients would
prefer that you have earlier or later
office hours. Involving patients in
this change will carry two transformational benefits.
First, the quality of your understanding of your patients’ needs and
expectations will increase exponentially. Second, patients will change
how they view your dental practice.
They will shift from viewing you
as a “supplier” of products/services
to a practice that offers relevance,
personality and even friends with
whom they choose to communicate
over time. This sets you and your
staff clearly on the path of relationship marketing.

References
1.
2.

Wikipedia, www.en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Relationship_
marketing.
Seth Godin’s Blog, www.
sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_
blog/2008/01/permission-mark.
html.
Ibid.

About the author

It all funnels into the same idea:
Create a stronger emotional connection with existing patients and you
will turn them into loyal advocates.
Not only is this more fun, it’s much
more profitable. Selling to someone
who knows, trusts and likes you
takes fewer resources than selling to
strangers. I came across some best
practices that distill this concept
down to concepts that are applicable
on a daily basis.

No. 1: Be in the groove

No. 5: Act human

Be open minded to the ideas and
opinions of others. Ideas come

Authenticity is non-negotiable for
anyone selling anything, be it a

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No. 4: Empower your customer
If you empower your patient, more
often than not, the benefits outweigh
the risks. Include your community
in certain aspects of your business.
Maybe people in the community
could submit ideas for the design of
a new office logo.
After community members critique it and vote on it, many may
become new (and likely very loyal)
patients. As a result, they have a
vested interest and a sense of ownership in what the practice does. Use
your imagination and extrapolate
to fit your business. There is likely
some aspect that patients could have
input in creating.

Permission marketing vs.
interruption marketing

Hygiene Tribune | August/September 2011

Tell us what you think!

Bridget Conway, RDH, BA,
lives in Camden, Maine. She has
been a featured speaker at the
ADHA and other hygiene association meetings and has had several articles published. Conway
has held positions in sales and
education as well. Currently she
works on the business side of
dentistry for a corporation. You
may contact her at bridgetrdh@
gmail.com.

Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there
a particular topic you would like to see
articles about in Hygiene Tribune? Let
us know by e-mailing feedback@dentaltribune.com. We look forward to hearing
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at database@dental-tribune.com and be
sure to include which publication you are
referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks
to process.

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News

Hygiene Tribune | August/September 2011

3C

Plackers and Oral Health America
team up to fight oral disease
Providing access to care, education and dental products to underserved children and treatment partners
Tooth decay is one of the most
common yet preventable chronic
childhood diseases in the United
States, and according to the reports
from the U.S. Surgeon General,
children from low-income families
are twice as likely to suffer from
this disease. If left untreated, oral
diseases in children may lead to
serious general health problems
and significant pain, interference
with eating, overuse of emergency
rooms and lost school time.
To help combat the negative
effects of tooth decay among
America’s underserved children,
Plackers — maker of the first disposable dental flosser and a leading brand of consumer oral care
products — announced on Aug. 23
its continued partnership with Oral
Health America (OHA), a national,
charitable non-profit dedicated to
increasing access to oral health
care for vulnerable Americans.
Through their partnership in
2010, the two organizations were
able to help provide access to dental care, services and products for
thousands of children across the

United States. This year, they plan
to help even more children in
underserved communities through
OHA’s nationally renowned oral
disease prevention initiatives,
Smiles Across America (SAA) and
Fall for Smiles.
“Plackers’ contributions allow
OHA to provide essential community programs that help provide uninsured and underserved
children with greater access to
oral disease prevention services,
oral health products and education,” said Beth Truett, Oral Health
America’s president and CEO. “We
look forward to another great year
with Plackers, and we are grateful for their continued support in
helping us reach out to underserved communities and school
oral health programs across the
country.”
This year, Plackers is also sponsoring the first Smiles Across
America Innovation Grants, an
SAA-affiliated program that awards
monetary grants to five SAA community partners in recognition of
their innovative methods for deliv-

ering oral health preventative services to children at increased risk
of oral disease.
“Plackers is thrilled to continue
supporting Oral Health America’s
Smiles Across America and Fall
for Smiles programs,” said Tom
Barman, director of marketing for
Plackers. “Partnering with OHA is
a natural opportunity for us to get
involved and help support community outreach programs that help
broaden and raise awareness of
dental health issues in the United
States.”
In addition to providing financial support for OHA’s Smiles
Across America and Fall for Smiles
programs, Plackers will donate
more than 100,000 Plackers Micro
Mint dental flossers to help support OHA’s programs and community partners.
Plackers’ Micro Mint flosser features its patented Super Tuffloss,
which is engineered not to stretch,
shred or break during use, and has
been clinically proven to remove
more plaque than nylon and PTFEbased floss.

About Plackers
Plackers, a leading brand of consumer oral care products is a pioneer in dental flossers and other
consumer oral care products. Having patented the first disposable
dental flosser, Plackers is committed to developing high-quality,
affordable oral care products with
innovative features that include
a comprehensive line of dental
flossers, dental accessories and
dental night protectors, including
the Grind No More Dental Night
Protector.
Plackers holds more than 20
patents and is sold in major retailers worldwide. For more information, visit www.plackers.com.

About OHA
Oral Health America is a national,
charitable non-profit dedicated to
connecting communities with
resources to increase access to
oral health care, education and
advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For
more information, visit www.oral
healthamerica.org. HT

‘Share A Smile’ founders, volunteer dentists featured in inaugural ‘webisode’
An Orange County-based charity
that puts smiles back on the faces
of underprivileged kids in need of
major orthodontic care is the first
charitable organization featured as
part of a unique social media campaign designed to inspire people to
get involved with nonprofits.
A documentary-style video profile featuring Share A Smile cofounders Mike and Kim Robertson
and a few of the participating local
dentists and orthodontists who
volunteer their time and talents

to repair youthful smiles, free of
charge can now be seen on YouTube, at www.shareasmile.com
and at www.agendabe.com.
The Share A Smile video is the
first of dozens of video “webisodes” scheduled to be produced
and distributed online by amateur cyclist Adam Benton, whose
brush with death caused him to
set aside his career plans to found
AgendaBe, a nonprofit dedicated
to helping charitable organizations
tell their story virally using social

media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
“Every charity has a voice, but
not every charity has a stage,” says
Benton. “By providing people like
Mike and Kim Robertson and organizations like Share A Smile with
a platform to tell their story and
then sharing that message with
people around the world using
social media, we hope to plant a
seed that ignites a movement.”
“Smiles are infectious — unless
it is painful or embarrassing to

have one,” says Mike Robertson,
founder and CEO of Ocean Media,
an independent media planning
and buying agency based in Huntington Beach, Calif., with an office
in Los Angeles.
“Adam’s ‘Inspire Good Tour’
provides a global stage from which
we can talk about the good things
Share A Smile does for kids and
hopefully inspire people to get
involved in our effort, learn about
other charities, or share the story
of their own favorite cause.” HT

f HT page 1C

with two-plus years of practice
experience after graduation from
dental hygiene school.
• Registered Dental Hygienists
with community service involvement.
• General volunteer/non-oralhealth-specific examples are welcome, but oral-health-related volunteer experience is preferred.
• Registered Dental Hygienists
with examples of work that go above
and beyond the call of duty.
Examples include: excellent
patient relations/special care/retainment; involvement in research and/
or clinical experience; published
work(s); and the ability to generate
additional business for their prac-

tice.
“The awards are a testament to
the contributions of dental hygienists across the country, and bring
much-needed visibility to our profession,” said Sharon C. Stull, BSDH,
MS, one of five award winners during last year’s inaugural program.
“Having been chosen as one of
the ‘Pros in the Profession,’ I am
thrilled that Crest Oral-B understands that dental hygienists are an
integral part of the dental healthcare team and the positive health
outcomes for each patient we treat.”
Through the Pros in the Profession program, Crest Oral-B already
recognized five extraordinary Registered Dental Hygienists who have

each made a positive impact for their
community and profession.
The year-one winners — Ann Benson, Trudy Meinberg, Mary Lynne
Murray-Ryder, Linda Maciel and
Sharon Stull — were rewarded with
a special award cocktail reception at
this year’s ADHA Annual Meeting in
Nashville, among other prizes.
Read their stories at www.prosin
theprofession.com. Here you can also
learn more about Pros in the Profession, including how to nominate a
“Pro” for consideration and for rules
and regulations.
For information about Crest OralB products and resources, visit the
newly revised and updated www.
dentalcare.com website. HT

at a special award cocktail reception
at RDH Under One Roof 2012 in Las
Vegas, tribute in dental trade media
news announcements, and an exclusive trip to P&G headquarters.
So those who know worthy “pros”
should help give them the recognition they deserve by nominating
them today!
From July 2011 to April 2012, nominations can be submitted via www.
prosintheprofession.com or at the
Crest Oral-B booth at upcoming dental conventions. In order to be considered for the program, nominees
must meet the following criteria:
• Registered Dental Hygienists

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