Black Friday is a week today: 10 "no-discount" dental marketing ideas that protect your profit

discounting is a race to the bottom - avoid at all costs

I constantly, consistently, warn my clients of the dangers of discounting - as a sage once said, "the worst thing you can do in a Price War is to win - because then you are dead."

If your dental business has a 20% operating profit margin, and you offer a 20% discount on a treatment:

• normal cost of treatment £1,000;

• variable and fixed expenses £800 (including £450 paid to clinician);

• normal operating profit £200;

• discounted cost of treatment £800;

• variable and fixed expenses £700 (including £350 paid to clinician);

• discounted operating profit £100.

So the 20% discount has reduced your profit by 50%.

And that's being generous. Often, the operating profit is reduced to zero or even worse.

Black Friday is looming, my email inbox is starting to fill with offers – and while retailers queue up to slash prices and margins, dental practices need to know better.

Discounting erodes profits, damages positioning, and attracts the wrong kind of patient. So how do we stay competitive, keep integrity – and still win?

It's Thursday evening. I'm sat in The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Leeds, Mike Hesketh (hopefully) on his way home after another outstanding workshop, I've just finished some work over my dinner - and thinking about all of this as another Black Friday email drops. Drip, drip, drip - here they come....with another week to go.

Here are 10 profit-friendly Black Friday ideas to boost both new patient enquiries and treatment uptake from existing patients – without dropping your fees:

1. Free smile simulation day – Invite prospects for a no-obligation iOS scan and digital smile design preview. Create a buzz on social.

   
   

2. Patient success stories – Publish daily stories of patient transformations across email and social media, with strong calls to action.

   
   

3. E-book giveaway – “The Truth About Cosmetic Dentistry” or “Implants Explained” – free download in exchange for email address.

   
   

4. TCO virtual consultations – Promote a one-week offer of free 15-minute video chats with your TCO. Build the sales pipeline.

   
   

5. Referral card relaunch – Handwritten thank you cards with a referral nudge to your best existing patients.

   
   

6. End-of-treatment reviews – Systematically ask happy patients to leave reviews, share selfies, agree to a quick video or refer friends.

   
   

7. Team story week – Introduce a different team member each day on Instagram/LinkedIn with their favourite treatment result.

   
   

8. Countdown content – 7 days of tips, facts and testimonials across all channels, ending on Black Friday with a “book your consultation” CTA.

   
   

9. Business-to-business outreach – Offer local retailers and employers priority booking or well-being talks for their teams.

   
   

10. Smile wish list builder – Create a festive download that lets patients plan dream treatments for 2026 and share with loved ones.

    
    

If you run these campaigns with confidence and consistency, you’ll attract attention, build trust, and protect your margins.

Let others fight over the bottom. You’re building a brand.