How to promote yourself when nobody is doing it for you
- Chris Barrow
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with Gary, a dental technician at the Scottish Centre for Excellence in Dentistry.
Gary asked a very good question. In fact, it’s a question that many clinicians, technicians and practice owners should be asking themselves more often.
"How do I promote myself to the people I most want to work with?"
In Gary’s case, the target audience is dentists across the central belt of Scotland. But let me tell you something important at the outset. This is not just a story about a dental technician looking for more business. It is also a lesson for every dentist who wants to attract more of the right patients.
The principles are exactly the same.
The first point we discussed was social media presence. Not vanity. Not noise. Not posting random photographs and hoping for the best.
I’m talking about creating a professional, visible and consistent presence so that when people hear your name, they can find you, understand what you do and form a positive first impression. In modern dentistry, first digital contact matters. Website, social media, reviews, blog content and search visibility are all part of that first moment of truth.
Secondly, I encouraged Gary to embrace inbound marketing, using the Marcus Sheridan approach. That means answering the questions that dentists are already asking. What materials do you use? What cases are ideal for your lab? What is your turnaround time? What are the common mistakes dentists make when sending work to a technician? What does good communication between clinician and technician look like?
When you answer frequently asked questions through blogs, short videos, newsletters and social posts, you stop being a salesperson and start becoming a trusted expert. That is the essence of inbound marketing: becoming the expert in your area, building authority and trust before you ever ask for the business.
Thirdly, we talked about targeted relationship building. Dan Sullivan’s Top 20 list and Farm Club list are simple but powerful ideas. Decide who really matters. Identify the dentists you most want to know, and then the second tier who may become valuable relationships over time. Then make contact in a human way.
Harvey Mackay taught this brilliantly. Take people to breakfast. Ask questions. Be interested. Keep notes. Follow up. Build a relationship before you build a transaction.
That is where most people get this wrong. They market too widely, too vaguely and too impersonally. Better to know 20 people well than to be vaguely visible to 2,000.
And here’s the crossover for dentists. If you want patients to choose you, the same rules apply. Build your visibility. Answer their questions. Share patient stories. Show your thinking. Stay consistent.
Then identify your ideal patient groups and build referral relationships around them. Internal marketing turns existing patients into advocates, inbound marketing builds authority, and external marketing should only ever support the first two, not replace them.
So the lesson from Gary’s question is simple.
Promotion is not about showing off.
It is about being visible, useful and memorable.
Whether you are a technician marketing to dentists or a dentist marketing to patients, the winners will be those who teach well, communicate often and build relationships on purpose.
That’s not hype.
That’s just good business.
The idea that stood out most is how promotion isn’t about noise or self-praise, but about being consistently visible, useful, and intentional in how people experience your value over time. That aligns with the reality that if you don’t actively shape your own narrative, you effectively leave it to chance.
A simple example of that in practice could be something like presenting yourself professionally through every touchpoint, such as wearing a well-fitted piece like the Light Blue Shirt from Shaffer Store, which quietly reinforces credibility without saying a word. It’s a reminder that self-promotion is often less about talking and more about how consistently you show up in the right way.
I really liked the point that promotion isn’t about showing off—it’s about being visible, useful, and memorable. Too many people focus on reaching everyone instead of consistently answering questions and building genuine relationships with the people they most want to serve. That same approach works well in eCommerce too; brands like Grace Fabrics build trust by helping customers find quality menswear, including their Summer Unstitched Collection, through useful content and consistent engagement rather than hard selling. Great reminder that authority grows when you teach first and sell second.
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