Training marketing champions

I’ve been working with three brand new in-practice marketing champions (as well as the Group Marketing Co-ordinator) this morning at Genesis Dental Care, a Derbyshire-based mixed micro-corporate that wants to make a difference.

Refreshingly, the owners are driven by issues of long-term quality and not short-term institutional return on investment.

We have identified 3 pilot practices within the 11-location business and have internally selected individuals who attended my presentation at their annual conference a couple of months ago – and volunteered themselves for the role.

Our agenda for today included:

1. Understanding buyer-personas in the existing patient database as well as within their wider post code(s)

2. Recognising the trigger events and back stories that create curiosity around private treatment options

3. Identifying the buying habits of different demographics

4. Discussing the circumstances in which “price” becomes less important that user-experience

5. Agreement to an overhaul of the existing recall system to create up-selling opportunities

6. The launch of a quarterly group patient newsletter

7. Robust Word of Mouth systems in each pilot

8. The creation  and maintenance of active social media channels with evocative content

None of which require significant financial investment – rather, a change in corporate culture and our marketing champions becoming investigative journalists in their own territories.

Off to one side, a web site overhaul and SEO review are in progress but that didn’t form part of today’s brief.

We agreed action points before our next meeting in October and established lines of communication in the interim.

Best bit for me?

Working with open-minded people, keen to learn and grow.

Magic moments.

Well done Hannah, Julia (who I met again for the first time since 1998 – eek!), Kerrie and Charlotte.