What to do when a new dental practice announces it's opening just down the road?

It happens - all the time.

I get the call from the anxious Owner of the existing practice. A call usually based on F.E.A.R.

Fantasy

Expressed

As

Reality

• The patients will leave;

• The team will leave;

• The new place will be cheaper/better/more accessible/available, brighter and shinier;

• The new patient enquiries will dry up;

• My business will fail;

• I'll end up selling The Big Issue.

So here's the Owner's Toolkit for dealing with that:

1. How many full-time equivalent dentists can you accommodate in your existing business? = A;

2. Each dentist can look after a maximum of 1,250 adult private patients. = B;

3. A x B = maximum number of patients you can look after = C;

4. Population of the your area within a 20-minute drive? = D;

5. C/D% = market penetration you need to stay full forever;

6. D-C = number of patients the new practice can take on without it affecting you;

7. F = maximum number of patients that the new practice can take on based on the same formula as in 1-3 above.

Every time I hand-hold a client through that calculation, we are able to confirm that there are more potential patients than each of you have the capacity for.

However, there is a Part 2 of the Owner's Toolkit:

1. Get out of the Karpman Drama Triangle and stop acting from a Victim mentality;

2. Gather the team and announce that, if there is competition for patients - that you intend to WIN;

3. Remind the team that the patients now have more choice and so it's more important that everyone delivers 5-star-worthy customer service and clinical care;

4. Explain that competition stimulates demand and that the opening of the new practice will create an increase in new patient enquiries to yours - so you had better be ready!

5. Call for an immediate review of all internal and inbound marketing activities to ensure that you score at least 8/10 in every aspect;

6. Establish very close monitoring systems for enquiries with the FOH team and for feedback and comments from existing patients;

7. Start/refresh your campaign for Google Reviews;

8. Get those social media posts, newsletters, patient video testimonials and team testimonials flowing;

9. Use your practice blog to ensure that people asking dental questions on Google are being directed to you for the answers;

10. Hold Open Days, Children's Days, VIP evenings;

11. Exhibit at local B2C and B2B networking events;

12. As well as Google review cards, give every patient cards to pass on to family, friends and colleagues that explain you have "vacancies" (or a waiting list) for new patients;

13. Give the project a name - "Project Dominance" - and hold regular team meetings to review how Project progress against target is going.

Lemons into lemonade please.

New practice down the road? Best thing ever.