Announcing a dental office expansion can be a huge opportunity for your practice, so long as you leverage the announcement effectively. On the other hand, a mismanaged announcement can have exactly the opposite effect, suppressing the influx of new patients and current patients you’re expanding for in the first place. To make sure everything goes as well as possible, we recommend you take these seven tips to heart.

1) Plan thoroughly

The better you understand the process of expanding, how you’re going to announce the expansion, how you’re going to make use of the expansion, and how you’ll sell your patients on the benefits of the expansion, the better it’s going to be for your practice. Take the time to put together a strategy that can carry you through the entire process without any surprises. Which brings us directly to point 2:

2) Discuss timelines with your contractor in advance

Don’t just take the best case assumption as gospel from your contractor—make sure you have a thorough understanding of any circumstances or events that could delay or accelerate the timeline for your new dental office expansion. That’s not to say you should assume the absolute worst, but rather that you shouldn’t be surprised by it should something go wrong along the way.  

3) Identify value points your patients will appreciate

To make the most of your dental office expansion announcement, you need a clear picture of how your patients can expect to benefit from the expansion. It’s not enough to give vague promises such as ‘more room’ and ‘an easier time handling more patients’. You want to give specific details—a reduction in wait times, better scheduling, more comfortable waiting rooms, new treatments that will be available. Get your patients excited for what’s on the horizon.

4) Communicate well in advance

You want to get the news out about your expansion—and any disruptions it may cause—as far in advance as possible. Make sure people understand that there may be growing pains as you go through the construction process and adjust to the new space.

5) Avoid rescheduling and surprise disruptions as best you can

While it may be impossible to completely avoid any and all disruptions, you want your announcement to go out far enough in advance that people aren’t caught by surprise. You don’t want to have to reschedule appointments because an office is suddenly unavailable, you don’t want construction teams and sounds increasing the stress on your already anxious patients, and so on and so forth.

6) Use updates as an opportunity to maintain contact

A dental office expansion gives you a good reason to reach out to patients on a regular basis, so take full advantage of the opportunity. Don’t settle for one up-front announcement. Fill patients in on the latest changes, using the opportunity to suggest follow up appointments or make a pitch for cosmetic services. Keeping up a stream of updates also makes sure no one is taken by surprise by the changes.

7) Follow up with something interesting

Make sure your announcement for the dental office expansion offers more immediately tangible value to customers as well, just to smooth over any misgivings or problems which arise over the course of the process. Deals and discounts, giveaways and prizes, parties and events. These are the sorts of things you should consider using to punctuate your expansion . It’s a good thing—make it a celebration, so your patients understand that.

Want to learn more?

Find out more about expanding your dental office by contacting HTJ Design. You deserve a team that understands your unique needs, concerns, and expectations.