Setting Practice Goals for 2021

December is an excellent time to reflect on the past year.

2020 was a wild ride, for sure! Dealing with a pandemic presented unique and unexpected challenges for dental clinics across the globe.

Well, the good news is that with proper end-of-the-year planning, you can get your dental clinic marketing prepared for 2021.

If you’ve never made practice goals for the year, it’s never too late to start. Goals keep you and your staff on the same page, and they give everyone something to work towards. Goals also help you measure your progress so you can properly manage your business. You may also be more prepared for unexpected things that come up when you set goals that help you plan and strategise for the future.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re planning your 2021 goals.

Financial Goals

What are your daily practice sales goals? How much should you be producing each day to run your practice profitably? Are you making a healthy salary each year, or are you barely breaking even? Your break-even and daily sales goals are the numbers to consider when crafting your financial goals for the practice.

You can also run reports to determine which services are most profitable for you. Are those the procedures you enjoy doing? If not, maybe it’s time to switch your marketing focus. Or maybe it’s time to do some continuing education, sharpen your skills, and bring new techniques and procedures to your practice.

It can be helpful to focus your marketing on the services you enjoy performing most. For example, if you love placing dental implants that improve your patients’ quality of life, you might focus your monthly blogs on the topic of tooth implants and their benefits. Also, make sure your website and services pages are up-to-date with the most current information about dental implants.

Are you meeting your new patient goals? How many new patients should you see each month to maintain a healthy practice? Consider adjusting your schedule to accommodate new patients quickly, so they don’t have to wait weeks to meet you.

New Year’s specials are an excellent way to bring new patients to your practice. Consider offering specials to attract new patients in 2021 like savings on x-rays or examinations.

Marketing Goals

Marketing is an invaluable tool to help you meet your practice goals. Besides bringing your presence to the internet, marketing is the best way to share the services you provide, give people a feel for your practice philosophies, and meet new patients.

How is your website looking? Is it up-to-date? Is it filled with relevant and interesting content that provides your patients with information and also achieves Google rankings? Did you know that a focused SEO campaign could have you doing more of the specific services you love? Setting up a content calendar for your website and social media accounts is a helpful tool to keep your marketing goals on track. 

If you have concerns about your website or SEO strategies, it may be time to invest in some marketing and website guidance.

You Can Make 2021 the Best It Can Be

Consider spending some time thinking about what you want your focus to be for 2021, and ask your team to do the same. It’s never too late to set your practice up for success in 2021.