G.O.S.T. Stories from LocalMed: Recent Episodes
LocalMed
LocalMed's new interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve. Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
This week we sit down with our friend Dr. Daphne Pierce to discuss some of the biggest decisions of a dentist’s career. Why choose general dentistry over orthodontics? How much will your choice of specialty impact your happiness? Here’s what one successful dentist has to say.
You won’t want to miss this episode, especially if you’re still a dental student! Listen in for answers to some big questions, plus some insight into how LocalMed helps Pierce Family Dentistry achieve its goals.
In this episode, Dr. Pierce, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- Why Dr. Pierce chose general dentistry over orthodontics
- Dental students need to think about their future, and Dr. Pierce recommends that they choose a specialty that they’re excited about.
- Having a staff that cares makes all the difference in helping the practice grow
- LocalMed has brought the staff closer together.
- More traditional patients who don’t regularly use digital platforms still want to use LocalMed.
- How LocalMed has encouraged Dr. Pierce to do more digital marketing for her practice, which has really helped it grow too
- Patients form their first impression of your practice before they even walk in the door, and LocalMed helps make that impression a good one.
- How LocalMed allows Dr. Pierce’s patients to book appointments even when the office is closed for multiple days at a time due to storms or other events
Show Links * Pierce Family Dentistry
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
We were lucky enough to chat with our friend, Michael Arias, better known as The Dental Marketer.
Vanessa and Michael (and G.O.S.T!) discuss ground marketing, how to target local businesses, and how you and your employees can get the most out of just a little budget.
If you have a Starbucks, a hotel, an apartment complex, or even a gym near you, you’ll want to listen in to gain valuable insights on how to attract their employees and clients to your practice.
In this episode, Michael Arias, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- What ground marketing is, and why it’s important.
- It’s a more sophisticated way of guerilla marketing
- Cannot be forgotten in the dental industry
- How ground marketing gets more patients scheduled immediately by doing one simple thing - going into the community and talking to the people around you
- The importance of interaction and engagement - it gets patients, guaranteed, whereas traditional marketing can leave you vaguely hoping that it will work
- Ground marketing can be done anywhere
- Persistence is key.
- Go ground marketing at places where you will be able to find your target market
- What to look for in a dedicated Ground Marketer
- You can always be doing ground marketing if you use a couple stealthy tactics.
- Synergizing LocalMed online scheduling with ground marketing
Show Links * The Ground Marketer
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
Join us for a chat with a dentist whose love of the field started back when she was just a patient. Dr. Schuette’s dental experiences in middle school kicked off a career that took her thousands of miles to a new home, and new personal horizons.
Like other dentists, Dr. Schuette was originally hesitant about online scheduling, fearing that it would be giving up too much control. Now, she’s glad she tried it. Listen in to learn how she’s achieved success with LocalMed!
In this episode, Dr. Rachael Schuette, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- The orthodontic and dental experiences all the way back in middle school that inspired Rachael to become a dentist
- What made her decide to move all the way from North Carolina to Wisconsin
- Her first job as an associate at a very busy dental office, which gave her both confidence and practice-management know-how.
- How she discovered that talking earnestly with her patients is the most important thing she can give them
- As an associate, that wasn’t as possible as she would have liked. So she decided to open a practice that she could run according to her own vision
- Dr. Schuette’s initial hesitance about online scheduling
- Her best tips for getting the most out of LocalMed - what’s worked for her, and what might work for you.
- Her team calls patients right after they book an appointment online. This adds a voice and therefore a personal touch, which she believes will help create an overall positive experience for the patient.
- How Blue Ridge Dental lets their patients know that they can now schedule online
- What’s in store for the future, as far as marketing goes?
Show Links * Blue Ridge Family Dental
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
This week, we were lucky enough to pick the brain of our friend Dr. Krysta Manning about starting a dental practice! She launched her practice, Solstice Dental and Aesthetics, in Louisville less than a year ago and so far is at a 100% retention rate!
Dr. Manning shares what she attributes her practice’s success to (hint: t-e-a-m), her most successful marketing tactic, the Kentucky Derby’s impact on her practice, and the very interesting story of how she heard about LocalMed (not what you would expect!)
Show Links Solstice Dental & Aesthetics
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
Michael Lomotan of Divergent Dental and Dental Success Network fame is a self-proclaimed #Geek and #DentalSpouse. His San Diego-based practice, Dental Design SD, was an early adopter of LocalMed.
Michael chats with us from the streets of San Diego in his “mobile office” (his trusty Subaru) about goat togas, his late-night online shopping adventures and how he uses LocalMed to create efficiency in his dental practice.
In this episode, Michael Lomotan, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- Michael’s background and how he got into the dental world
- How the Dental Success Summit is essentially a business boot camp for dentists
- Why knowing your numbers and increasing efficiency is so important
- The main demographic of Dental Design SD, and why requiring them to book over the phone isn’t ideal
- Why LocalMed has been a staple in their practice for over 3 years (hint: 35x ROI)
- How 70% of the calls their front desk was making were not answered at all
- When most of the patients scheduling online were booking, and when Michael makes (great!) Amazon purchases
- What to focus on when marketing your dental practice, and how website traffic conversions impact your bottom line
- Are no-show patients an issue at SD Dental Design? Michael gives an honest assessment.
Show Links * Dental Success Network * Dental Design SD
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
Our friend, Shaina Holman DDS, PhD, is an award-winning family dentist who just opened her first practice (Holman Family Dental Care) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina!
She shares with us how she decided on becoming a dentist, her startup journey and why branding your practice is SO important!
In this episode, Dr. Shaina Holman, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- Dr. Holman’s first 4 months running her startup practice, Holman Family Dental Care
- How Dr. Holman was working on a project in a study abroad program in Costa Rica that sparked her interest in dentistry
- How Dr. Holman didn’t know how she would make a startup work since she was the primary provider of her family’s income, but decided to take the leap anyways
- What podcast Dr. Holman listened to while working on getting her practice up-and-running
- How she originally heard about LocalMed
- Some exciting new changes happening at Dr. Holman’s practice just four months in, including building out extra operatories to accommodate her new patients.
- The reaction of her local Mom’s group when she asked about the concept of online scheduling for dentists (hint: lots of excitement).
- How Dr. Holman pre-booked more than 43 appointments before she even opened her doors.
- In just 4 months, Dr. Holman’s start-up practice has over 200 appointments booked through LocalMed
- Dr. Holman’s thoughts on branding and marketing dental practices, and how LocalMed’s online scheduling has helped provide a great first impression to her patients.
Show Links Holman Family Dental Care
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
Please join us in welcoming our friend, Andre Shirdan!
Andre is an author, inspirational/motivational speaker, certified software trainer, CAD/CAM/CBCT training professional, the founder of The Crew Process and our inaugural G.O.S.T. Stories guest.
In this episode, Andre, Vanessa, and G.O.S.T. discuss:
- Why Andre believes in “CREW work” over teamwork; getting everyone on the same page from a philosophy standpoint and focused on a goal
- How Andre’s experience with working with companies like Walt Disney and the Ritz Carlton has taught him valuable customer service strategies to apply to the dental field
- How dentists can keep the patients they’ve attracted in order to grow their practice
- The cost versus the convenience of making appointments, and how online scheduling for all industries has become the norm
- Andre discusses how “The Disney Experience” can be applied to your practice to create a great experience for your patients to create long-term patients and encourage referrals
- How Andre’s Bitmoji will allow his business to go on without him (but still with him)
- Andre believes that being passionate about what you do creates a following
- Andre’s Eaglesoft users group where Eaglesoft users can connect with each other to get the most out of the software
What Andre’s life goal is (hint: it involves a trip to the Bentley factory)
Show Links The CREW Process
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
About G.O.S.T. Stories What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed's interview series aims to share the stories of the remarkable friends in dentistry we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve.
Each episode is hosted by G.O.S.T., LocalMed's social media ambassador, and Vanessa Vitagliano, our strategic partnerships manager.
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog
What’s even better than a good story around the campfire? G.O.S.T. stories.
LocalMed is starting a new series aiming to share stories of some of the remarkable people we’ve had the opportunity to meet, partner with and serve within the dental industry.
What's LocalMed? The ✌️Minute Explanation
More details on our website
Follow LocalMed on... Facebook | Instagram | Blog