2 Steps to Outshine Your Competitors

Have you ever asked yourself why your patients choose to come to you? They don’t accidentally come to you, so understanding what it is that makes you special in your patients’ eyes is the key to unlocking a brighter future for your practice. Like Kirk says, “You need to separate yourself from the sea of sameness,” so make yourself stand out from the rest by releasing your “Three Uniques.” This is a concept that comes from Gino Wickman’s Entrepreneurial Operating System, and refers to the things that differentiate your business. When you define them, you’ll:

• Stand out from the competition
• Build a strong identity
• Communicate clearly
• Meet patient needs

Differentiation is a powerful tool that is essential for a thriving practice, but you have to go through a process if you’re going to stand out:

1. Identify Your Core Competencies

The differentiation process starts with a brainstorm, because you need to create a list of the things you’re good at. Ask yourself what you do really well—what you do better than others—that sets you apart. Then, you need to ask three questions:

• Is it easy to imitate? This means it cannot be a commodity or something that’s provided by every dentist. 
• Is it sought after by most of your patients and future patients? You can be extremely skilled at something, but if it’s something no one is looking for, then it’s not going to make you stand out.
• Does it contribute to the benefits the customer experiences? You may be excellent at trimming dies, but the customer doesn’t experience that. They won’t perceive it as a benefit like they would with something like painless injections.

You have to be able to describe it in a way that explains why it’s a competency—it’s not just a list of procedures. For example:

• We are a legacy practice with four generations of community care
• We provide comfortable solutions for fearful patients
• We have patient liaisons that support you through treatment

When you differentiate yourself with your Three Uniques, you open yourself to a world of better possibilities. Less dealing with PPOs, more fee-for-service patients, more patient loyalty, and less negativity when recommending treatment—when you’re seen as a commodity in the community, it changes your practice for the better.

For a step-by-step look at how to differentiate yourself, check out our free tool!

2. Put Them into Play

Figuring out your Three Uniques is just the beginning, so you can’t stop there! Now you need to start taking steps to capitalize on them, which will look different for every practice. It could be as simple as changing the way you answer the phones, or it could be working to put a bigger emphasis on the things you love that bring you joy and a smaller emphasis on the things that don’t fill your cup as much. Whatever your Uniques are, you need to really infuse them into your practice so they become truly natural—they must become obvious to your team, current patients, and new patients who are searching for the right dental home.

If you want to make yourself stand out and attract the types of patients that fit your values, you need to use your Three Uniques. You don’t have to do it alone, either—work with your team and go through this process, or get a coach! Taking that first step and intentionally beginning the process to better yourself may be difficult, but it will lead to great things!

To go even further, join us at our October meeting of the To The Top Study Club, where you’ll learn to create a strategy to take your practice to new heights!

To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Gina!

Tune in next time and learn an incredible strategy to prevent patients from leaving you!