A 5x growth strategy.

A bit of background

A small economy-segment dental clinic in a residential building in Moscow, on Krasnoselskaya. The owners are a married couple; in practice the clinic was run by the wife. More than 10 years in dentistry.

A small economy-segment dental clinic in a residential building in Moscow, on Krasnoselskaya. The owners are a married couple; in practice the clinic was run by the wife. More than 10 years in dentistry.

A small economy-segment dental clinic in a residential building in Moscow, on Krasnoselskaya. The owners are a married couple; in practice the clinic was run by the wife. More than 10 years in dentistry.

They understood that running a clinic well is not enough — it has to be kept supplied with patients. They recognised the need to bring in a marketer and signed contracts, by turns, with marketing agencies and with individual freelancers.

And the return on that cooperation was close to zero. Plenty of promises at the start — little result in the form of patients and money in the till. In other words, money poured down the drain on advertising and on paying for this useless work.

They heard about me by chance from the owners of another dental clinic, whom I had helped at launch and with whom we still work today. They spent a long time looking for my contact details. And when they found them, they did not dare to call for another six months.

When we started working together, the clinic's turnover was ₽1,500,000 per month. The clinic had only 4 chairs, and they were trying to buy leads through newspaper ads, on ZOON — anywhere they possibly could. They also tried to drive traffic from Instagram on their own... and we have already covered the agencies and individual freelancers above.

Stage 1. The brief and choosing the anchor services

We started with a brief to clarify all the basic details.

After the brief it became clear which services should be chosen as anchors. These are the services that, thanks to good margins and a large average ticket, deliver a fast and tangible result.

The average sales cycle in dentistry is 3 months or more. But we needed the result a little faster.

So at launch we set prices slightly below the market average to lift conversion at the booking and visit stages. Then we worked through options for additional sales to raise the average ticket.

Here is a fragment of the brief

A fragment of the brief

From the services we chose:

— implantation

— prosthetics on 4/6 implants using the All-on-4/6 method

— veneers

— removable dentures, crowns

— dental prosthetics (split into removable and fixed)

We built a page dedicated to prosthetics and worked on it actively, because people perceive prosthetics very differently. People with no teeth think they need prosthetics, and a person with a chipped tooth thinks the same. So the tickets can sometimes be very pleasant indeed.

We also decided to try therapy services and the audience interested in dental clinics in the target area.

Drawing on previous experience, we estimated the project's approximate growth potential and the cost per patient, and built the launch strategy on that basis.

Important: for such calculations the clinic must have statistics at least on bookings, visits and the conversion of first-time patients into treatment.

Stage 2. Research

This is not our first project promoting dental clinics. So we already had our own accumulated research base, which we supplemented with new research.

We analyse the environment, competitors and the service regularly so we can track every fluctuation in the niche and keep our bearings in the market.

Our base consists of:

— measurements of average market conversion by qualification stage: lead/booking/visit/start of treatment

— data on sales economics and the clinic's internal operating economics (including the cost of materials and dentists' fees)

We need these figures and insights, plus constant monitoring of the niche, for the comprehensive development of dental clinics. Simply sending ads to a website in 2021 — that no longer works. Especially in competitive niches.

We research everything we can reach:

— search queries, forum discussions, social media, reviews

— we study competitors

— we interview dentists and reception managers and listen to phone calls with patients

We bring all the results together in a mind map and a presentation.

Below, from the presentation, are examples of how we conduct research and what we pay attention to:

An example of research

And a small fragment with the results of competitor research:

A fragment of the competitor research table

Stage 3. The prototype

A prototype is not a diagram made of boxes. It is the result of the serious research described above: a clear, verified structure with copy based on an unerring understanding of the target audience.

In the prototype we put the emphasis on a price slightly below the market.

A few screenshots of the prototype:

All-on-4/6

For All-on-4/6 implantation we did not state that the prosthesis was temporary/adaptive. Nor did we say anything about Multi-unit abutments. That leaves the clinic room for manoeuvre in sales.

But in this area we started from the market price. We also did not mention Multi-unit because there were requests for prostheses on attachments (a lock-and-rivet type of fixing), and sometimes for a classic denture worn while the implants integrate (depending on the indications).

Next we did the design and built the site on Tilda. We can just picture how many Tilda opponents snorted at that.

But we use Tilda in 95% of cases. This tool shortens development time and makes life easier for the client if they decide to end the cooperation. Plus, any edits on Tilda are far simpler than in pure code, and there is technical support and there are integrations.

Let us show the key blocks on the landing page and explain what they do.

We use guarantee blocks on landing pages and set out the main advantages. As experience shows, almost everyone has the same advantages, but hardly anyone talks about them or presents them in a way that is accessible and clear to the patient.

The guarantees block

We show cases and close the fear that the tooth will look unnatural/bad.

A fragment of the cases block

Cases are a pain point for every business, and for dental clinics in particular. As experience shows, everyone treats patients on a conveyor belt and never thinks about building cases. In 95% of cases the first-consultation checklist has no photo protocol. That ultimately makes it impossible to put together any cases at all.

To solve this problem we developed a guide with a checklist for collecting and packaging cases. That let us leave the problem behind. From then on, cases were collected carefully and neatly.

But in this instance we had to put the cases together “on the fly” to launch as quickly as possible.

Stage 4. Setting up contextual advertising

In fact, we run this stage in parallel with building the landing pages.

The screenshot shows a fragment of the ad campaign launch strategy for different segments:

A fragment of the ad campaign launch strategy for different segments

We split ad campaigns in greater detail, because the audiences searching for “tooth implant” and “dental implantation” have a different understanding of the service and different needs.

We also took into account that people may search for a specific implant brand or country of manufacture.

Here is a screenshot of that strategy — the view “from space”.

The ad campaign launch strategy for different segments

We launched the ad campaign gradually, in stages, testing different directions. We tested a quiz and tracked its figures for quality leads and bookings.

Aaaand.....

No. The leads did not come flooding in. The figures were dreadful.

Separately, we tested the quiz with retargeting to the audience that had visited our site without leaving an enquiry. Retargeting usually works well.

But the result was just as dreadful.

Stage 5. Analysing the initial results and further testing

We analyse the results. At first we bet heavily on removable dentures and implants. With the right sales script, this service lets you move a certain percentage of patients on to All-on-4. And the margins on dentures, together with the variety of add-on sales to raise the average ticket, perform excellently.

Then we started testing different directions, thinking through different scenarios for delivering the services and working with the call centre.

By the way, about call tracking. We chose and connected Calltouch. Over time we came to the conclusion that it is the most convenient and impressive call-tracking service of all those we had worked with before. It keeps and accumulates statistics, displays and records call information, and works with pre-planned scripts. And their technical support is very fast and precise.

It was with Calltouch that we introduced the “call back” feature. It let us turn enquiries into calls: as soon as a person leaves an enquiry, they immediately receive a call back. This gave us statistics on the number of unique qualified leads. In this way we improved the quality of the ad campaigns: we reduced the number of unqualified leads and increased the number of qualified ones.

Taking this opportunity, I send a heartfelt thank-you to Rosita, Natasha, Marina and now Irina too :) They are our dearly loved personal managers for the various areas at Calltouch.

Next, by joint effort, we implemented AmoCRM. We polished it to fit: integrations, adjustments. We helped train the sales department operators and held regular sessions where they learned to apply various schemes and scripts.

This case study has turned out long. If you are tired of reading, here are a few comical situations. There is no avoiding them, especially when you have worked together for 1.5 years

Situation 1.

A call at 9 in the morning:

— Vlad, help, we have no leads!

— And what time is it?

— 9 in the morning…

— And what do you expect at 9 in the morning?

-----------------------------------

Situation 2.

A call at 11 in the morning:

— Vlad, help, we have no leads, we're on fire! No leads at all, none whatsoever!

— And what time is it?

— 11 in the morning…

— And what is this, then? You already have 6 leads (I say, after checking)

— Oh, those… leads… but there are so few of them

— And what time is it?

— 11…

— Well then, let's talk about the daily statistics tomorrow...

Stage 6. Reaching a monthly turnover of ₽8-9 million

As a result of an enormous amount of work, we developed a plan for leads and their cost for ad campaigns from search and social networks. We constantly requested turnover data from the client and analysed every summary and report.

A fragment of the summary table of plan and results

This was spring and early summer 2020, with COVID-19 restrictions. We came up with a free taxi service that brought patients in and took them home.

What is more, we still have not stopped training the client to manage the system, and we continue to help train staff on fine-tuning sales. In other words, we went beyond marketing and also work in consulting.

We will not reveal the remaining details and nuances — let us keep a little secret 

But to jump ahead, I will say that by the end of the first month there was a quantum leap in turnover: 2x, then 3x, and finally we reached a 5x increase in turnover.

What is more, we opened 2 new clinics, but we will tell that story in other case studies.

In absolute figures, that is a stable ₽8-9 million

We will not show the management tables — that is a trade secret :)

Take a look at the Yandex Direct statistics screenshots attached below. They include ad campaigns that produced no results, or very poor results. We deliberately cut nothing out, to show that without testing, optimisation and deep, thorough work it is impossible to achieve serious results 

Now in detail on each direction.

1) 2,226 enquiries and calls (leads) for “Prosthetics on 4/6 implants using the All-on-4/6 method”

Let us explain. The table shows the overall statistics for this service from 01.03.20 to 07.06.21

— cost per click is self-explanatory

— cost per goal is the cost of one enquiry from a potential patient (a call or a form on the site)

— the “Conversions” column is the number of enquiries for the service

During the work we tested many different combinations. In the end, because of the intense competition, we made this move: we split it into different delivery options

— teeth in one day with an adaptive prosthesis sold outright at ₽180,000

— implantation on 4 Noris Medical implants and a prosthesis on attachments — from ₽129,000

— the classic method, where 4 implants are placed and, after a 6-month integration period, an adaptive prosthesis is screwed on — at ₽160,000

2) 8,335 enquiries and calls (leads) for “Removable dentures”

We set the price of dentures at ₽15,000 per jaw. And that is a very low price. But let us not forget that this is the price of the denture alone. Beyond the denture there are things such as the use of a custom impression tray, the cost of the impression material itself and reinforcement of the denture. And we tried to steer patients from a standard acrylic denture to at least Acry-Free.

Plus, it is an excellent base of patients who may well decide to move on to All-on-4. Plus a certain percentage will want All-on-4 straight away.

3) 1,132 enquiries and calls (leads) for “Dental implantation”

Initially we started at a price of ₽27,500 all-inclusive. But the clinic upsold sutures, anaesthesia and so on. On the landing page we listed the components of the price + used Alpha Bio as the “anchor implant” and moved patients over to Osstem. As a result, fewer than 30% of all patients had Alpha Bio implants placed, and the rest could be steered towards more expensive options.

A fragment of the price block

Then we raised the price to ₽33,000 all-inclusive. But a little later we had to lower it to ₽29,900, as that had already become the standard price on the market.

In the end we had to drop Alpha Bio altogether. We left the information on the site that we simply had it, but talked patients out of it. Alpha Bio has a fairly aggressive thread: after prosthetics there are cases of necrosis around the implant due to pressure, and the whole thing comes out together with the crown. So we began working with Osstem as the main option and increasing earnings through internal optimisation.

4) 559 enquiries and calls (leads) for “Dental prosthetics”

We decided to test this direction separately, as it is not entirely standard and not entirely easy for the target audience to understand.

The service contains many different directions, and a person cannot fully understand which one they actually need. So the average ticket here can be several times higher than even for All-on-4. We had patients coming for totals (total restoration of chewing function).

5) 485 enquiries and calls (leads) for the therapy direction “Dental treatment + dentistry (by district)”

One more direction we included in the list of services for the ad campaign.

For dental clinics, therapy is not the most profitable service, but the therapists need to be kept busy too. Besides, patients' situations vary, and customer lifetime value (LTV) is a key metric in dentistry.

In the end, over the whole period of work, this is the picture we got

Stage 6. Targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram

In the last few months, to increase the volume of enquiries, we added targeted advertising on social networks.

Unfortunately, the screenshot shows statistics only for enquiries, without calls.

And the ads themselves, with cost per click and per lead

Now imagine having that many enquiries a day?

We continue to work with this clinic. As mentioned, together we have opened 2 new clinics and are testing new business directions.

The owner of the Dental Moscow clinic, Regina Shapiro, gave a short interview in which she talked about her experience of working with us and the results achieved:

And she wrote a letter of thanks:

The result:

So, over 1.5 years of work the clinic's total turnover exceeded ₽144 million. Within the very first months of work the clinic reached a stable turnover of ₽8-9 million per month.

So, over 1.5 years of work the clinic's total turnover exceeded ₽144 million. Within the very first months of work the clinic reached a stable turnover of ₽8-9 million per month.

BEFORE: A dental clinic with 4 chairs. Monthly turnover of ₽1.5 million.

AFTER: Over 1.5 years of work the clinic's total turnover exceeded ₽144 million. From the 1st month of work, a stable ₽8-9 million. 2 new clinics opened.

Average turnover ₽8-9 million per month.

From 28.02.2019 to 07.06.21 (at the time of writing) total enquiries and calls: 13,107:

— 2,226 for All-on-4/6

— 8,335 for removable dentures

— 1,132 for dental implantation

— 559 for dental prosthetics

— 485 for dental treatment

+ 191 for dental services from Facebook and Instagram

So, over 1.5 years of work the clinic's total turnover exceeded ₽144 million. Within the very first months of work the clinic reached a stable turnover of ₽8-9 million per month.

What is more, we opened 2 new clinics, which are operating and generating income.

Here, as the genre demands, we ought to write a call to action along the lines of “Want the same? Call or message us right now and we'll keep you supplied with leads”

But there will be no such call to action. We described this case in such detail for a reason: “just driving traffic and leads” does not work in dentistry.

It is serious work at every level, and for the long haul. Only strategic, integrated marketing guarantees a step up to a new level of growth and profit. And we are willing to work only with partners who are themselves ready for such changes.

But you are welcome to talk to us about this kind of work. For packaging and building systematic marketing, contact epic name. or message our VK community. There you can leave an enquiry or ask questions.

And for those who have read to the end, one more comical situation:

— Vlad, all we get is dentures, nothing but dentures… and very few implantations! We need more implantation leads!

— Fine (…we generate more implantation leads)

Some time later:

— Vlad! All we get is implantations, nothing but implantations… and very few dentures! We need more denture leads!

This is what the landing pages look like. If any of the links do not work, let us know and we will send another. The landing pages were made and revised a long time ago:

https://денталмосков.рф/allonfour

https://денталмосков.рф/protez

https://денталмосков.рф/koronka

https://денталмосков.рф/proteznesem

https://денталмосков.рф/lechenie

https://денталмосков.рф/quiz-implant

https://денталмосков.рф/quiz-allonfour