You have likely heard or seen a notorious new Netflix documentary called Tiger King all over your social media feeds.  While the series is heavy on the crazy, guns, gore, violence, murder, mystery, and more, it's also got a few (very few) redeeming qualities.  Love him or hate him, Joe Exotic and his merry band of tiger totin' weirdos get a few things right along the way.  You can take these nuggets of positivity and put them to work in your practice marketing right now.  Let's get started.  

If you’ve watched Tiger King, you know that Joe Exotic and his band of merry, tiger touting misfits all had one common trait among them. They were real. No matter what anyone says, does, or thinks, they are who they are. Authentic. Raw. And quite crazy.

Joe, Carol, and the rest of the tiger elite didn’t change who they were. If anything they fully embraced it, Joe, to an obvious fault. Your dental practice is an extension of you.  

It’s not about the dentistry you sell, it’s about the story you tell. Don’t be so focused on the clinical aspects of dentistry. Honestly, most patients won’t know if you’re a good clinician or not. It won’t factor in their buying decision. But your brand will.

You build your brand through your Google reviews, social media, website, and the experience you give every one of your patients. You build your brand through your relationships. Create relationships by giving your patients insight into who you are. Your hobbies. Your passions. Why you became a dentist. What motivates you and why should you be the dentist they choose?

Give your patients the opportunity to get to know the real you. Let them know what you stand for and what your brand is built on. People respond to that.

Joe Exotic was so focused on Carol that it consumed him, his marketing, his messaging and his life. Lesson learned here, don’t worry about your competitors. While being authentic, transparent, and unique… keep focused on your patients. Not your competitors.

A commonly discussed example of this is Blockbuster Video. The company was in fierce competition with Hollywood Video for years. The two were so focused on each other that they completely missed the dark horse that would eventually wipe them both out. That’s right, Netflix.

If your practice is struggling to grow, don’t worry about the DSO that just moved in down the street or the new practice with all the fancy new equipment nearby. Most offices panic and start discounting services or throwing a bunch of money at marketing, hoping for a silver bullet. Focus on your patients, the problems you can solve for them, the message you think they need to hear and why they should choose you. Then create content around that. Connect with people. Make them feel safe, special, cared about and appreciated. 

Toward the end of the documentary, one of Joe’s ex-staffers talks about how he lost sight of his first love. The animals he was caring for. Have you gotten wrapped up in your practice, numbers, growth, and profit? Are you churning and burning patients as fast as possible? Are you spending thousands on marketing services to generate massive numbers of new patients, but those patients are leaving and not coming back or accepting treatment?

What good does that do you? Remember why you started. Remember that dentistry is a relational business. It’s really that simple. Most of the population has anxiety when it comes to dentistry. They want to feel safe, that you aren’t going to hurt them and that they’re going to get quality care.

Maybe you haven’t lost sight of your patients, and that’s great. If you have, use this time to hit the reset button and get your focus back where it needs to be.  

Joe Exotic and the Tiger King documentary is an absolute mess. The entire situation is almost unbelievable. The notoriety and negativity around the series have been widespread. I wanted to spin some positivity out of the chaos and I hope it provided some value to you in reading it.  

It’s a tough time right now. Patients are going to be even more nervous and worried when you get the all-clear to re-open. I’m sure you understand that, but try to play to those emotions by making people feel as safe and relaxed.  

You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on frivolous marketing. Be intentional and remember that relationships and systems and processes are what make dental practice succeed. You are what people are buying. The experience of being your patient, your team, how people speak about your practice when you’re not around, and how your website, social media, and Google My Business profile convey your practice to the world are the main things that need to sit on that foundation.

Have questions or concerns about your practice marketing?  Want to speak to a dental marketing expert?  Schedule a free consults today with a dental marketing expert.  Click in the top right corner to get started today!