Getting Involved with your Local Community
How Getting Involved with your Community will Grow Your Practice
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “The essence of life is to serve others and do good.”
And you are. You and your team, as dental professionals, serve people every day, cleaning teeth and restoring smiles. Within the walls of your practice, you are changing lives on the daily. But what about your neighborhood? Outside the 9 to 5? How are you, as a practice, being intentional about giving back? Read on for four easy ways to get involved in your local community.
Volunteer! Schedule a team volunteer shift at a local food bank or soup kitchen. Participating together in some sort of community service project gives your staff an opportunity to bond outside the office while interacting with potential and current patients in a meaningful way. Make this a regular occurrence for your staff. Be the practice that is known for their volunteer work.
Visit a school! This can be not only a fun adventure for your staff, but also an opportunity for you to connect with parents and teachers, reaching whole families. Children can be nervous about going to the dentist, so meeting them on their turf will help them feel more relaxed the next time they come in. Bring prizes to pass out, like toothbrushes and stickers, and tell them they’ll get more each time they visit the dentist. It’s your job to win them over.
Hold a donation drive! This can be done in the comfort of your office, as your patients bring the goods to you. They will appreciate that you’ve provided them with the opportunity to give and the convenience of doing so when they come in for their appointment. Where can you take the food or clothing you collect? Look online for refugee, homeless, and women’s shelters, foster kid organizations and group homes in your area. Do it now. Don’t wait for Christmas.
Host free dental events! Providing oral care for the under-served in your area helps those who can’t afford dental appointments, and it sends a message to your community that you are a practice that cares and a team that believes that everyone deserves a beautiful smile. If this sounds like an overwhelming endeavor, there are organizations, such as Dentistry from the Heart, that will do the behind-the-scenes prep work, so that you and your team can simply clean teeth.
It feels good, and doing it together strengthens your team. But the icing on the cake? Getting involved in your local community will yield immeasurable marketing benefits for your practice. Serving in your community allows you to make connections with potential patients, and your visibility increases brand awareness, maximizing word-of-mouth referrals. As your team participates in local activities, you’ll be generating quality content for your blog and social media platforms. (Don’t forget to take pictures.) It truly is a win-win. Your staff will appreciate it, your community will thank you, and your practice will grow. Get started today!