Get in the Game!

I received a call from a Midwest endodontist last week. He was very upset that his practice had dropped off 25 percent since October 2008. He wanted to know if there was anything he could do about it.

It is interesting that his situation mirrored Levin Group data very closely. Last October many endodontic practices literally fell off the cliff. It was not a gradual decline, but a 1,000 foot fall. General dentists began to cut their root canal referrals to keep as much revenue in-house as possible.

The answer I gave this endodontist was very simple—you have to ramp up your marketing, and you have to keep doing it for the rest of your career.

The days of endodontic demand being so high that endodontists do not have to worry about marketing are over. Each time endodontists lose root canal referrals to a recession, such as in 2001-2002, they usually do not come back at the same rate when things get better.

We are in a deep, longer-term recession this time. Waiting for things to get better is not an option. So don’t stay on the sidelines—put on a helmet and get in the game! It’s time to start marketing your practice and market it successfully!