Hinman Dental Meeting: How to Use Video to Grow Your Dental Practice

Janice Hurley will be lecturing on the power of video for dental practices at the upcoming Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting on Thursday, March 23 at 9 a.m. in Atlanta, Georgia.

The presentation of video on your dental practice website or via social media can be very impactful on practice growth, according to Janice Hurley. And the cost is really nothing — it’s just a dedication of time. The initial fear of failure is the only stumbling block, she says.

“While much of the dental care profession is slow on the uptake in using this method, they don’t want to be too late to this party,” Hurley explains. “This is how people make judgments today. Decisions are made so quickly and a proper and positive testimonial video is the best way to make a connection. It’s worth it for a dental practice to take the time. It’s efficient, effective and profitable.”

Hurley, who has earned the title “dentistry’s image expert,” says her business is helping dentists develop and deliver “the optimal patient experience.” Born into a family of healthcare professionals, Hurley has been a dental practice management consultant in San Diego, California for the past 25 years. Hurley will appear at the upcoming Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta on March 23. Her topic is Viva La Video! Video: It’s Happening and It’s So Exciting.

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Hurley is encouraging dentists to use their iPads and video cameras to build practice success. “How patients and potential patients get information has changed drastically — whether that’s through Yelp, Google, or other social media,” she says. “Video now plays a major role in marketing. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth 70,000 words. Patients will click on a video long before they read any text you offer them.”

To encourage participation, it’s important to prep the patient. “Notify them before that you want to video them so they arrive feeling attractive and upbeat — on their own terms,” Hurley says.

And the script should be concise. “To begin, patients should give their name and how long they have been a patient,” she says. “Then they offer up three aspects of the practice that set it apart from others. For example, appointments are always kept on time, or there are never surprises during a procedure, or the dentist is extremely caring and gentle. And always, the patient should start and finish with a smile — because that’s what viewers will see and remember.”

Patients should be allowed to practice their statement and “sometimes we show them examples of others who have done it,” Hurley says. And it’s best to try and get it in fewer than three takes. “It must be as natural and real as possible because viewers have more trust for those who are not paid actors,” she says. “The video must be warm, informational and really short — the whole thing should be under two minutes long, and ideally, it ought to be about one minute.”

As to the execution, Hurley says, more time should be spent with preparation and setting up a suitable background with proper lighting, then the actual recording. Regarding the camera angle, the horizontal view always plays best. “It looks better that way when viewed on Instagram or Facebook,” Hurley says.

Scenes should be shot in a casual setting, she said, and “definitely not” with the patient in a bib or in the chair getting treatment. “In those scenes the patient is often uncomfortable or can’t communicate as well,” Hurley explained. “Right or wrong, there’s a negative association with the treatment room. It’s not inviting. ”

To get patients to participate, according to Hurley, the best route is through compliments. “Tell them how much you enjoy caring for them and how it makes the practice staff feel good that they’ve made a difference in your life,” she says. Also it’s better to approach more extroverted patents.

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