The Postgame: What to Do After the Trade Show

Continuing education, new technologies and product demonstrations are all good reasons dental practices attend a trade show. It’s quite easy to come back from a trade show, get back in the normal swing of things and forget to ensure that you’ve gotten the most out of the experience.

To ensure your time out of the office and money spent on attendance benefit your practice, do adequate follow up including these five steps.

Review with Staff

If certain staff members joined you for the trade show, give them the opportunity to share what they learned in your next staff meeting. Your staff will feel like you’re investing in their growth and development reducing turnover and other team members benefit from hearing lessons learned.

Good dental practice management should keep an eye on retention and how staff is doing.

“Employees who feel that their own professional goals are supported will care more about their contribution to your practice and see it as a valuable part of their career path.”

– Dentistry IQ

Evaluate Practice Needs

Now that you’ve seen the best of the best technology and tools on the market, regroup with your team to evaluate your practice’s needs. This should include where you’re at in current contracts for software and services to understand your timelines as well as staff bandwidth and finances to implement. Pulling a DDS profit report can help showcase your finances as you look at spending additional money.

Having clear goals and expectations for new technology is important.

“The key is to determine the specific use of the technology. Will it be to provide better case presentation and education? Will it be used to improve efficiency throughout the practice? Or will it project to your patients that you continually stay current with the advances in dentistry? Once the specific reason is identified, then you can construct the appropriate plan of action.”
– Dental Economics Magazine

Evaluate Special Offers

Now that you’ve reviewed needs with your dental practice staff, revisit any special offers promoted during the trade show. Often, certain vendors will try and lure you in with offers only good within a specific timeframe of the trade show.

This might make the timing of implementation more critical for you and your staff or alter what you thought your financial situation was for adding the service or technology. Be sure to discuss these offers in detail with the sales reps and get it all in writing to have your legal team review before jumping at the opportunity. Some special offers aren’t worth the added clauses or burdens that come with them.

Share Your Experience on Social Media

Your patients want to know they’ve made the right choice in dental practice. Sharing about the recent continuing education or learning opportunities you took part in at a trade show or conference can provide reassurance that your dental practice is a smart choice for their dental health.

Dental practice marketing is an important aspect of your work. Social media enables you to build a relationship with your patients.

“Relationship marketing through social media helps your practice stop focusing on what you make (dentistry) and focus on the things you make possible.”
– The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

Regularly check in on your efforts by doing a DDS marketing report to see what posts are performing well on social media will inform your team on what to share about trade shows in the future.

You now have the tools to do effective follow up from your recent trade show experience. Regroup with your staff and start the conversation about next steps.

Source by Allison WI