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Guest: Camila Regis
Business Name: Olsen
Check out Camila's Media:
Website: https://olsenna.com/
Other Mentions and Links:
Host: Michael Arias
Website: The Dental Marketer
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My Key Takeaways:
- How much do first impressions really matter with patients?
- What are some common barriers that are keeping patients from coming in?
- Does high quality and modern equipment really make a difference?
- Some of the psychology behind dental anxiety and first impressions.
- The benefits of patient comfort and an inviting staff.
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Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)
Michael: All right. It's time to talk with our featured guests, Camila Regis. Camila, how's it going? I'm
Camila: doing great today, Michael. And what about
you?
Michael: I'm doing pretty good. Thanks for asking. If you don't mind letting our listeners know where are you located
Camila: right now? I'm located at the South of Brazil right now in a city called Bailosa, where is the headquarter of Olsen, uh, USA.
Dental equipment.
Michael: Nice. So all the way in Brazil, which is only according to PST time, California time, four hours different. So that's pretty awesome. But if you can tell us a little bit about your past, your present, how'd you get to where you are today?
Camila: So, um, I was always in love with different cultures when I was a little kid, um, my biggest dream was to be a dentist. I'm not a dentist nowadays, but I work with that. I work with dental equipments. So since I was always interested on different cultures, I try it and I directed the lead of my, um, career to something I could be able to work with different cultures and different countries.
So, I am here today, working, uh, with this project of expanding Olsen that comes from Brazil to all of the world. we are over a hundred countries. And I am the responsible, uh, of the team that is, doing all of that.
Michael: Nice. So in charge of like, the growth area. So you don't mind me asking, why did you always want to be a dentist?
Camila: I don't know. I think it was, um, when I was a little kid, I had, um, some problems in my teeth. I usually go to, to the dentist and. This guy was so nice to me, and it was such a nice environment, and I can't remember, like... Every week going there and being familiar with everything. So I was kind of amused with that profession.
And I was like, Oh, I want to be that. I want to be a dentist.
Michael: Okay. So it was also like, the main thing was the pain point kind of thing, right? You were experiencing a problem and you saw how they fixed it really quick. Yeah, exactly. Okay. Interesting. Awesome. So let's dive into this. And for those listening on audio only in the podcast, you can scroll down in the show notes and look out on our YouTube channel.
But this is going to be a presentation that Camila has, kind of like a webinar. And what we're going to dive into is marketing your practice through your dental office. And so what do first impressions have to do with that? Because I noticed that's the title here.
Camila: So let's start with that. so first impression, uh, is something that we need to consider to everything.
Like not only just for a business or dental practice, but for everything, for yourself as a professional. So why not think of that in your business when your business is a as Oscar White said, uh, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So you need to take advantage of knowing that from your consumers.
So you need to be on that point where you are going to plan what is going to be the first impression they have from you. And that is like 100 percent true what Oscar Wilde said, initial impressions matters a lot in human psychology and it's exactly how people's perception are shaped.
So when we talk about these, uh, it's not just of individuals, but also of business, locations, objects. Why are we not talking about that when we talk about dental office? So my question here for whoever is listening to us or, watching us, have you ever thought about these when you started your dental practice or when renewing it or when buying your equipments or planning the design or even hiring your staff?
I I think what we are bringing today is going to be interesting for you to update that idea on your mind. And if you don't, I believe that you need to keep your eye on it. So Bert Ducker, one of the greatest experts in communication, did a research that says the brain takes only two seconds to form 50 percent of the image. About someone or something and the next four minutes to complete the rest of this idea. So, can you imagine having only 2 seconds to show someone what is your dental practice about what you are trying to show them or give them the experience at that point where they just walk in your dental office?
Well, uh, this prejudgment will conditionate the interaction that this customer, this patient of yours, will interact with you or your dental office or even your staff, and will definitely define the approach that they will have. for example, when you're just walking in a store and someone from the staff is in a bad mood.
That will definitely set the approach you have when you talk with that person. So that is something we need to consider for all the business environment. The power of the idea shaped at the moment that someone set the eyes on a person or on a place or on a Professional is so strong that not even the facts are capable of easily disproving them.
So, it's like when someone, when you, you look to someone and you say, Oh, I didn't like that person. And then later on. You start to know them better and then it's hard for you to change that idea that you didn't like something on that person, even though the facts. Are showing you a completely different, um, position than your opinion.
So usually, humans tend to conform our prejudgment because of this power that the ideas have, uh, among us.
Michael: Gotcha. So right here, when it comes to the, this is the, basically the laws of the first impressions, right? You have two seconds, right. To form 50%. Of the image about someone or something. So if someone's walking into the practice, and they don't even acknowledge them, they don't even look at them or anything, that's more than two seconds.
That's it. So you already kinda can feel the, the coldness in there, right? And then, um, the last part is interesting. Uh, how, not even facts are capable of easily disproving them. What would you say, Camila, how does that, how would you have witnessed that, or how do you notice this in a practice?
Camila: I have a really good case here.
So when we start to open the U. S. market, I visited some dental office in some schools. And when I walked in the first dental office, it wasn't a private dental office, it was a university one. And I was so shocked because I was expecting as the rest of the universe to look like. fantastic and everything perfect, everything in place.
I was expecting a great practice, a great dental practice. And what I found out was some equipments that were already, um, really old and broke. And it was more because it's used by students. I get that, but it was the first impression I had. So the first impression I had was I don't think they are looking to these with care.
I don't think they are giving the same attention. They are giving to the rest of the campus to these areas. That is exactly where the patient is going to be laying down for some hours, even. Some treatments take some days. They're not, of course, being there for days, but they are going to be back there day to day, and they need to feel home.
They need to feel comfort and I was shocked and that made me feel a little bit, uh, Thinking, oh, I think we have a different culture here, but then I saw that it was only that case, it wasn't only that case, but I saw it was a case of a place that wasn't being properly, uh, cared off. And so this is a perfect example, we can compare that to what, to the experience I had when I was a kid in my dentist that I can remember, like, if it was yesterday, it was a nice place, a cozy place.
I was always, uh, welcomed and I remember of all the equipments. that sounds crazy. But I remember of the equipment, because I remember of looking at the lights, I remember of looking at the hand pieces. And since, uh, my, my dream by that time was to be a dentist. I usually open the, the drawers and look what was inside.
And the dentist showed me a lot of of stuffs and I remember of that being so perfect, so clean, so cared of. So there was a tension in each detail of that service that he was giving me.
Michael: Gotcha. So a lot came into that besides the first, uh, two seconds, but it was the first two seconds where you were like, okay, this it's warm, it's cozy.
I can feel it. Uh, and then it kind of gave you the rest of the picture of the facts. Right. Yeah, exactly. Interesting. Okay. Okay. So these are the laws. These are the crucial role of first impression.
Camila: I'm trying here just to, uh, give some thoughts on what is first impressions so we can then, uh, go to how these first impressions, how we can apply, uh, that three laws into the dental office.
So when one goes to any place that offers health care or even aesthetic care, what they are really looking for, Michael, is self care. They are looking for someone that can take care of them. So their expectations are going to be always high because no one wants to be cared off in a bad way.
So dental office deal with an essential aspect of the human survival and well being. It's a place that. Will require a lot of, uh, excellent conditions and a sense that the person that is there is safe, it's in a good hand, it's in a professional environment. So will you ever look for a place to take care of you that shows you through their image that they don't care even about themselves, that they don't, they don't have a nice waiting room, that they have a staff that is rude, is not, uh, in a, um, in a good mood that doesn't say good morning to you and even if, um, You think that they are going to be comfortable in old equipment that is maybe losing some part of the ufostery.
And so it's all about that. It's all about you need to show your patient that you care about your place because that place is going to take care of your patient. So I brought here some, Examples, and I would like, I know the audience is just listening. So I will say some words about the image I'm showing, but I want you to think, what is the feeling you get when you look at a dental office that looks like this?
So I'm showing here a dental office. Uh, it is a old dental office. It's, it's not clean and it has all the wires showing here it's a closer look where the example I just gave that the upholstery is ripping off and some part of the equipment are broke and there is dust everywhere and it looks like a mess.
And then now, how do you feel when you look and you walk into a dental office like this? That it's clean, it has a brand new equipment, it, the equipment looks like, modern, looks like comfortable, and when you sit at it, you feel the comfort, you feel the ergonomy, how do you feel looking at it, how will you feel looking at the, the dental space, broke equipment or the dental office that has everything clean, everything white and in colors that are sober and that brings the image of a safe environment. Yeah.
Michael: You can, you can totally, when I feel like I get, think like I'm probably gonna not get a good job. Like, you know what I mean? Like it's probably, I just need to hurry up and get out of here kind of thing.
But the other one, you feel more like you can, you can hang out, you know what I mean? You can be there. It feels more comforting. You know, you're going to get a good job. Yeah.
Camila: And so to start talking about, um, the first impressions in a dental office.
How does this matter to the dental office? We should start talking about marketing, right? So that's why we are here with Michael. So the big picture is that the first impression is inside the big picture that marketing is. So it's how you see marketing. Marketing goes beyond the advertisement, digital presence.
There's much more than just that. Uh, marketing is everything that is going to establish the awareness of your practice image in the market. The mind of your customers. So if you are taking care of your website, if you are taking care of your social medias, why are you not taking care of your dental office?
Why are you not taking care of the design of it? Of the equipment that is there, of the staff you are hiring. First impressions are the meaning to establish your brand awareness. And when I say brand here, I definitely mean, brand as what you were building as a dental practice. So when customers are aware of a brand and associate it with positive things like quality, reliability, or value, they are more likely to choose that brand when they need related products or service than another ones.
And they are more likely to tell their friends, to tell their family that they choose that brand because of those reasons. Therefore, I believe that building and straightening brand awareness are fundamental goals in marketing and in branding strategies. So the brand awareness, it's the degree of recognition and familiarity that the public has with that specific brand, and that brand is your dental practice, then your dental office, sometimes you have a clinic with much with more than 1 dentist. It's how the public will know your, uh, dental practice, how professional we were, how comfort they feel, how do they like you, do they don't, this is what you need to have in mind when you start to, Settle your goals, your marketing goals in your dental practice, because from the brand awareness is where you are going to start structuring your image.
And, there is some trick elements, for a good impression, no 1st, the 2nd or the 3rd. And here talking specifically in the dental office, it's the design of it, the equipment that you have and the staff. So, when you think about those 3 pillars, design, equipment and staff, you need to keep in mind, what are you trying to communicate to your customer and what is the experience you are aiming to offer them?
Am I trying to tell them that that is, um, a place that they are going to feel pain, that they are going to be afraid, or do you want to communicate that it's a dental office, that it's, uh, More like a place to play, to be fun, to have fun.
so that is one thing that you need to keep in your mind. And when I know that talking about the, pediatric dental is very specific. But even though when you were talking about, um, dental office for adults, your Is exactly what is going to set what is the image you are, trying to show to your consumers.
So if you are working in, I said it dental, you must have like a perfect dental office, everything in place, everything looking modern, nice, fancy. Because that's what you are trying to show them, that you are going to bring that image to their health. It's through the design of your dental office, and the equipment you have, and the staff that you are hiring, and how you are training them, that you can create this environment.
This environment that we will present, what is your image as a professional or as a dental clinic, dental practice, and it's going to dictate the experience that you were about to offer to that consumer, to that patient that just walked in.
Michael: Interesting. So real quick, uh, Camila, let's just say the practices.
Hey, my brand is that we care, like we really care, right? Staff would have to show that they, they care. but how, in your opinion, how would design show that and equipment show that, okay.
Camila: Talking about design, I think, um, that to show that you will need to have a nice waiting room, for example.
it can be a waiting room for, uh, that supports like three people, but there is 100 people inside because you're not caring about them waiting and everyone there and it's not comfortable. For example, you need to think, I don't know where exactly, but if you are in Florida, you need to think about having a, an AC.
Because everyone needs to feel comfortable while waiting, you need to have like television to have something to show them while they, they are there. Uh, you need to have a good way for them to go from the waiting room to your dental office. A nice, space for them to move and sit on the chair on the dental chair and feel comfortable there.
So when talking about equipment, it's not going to be much different from that. You need to give them comfort. inequipment is not only that you need to have a modern equipment with technology and everything, but you need to show them that needs to be clean.
It needs to be shining. always looking like new. So, I believe that is, uh. Two ways of thinking design is not much my, my area. but I believe that, uh, I know that in the U S there is a lot of companies that do the design for dental practice. And when finding someone like that.
Bring them those ideas, tell them, I need, I want to show my consumer that my customer, my patient, that they are going to be care here. So that's what I'm trying to, show them through the design of my dental office. And the same when you are buying any new equipment or you are renewing your
Michael: equipment.
Gotcha. Okay. Okay. Interesting. Yeah. Interesting. So these are the three things, right, for a good, first good impression, design, equipment, and staff.
Camila: Yeah, and when we talk about the equipment, there is one thing that, that we always do. I don't know if everyone knows here, I work in the Olsen, I know I said at the beginning, but we also sell the dental equipment.
So the first thing we ask the doctor always is, what is more important for you in the equipment? Because it's that that is what is the best equipment for their practice. and it's funny because you will, uh, see a dentist that they care about colds. So that's what matters for them.
want to pay the less possible. And there will be the doctors that say, I care about my patient. I want my patient to be in a comfortable chair. I want them to have the best of the market, or I want to have the best of the market in terms of equipment and technology. So knowing or not knowing, they already have on their mind, what are their, the image that they are trying to show to their patients.
Michael: I was going to ask you, when it comes to all that, what have you seen the most popular one? Is it cost or is it more like ergonomics or what would it be?
Camila: I think it depends a lot. I mean, in some countries, it's cost for sure. And in others, the comfort of the patient. Nowadays, I've been seeing much more.
we have the premium chairs, so they are more comfortable. They have an extra layer of, foam, so it makes more, comfort for the patient. It has also a massage system that helps the anxiety that a lot of people have to go to a dentist. And I think they are starting to care more about the, the patient comfort and their ergonomy than about the cost. Because I can see clearly that they are moving from one, from these equipments to the premium equipments that are more focused on the comfort for for the dentist and also for the patient.
Michael: Gotcha. Gotcha. Okay. Interesting. Interesting. Okay. So these are the key elements
Camila: then. Yeah, exactly. And usually when a business is, is setting what they are trying to present through their image, usually you will find, three things, the sophistication. So everyone wants a sophisticated practice, the credibility of their work, because It doesn't matter if you are the best doctor in the market, if you don't have the best dental office, that's not what you are going to, to show to your customer and the appealing of the dental office.
of course the patient doesn't know much about the dental equipment. So what do they know? They know that they will notice that if they lay down equipment that makes a real difference, they will notice if they feel comfortable, if they feel like they were at home and how they feel during the treatment that is going to make the difference.
I know they won't know that. Oh, this is the most expensive or the market or not, but they will know how they felt at that moment. Thanks. And they will definitely spread that word. So when talking about equipment and what is the points that you were trying to bring when you think about that, to the matter of your brand awareness. You will have competitive advantage because you show your, patient that you care that, uh, you are trying to give him the best experience, trying to reduce the dental anxiety. I was reading some articles for this webinar and 10 percent of the U. S. population has dental anxiety nowadays. So you can imagine how hard it is for that 10 percent of the population to go to the dentist because it's a place that they hate.
why not thinking of that when you are thinking of your equipment, you know,
Michael: interesting.
Camila: Also, uh, the trade points that I brought earlier. Your image, you need to communicate the sophistication. You need to communicate the credibility. You need to communicate how appealing, uh, your business or in the experience, um, design equipment and stuff.
They are the responsible for the experience. Your patient is going to have in your dental practice. You need to offer them a good aesthetic look, you need to offer them ergonomy. When I say ergonomy, I mean, they're okay, they're sitting on the chair, they have where to put the, they have places to put their arms on, or they are not in a good position.
When you lay down your, chair to start your treatment, do your patient needs to, um, fit themselves in the chair? sometimes the doctor say, Oh, go a little bit, um, higher or move to one side to another side. You need to think of that when you are trying to give the best experience to your, to your patient and also the comfort that you are offering them because let's be honest.
It's not comfortable to be with your mouth open for one hour and doing some procedures with that noisy. So you need to have, uh, things to distract them. And being in a comfortable equipment makes a lot of difference when talking about that. That's
Michael: true. Interesting. And
Camila: they will absolutely appreciate the fact that you have invested on something which helps them be more comfortable, to feel more cozy, to make their dental treatment less stressful.
And they are quite likely to talk about it. And therefore they are marketing it for you, you
Michael: it's true. And I guess you don't really ever think about that. Like the little movements in the ergonomics of like, well, we have to, you know, move a little bit. And then, you know, like as a patient, you just feel like, okay, I got to stay like this, uh, cause you never really experienced anything different or maybe you just never really experienced it at all.
So you're just kind of in that uncomfortable position. And if you're uncomfortable for too long, that heightens the anxiety big time, big time. So it makes a lot of sense.
Camila: Yeah, and all the points I mentioned here will help to form an overall impression of your practice. one that will stay with the patient and that they will also pass on to their friends, their family, their community.
that's exactly what you were looking for. Um, given the original aim of marketing, which is to build a reputation and image that appeals to your target clients. since clear that your equipment must be an important part of it, um, because your dental practice is reflected in everything that you and your staff do each day and in everything that helps to build your image every day.
Michael: Awesome. Wonderful. So then when it comes to this, you know, some people are saying like, what's affordability care. I want a really good chair that brings comfort. What would you recommend from the brands that you guys have? Olsen, if someone's looking for a little bit of blend of both, right.
Where it's like I needed to be affordable. But at the same time, I got it. It gets to look amazing.
Camila: So we have this unit that is one of the premium units is the logic dental unit. It's affordable and it's really comfortable. It has one of most comfortable chairs from our lines.
another thing that this chair has. it's a curiosity that the movement of the chair goes with the movement of the body. So what I was talking earlier, when you lay down your patient to the treatment position. They don't need to fit themselves again into the chair because usually they stay in the same place because the chair will do the same movement and as their body are doing when laying down.
So, definitely when thinking about affordable options comfort options to the patient and also to the dentist, I would say, logic dental unit is the best that you can find.
Michael: Okay. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much Camila. So is there any other thing that follows up on this presentation or? No, there is
Camila: not.
So
Michael: these right here are, what are these right here? These two chairs?
Camila: So these two chairs is, uh, on the left side you can find Infinity. It's our premium chair, and on the right side you can find the performance procedure chair. So it's a chair that it's also for, doctors or for dentists for procedures that you need to do when standing up. So, it's a chair that goes really high and it goes all flat. Here in Brazil, um, mainly used for the harmonization that dentists are doing, the aesthetic, um, oral harmonization. So um, yeah, that's one of the, um, the biggest of our, uh,
Michael: lines. Nice. Okay. And now I kind of want to ask you some questions that. are directed to someone who isn't totally involved on the clinical side of dentistry.
Okay. from everything you've seen from working with dentists, working, walking inside their practice and everything right now, what do you currently love about dentistry?
Camila: Right now? What I currently love is that I feel more in a safe environment when walking through a dental practice, then, uh, a doctor practice, I think they are becoming more specialist on the service of having someone there for an hour of giving a good experience, because nowadays we go to the doctor and it takes like 15 minutes, 10 minutes.
You don't even have time to think. And when you go to dental office, you are usually going to be taken care of. And it's not something that is going to be in a rush. It's something that they are going to do with attention. They talk to you, they connect themselves to you. So I think that what I most love in dentistry is that this permission that the practice has, In a way that the professional can connect to the patient in a deep way.
Michael: Gotcha. Gotcha. Interesting. so that's great.
That's great that that's one of the main reasons, right? You can, you can feel a deeper connection with, uh, the practice compared to medical. You said. Okay. Yes. Compared to medical. Oh, interesting. Yeah. You feel more of a connection. And then right now, Camila, what's um, something you dislike or hate about dentistry that you've been noticing?
Camila: the hand pieces, I don't know how we get so far in the dentist technology and we still don't have board that don't do any noise because that is freaking scary. So I think that's what I
Michael: most hate. Ah, okay. Like the drill noises. Yes. Kind of nice. Okay. Why do you feel like that provides a lot of discomfort for you?
Camila: I don't know. if it's something personal. I don't know I, I have something I relate to pain and relate that to pain because that was my experience during the adult life.
Yeah, I
Michael: don't like that. Yeah. Interesting. Awesome. Okay. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. And now if anybody wanted to reach out to you, contact you or anything like that, where can they find you?
Camila: Okay. So they can find me at, Olsen at Olsen America. com.
Michael: Awesome. Olsen America. com. And at the same time, guys, you know, Olsen is one of our partners. So everybody here gets an exclusive deal with them. If you go in the show notes below, click the first link in the show notes below, uh, to check out more and Camila, thank you so much for being with us.
It's been a pleasure. And we'll hear from you soon. Thank you.
