If you’ve ever worked with a marketing company and felt like you were speaking two different languages, you’re not alone. In this episode of My Dental Playbook, Dr. Blake Hamblin and I talk candidly about why dentists and marketers often butt heads, what creates miscommunication and unmet expectations, and how both sides can work together better by focusing on the right KPIs.

The Core Personality Clash: Technical vs. Creative

Dentists are trained to be precise, technical, and evidence-based. Marketers are often creative, abstract, and focused on influence. That’s a hard pairing without trust and clarity.

Key differences that create friction:

• Dentists want measurable results. Marketers talk about impressions, clicks, and engagement.
• Marketers optimize for attention. Dentists optimize for accuracy.
• Dentists want order and predictability. Marketing is often about testing and iteration.

This difference doesn’t mean one side is wrong. But it does mean dentists need marketers who can speak their language, and marketers need dentists who are willing to collaborate.

The Real Problem: No One Starts With the End in Mind

Too often, marketing companies focus on deliverables (websites, videos, SEO) instead of results (new patients). Dentists get frustrated when those deliverables don’t create ROI.

The solution? Start every conversation with your goal.

• “I want to go from 20 to 40 new patients”
• “I want to decrease my cost per lead by 25%”
• “I want to scale without increasing no-shows”

When you lead with the outcome, you immediately expose which marketers are focused on performance versus those who are just trying to sell creative work.

How to Hold Your Marketing Team Accountable

Dr. Blake shared how his practice moved from frustration to clarity by focusing on KPIs. He now meets with his marketing team every two weeks and uses metrics like:

• Cost Per Lead (CPL)
• Cost to Acquire a Customer (CAC)
• Conversion Rate (from lead to scheduled)
• No-Show Rate
• ROI per Campaign

This KPI tracking lets him quickly identify whether a problem is with the marketing company or the front desk team—and adjust from there.

Quick Wins: Build Better Collaboration Today

• Start with your new patient goal before discussing tactics
• Track KPIs monthly and meet with your marketing team at least once a month
• Ask your team to flag operational roadblocks like no-shows or poor conversion
• Use CAC as a shared accountability number between marketing and operations
• Eliminate vague expectations and replace them with measurable ones

Think Smarter

If you treat your marketing partner like a vendor, you’ll get vendor results. If you treat them like a partner and collaborate weekly with shared KPIs, you’ll grow faster. The dentists who stay involved in strategy see the biggest ROI.

Final Thought

In the dynamic world of dental practice, the inherent differences in perspective between dentists and marketers often create a fascinating dichotomy. Dentists, driven by clinical precision, patient care, and a deep understanding of oral health, approach their work with a scientific and medical mindset. Marketers, on the other hand, are focused on brand building, patient acquisition, communication strategies, and the competitive landscape of the healthcare industry. These distinct approaches, while seemingly divergent, are not obstacles but rather powerful assets when leveraged effectively.

The key to unlocking this potential lies in a collaborative partnership built upon clear, mutually agreed-upon goals and a foundation of honest, transparent communication. When both parties align their efforts towards a shared vision – whether it’s expanding market reach, improving patient satisfaction, or introducing new services – the differences in their thought processes transform into complementary strengths.

Ultimately, the right partnership fosters an environment of accelerated progress and intelligent decision-making. It enables a practice to move faster in adapting to market changes, smarter in allocating resources, and more effectively in achieving its long-term objectives. By embracing their unique perspectives and working in concert, dentists and marketers can create a powerful force that drives sustainable growth and success in the competitive dental landscape.

Final Checklist

• Are you leading with goals or deliverables?
• Are your KPIs tracked monthly in one place?
• Do you know your cost per lead and CAC?
• Are you meeting with your marketing team regularly?
• Is your team trained to convert leads?
• Are no-shows and cancellations being tracked?
• Are you using data to guide your marketing decisions?