Relaxing Can Translate Into an Improved Bottom Line

I love lying in bed of a morning and listening to the rain during a good thunderstorm. I find this to be one of the most relaxing things in the world. While I don't actually sleep, my whole body relaxes and I just don't want to move. It truly is an amazing sensation, and thus, one of my favorite things.
What are some of your favorite things that help make you relax? As a dentist and owner of a dental practice are any of these things something that you can use to build an interior branding message around? Perhaps you really appreciate sipping a good cup of coffee or tea and reading the daily New York Times in a leather wing backed chair? Or, perhaps you really relax when you have a manicure? Either of these are things that can be the start of building a strong interior branding message for your dental practice.
The key to the message is twofold. First, you want to pick a message that sets your practice off from your competition - one that is unique to you and reflects who you are as a person and business owner. Second, you want to pick something that helps people to relax. We are all aware of the anxiety that so many people face when visiting their dentist. This is why so many people cancel appointments and avoid getting regular dental care. If through your interior branding message you can help people become more relaxed, they are less likely to cancel their next appointment, tell their friends and family about the positive experience they've had, and become a regular patient rather than just a casual one.
Once you've settled on your "theme" for your interior brand the next step is to begin incorporating this into the interior design of your dental office. It may be as easy as buying that leather wing backed chair, subscribing to the New York Times, and keeping a pot of good coffee brewed throughout the day with a collection of stoneware mugs for patients to use. Or, you may be able to section of space reclaimed from transitioning to EMR to bring in a nail tech to provide manicures onsite. The key is to look for little ways to start incorporating these relaxing touches sooner rather than later. There is no reason to wait until you relocate the office or have a major remodel done. Your dental practice will start seeing the benefits of more relaxed, more eager to give referrals, and less likely to cancel appointments patients right away!
James is a regular lecturer and writer on dental office design, green design, and interior branding and also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the interior design department at The Art Institute of Indianapolis. With offices in Dallas, Indianapolis, New York, and Wisconsin, James is on the road regularly meeting with clients and speaking with dentists about their design needs. His work has been featured in Building Excellence in Design and Construction, Indianapolis Woman, Metropolis, Metropolitan Home, Home Décor Buyer, Elle Décor, Indianapolis Monthly, Indianapolis Home, Shelter, and The Columbian.