After you have given your business a uniform identity, it is time to take a moment to write a story about your brand.

Plenty of dentists look and talk the same as the doctor down the road, but the most successful small businesses sell more than a product or service – they sell a story (a way of life). 

There are many brands writing great stories, and two companies instantly come to my mind – TOM’s Shoes and Nike.

There are hundreds of shoe companies, but in 2006, Blake Mycoskie set out to establish a remarkable business by creating a shoe company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes for a child in need. Blake has built a business around a movement, a movement he calls “One for One”

People don’t buy TOM’s because of their quality or price. TOM’s customers know that they can purchase a similar product much cheaper, and they know that they can buy shoes of a much higher quality at the same price point. Never-the-less, TOM’s shoes contiue to sell well. People buy TOM’s shoes because they want to be a character in the story behind the brand.

We buy Nike’s shoes because we want to Just Do It.

Can we write stories in our dental practices? Sure. But, my guess is that our stories will have to be about much more than teeth.