I have been a proud member of the Crown Council, an association for independent dental practices, for many years. They host the Crown Council Annual Event and bring in five or more of the best speakers in the world to teach and mentor attendees. These speakers are often not dentists, but they cover topics that speak to our experience personally and professionally. Shep Hyken, a customer service expert who has written several books on the topic, was a speaker at one such event.

I recently listened to an episode of his podcast, “Amazing Business Radio,” where he interviewed business advisor and speaker Ford Saeks. They discussed how social media marketing can drive our businesses forward. Hyken asked Saeks whether we should be concentrating on B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing, and he replied that the answer is neither: It should be P2P (peer-to-peer).

One way that I focus on P2P relationships is remembering that success is all about relationships. In relationships, the little things make a big difference. That’s why I write handwritten thank-you cards to people who refer new patients to my practice. I also write handwritten welcome cards to new patients or new families and personalize them based on our conversations. I offer patients a selection of lip balms after we complete a dental procedure when their lips might be dry and I offer them warm, moist towels after we have completed messy operative or dental hygiene procedures.

I make notes about their families, work, hobbies and travels, and when I see them in the schedule, I review those notes. I try to talk to them about something I’ve noted. It is important to show them that I remembered something about them that had nothing to do with dentistry, money or anything else business-related. It is about making them feel special as a person by paying attention to the little things that truly matter.

Concentrating on what we can share P2P is about finding the connections between ourselves and other people, about sharing with and learning from our patients. Caring about the little things is not just an exercise in good marketing, it has transformed the relationships I have with just about everyone. And success is all about relationships.