Do you and your competitor have the same “unique” strategy?

You know that feeling when you show up to a party wearing the exact same outfit as someone else?

Now imagine that happening with your entire marketing strategy.

I see this all the time – practices paying good money for “custom” marketing plans that are about as unique as a McDonald’s menu. Same referral cards, same social media templates, same promotional gifts… just with different logos slapped on top.

It’s like that scene from Stepbrothers where they both love the same things. Except instead of bonding over it, you’re both losing to the practice that actually stands out.

Dr. Chen found this out the hard way. Hired a marketing firm that promised a “tailored approach,” only to discover the office two miles away was running nearly identical campaigns. Patients couldn’t tell them apart. Neither could referral partners.

Here’s the wake-up call: If your marketing strategy came from a template, so did your competitor’s.

The Big Insight: You can’t copy your way to the top. But you can relationship your way there. The practices winning the referral game aren’t doing it with better graphics – they’re doing it with better connections.

Tactical Piece #1: Stop trying to out-advertise the competition and start out-appreciating them. While they’re sending the same branded pens, you’re creating experiences people actually talk about.

Tactical Piece #2: Make your appreciation events conversation starters. One practice I worked with themed theirs “The Future of Orthodontics” and invited referral partners to see cutting-edge tech in action. Suddenly, they weren’t just another orthodontist – they were the innovative one.

Tactical Piece #3: Document everything. Get professional photos and videos at your events. Use them to show other potential referral partners what they’re missing. FOMO is a powerful motivator.

The result for Dr. Chen? After ditching the cookie-cutter approach and hosting a unique appreciation event, he gained five new referring offices in six weeks. Not through better marketing copy, but through better relationships.

Here’s the truth: You can’t be copied if you’re building something real.

 Let’s talk about creating something truly yours

Stop being a copy,

Dino