Welcome to the Digital Handshake. I'm your host, Scott Jorgensen, and I'm so pleased to introduce our guest today on today's episode is Doctor. Edward Gronet And from North here on the Digital Handshake, as you recall, is we help make your digital first impression your strongest asset. And let's just take a moment and get to know Doctor. Gronnett from North Carolina. Where'd you grow up?
First of all, thank you for having me. Absolutely. I grew up in North Carolina in the Raleigh area, college at UNC, and med school at ECU, so all my education, except for training, was in North Carolina.
Fantastic, fantastic. Well, we're here in our Dallas studios, and we're so pleased to have you with us. On the digital handshake, really, we're focused on how do we make that sort of first impression digitally, you know, really our strongest asset, as we mentioned. And so as part of that, you know, walk me through kind of what your strategy is from a marketing standpoint to promote you as a plastic surgeon out there. Like, what are you doing to, you know, target, convert, attract patients?
So, first and foremost,
I think we'll speak digitally in just a moment, but the best way to attract patients is to do good work with your existing patients. There's nothing better than the word-of-mouth and kind of that whole vibe that can go through a community when you're putting good quality work that's safe out there. But that's once you already know people. So it's very interesting, like we've been discussing, the handshake is that online presence or that social media presence. Because so many people are going to, say, do a search or some sort of internet query.
Ask Chad GPT, who's the best in town. And what what I think is so interesting that you guys are doing here and also down the hall Right. Is is curating that digital handshake. Is is how do we you know, ideally, in an ideal world, someone's gonna watch all the videos that we're filming, all the content that I'm putting out, and have only very specific questions. And I need to go over no information essentially with them at the consultation because they've already seen how I do things, why I do things, and, you know, my aesthetic and my philosophy.
So so it's almost like a pre meeting or or meeting in advance. It's like doing your homework beforehand. Right? Right. We we can see, like, as a surgeon, we all have kind of different philosophies and way of doing things. And that that's gonna come out in, like, when we're describing ourselves or our about me page, our social media. What are we doing? What are we eating for dinner yesterday? You know? Right.
But talking about procedures and how we, let's say, select patients for different procedures or or, like, why does one procedure have no scar and another procedure has a long scar when it's on the same body part? What if we can answer questions like this in advance? What if we can allow patients to know what the consultation process looks like? What the recovery process looks like? Or why even come see me before they even get in the office.
Building trust before we ever even do that physical handshake with that digital handshake is just so interesting and something that technology and studios like this are enabling us to do more and more these days.
You know, you touched on the word trust. I think patience, at the end of the day, that's probably the most important emotion that they can garner digitally before they even come and visit with you is, Do I trust Him? Does He make me feel comfortable? Do I feel at peace? Am I putting my life or face or body in His hands or her hands? And are they going to do good work, right? When a patient finds you online, how do you want to show up? How do you want them to see and feel you digitally?
Curated. You know, having a certain aesthetic, not being in a t shirt sort of This thing, you is funny. One of my mentors is someone that trained me here in Texas, said the patient sees two things, and this is applicable to what we're talking about, so I'll get there. Good. The patient sees two things: they see you, the surgeon, and the dressing that you put on.
So both of those have to be appropriate, timely, and look good. And that's something that we have to do these days with a digital footprint. So we have to show up, you know, prepared, hair combed. You talked about trust a moment ago. You know, when you're trying to see if you can trust someone without meeting them, just watching them online, how are they carrying themselves?
Do I or another surgeon, does it sound like we know what we're talking about? Or are we just kind of making it up as we go? Or are we talking from experience and lessons learned out there in the trenches, the Operating Room, and in the clinic? And I think when you have confidence in what you're doing and what you're talking about, it shows. I think that even though, you know, a screen is a two d image of a three d person, I still think that can come through, especially in discussions like this.
Because we're not just saying, hey, this is why I do X, Y, Z surgery and this is how you recover. It's like, why did we even get into this? Why are weyou were here on a Saturday doing things, know, talking about this instead of doing anything else, right? We could be watching college football right now, but we want to talk about how to build trust and this is how we do it.
Well, you know, as part of that building trust, it's identifying the platforms, right, that I think are most followed by your target audience. Right? If I was to ask you, you know, Doctor. Garnet, you could either have your website or you could have your Instagram feed. Which is your number one for targeting and attracting perhaps converting patients? Is it your Instagram or is it your website?
I think that's hard. I almost want to take a cop out answer to there. Okay. I think Instagram and social media is a great way to market just your presence in the community, but we're not gonna do any long form or really in-depth deep dives on an Instagram. It's more just a quick cut.
Hey, this is what we're doing today. Or, look how good this post op looks. Or, hey, look how happy my patients are. But if we want to actually do education, edutainment, I believe we can call it around here, think that really needs to be on a longer format, so so a website. So I think that introductions are great on social media and maybe some follow-up just before and afters.
But to really build that trust that you mentioned and to really explain things in advance, I really think that requires a website with multiple pages, multiple videos, explanations written out to really just inform the public more.
Right. And I think, speaking about the public, I think patients don't understand that as a plastic surgeon focused on cosmetic procedures, at the end of the day, it's retail medicine. Patients are paying for these treatments themselves, and as a result, they're shopping around. And they may be looking at your website or your Instagram feed, and they're probably looking at four or five others in town to get a sense for, you know, who do I feel most comfortable with, who do I think would do the best job, who can I afford, right? All those types of things.
So, with that in mind, what do you do from a marketing standpoint and perhaps from a digital marketing standpoint to create that best impression?
I think it's really important with whom you partner. So I partner with PSC Media, plastic surgery channel. I could have anyone edit a video or shoot a video. Right? Right.
Why not have the best of the best that only do something in my niche? You know, we come to Dallas to do this a few times a year with just the best in the game. So so there's no better way to market yourself than with people that are in your lane instead of, you know, employing someone locally or or just anyone anyone can cut a video together. Right? Anyone can set up a camera.
But when someone when an organization like you guys is is putting all of your effort into something like this, that curates the best image and the best just the best content. Clean, crisp, good transitions, high definition, great sound studio. All of these things are really the bonus of partnering with an organization like your own. So I think it's the choice of who you work with. And it's the same thing when a patient's looking for a surgeon.
It's a choice of who they work with. Know, It might not matter. What's hanging on the walls is certainly something we'll look at how the website looks, but what's the true content there? What's the discussion? And I think that's where it really comes through.
I 100% agree because, you know, as a patient, I want to make certain that that doctor has really thought through all the details. Right? And it's not just the surface level that I feel like if there's anything at risk or a complication that I know that I'm in good hands, right? Because he or she has thought through all of the details with their marketing, with how they approach medicine, with everything that they do within their practice. Couldn't agree more.
You know, with that in mind, as you seem to be a pretty thoughtful, insightful guy
Thank you.
Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, looking forward, right, what are some new potential trends or new things that you see out there from a digital or marketing standpoint that you're like, you know what, I need to be doing more of that? Is there anything that comes to mind?
One thing that I have not tried yet, but I want to is the the metaglasses or the with the the lenses in there where you can record during surgery. Wouldn't it be interesting? And maybe not everyone wants to see this in selective cases that, you know, aren't big and bloody and stuff like that. But how does surgery work? Or can we can I film an entire surgery?
You see what I see. Right. And then we have some professionals in the post production that can kind of splice it together, make it nice, make it not hours long because who wants to watch that? But like everyone knows say say everyone knows about tummy tucks and how muscle repair is part of it. What does that actually look like?
Wouldn't it be so interesting to see that from the surgeon's viewpoint? Or a rhinoplasty? What if we could see how the nose looks as we're opening it and then as we're closing it and look at that transformation underneath the skin? Wouldn't it be so amazingly, powerfully educational to show how we're doing our SMAS work or how we're manipulating cartilages in a rhinoplasty? Because then you get, you know, why is it tight right here?
Oh, because he tightened my SMAS there. Can't I breathe? Oh, those darn splints are in there. And seeing the surgeon place those, don't know if it'd me, it's not too graphic at all. A lot of people, it probably would be.
Right. But what a better what is a better way to get your question answered than actually seeing why my tummy is tight? Oh, he did those stitches in there to tighten my muscles. Now I get it. And I think that first person that, you know, point of view thing, it could be really I don't want say a game changer but a very nice addition to the whole what are we doing? Demystifying the experience.
Yeah. You know, you mentioned education, and what we're finding is that the best form of marketing at the end of the day, is always good information and education delivered in a very thoughtful, appropriate fashion for patients. You know, there's some doctors out there that do a lot of gimmicks and, you know, fun games and things like that, which is, you know, obviously there's a place for that in social media. But at the end of the day, I think what patients truly want is great education. And one of the forms that we have found is that podcasting, kind of what we're doing today, is that long form, both video and audio podcasting is a great way to provide tremendous education.
You know, one of the things I want to do now is just play a little bit of a game with you, if that's okay. It's just a chance for us to kind of get to know you a little bit better. You're at a dinner party.
Lovely. What are we having?
It's your choice, it's your dinner party. You know, hopefully some great food, some great wine, some, you know, and you have a chance to invite three plastic surgeons. Now they could be dead or alive, and they could also be plastic surgeons you have met or plastic surgeons you've never met before. Who are your three that you're inviting to your dinner party?
That is a very difficult question.
It is.
The one I'm certainly wanting to invite, I I cannot think of his name right now, but the the the one that the the book like there was a surgeon in World War one who maybe it was World War one or two. I think it was World War I because they had a lot of burns in the trenches, incendiary devices. And he was doing he essentially invented reconstructive surgery outside of, you know, Shantrusha or whatever his name was from India, like hundreds of years ago. That's a pioneer. This field did not exist until he started doing things.
So that would certainly be one. I'm a huge fan of the Baker Gordon Symposium. I go every year. So you have Doctor. Rourick and Doctor. Stuz in there really leading that up. I know these guys, right? What about the guys that taught them Doctor. Bacon, Doctor. Gordon?
Those originals. The guys that figured, hey, we see a potential way to help patients live their best lives, be their best selves. We're starting to figure out how to do it. Let's bring others with us every year to teach each other. Talking to those two guys, having them at dinner would be super fun.
And I've heard a lot of good stories about them too, that they're great conversationalists. But wouldn't it be great to see you know, we're always learning how to do things. Talking to the just, you know, the OGs, let's call them. Yeah. Why they started doing this. Yeah. How do we learn? Oh, from each other. That's brilliant. Right.
You can learn anything from a paper or a book chapter or anything that but when you get everyone in the same room together, that's where the magic happens. Awesome. So that would be the dinner party.
That's your dinner party? Love Well, Doctor. Grunnett, it's been a pleasure to have you here on the Digital Handshake, and I think we learned a lot from this time together. And again, I want to thank our audience and our sponsor, Media PSC, for bringing this podcast to you. And again, let's put it there. Let's get digital. And again, thanks for being part of the digital handshake.