How should a dental practice write a marketing agency RFP?
A dental practice should write a marketing agency RFP that states its background, goals, scope, budget range, compliance requirements, evaluation criteria and timeline, then asks every agency the same questions. Identical questions make proposals comparable. A weighted scorecard, set before any proposal arrives, keeps the final choice about fit and evidence rather than the best sales presentation.
- Lead with goals, not channels: say how many new patients or which procedures you want to grow, and let agencies propose the mix.
- Give a budget range for management fees and ad spend separately, so proposals land in the same ballpark.
- Make compliance a pass/fail gate: a signed BAA, practice-owned accounts and HIPAA-safe tracking come before scoring.
- Set your scoring weights before proposals arrive, and score each one on the same scale with at least two reviewers.
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“They were able to get all my ideas and work with me over a period of three to four months and create this amazing website. It's super customized, very modern, and it incorporates all the elements that I had wanted — the patient portal, nice pictures, a very interactive website, patient reviews. I would highly recommend their company to anyone who wants to make an excellent website.”
Does a dental practice really need a formal RFP?
A formal RFP is worth it for any practice comparing two or more agencies, and almost essential for groups and DSOs. It forces you to define goals first, gives every agency the same brief, and produces written answers you can hold them to later. A short RFP of a few pages is enough for a single-location practice.
Without one, each agency pitches what it sells best. One quotes for SEO, another for Google Ads, a third for a new website. The prices cannot be compared and the decision drifts toward whoever presented most confidently.
When a lighter process is fine
- You are renewing with a current agency and only need a revised scope.
- You need one defined project, such as a website rebuild, with a fixed specification.
- You are talking to a single agency on a strong referral. Even then, send the questions in the template below.
Who should write it
The owner dentist should set the goals and budget range. The office manager usually knows the systems, call handling and current results, so they should draft the background and review the questions. In a group or DSO, add whoever approves spend and whoever signs contracts. One named person should send the RFP and handle every agency question, so answers stay consistent.
Keep a copy of every proposal after you decide. The winning agency's written answers become a useful baseline at each quarterly review, because you can compare what was promised with what was delivered.
If you have not yet shortlisted agencies, start with how to choose a dental marketing agency, then use the RFP to compare the shortlist.
What sections should a dental marketing RFP include?
A dental marketing RFP needs eight sections: practice background, goals, scope, budget range, compliance requirements, evaluation criteria, timeline and questions for agencies. Each section should be specific to your practice. Agencies write better proposals when they can see your locations, payer mix, target procedures and current results.
| RFP section | What to include | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Practice background | Locations, providers, services, PPO or fee-for-service mix, practice-management and phone systems, current agency or in-house setup | Lets agencies size the work accurately |
| Goals | New patients per month, procedures to grow (implants, aligners, emergency visits), new locations, review growth | Proposals are built around outcomes, not channels |
| Scope | Channels you want covered or excluded: Google Business Profile, SEO, website, Google Ads, Meta ads, recall email, reviews | Makes prices comparable |
| Budget range | A field you fill in, split into management fee and monthly ad spend | Stops proposals at very different price points |
| Compliance requirements | BAA, account ownership, HIPAA-safe tracking, state dental board advertising rules, review practices | Screens out agencies that cannot meet them |
| Evaluation criteria | Criteria and the weights you set | Tells agencies what you value and keeps scoring honest |
| Timeline | Question deadline, submission date, presentations, decision and start date | Keeps the process short |
| Questions for agencies | A fixed list every agency must answer | Produces like-for-like answers |
What does a copy-ready dental marketing RFP outline look like?
Copy the outline below into a document and fill in the bracketed fields. Keep it short. Agencies should be able to read the brief in a few minutes and spend their time on the answers. Attach your latest marketing report or a screenshot of current results if you are comfortable sharing it.
1. About the practice
[Practice name], [number] locations in [city/state]. [Number] dentists and [specialists, if any]. Services: [list]. Insurance: [PPO networks / fee-for-service / mix]. Systems: [practice-management software category, phone system, online booking]. Current marketing: [agency, in-house coordinator or none].
2. Goals for the next 12 months
[New patients per month target]. [Procedures to grow]. [Locations to launch]. [Other goals, such as review volume or recall reactivation].
3. Scope
In scope: [channels]. Out of scope: [channels]. Open to agency recommendation: [yes/no].
4. Budget
Management fee range: [buyer fills in]. Monthly ad spend range: [buyer fills in]. Ad spend will be billed to the practice's own accounts.
5. Compliance requirements
[See the next section; list each as pass/fail.]
6. Evaluation criteria and weights
[Criteria and your weights; see the scoring section below.]
7. Timeline
Questions due [date]. Proposals due [date]. Presentations [dates]. Decision [date]. Start [date].
8. Questions every agency must answer
- Who will work on our account, and where are they based?
- What will you deliver each month, listed item by item?
- How do you measure new patients and booked appointments, not just leads?
- Who owns the website, profiles, ad accounts and phone numbers?
- Will you sign our BAA, and which tools will touch patient data?
- How do you keep ads and website claims within our state dental board's advertising rules?
- What happens in the first 90 days?
- What are the notice period and handover terms?
- Can we speak to current dental clients?
For the onboarding question, compare answers against our guide to the first 90 days with a new dental marketing agency.
Which compliance requirements belong in a dental RFP?
Compliance requirements should be pass/fail gates, checked before any scoring. A proposal that will not sign a BAA, insists on owning your accounts, or plans tracking pixels on booking pages should be removed, however good the price. List each requirement plainly so agencies can confirm it in writing.
Gates to list
- BAA. The agency signs a Business Associate Agreement if it will create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information. HIPAA's required contract terms are set out in 45 CFR § 164.504(e).
- Account ownership. The practice owns its domain, website, Google Business Profile, ad accounts, analytics and call-tracking numbers.
- HIPAA-safe tracking. No advertising pixels on appointment request, intake or portal pages; conversion tracking designed to avoid sending patient information to ad platforms.
- Reviews. No fake, bought, gated or insider reviews, in line with the FTC rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, which took effect in October 2024.
- Advertising rules. Ads and web copy follow your state dental board's rules on specialty claims, fee offers, testimonials and before-and-after images.
- Texting. Documented consent for marketing texts and honored opt-outs.
State rules differ. A practice in Virginia, for example, should read the Virginia Board of Dentistry advertising rules guide. Ask counsel to confirm the gates for your state.
What we found when we studied 2,318 US dental practices on Google
Patients praise the care and the people. Where they push back is the treatment-plan conversation: upselling is the one review theme where complaints dominate.
2,318 US dental practices across 20 metros · review themes, pace and replies from a 120-practice subsample · every headline figure re-derived from raw data.
What timeline and process should a dental RFP follow?
A simple dental RFP process has five steps: build a shortlist, send the RFP, answer questions, hold presentations with finalists, then check references and contract terms. Keep the whole process tight, so agencies stay engaged and your current marketing does not drift while you decide. Give every agency the same dates and the same information.
Step by step
- Shortlist. Pick a small number of agencies with real dental experience. More proposals than you can read carefully adds noise, not choice.
- Send the RFP. Email the same document to everyone, with one named contact at the practice.
- Answer questions in writing. Share every answer with every agency, so nobody gets an inside track.
- Presentations. Invite the top two or three. Ask them to bring the people who would actually run your account, not only the sales lead.
- References and terms. Call dental references, review the draft contract and BAA, and confirm the start date.
What to prepare inside the practice
Agencies can only plan as well as the data you give them. Before sending the RFP, pull together the basics most proposals will ask about:
- New-patient numbers by month for the past year, from your practice-management system.
- Current marketing costs, split into fees and ad spend.
- Admin access details for your website, Google Business Profile and ad accounts, so you know what you already own.
- Call volume and how calls are answered, including after hours.
- Who inside the practice approves ads, content and spend.
If you cannot find admin access to an account, fix that first. An RFP is a good moment to confirm the practice owns its assets before any change of agency. Our dental marketing self-audit checklist walks through each account in turn.
How should a dental practice score agency proposals?
Score proposals with a weighted scorecard you set before any proposal arrives. Rate each criterion on a 1 to 5 scale, multiply by your weight, and add the totals. Use at least two reviewers, such as the owner and the office manager, score separately, then compare. Large gaps between reviewers usually mean a vague answer worth questioning.
| Criterion | What a strong answer shows | Your weight | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding of your goals | Plan tied to your target procedures, locations and payer mix | [set] | [ ] |
| Dental experience | Specific dental work, references you can call | [set] | [ ] |
| Scope clarity | Itemized monthly deliverables | [set] | [ ] |
| Measurement | Tracks calls, booked appointments and cost per booked appointment | [set] | [ ] |
| Team and access | Named people, response times, a regular review call | [set] | [ ] |
| Commercial terms | Transparent fees, separate ad spend, fair notice and handover | [set] | [ ] |
| Value for budget | Realistic plan within your stated range | [set] | [ ] |
Scoring tips
- Discount any proposal that guarantees rankings or patient numbers.
- Ask finalists to walk through a sample monthly report.
- Check the winner against the dental agency red flags list, then review the draft contract with our contract checklist.
Ichelon Consulting US answers RFPs from dental practices and groups. Our proposals set monthly goals tracked live on Ichelon Agency OS, with retainers from $499/month, custom-scoped. You can see how we work on our dental marketing agency USA page or book a call with the US team before you issue the RFP.
Related pages from the US team
Dental marketing agency USA
How Ichelon Consulting US scopes and runs dental accounts.
Choosing a dental agency
Build the shortlist before you send the RFP.
Dental agency contract checklist
Clause-by-clause review once you pick a winner.
Dental agency red flags
Warning signs to watch for in proposals.
Every practice welcome — Goals-Driven engagements from $499/mo
We benchmark your last 90 days, agree monthly goals with you, and track them live on Ichelon Agency OS with a report every Monday. Performance-Linked Payout Models are available. Our US leadership is based in Dallas, and strategy calls run in US business hours.
Common questions
How long should a dental marketing RFP be?
A dental marketing RFP for a single-location practice can be a few pages: background, goals, scope, budget range, compliance requirements, evaluation criteria, timeline and a fixed list of questions. Dental groups and DSOs usually need more detail on locations, systems and approval processes. Shorter briefs with precise questions tend to get more comparable and more honest answers.
Should a dental practice share its marketing budget in an RFP?
Yes, a dental practice should share a budget range in its RFP, split into the agency management fee and monthly ad spend. Without a range, proposals arrive at very different price points and cannot be compared. Sharing a range does not mean agencies will charge the top of it; strong proposals explain what each level of budget would deliver.
What questions should a dentist ask marketing agencies in an RFP?
A dentist should ask every agency who will work on the account, what is delivered each month, how booked appointments are measured, who owns the website and ad accounts, whether it will sign a BAA, how ads follow state dental board rules, what happens in the first 90 days, what the notice and handover terms are, and which dental references can be called.
How do you score dental marketing agency proposals fairly?
Score dental marketing agency proposals with a weighted scorecard written before any proposal arrives. Remove proposals that fail compliance gates such as signing a BAA or practice-owned accounts. Rate the rest on each criterion using a 1 to 5 scale, multiply by your weights, and have at least two people score separately before comparing results.
What compliance requirements should a dental RFP include?
A dental RFP should include a signed Business Associate Agreement where patient data is involved, practice ownership of all marketing accounts, HIPAA-safe tracking with no ad pixels on booking or intake pages, review practices that follow the FTC rule on fake reviews, ads that follow state dental board advertising rules, and documented consent for marketing texts.
A note on this guide: it explains marketing practice, not legal advice. Rules on privacy, advertising and insurance change and vary by state, so confirm anything compliance-related with your own counsel.
Preparing a dental marketing RFP?
Book a 30-minute call with the US team. We'll help you sharpen the goals and questions in your brief, and you'll see how we would answer it.