Each and every practice is always looking at ways to attract and keep new patients. We all spend money on branding our practices and trying to attract those patients, but with varying results. I hear doctors complain about this strategy or that. They get less than a 1% response from direct mail and they are upset, when 1% or less is normal. Results like that are even worse for Facebook and Google click ads. Our potential patients are fast becoming desensitized to any type of marketing, so it’s not surprising to see that the “tried and true” marketing strategies are beginning to wain. That is why every new patient is precious. We must treat them like the potential gold mine they are. Look at them with the idea of what they would spend in a lifetime in your practice. We have to really exceed their expectations and give them more than they expected. We have to become remarkable in the eyes of the consumer. Thank goodness that the average practice sets that bar pretty low.
These 8 steps will do just that. If you are looking at your return on investment for your marketing, don’t look at the number of patients who schedule. Look at the number of patients that call. It is not the fault of the marketing or marketer if you drive people to call, and because the person who answers the phone doesn’t come off as caring, compassionate, and competent, they don’t schedule or schedule and never intend to keep the appointment. Most offices have a front desk person who creates reasons and hassles for the patient not to schedule. Doctor, you didn’t even have the opportunity to mess up the relationship by running late, over charging, bullying, or confusing the patient. Here are 8 steps to give new patients what they deserve and desire in a remarkable dentist.
- Before the first visit: I am assuming you and your office have come off as caring, compassionate, and competent by being open consumer hours, with an easy to get to location and with a product or service the new patient wants to buy and systems to handle the intake of a new patient. The patient has made the appointment, you have their name and how they can be contacted (which may not be a cell or work number), and a mailing address. Be sure to confirm the appointment with a welcome letter and a New Patient Package. We generally will do this by email. The package contains a letter from me, the doctor, a brochure, appointment card with map, newsletter, and health history form. The health history form can be completed online prior to their visit. This form goes automatically into the new patients file, where, if done on a written form, would create more work for the front desk by needing to copy it into the patient file. Obviously, we encourage the patient to do this online. The idea being that if filled out prior to the first visit, the patient will not have to spend as much time in the office leading up to bringing them back to an operatory. We make sure the new patient receives the packet minutes after making the appointment so it will be there prior to that appointment time.
- The pre-op call: We all know how important the post op call is to patient relationships. I’ve taken it a step farther. I had 2 younger partners, with the emphasis on younger. While I still did the lion’s share of production, I realized they were creeping up on me. I may be old, but I still have my pride. I was looking for a way to make sure I could still out produce my partners. This is what I came up with. I would look at the next days schedule for hygiene and would write down the name and phone number of all the new patients. Right after work I would call them with a “pre-op” call. I would just say: “Hi. This is Dr. Abernathy, and I was just calling to see if there was any question or anything I could do to make your appointment tomorrow more comfortable”. Basically just “welcome to the practice, see you tomorrow” call. The patient shows up the next day, the light goes on to check the hygiene patient and the 2 younger doctors race in there to claim the new patient. The patient’s response was always: “Would it be alright if Dr. Abernathy checks me?” It took those doctors almost 2 years to figure out what was going on. The neat thing about this is the patients seemed to be less resistant to my recommendations and never seemed to cancel. Remember, the Doctor must do this.
- After the first visit: I always call the referral source. In my practice 80% of the patients were referred by a trusted friend. I want to encourage that action to happen again, and again. Reward what you want repeated. We use our “Care to Share” program that rewards every current patient when they refer their friends and neighbors to us. This program is described in a physical brochure at the front desk and given to every patient as they leave our office. When a new patient does come in, we go out of our way to call the referral source (I did this) and thank them and encourage it to happen again and again. I then also send a thank you card that is handwritten on my logo designed stationary. It just says how glad I was to meet them and thanked them in advance for referring their friends and neighbors. I never used pre-printed cards. This makes you look remarkable in the eyes of your current and future patients. In an era where texts and email are the standard, you took the time to write a card to them. They will feel special, and you will look different from any other dentist they have ever gone to.
- After the Case Presentation appointment: This usually occurred during the first visit. We always made sure the patient walked out with: A copy of the financial policy, the patient’s treatment plan, brochures covering the treatment recommended, photos of the areas of concern, fees, treatment plan, and an appointment card. Again, we always recorded how they would like to be confirmed. We never assumed it was their cell, work, or home number. We wanted to know how to reach them the day before the appointment. We also used a CRM platform to allow us to use text and email auto notification and response, but the most important contact was in person or over the phone with a real live person interacting with the patient.
- I always used a Terrific Patient card following any appointment where I numbed a patient or delivered a final seat. These cards are about the size of a graduation or wedding thank you card. I always hand wrote the note. And it basically said that they were a great patient, and if they needed anything give me a call at 972.523.4660 (my personal cell, not the office number), and asked them to send me two more patients just like them. If you are wondering why I gave them my cell number, it is because if I used the office number, they would still track me down. If they knew they had my real cell number, they would never call it. Once again, we use every opportunity to ask for referrals.
- When treatment is completed: Following the final treatment I always sent a thank you letter with a post op photo for cosmetic cases and another copy of our “care to share” program with 2 business cards. You have to continue to encourage referrals.
- Keeping the patient happy, informed, and loyal: We send all of our patients a newsletter 4 times a year to constantly keep in touch with them. Each newsletter has the phrase “address correction requested” typed beneath where the postage goes. This allows returned mail to give us the patients current address. We also send birthday cards and special occasion letters to our patients.
- Enter the new patient into the recall system: The real benefit of marketing is not just the patients that come in due to an offer. It is taking that patient and turning them into a referring machine. In doing this it becomes even more important to maintain an active recall system of loyal patients. Please feel free to give me a call and let me describe our “recall magic” system of perpetual patients. The “Whitening for Life” program is a great way to encourage your patients to never miss a recall appointment, along with the fact that we guarantee all of our work. This offer hinges on the patient not missing a normal 6-month recall. Give your patients a reason to stay in your practice.
Easy as 1, 2, 3, (in this case 1 through 8) except most of you will not act. The trick in achieving lasting success is to go from deciding to do something to acting decisively.
No excuse, just do it!
Michael Abernathy DDS
972.523.4660 cell
[email protected]