September 2021--In this highly competitive market, the key to new dental patient acquisitions is marketing yourself correctly to potential new patients and making a first great impression – then carrying through with exceptional customer service throughout the patient journey. That’s where Patient Prism’s patented AI call tracking and feedback coaching platform can give you an edge.
According to market research provider Global Industry Analysts, the global market for dental practice management software will grow to $2.7 billion by 2026. This is the type of software that helps dental practices stay on top of customer service, supplies, and growth potential. As more and more dentists utilize these platforms, the dental patient acquisition landscape is becoming more competitive.
Ask any marketing veteran and they will tell you that first impressions already determine whether a sale can be made. Expert dental marketers everywhere bemoan the fact that they can deliver high numbers of high value leads to front desk phones, but if team members answering the phones are not responding fast enough and having the quality of conversations that patients desire, the critical first impression is not a positive one.
When precious first impressions are not being made, callers resist booking appointments and move on to call another dental office. More marketing dollars are spent to drive more leads and the cost of patient acquisition goes upward. Identifying the sales problems and solving the problems is what Patient Prism is all about.
The cost of lost new patient opportunities is more than your marketing spend. The cost includes:
After listening to over 6 million new dental patient calls, we know at Patient Prism that the most essential thing your office needs to do is to answer or return that first phone call as fast as you can. This can make the patient feel that they called the right place, provided you give them a positive and high-quality, first experience on the phone.
To give them a quality first conversation, your front desk team needs to be familiar with the best conversation tactics, listen well with empathy, do their best to respond to the caller’s needs as if the caller is a V.I.P., and compliment the skills of your clinicians. Be prepared with scheduling options so you can quickly schedule them for an appointment. Scheduling is the whole point of calling, so this needs to go as smoothly as possible.
Patient Prism’s artificial intelligence and call coaches quickly send feedback and information your team needs to develop their “first impression” and “conversion” skills and to make effective call-back calls. The constant coaching and intelligence that Patient Prism delivers enable dental practices to convert up to 90% of their marketing leads within six months of starting Patient Prism usage. Their front desks become amazingly effective.
Think about what happens between your marketing push and the new patient phone call. The prospective new patient looks at your website and online reviews. First impressions begin here.
Affirming your “exceptional customer service brand” is an approach modeled by websites for prominent health providers like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins Hospital, and even locally at Tampa General Hospital. They are designed – not just for catching, but also for retaining visitors.
Likewise, our own landing page here on Patient Prism immediately shows how our product tracks and analyzes patient calls, streamlines call coaching, and helps your bottom line. Much like the informative approach of these health provider websites and landing pages, you need to be able to grab the opportunity to immediately start building trust with any new visitor. And this entails giving them a comprehensive picture of what you can do for them and why they should do business with you. This is how you make patients feel like they made the right choice.
Upon arrival, the patient needs to feel welcomed, befriended and recognized. Every stage of the appointment needs to be wonderful from the patient's perspective. The patient needs to continue feeling that they contacted the right place. This means providing them with comfort, a sense of safety and professionalism, personal attention, understanding, and compassion. You need to demonstrate your expertise and make the patient feel safe and well-informed. Patient Prism’s Academy of hundreds of short training videos and Patient Prism’s call coaching feedback helps set this into motion. In fact, Patient Prism impacts the entire patient journey…more specifics on this are here.
Don’t forget that it’s not just first impressions but also last impressions that count. The end of the appointment needs to be just as pleasant as the beginning. As the patient is returned to the front desk, they should be given a complete rundown of recommended treatments and explanations of all related fees. The patient must be scheduled for their next appointment and their fees settled immediately--but as this is happening, the patient shouldn’t feel rushed, and the patient should feel that your office is being highly attentive to their feelings and needs.