The ultimate goal of any advertising campaign, including those for businesses like ours, is to have the phone ring.

When new patient calls, they expect to speak with a real person who can help them get set up with an appointment and answer any questions they may have. Many practices are failing to attract new patients simply because their phones aren’t being answered adequately. For the most part, it’s because of these things:

 

1. When the front desk is busy, callers are not being taken.

I understand that the person in front of you is currently the most pressing concern, and I certainly don’t want you to cause any unnecessary discomfort; nonetheless, new patient phone calls are far too valuable to be neglected. As a result, you’ll need to figure out how to answer calls while attending to a patient at the front desk. If the receptionist is busy, perhaps another team member can step in. Or if you don’t have any backup, you might have to quickly apologize to the patient in front of you, answer the phone, and ask the caller if they can be put on hold while you attend to the other person.

An appropriate response would be something other than “Hold please!” if you pick up the phone at this time. To avoid spending too much time on the phone, you can say something like, “Thank you for calling XXX Dental! Hold on a sec, if you please. As soon as the person in front of you is through, you can return to your call.

 

2. A phone may ring up to six times before being answered.

The standard recommended time to answer the phone is less than three rings. Callers may become frustrated and hang up if they have to wait too long, and it also looks bad on the company’s part to treat their call as unimportant.

 

3. The phone is never answered at lunch.

See, here’s the deal: every day at lunchtime, we want your office to be quiet and productive. In fact, we teach people how to get more done in less time, take a relaxing lunch break, and yet go home on time every day at our two-day program called The Art of Scheduling Productively. 

BUT…

Telephone calls tend to flood in about lunchtime. During the workday lunch hour, workers frequently call in. The phone needs to be answered immediately, so please make sure someone is available. To ensure that someone is always available to take calls, you might have to switch the lunch schedules of two members of your staff.

 

4. Utilizing a voice-activated phone system.

You’re probably familiar with this kind of systems, which are used by businesses like banks and insurance providers when a customer calls in and a robotic voice says things like “Press 1 for ___. Press 2 for ___. Press 3 for ___…” etc. This may at first appear to be quite handy. It’s convenient since you can “answer” calls even if the receptionist isn’t there, categorize incoming calls, and forward them to the appropriate department.

On the other hand, it’s rather impersonal, and customers may hang up in frustration if they were hoping to ask a question in person. There’s no need for your workplace to look like a bank or a huge enterprise.

Having a new patient contact a dentist’s office and be greeted by an automated phone system sends the message that the business doesn’t value its customers’ time or cares about them, which may cause them to look elsewhere for dental care. You undoubtedly got an automatic answering system the last time you phoned a financial institution or an insurance provider and, after sifting through the many options, you exclaimed, “I simply want to talk to a real person!”

Let’s not add any unnecessary stress or uncertainty for new patients before they even enter the office. You need someone to answer the phone, greet the patient, and reassure them that they will be well taken care of because they may be experiencing a dental emergency or have a pressing question about their oral health.

A common feature of automated phone systems I’ve encountered is a sixth option that instructs callers to dial “if you’re a new patient, press six.” By the time they get to the second or third option, they’ve probably already hung up the phone and won’t be calling back, meaning you’ve just lost a potential new patient. Because callers are being routed to voicemail or getting stuck in an unintuitive menu system, it may appear as though your marketing efforts are not paying off.

 

5. Being unreasonably slow to respond to voicemails.

You can’t possibly be available to take calls at all hours. However, if you anticipate a high volume of calls after business hours, it is possible to have them routed to an answering service. In fact, we have a client whose new patient intake regularly exceeds 200, and they found that having someone available to answer phones from the time the office closed until 9 o’clock at night significantly increased their monthly tally. In this case, the client gained new customers because theirs was the only business that answered the phone late at night. Though, at a smaller business with a lower number of calls coming in, this may not be worthwhile.

At any rate, calls can come in after hours, and these should all be returned promptly. This may seem like common sense, but you would be astonished at how often it is ignored.

So, make sure your front desk is checking the voicemail first thing in the morning, and returning calls swiftly. And then the voicemail should be monitored throughout the day — not just in the morning. If you’re answering the phone throughout the day, you shouldn’t have any voicemails, but it’s still a good idea to check, nonetheless.

 

6. Not teaching the front desk staff how to properly handle phone calls.

If the front desk is not properly managing questions such, “How much do you charge for a crown?,” then you are probably missing out on prospective patients even if you are answering the phones. Whether or not “my insurance” is accepted. “Are you free at two o’clock?”

It takes practice and training to become adept at answering these inquiries and scheduling patients over the phone. There’s going to be a learning curve.

Your dental practice’s website needs to be educational, but it also needs to be interesting enough to encourage people to contact your office.

So, let me show you how to make this a reality by guiding you through several crucial measures.

Having said that, let’s dive in!

 

Include a prompt for the reader to take some sort of action.

In marketing, the word “call-to-action” (CTA) refers to the act of encouraging the audience to do something.

Websites frequently do this, with calls to action such as “Call Now” or “Get a FREE consultation today!”

Calls to action (CTAs) are essential on a dentistry website because they encourage visitors to take action (e.g., make an appointment or sign up for a newsletter). Without them, the visitor would feel lost on your site and likely leave. This one tweak could mean the difference between watchers becoming scheduled patients.

Calls to action (CTAs) like “Get a FREE second opinion!” or “Call us today to get our $89 New Patient Special!” should be prominently displayed on your site. Look around until you find what resonates with you the most, and then post it. Obviously, you must abide by all applicable laws regarding the distribution of advertisements in your particular state or municipality.

An idea that takes it one step further by including a contact form prominently displayed with the call to action “Looking for a new dentist?” Brilliant idea because it makes it simple for the audience to connect.

More than one call to action (CTA) should appear on your site. For example, their website says, “$0 Emergency Visit for New Patients” near the beginning of their Emergency Dentistry information page. With this CTA in place, website visitors who land on this page will be prompted to pick up the phone and contact you immediately.

 

Add some glitz to your call-to-action buttons. 

Your call to action (CTA) should be noticeable and stand out from the rest of your website, but it doesn’t mean you should go overboard.

 

Show some proof from social media.

An individual’s social proof is crucial. It’s tangible evidence that you are, in fact, the dentist your patients want to see. Your identity and the qualities you claim to possess are genuine.

Examples of social proof include comments from satisfied customers, links to featured pieces in newspapers and other media, before-and-after pictures, and video testimonials. Actually, it’s far simpler than you’re imagining. However, before publishing this, make sure you have a patient release form (for HIPAA and other legal purposes). In the same way, your lawyer can likely draft one for you quickly and easily.

People will look at your website, but they will also check review sites like Google and Yelp to see what others have to say about your business.

 

Create a page titled “Smile Gallery”

To put it simply, a “Smile Gallery” is just a collection of “before” and “after” pictures of your smile. Before-and-after comparisons are fascinating to all audiences. They are impressive and can be used to highlight your degree of expertise.

Demonstrates your skill set and the standard at which they can look forward to your future work.

This serves as a point of connection for the individual with it. People see this and think, “That’s how my teeth look, too; if this dentist can fix his, they can fix mine, too.”

Can encourage them to give you a call and increase their trust in you as a dentist.

Displaying a “before” picture on the left and a “after” picture on the right is ideal for a grin gallery. Each collection of images might be made more “genuine” by including the patient’s first and last initial. AND if you really want to go into detail, you can explain what they repaired and how it impacted them. 

 

Important: Before sharing any before-and-after images or patient testimonials, be sure you have the patient’s formal authorization and release, as described above.

 

Be more likable.

Can new patients feel comfortable visiting your office? Could you describe the atmosphere as enjoyable? Is it like getting adopted into a large family when you become a patient at your practice?

The implication is clear: PROVE IT!

When I look up a dentist online, I usually see a website with monotonous lists of services and stock shots of vacant waiting rooms.

Don’t post a picture of a deserted lobby. Show a kind receptionist who is eager to meet new people.

Never portray an empty operating room. The individuals in the scene are what the audience cares about, not the elaborate set or cutting-edge technology. Put up a picture of the doctor (or hygienist or helper) and a satisfied patient.

Include an optimistic film presented by the doctor and staff highlighting the office’s setting and special features. Smartphones have excellent cameras at this point, so even a low-quality clip is usually preferable to none at all. 

Moreover, this reminds me of something else:

Describe the doctor(s) and give them some character!

It often surprises me to find dental websites that reveal so little (if any) about the dentist.

When seeking a dentist, what characteristics are most important to the patient? The Dentist!

Bring them to the dentist, then.

People want a dentist who is competent, of course, but they also want someone they can trust because of their friendliness and genuineness. Include your qualifications (and a grin gallery page, as I stated before), but don’t forget to demonstrate your human side. Bring in your own style and demonstrate genuine interest.

 

And with those minor tweaks, your website’s success rate will skyrocket!

It can be irritating as a practice owner to feel like you’re the only one who notices that the upcoming schedule is empty, or collections are down, and you have to micromanage everyone to get them to do what needs to be done.

That being said, here are a few ideas for starting to improve team performance, responsibility, and initiative!

 

1. Determine the end consequence of their work.

One of the most common issues I notice in dental offices is that job duties are not clearly defined, and staff are not focused on the objective and end result of their job.

“I help the doctor,” they think of their job. Every day, they expect me to perform x, y, and z…” They may have goals in mind, but they may not comprehend how their role influences overall practice success.

The Scheduling Coordinator, for example, may conduct a variety of tasks such as:

Patient scheduling

Appointment confirmation

Reactivating inactive or overdue patients

completing schedule gaps

Dealing with cancellations

At the morning huddle, the team is planning the day’s activities.

Etc.

But what is the outcome of those actions? What is their function? What are they doing?

Total Practice Production is the sum of all of these actions.

The Scheduling Coordinator should keep track of the practice’s total productivity, and if it increases over time, they know they are performing their job correctly.

There is a significant difference between thinking, “My job is to accomplish everything the doctor directed me to do” and “My job is to ensure we meet our monthly goal for Total Practice Production and that it increases each month as the practice expands.”

They can begin to take initiative when they are thinking about the ultimate goal. They understand why it is critical that they handle potential new patient phone calls effectively so that the patient is scheduled and shows up to visit the doctor. They understand why it’s critical that every patient get a definite schedule before leaving the office. They realize the need of making time to contact overdue patients in order to get them back on their recall schedule. They understand why it is critical to create time for patients to meet with the Doctor or Therapy Coordinator so that they can make financial arrangements and be booked for the treatment they require.

Each job must have a purpose or end result in mind, and when you add them all together, you get the overall goal of the office: your patients achieving and maintaining good dental health.

 

2. Use numbers to track staff performance.

There is a lot of talk about “key performance indicators” that dental practice owners should be following. This information should be utilized to assess not only the overall health of the practice but also the performance of each employee.

For example, the Financial Coordinator would measure Total Practice Collections and Collections Percentage (collections should always be no less than 97% of production—adjusted for any discount plans you may engage in—that is the aim).

Simply plotting these statistics on a graph from month to month allows you to observe if they are increasing or decreasing over time. And the employee understands that if it’s down, it’s their obligation to figure out why and fix it.

If they are struggling to improve the statistic, you or the Office Manager can sit down with them to see if they need additional training, help understanding something or changing the way something is done in the office, or if they simply aren’t willing or capable of performing adequately on the job.

This also allows you to evaluate employee performance and make judgments about that person.

The benefit of tracking personnel data is that they are accurate. You don’t have to go with your instincts or if you “feel” like they’re doing a good (or awful) job.

Furthermore, this is a terrific tool for employees because it puts them in complete control of their job and holds them accountable. They understand what is expected of them and have evidence of how well they are performing.

 

3. Get everyone to work as a team.

When everyone can work as a team, morale and production skyrocket.

While one person should be overall responsible for a responsibility or collection of duties, this does not exclude other employees from assisting.

For example, a Scheduling Coordinator’s work includes calling patients who are past due to reactivate them, with the goal of getting them back into the practice to see the hygienist or doctor. While this is their ultimate job, other staff members can also assist in reactivating patients when possible. For example, the Hygienist informing their patient, “Oh, by the way, we haven’t seen your husband in nearly a year.” When can we get him to come see me?”

This gets everyone on the same page and working toward the same goal: getting as many people healthy as possible.

So, while we do not want a situation in which “everyone does everything,” we do want all team members to grasp the structure of the practice as a whole and how they may help each other to reach the ultimate goal—helping more people in your community get healthier.

Everyone who walks through your door, from new hires to consultants to speakers at dental conferences, is brimming with suggestions for how your practice may run more efficiently and effectively. However, if you’ve been in the corporate world for some time, you might be feeling jaded and reluctant to make any major changes.

In light of this, I’ll be giving you some advice on how to:

Examine the areas of your office where you think a change or new system could be beneficial, and

Use your brain while implementing new changes so that they “stick” and you don’t end up in a scenario where you can’t “put the toothpaste back in the tube” if the change doesn’t work.

 

Thus, I think it is time to begin.

 

1. Before making a change, write down all the factors involved.

Do not make any modifications to an area or procedure of your practice until you have thoroughly documented the current state of affairs, down to the smallest detail.

This is a crucial stage since it would be disastrous to alter a solution that was working.

In addition, as you record each step, you’ll discover any “cracks” in your workplace that have been generating issues.

This could look like this (we’ll use the act of hiring as an example):

Let’s say you’ve seen that your company has been doing a lot of interviews, but that few of the candidates it offers jobs to end up accepting the positions. You’re determined to find a solution, so you watch and record the procedure as it went:

Get job application from Indeed sent to our company’s primary email.

After three days, an email asking the candidate to set up an interview is sent.

After two days and four emails back and forth, an interview time has been set up with the applicant.

A review of the applicant’s application and résumé is conducted the morning of the interview.

The potential employee shows up, and the interviewer meets with them immediately.

After a 30-minute interview, the prospective employee is shown around the office.

The interviewer tells the candidate that a decision will be made within a few days.

The candidate was given an offer ten days after applying.

An applicant informs us that they’ve accepted a position with another company.

This is only an illustration; the point is to take notes on actual events as they occur. Repeatedly seeing a phenomenon of this kind will help you determine its regular behavior.

 

Here we can notice a few potential areas for improvement. For example, it took too long to receive a response to the original application and even longer to receive an offer. Those that are truly interested in obtaining work will jump at the chance to accept a position that is a good match.

Nonetheless, we’d have to record this procedure multiple times to determine whether or not this was an isolated incident or if it warrants modification.

 

2. Transformation 

Here’s what I recommend doing once you’ve watched and documented the process or area of your practice and determined that adjustments need to be made.

Continuing with the same example as before, let’s imagine it was discovered that the interviewer was routinely sending offers to applicants after 10 days, and that the majority of applicants were declining because they had already received a better offer elsewhere. This should be adjusted so that qualified candidates can be interviewed and the office’s time is not wasted.

You decide to draft a new policy that reads, in part, “Within 24 hours of determining that the applicant is a good fit and approved to be hired by XXX Dental, an offer should be issued through email and phone call.”

Finally, you’d inform the person who typically conducts the interview of your findings and the upcoming shift. Discuss the new procedure with them, and make sure everyone is on the same page about why this change is being implemented.

 

3. Maintain a log of adjustments so you can determine the causes of problems.

I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has made a change without telling anyone else or perhaps even remembering it themselves later. And suddenly things start going awry without any apparent cause.

If, for instance, you notice an increase in cancellations and no-shows and are perplexed as to why, you can decide to implement cancellation fees as a means of discouraging future occurrences of the former. If you had been maintaining a “changes log,” however, you would have noticed that Mary had taken over confirmations from Suzy, who believed she could save time by sending emails rather than making phone calls. There was no need to implement a cancellation charge here; instead, you can just revert to the previous confirmation process and give Mary the appropriate training. (And naturally, this becomes a policy that goes in the job handbook, so that anyone doing the position in the future will be trained correctly.)

 

4. If something isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it.

A common situation is when a former Scheduling Coordinator leaves or is promoted within the company despite having done a great job of keeping the schedule running smoothly. The new hire has brought fresh perspective to the role and is eager to get to work implementing their plans.

These fresh thoughts are intriguing, but you shouldn’t change the recipe just yet.

Taking charge and wanting to make changes are admirable qualities, but not in the first week on the job. If things were operating smoothly on the schedule, the previous Scheduling Coordinator probably had a valid rationale for the way they did things.

The new hire should at least spend some time observing established procedures and customs before attempting to alter them.

As I said above, they should notify the Office Manager or Owner before making any modifications, and record the modifications they make in a “changes log.”

Marketing is an ever-changing issue, and this has been reflected in the dental sector over the years.

Many dentists did not think marketing to be necessary more than 30 years ago. They’d put up a sign and participate in the community, but that was it.

Then, in the 1990s, postcards (and direct mail in general) took over the industry.

In the early 2000s, having a website for your practice became a requirement.

We began to see more forms of internet marketing in the mid to late 2000s, such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google “pay-per-click” ads, and so on.

And we are now firmly established in the “social media age.”

The “early adopters” (those who begin utilizing a new product or technology as soon as it becomes available—as opposed to others who only catch on later, when it has been widely used) reap the greatest gains at each stage of this growth.

Dr. Greg Winteregg can tell you how, in the early 1990s, he blew the roof off his clinic, going from 8 to 80 new patients per month in a short period of time when he began distributing postcards for the first time. I’ve seen these postcards, and they’d be the most simplistic and ugliest things you could find today! It worked because he had two advantages: 1) he used the correct message on the postcards, and 2) he was the only dentist in town sending mail!

Another of our clients in a big US metropolis was an early adopter of web marketing. He was one of the first dentists in his area to create a good, functional website in the early 2000s. Then he was among the first to invest in SEO, followed by Google PPC, social media, and (most recently) Facebook advertisements. So, in one of the most populous cities in the United States, anyone searching for a dentist finds his practice as the top Google listing, top pay-per-click listing, top Google maps listing, top reviewed on Google/Yelp, AND sees his business all over social media. He receives approximately 150 new patients per month without spending a single penny on “off-line” promotion.

As you can see, in marketing, the early bird typically gets the worm.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule, as success might vary depending on the quality of your marketing strategy, regardless of how early or late you arrived at the party. However, it is best to arrive early.

This is why, for the past three years, I’ve been encouraging our clients to begin using paid Facebook and Instagram ads. (Not just posting on Facebook or attempting to develop your following, but really running paid ads through their advertising network.) I hadn’t seen a single dental business employ these ads when I helped a customer pilot them a few years ago. Right away, it was a huge success for him.

In the dental profession, Facebook advertising is becoming more common. You can still get in as a slightly early adopter—and you should absolutely do it as part of an integrated marketing campaign alongside Google ads and whatever other types of marketing you do—but it’s not nearly as easy pickings. You now have a little more competition.

So, what will be the next dental marketing fad?

I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t predict what the next hot trend that sweeps the country will be, but I try to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry, and I’ve observed a few fascinating things recently—though nothing on the scale of Facebook or Google ads.

Having said that, here are some recent observations in the dentistry marketing field that I found interesting:

SMS marketing on people’s phones has been around for a few years now. There are programs that can deliver automatic messages. Many dental practices use this for appointment reminders and confirmations via businesses such as Lighthouse360, SolutionReach, and DemandForce. Text can also be used to run marketing campaigns, special offers, and so on.

This can be quite effective, but it hasn’t taken off as a fantastic marketing channel because, let’s face it, getting regular text messages from a variety of odd firms is rather annoying. So, if you do this, make sure you have very specific permission from each patient to receive these text messages, and limit promotional text messages to once or twice a month. Text message marketing is primarily for existing patients, not new patients.

Direct mail (including postcards) is actually on the rise. Dental marketing trends, like fashion trends, frequently follow a cyclical pattern. Since direct mail “died” in the late 2000s, many businesses have stopped delivering mail and have instead focused solely on online marketing. This had two effects: 1) direct mail competition decreased, and 2) individuals become accustomed to disregarding online advertising as much as possible. Because of these two elements, direct mail is more likely to reach a person and get seen now than it was a few years ago.

So direct mail and postcards aren’t extinct.

But here’s some advice I have for making it a profitable activity for you, and it truly applies to everything marketing you do:

Maintain a robust patient referral program and use word-of-mouth to supplement any external marketing.

If you aren’t properly asking for references or developing a robust referral system, your external marketing efforts will appear far too pricey.

 

Consider the following:

Assume you’re sending out postcards and keeping track of how many new patients phone in as a result. You figure that you spend $300 on each new patient. That’s a little pricey. Sure. (Believe it or not, it is lower than the national average for new patient acquisition through marketing.)

But then you bring in the new patient’s spouse as well. You just reduced the cost per new patient to $150.

Assume their two children also arrive. It is now $75 for each new patient.

A few months later, they refer two additional friends.

 

I’m sure you see where I’m heading with this.

 

Even poor and costly marketing might be useful in the long term if you are skilled at asking for referrals and have positive word-of-mouth.

Consider this when reviewing your practice’s marketing and determining whether or not to continue with it. “Geez, we’ve been sending out mail and we’re not getting enough phone calls from it,” dentists have said. It is not worth the money.” Then they stop sending out letters, and their new patient numbers vanish totally. They did not account for the indirect word-of-mouth and referrals generated by it.

This is not to advise you should send email if it isn’t working. In fact, many of our clients don’t send out mail at all, instead opting for internet advertising or other types of marketing but consider this before making any major judgments about the type of marketing you’re doing.

 

That concludes my examination of the most recent dental marketing developments in dental marketing. I hope this was helpful. I’ll keep you updated as things go.

 

Experiencing the same routine at workday after day can dull the senses.

Okay, here’s a case in point: A nine-inch stack of papers had been sitting on a coworker’s desk for years. It was ordered in the corner to the right. We spent a lot of time together at work, and I noticed that these files stayed put every time I visited his office. Not even to reorganize or file anything in them, he never picked them up.

His workplace appeared tidy and organized. This pile of files, however, was always present.

Once they had been in use for a while, I decided to inquire as to their purpose. After reviewing them, he realized they were obsolete documents he no longer needed. They had been sitting there (neatly piled) since he removed them from the filing cabinet. To sum up, he was quite taken aback (when I pointed them out) to see that they were indeed present; he had simply overlooked them. They had become “furniture” in his office, simply because they had been lying there day after day. Truth be told, he couldn’t even see them anymore.

Think About It From A Different Perspective

I used to have a job that required frequent travel to meet with clients and potential customers. During my regular visits, I often noticed the same thing, but it took on a menacing tone in several instances. I’m referring to the usual suspects: grimy surfaces, carpets with stains, boxes piled up behind the front desk, tattered periodicals spilling out of their holders, dusty windows, and so on.

The doctor and the rest of the staff let everything stay the same because they were “accustomed to it” and didn’t think twice about it.

Consider this for a second: when you enter a new area, whether it be a health care facility, a bakery, a restaurant, etc., the first thing that catches your eye is usually the filth, the disorganization, the waste, and the strewn documents and objects. Why? The setting may seem “ancient” to some, but it’s brand fresh to you. If you’re new to the scenario, you’ll be able to analyze it with fresh eyes.

It’s in your best interest to spruce up the surrounding area, as doing so will attract more potential.

A well-maintained workplace or storefront might be seen as promotional material. If a potential client or consumer visits your business with “fresh eyes,” regardless of how much you promote or market it, they may reject your services outright. That move could cost you sales with them.

At least once a week, take a stroll around your workplace and pretend you’ve never seen it before. There may be a little period of adjustment necessary to achieve the desired frame of mind but doing so is not difficult or impossible. Pretend for a moment that this is your first appointment as a new patient. Take note of anything that seems out of place or unclean and take care of it. Involve your workers by asking them to do the same for their own departments.

Last but not least, it’s not easy to keep this up by yourself; everyone (from the newest employee to the doctor) needs to share this perspective. The places where I’ve had executive roles have all seen me advocate for this.

Sometimes I’ll try it out to see what happens, and other times I do it to illustrate a point. For example, I once worked with a company whose employees casually stepped over a crumpled piece of paper in a hallway frequently used by clients. At that time, I stopped a few passers-by and made my opinion clear. They didn’t even realize they were losing by a single unit. They weren’t “bad” workers, they just didn’t try hard enough to notice the obvious. It’s essentially just a perspective.

Now, you could think all of this is ridiculous, but hear me out: people (whether they be patients or consumers) notice these things. On other occasions, the patient may just have the impression that the office is not as “clean” as they would like. Even if they don’t make the direct connection between the two, the fact that you’re asking them to spend thousands of dollars on a treatment plan will influence their decision (i.e. dirty dental office and spending money on treatment).

So, my advice is to periodically adopt a new vantage point and actually SEE the world around you. Solicit the same from your employees. You never know what you might unearth. You’ll end up with an immaculate office and a much better standing in the company as a whole.

 

You say that production has “crashed.” Maybe you don’t have enough high-yield appointments scheduled.

If that’s the case, this post was written for you. Even while I won’t be discussing any long-term strategy to generate regular output, I will offer some short-term support and “must-dos” to get your office calendar producing again and under control. Which is to say: What to do right this second because your dentist’s appointment book just got emptied!

 

Quick Fixes for a Free Calendar

1. Do something about it on your own.

The first step is to take over as the office manager (or doctor in the absence of an OM). Personally. Don’t expect the front desk to fulfill your request to “fill up the schedule” just because you said so. If that were to help, you wouldn’t be in this jam to begin with.

Get your hands dirty and do it yourself. Then you can rely on your team to handle it until you’ve repaired the short-term schedule, determined why the schedule emptied out, and implemented modifications to prevent it from happening again.

 

2. Look at each new patient with fresh eyes.

a. Let’s do a full health checkup on each hygiene patient who comes in, just in case something has come up since their last visit or they’ve been putting it off for too long. It’s time to have another conversation with them about it.

After it is complete, inquire as to whether or not there is anything that would be of interest to them in terms of aesthetics or functionality. Make sure they know about the options available, such as Invisalign, veneers, teeth whitening, night guards, etc.

Repeat step (a) for patients not yet on the doctor’s schedule. Find out if there is any remaining work that needs to be done on them. Possibly, they decided to “phase” their three-crown treatment plan and get the crowns done one at a time. Please consider returning to this issue. Repeat the explanation even if it was only a few weeks ago. It may take several chats before a patient is comfortable enough to move forward with the necessary treatment.

Not giving up because “I had talked to the patient about it months ago and they didn’t want to do it” results in a significant boost in output for my clients frequently. Life is full of surprises and constant change. Bring it up again, but this time with a positive frame of mind, rather than assuming the worst.

 

3. Have a pre-planning meeting first thing in the morning.

If you are not synchronized, things may “fall between the cracks.” Before seeing your first patient of the day, hold a quick morning huddle to discuss everyone who will be visiting the clinic that day, from the hygiene patients to the people who need surgery.

As you may recall from reading Jeff Blumberg’s piece on morning meetings, we advocate for this kind of meeting on a daily basis, but it takes on added significance during periods of low productivity.

 

4. Give care immediately and stick around for the money matters.

An example of a situation that frequently results in a free calendar:

When the doctor outlines a course of treatment, the patient appears to be on board with it. That’s fantastic! The next step is for the patient to come forward… they don’t plan ahead, they had to “think it through,” etc.

The Financial Coordinator often learns firsthand that patients aren’t as “on board” with therapy as their doctor initially believed once they hear the price.

Patient anxiety often becomes apparent when discussing financial worries. “Are we sure this is the right time to do everything?” I simply wanted to do what was covered by my health insurance. “I was afraid to tell the doctor this, because I really dislike going to the dentist…”

At first, this may seem too difficult, “unseemly,” or like a waste of time, but as I indicated before, when you’re in the midst of a production crisis, you need to take matters into your own hands and not assume that they’ll be handled automatically.

 

5. Have the group start calling patients who have received exceptional care.

Scheduling Coordinator Training Course on DDS Success goes into greater detail on how to make these calls and schedule the patients. Still, here are the basics:

The software should provide a report detailing all patients who have not received therapy in the last three months.

Please have as many people as possible start calling these patients right away. If you have some open time in the schedule, it could be best to assign multiple workers to this task.

Provide them with no-cost, no-obligation appointments to see the doctor. The goal of your phone conversation with the patient is not to get them to begin treatment immediately or to sign up for the treatment plan. To make sure everything is steady, the doctor wants to see you for free to see if you want to come in and talk about some difficulties that have been diagnosed.

Once the patient is in the doctor’s office, a thorough examination may be performed, the diagnosis refined if necessary, and the patient can be persuaded to immediately begin any necessary therapy.

 

6. Inform your clientele by mailing them something.

This isn’t a reliable method of filling the schedule, but it’s worth a shot. Promote a service by blasting your patient list with emails, texts, postcards, etc. Think about promoting this month as a “Invisalign special month” complete with a limited-time discount and complimentary smile evaluations. Patients have been known to get a text about a sale on Invisalign, decide now is the time to have the treatment, and get started right away.

 

7. Investigate the possible cause of the freed-up schedule.

When things begin to turn around, it’s time to investigate what went wrong. There’s probably a valid explanation for why production went from good to awful so quickly.

Perhaps there’s a problem with the front desk staff. If the schedule is blank and the person in charge of the schedule gives you a blank, “So…? A red sign is if someone asks, “What’s the problem?” Maybe they aren’t qualified for that position.

Or perhaps a new policy has been implemented. I’ve seen offices institute new policies, such as waiting for pre-determinations to come back before scheduling patients, no longer accepting deposits or fees to hold appointments, or failing to schedule patients before they depart. After they figure it out, they put things back to the way they were and, hey presto! output increases again.

It’s possible that the doctor is unaware of this development. Front desk employees may not always be doing what you believe they are.

So, during this time of low output, I suggest paying the front desk a regular visit to (a) see for yourself what they’re up to, and (b) make sure progress is being made on all the suggestions I’ve made.

I don’t want you to be a micromanager or to constantly hover over your employees, but as we’ve discussed, you need to take issues into your own hands until production increases again.

Today’s consumer is especially skeptical of the good news that a company announces about itself. It is assumed that a company will not call out the “warts” in its business strategy. With this in mind, people regard a fellow consumer with no “skin in the game” as a more reliable source of information about how good or awful a firm, its employees, and its services may be. Today’s consumer prefers to hear it from others.

You’ve undoubtedly been down this road before. Before you buy something on Amazon, you read the reviews – what are REAL people saying about this product?

This is why social proof is so crucial. Your website alone will not suffice. Your website talks about you; your advertisements talk about you; and YOU talk about yourself. Of course, what your website and advertisements say is true, but who does today’s consumer trust the most during the initial contact phase? People who have visited your establishment and used your services.

A potential patient reads a patient evaluation that says, “Dr. Appleseed changed my life!” I used to dread going to the dentist, but Dr. Appleseed and his staff made it a pleasant experience.” (and so on) brings them one step closer to picking up the phone. It’s significantly more powerful than anything on your website.

And, if you want to take social proof to the next level, you need video testimonials.

 

So, today I’d like to walk you through a tutorial on how to generate video patient testimonials. It’s simple – anyone can do it – and it’s well worth your time!

 

1. Patient Consent

Obviously, the first step is for the patient to agree to deliver a testimonial on camera. If patients are hesitant, don’t push them since a) their hesitation will be shown in the video and b) it may cause further trouble later if they change their minds and want you to remove the film or become irritated because they didn’t want their video to be publicly exhibited. You should have lots of patients who are so pleased with your team and their treatment results that they would gladly assist you by sharing their tale. If not, you may need to improve the level of customer service and communication in your office.

This is crucial: In the United States, each patient would be required to sign a release or consent form authorizing you to distribute their testimonial. To ensure HIPAA compliance, get legal counsel when creating this form. Sharing a patient’s video without approval would be a HIPAA violation, so don’t skip this step. Any attorney may create this permission form. While this may appear to be difficult to obtain, it is not.

In any case, a few simple measures taken at the start can ensure you get off on the right foot and get going!

Note to Canadian dentists: Seek counsel from your attorney or the appropriate authority on what type of patient video content can legally be captured, shared, and how it can be shared. You’d also like to know what kind of consent paperwork is required.

 

2. Equipment/ Cameras

The simplest piece of equipment to utilize is something you already have… your phone! The quality of your phone is ideal for making video testimonials and is a terrific starting point.

I don’t worry if the video and audio quality aren’t nearly “professional level” using a phone video because the homemade vibe can really make the testimonial look more genuine. So there isn’t much of a disadvantage here. Similarly, you don’t want an over-the-top, high-production-value Hollywood-style video that appears contrived. A phone with a modest camera capable of recording high-quality video work.

Having said that, if you want to go more “pro” with better equipment, I support you! Higher quality video and audio makes it simpler to watch, making your practice appear more professional, and you can still make it appear natural and not produced (which of course, it is).

You may take it a step further by investing in professional equipment, such as the Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera (you can buy it here on Amazon). I enjoy this camera since it is a digital camera with interchangeable lenses, which means you can have multiple lenses and swap them out as needed. Furthermore, because the lens is higher quality than that of a phone, it will produce a blurred background (also known as bokeh). Below is a snapshot of a video testimonial demonstrating how the lens quality blurs out the surrounding so that only the subject is in focus, forcing you to gaze solely at the target.

 

3. Audio

You can have fantastic footage, but if the audio isn’t decent, the overall video isn’t good. You will lose your audience if your audio is inadequate – it conveys that you are not a professional, even if you are!

As a result, I propose obtaining a microphone. There are two types available:

A boom microphone. A “boom mic” is a microphone that is mounted on a tripod and has a long arm (pictured below). It records audio directly where the person is standing. If we rely on the audio from the camera, the microphone in the camera will try to listen to the subject who is a few feet away. It will “listen” so hard that it will capture all other sounds around the subject, whereas a boom microphone will just “listen” to the subject. 

Another method is to use a lavalier microphone, commonly known as a “lav mic.” It’s a small microphone that attaches to your lapel, tie, or collar. You may connect the microphone to your camera or even your phone! Purple Panda is my favorite brand on Amazon. It’s a low-cost way to get clear, professional audio for your testimonials!

 

4.Tripods

It’s essential to have a tripod for your camera, whether it’s a professional one or just your phone, because it will eliminate shakiness produced by holding it with your hands.

If you’re using your phone, a great tripod is a selfie stick with a tripod! This one from Amazon is an excellent option, and it comes with a remote trigger so you can simply start and stop the recording without touching your phone.

If you opt to utilize a professional camera, a basic tripod would suffice. You can simply locate one on Amazon or Best Buy.

 

Finally, don’t wait until you have the proper equipment to start! Get your waivers/consent forms and begin right away with your iPhone! You can upgrade as time passes.

 

Where to record the patient testimony?

Now that you have the necessary equipment, you’ll need to choose a location in your office to conduct these testimonials. I recommend a room or area with access to windows so you can take use of natural light. Recording your testimonial outside is a possibility, but I don’t encourage it because wind and people walking around can be annoying.

Ideally, you only want a small place with few distractions to record your patient testimonial – it doesn’t have to be fancy, although as I noted above, a room with windows will provide a better video than overhead lighting, which can cast shadows on a person’s face. However, if the only space you have is an extra room without windows, make use of it!

One pet peeve: make sure the space you’re recording in is clean and clear of clutter. I’ve watched a lot of videos where there’s a water bottle or a stack of papers on a desk that should have been moved. Before you start recording, organize the space!

 

Now that you’ve gathered all of your equipment and determined where you’ll record the testimonial, the next step is to select a patient and obtain their permission to record their success story. And, as I indicated earlier, make sure they sign the consent form!

 

Focus on two things during filming:

• That the patient appears cheerful (even if they’re talking lovely things, if they appear tense, monotonous, or morose, the audience will notice).
• That it doesn’t sound scripted. This should feel as authentic and natural as possible, so if they appear to be reading from a script, the effect will be lost.

You don’t simply want any patient; there are criteria you should look for when selecting a patient to record a video testimonial.

 

There is still more to learn, such as:

• How to choose the correct patient to film (there are a few key characteristics to search for)
• How to lead them into providing a true, natural testimonial
• And how to post these videos for maximum exposure online.

That’s it! I think this is a good start, and you can now start filming testimonials.

You’ve probably heard a lot of suggestions for how to handle this. But do you use/implement them? And, if you have managed to put some in place, do they stay in place? If you’re like the majority of your colleagues, the most significant barriers to meaningful change in your practice are difficulties with implementation – and keeping things implemented.

So, in this piece, I wanted to look at it from a broader perspective. I want you to leave with the ability to implement some of the beneficial improvements you’ve been considering, particularly in the area of “Customer Service.” As an extra benefit, several of the ideas I’ll be discussing in this article can be applied to any change you wish to make in your office.

So, with that in mind, how do you not only create an approach to improve customer service, but also enlist the entire team in order for it to “stick”? I have four bits of advice for you:

 

1. Get your entire team on the same page.

When you decide to implement new procedures in your office, whether it’s a new marketing strategy or a new workflow, it’s vital that the entire staff not only understands what’s going on, but that they’re also “on board” with any planned changes.

This goes beyond simply “telling everyone” what you’re planning to do. Explaining what will be altered, why you’re doing it, and what the desired consequence is, including how it will make their job easier and/or benefit the overall practice (including the patients), may go a LONG way toward ensuring your changes “stick.”

If you’ve ever changed something in your practice and observed it “didn’t work” or personnel didn’t cooperate, it’s likely it’s related to the point above. Without offering insight and explaining the significance of what you’re attempting to do, it may appear as “unnecessary labour.” As a result, you can confuse the team and give the impression that they “don’t care” or aren’t cooperating. In most circumstances, however, this is not the case.

It stands to reason that if a patient understands their treatment plan and the repercussions, they are more likely to accept it. Staff are more inclined to implement new changes if they understand why they are doing it and how it fits into the larger company.

 

2. Act out the full patient encounter as if you were the patient.

This is quite crucial. The customer experience begins with their initial contact with your company. In most circumstances, this will be a postcard or advertisement. The next step is to contact your front desk.

Walking through the complete patient process as if you were the patient is the greatest approach to “test” your patient experience. Begin with a postcard or ad that you’ve already distributed. Is the contact information easy to find? Call the phone number listed on the postcard or advertisement. Did you make it to the office? Was the receptionist pleasant? Did they appear to genuinely care about you and desire to assist you? Or did they seem rushed and immediately put you on hold?

How did the appointment go? Was it simple to plan?

If any of these components fails to function properly, you will lose patients.

Here’s an actual example: I went to a practice to assist them in resolving some concerns. After doing some research, I came across their postcard and dialed the number. I received a busy signal. The office only had two phone lines, and both were always in use, making it impossible for new patients to call and arrange appointments, and a new patient is unlikely to call again after receiving a busy signal – they may even believe you’re out of business!

Do not stop there. Examine the confirmation – is it too brief, causing patients to forget? Is it too much for them to be bothered by all the texts and phone calls?

Then, as if you were a patient, walk outside to the parking lot and back through the front door. Continue through the appointment process until you return to the front desk to check out.

As you can see, walking through the process can help you identify issues that are readily resolved. The fix in the preceding example was straightforward. As you go through this, you may come across other “easy fixes.” It’s not uncommon to discover that things you imagined were happening aren’t. You may not require a new confirmation procedure; instead, you may require the staff to perform the operation that you thought they were performing in the first place.

 

3. Consider the entire procedure in its entirety.

Perhaps this has occurred to you: you make a small alteration in your office to fix a problem. But then another problem arises a few days later… you change something else to remedy that problem. Then another problem arises, and the cycle continues indefinitely.

I frequently see this with some of our clients: they genuinely want to cure one problem, so they try to modify it completely without considering how it would influence the rest of their practice. Overdue patients are no longer being followed up on since the Scheduling Coordinator is preoccupied with this new endeavor. Or the hygienist is swamped with patients. Etc.

The problem here is that you are not considering your entire practice. Take a step back and examine your entire practice and the procedures you already have in place, similar to a chess board. What would happen if you moved one of the pieces? Would it help the other pieces, or would it just add to the confusion? Looking at things from the outside in will help you make smart decisions that will benefit the entire office.

Another point I’d want to stress is that you should base all of your decisions on facts and/or statistics. Do not base your decision on “I feel like…”, “It appears like…”, or “a lot of patients appear to be…” In many circumstances, an actual number of whatever it is you’re seeking to qualify is beneficial, because what you feel and what actually is are two completely different things 9 times out of 10.

 

4. A few pointers for providing an excellent patient experience.

Providing an exceptional experience for your patients will significantly improve word-of-mouth, patient retention, and loyalty. And providing a terrific experience is typically comprised of simple things that demonstrate your concern for them.

Consider the following example to demonstrate the differences in customer experience: Target. When you stroll around, everything is self-service. Finding an employee to assist you may need more effort than simply finding it yourself. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; some individuals prefer to shop alone; it’s just one type of experience.

Consider Nordstrom. When you walk in, you are greeted immediately by a friendly employee. They inquire if you require assistance in locating anything special. Assume you’re looking for new shoes. You simply tell them what kind of shoe you want and your size, and they go find it and bring it to you. It’s a completely different feeling that makes you feel more cared for.

I like to use that example because creating a memorable experience does not have to be complicated. It’s simply thinking about your patients’ requirements and anticipating what they’ll require before they do. Fast service, free, secure WiFi (in case they need to wait or are coming with their spouse and need to work from a laptop or phone), and coffee can all be simple methods to provide a fantastic experience for those people.

Most importantly, simply being present for your patients and communicating with them on a regular basis is essential. I’m not a fan of leaving a patient alone in an operating room. If the doctor leaves, the assistant can accompany them. And, if a patient appears unhappy or overwhelmed, ask them how you can assist them. Don’t wait for them to mention it. This type of personal touch and caring attitude will go far beyond gimmicks or flashy technology.

I hope these suggestions assist you in establishing effective practices in your office.

Suppose you’re browsing Amazon for a new television. What is the very first thing you do?

Do you read the lines in the “About” section?

Or do you go down to the reviews to determine its actual quality?

Before spending hundreds of dollars on a product, I’d wager that you browse down and read the first page or two of reviews to find out what people genuinely thought of it.

If the general consensus is that a product is excellent, you will likely purchase it immediately.

If, however, the reviews are inconsistent or predominantly unfavorable, you will go on to the reviews of another television.

When considering your facility for their next dental procedure, your patients go through the exact same steps you do.

This is the effectiveness of social proof.

 

Social proof is essentially evidence that your service is authentic and that you are wonderful because others (e.g., your patients) are talking about how fantastic you are, and not just you. And it should be a central component of your marketing strategy as it is important to the success of your practice.

 

Social evidence may include any of the following:

• Existing patient testimonials
• Existing patients’ videotaped testimonies
• Before and after images of numerous medical procedures
• Social media posts or remarks from your patients
• An endorsement from a buddy

 

When a consumer visits your website, they may be interested in learning more about you and your offerings. But what they desire most are reviews written by actual patients of your practice. They desire confirmation that they are making the correct decision by visiting your office.

Consider that some patients may have had negative experiences at previous dentist practices. Their earlier encounter may have been unpleasant, shocking, or frightening. You want to demonstrate that you are the antithesis of these descriptors and that they would receive excellent treatment at your office.

So, what are some simple strategies to start displaying social proof for your practice online? 

 

Put yourself in the shoes of your patients.

First, I recommend putting yourself in the position of your patients. What would you do if you were looking for a new dental office?

You would likely conduct a Google search and visit a few websites. If the website is appealing, you will likely scan through it to get a sense for the practice, and if everything sounds nice, you will want to read reviews.

What if there were no testimonials on their website or Google?

You may remember the office, but you will likely visit the website of the next dentist to read any reviews posted there. A practice that has a well-designed website with sufficient information for you to get a feel for them and a large number of reviews will likely earn your trust.

 

2. Beginning with Google reviews

I propose beginning with Google reviews and a Google Business Profile if you don’t have any social proof accessible.

Add photos of satisfied patients and before-and-after images to your Google Business Profile (ensure patients sign a release form permitting you to publish it for HIPAA considerations) and request reviews from patients.

There are numerous ways to request that patients leave a review. When they have recently completed their treatment plan and are happy is the optimal time. However, you may also text or email them with a link to your Google review page to request a review.

 

3. Include video testimonials on the homepage of your website

Video testimonials are superior to written testimonials. People can quickly and easily listen to a 1-3 minute video testimonial and hear precisely what they need to hear. It is analogous to receiving a personal recommendation from a friend and is highly successful.

To accomplish this, you only need a smartphone to capture a brief video of the patient discussing their experience with your practice. You need only something you are familiar with, which you can easily alter (if necessary) and submit to your website.

I suggest asking the patient questions that will help them formulate their response. You could ask queries like:

How did you discover our practice, and what prompted you to choose us?

What service did you receive, and what was your impression?

How did our office compare to others you’ve visited?

What aspects of our practice stood out to you during your treatment with us?

What would you tell a friend about our practice if they inquired about it?

You would then remove your queries from the video, leaving you with an excellent testimonial.

Keep in mind that HIPAA compliance is required, therefore you will need the patient’s consent to upload their video online. I advise you to consult with your attorney, who can write a release form for your usage.

 

4. Add before and after photos

The inclusion of before-and-after images of various services is an additional technique to demonstrate social proof. This demonstrates to potential patients your proficiency, that you have performed their operation before, and that the results are consistent.

The best approach to display these images is with the before image on the left and the after image on the right. I would not, however, end there. I would include a brief description of the technique below the photo. Here’s one instance:

(Photo before and after)

Ellie’s Situation

Ellie received porcelain veneers on all of her top teeth. She is now smiling with confidence!

Or, if you have it, you can give the patient’s testimonial in lieu of describing the surgery.

 

Again, ensure that patients sign a release form for HIPAA compliance.