Nothing!
Most days that’s what it use to seem like. Some of my favorite phrases were:
-“That’s not the amount I was quoted”
-“You’re doing a root canal today? Why?”
-“You want how much for that cleaning?”
-“You scheduled me for three hours but I only have an hour”
Are you kidding me? Unbelievable! Those are some of my phrases to the above statements. I use to hear those statements more often than I want to admit. Most patients will only retain 10% of what you told them while in your office. With such a small retention rate of needed dental care, how can your patient tell their companions about the benefits of treatment? What about treatment financial obligations? If they can’t understand the “need” for dental care, are they more inclined to cancel scheduled appointments, or just “no show”? Absolutely! So how do we overcome patient memory loss?
Treatment PRO has virtually eliminated patient memory loss, thus increasing patient retention of specific dental conditions, and fulfillment of diagnosed treatment. Exactly how Treatment PRO increases patient retention of needed treatment is in the fulfillment of the last two “T’s” of business marketing. Best of all, it’s a simple business fundamental to implement in your dental practice.
The three T’s of
business sales and marketing
The three T’s of business sales and marketing are as follows:
1-Tell them what you’re going to tell them
2-Tell them
3-Tell them what you told them
Most of us have done #1 very well for years. It’s the other two that have been lacking in most offices. And when all three are functioning, revenues increase, and misunderstandings are virtually eliminated.
#1-Tell them what you’re going to tell them
This first one is accomplished on a daily basis in the operatory. It generally happens during new patient, re-care, and limited exams. Simply stated, it’s your diagnosis and treatment recommendations to your patient. You “tell” your patient what dental condition they have and its recommended treatment. Hopefully most of you are doing this with digital images, both radiographic and intra-oral. Some of you might play a video at this stage that shows the actual procedure. Unfortunately, most libraries of procedural video resonate pain and destruction to our patients. I’ll cover that problem later. The patient is now escorted to the front where financial arrangements are made, and scheduling occurs. Right here is where the business disconnect begins, for what does you patient go home with?
#2-Tell them!
It’s common practice that most patients, when leaving a dental office, do so with a verbal description of needed treatment and financial responsibilities. Some practices go so far as giving the patient a pamphlet that describes treatment and conditions with 1980’s pictures and descriptions.
However, when patients leave my office they do so with Treatment PRO documents that contain and “tell them” the following:
-What their condition is, and the benefits of treatment
-What the procedure will be in language that is written in “patient speak” instead of clinical jargon
-Information that is branded to the patient and our practice
-Documents that are product and procedure specific
-And of course, the financial information containing the code, description, and fee for each procedure
These documents are placed in a practice folder to complete the patient experience before they leave. My team completes all of this, within five minutes of the patient’s exam. The presentation of needed treatment contained in our practice folder is beyond anything found in dentistry today. At least that is what our new patients say when coming from other offices. When patients take this information home, several things happen. Patients remember what they were told, fewer calls are taken from the financial decision makers in the home, spouses are more supportive, and new patients are generated. It’s simple, as friends and family visit my patient, and visually experience the Treatment PRO documents they received from my practice they migrate to the “hi-tech” office. Perception is definitely reality.
Most importantly, the documents and practice folders compete against any other purchase our patients may want to make. They are a constant reminder of needed treatment, and the benefits of maintaining good oral health. The competition for our patient’s funds comes predominantly from the marketing efforts of businesses outside of dentistry and not each other. That’s why you won’t see travel magazines in my office reception area.
The document center contained within Treatment PRO is second to none. Practices that have acquired library systems of procedures are purchasing Treatment PRO for its document center alone. And then they discover the video center…
#3-Tell them what you’ve told them
What if you could email video that is product and procedure specific to your patients? What if you could build it like a playlist? What if it was written in language that a patient could understand? That, and more, is precisely what you will find in the video section of Treatment PRO. Who has time to play video in the operatory? Who wants to? My team only plays video to our patients pertaining to their treatment when they come in for an exam and we have an opening to take care of their condition on the spot. Otherwise, we gather email addresses and send our patients video playlists all about their condition, treatment, benefits to their treatment, product information we informed them of, and more. All of this is completed within minutes by one of my team members.
This last segment is the “tell them what you told them” portion of marketing your treatment plan. The patient experience with Treatment PRO has now marketed to “sell” your diagnosed treatment as well as any marketing advertisement your patient may encounter. And unlike dental education systems on the market, the case presentation video component of Treatment PRO is patient friendly. Meaning, you won’t see dental drills cutting, tissue flaps being removed from bone, and a whole host of pain and destruction that leaves the average American trembling with fear to see you. Treatment PRO is PATIENT FRIENDLY!
Bring on the patient’s competition
Treatment PRO is the only case acceptance system that has actually leveled the playing field when it comes to our patient’s discretionary funds. And as a practicing dentist, I’m all about displacing trips, four wheelers, new cars, and teenagers frivolous needs with good oral health. Treatment PRO makes the above happen fast, simple, and easy. That’s why I love it. That’s why patients love it. And I should mention the increased revenue is nice too.
Till next time.
Dr. Rob
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