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Issue #52 - 8.19.08
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Improve Case Acceptance After Patients Go Home
Some dentists are uncomfortable with case presentation being a considered a “sales” process. Even If you have strong opinions about dentistry being unique and unlike other consumer purchases, I think you will agree that consumers can be fickle and sometimes impossible to understand. Most dentists I know would also be very quick to agree that case presentation is a critical skill set that could be improved in nearly every practice.
As you read this article, I’d like you to forget everything you’ve ever learned about case presentation and consider a completely overlooked problem that is damaging case acceptance.
The Problem? Lack of Follow-Up
In nearly every sales process outside of dentistry, salespeople must follow up with prospects multiple times to make a sale. In fact, entire sales seminars, specialized software and even job titles have been created to manage and perfect the sales follow-up process. You can even do a quick Internet search and find countless articles written about how to improve sales closure rates through better follow-up. If you asked most sales managers how sales would be affected if the follow-up process was eliminated, the typical answer would be that sales totals would plummet.
Here’s the catch: In dentistry, the follow-up process for patients that don’t accept treatment during the appointment is almost non-existent. Some practices do better than most but in almost every case, patients are left to make decisions on their own unless they actually accept and schedule during the appointment. And, even in those cases, a fair amount of buyer’s remorse results in cancellations.
Let’s not even begin to discuss the quality of the case presentation itself. Most dentists do a pretty good job, so for the purpose of this article let’s assume that the in-office presentation of treatment is flawless. Unfortunately, there are still a number of reasons that patients don’t accept treatment after they go home (even if the case presentation was great).
Problem 1: Patients forget almost everything they hear during an appointment. Maybe a patient was nervous or afraid of the expense, maybe you hurried through the case presentation or maybe any number of things happened or didn’t happen. The fact is, most of the information discussed with your patients during the appointment is forgotten soon after they go home—maybe by the time they reach the parking lot.
Problem 2: After appointments, patients are easily distracted by other priorities. Gas costs more than $4 a gallon and many consumers are experiencing financial problems. And, although patients may not think they can afford the dentistry they need, they are bombarded with consumer ads that make spending their money on a vacation or a new toy look so much more rewarding than four crowns and a root canal.
Problem 3: Patients are not sent home with a detailed treatment plan. Most professional salespeople are very careful to provide their prospects with detailed but consumer-friendly marketing documents that make their products look attractive and enticing to purchase. Whether for a hot tub, a new car or a big screen TV, brochures with beautiful photography and compelling benefits are an important part of the sales process. In dentistry, most practices rely on a black and white printout with no pictures or images and a lot of confusing insurance codes and clinical information.
Problem 4: Patients who consult with a spouse at home can’t explain treatment clearly. Most of us can only imagine how poorly a typical patient repeats the information delivered during an appointment. Not only is your patient empty-handed and likely to have forgotten nearly everything, but a patient doesn’t have the same ability as a dentist to enthusiastically communicate the importance of oral health. It becomes an easy way for your patient to say “no.”
Problem 5: Dentists are too busy to personally contact each patient at home. Dentists aren’t sales people; they are busy running a dental practice and providing treatment. Most office managers and other team members are just as busy or even unqualified to provide a meaningful follow-up effort.
Problem 6: Patients cancel appointments when they are unsure or confused. Most dental teams hate to admit it, but often cancellations or no-shows are due to poor communication that creates fear and confusion with patients.
I can promise you that if you will improve the follow-up process after patients go home then your case acceptance rate will skyrocket. Yes, it’s difficult to find the time and create the systems, but your efforts will be rewarded with a dramatic financial improvement. Improving your follow-up is one of the most important marketing efforts that can be made in your practice.
With the assistance of the American Dental Association, our company has developed a revolutionary new product to help you effectively follow up with patients who don’t accept treatment in the office. Check it out: treatmentpro
Joel Harris is CEO and Co-Founder of Intelligent Dental Marketing, one of the nation's leading dental marketing companies focused exclusively on dental practices. Intelligent Dental Marketing provides powerful marketing tools to help dentists grow their patient base, increase their profit and improve their image. Joel can be reached directly at 877.942.8855.
Interested in speaking to Joel about your marketing concerns? Email him at joel@thedentistsnetwork.net.
Interested in having Joel speak to your dental society or study club? Click here.