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Effective Communication with Voice Technology

A dentist opens a small office in his neighborhood. He spends a conservative amount of money on dental equipment and leaseholds, and sets aside space for future expansion. His wife works the front desk and helps to run the business. The first patients consist of friends, neighbors and employees from local businesses. In its first months, his patient list grows to 200. As years go by, the dental office realizes significant growth.

A large dental office constructs a huge multi-discipline facility in the same area.The facility has state-of-the-art equipment, breathtaking architecture and sophisticated computers. But within a few years of its grand opening, the new facility is sold and is no longer an existing dental office.

Although this example may seem farfetched, it’s not. Why is it that the smaller office withstands the test of time and competition? The answer is simple: communication. The most successful dental offices have found ways to communicate effectively with their patients and promote interaction between their patients and staff in consistent, creative ways.

Unfortunately, the average dental office has a staff-to-patients ratio that is far from ideal. With the average dental office employing the equivalent of 5 full-time staff to service more than 1,000 patients, each employee is now responsible for providing positive experiences for more than 200 patients, in addition to their primary roles within the dental office.

There is no secret to what dental offices need to be successful. The more important question is… How can offices with limited resources and staff communicate more effectively with their patients? As patient populations increase in size and diversity, management is forced to adopt new technologies to better maintain the “small office” feel in a “big box” world. By understanding their patients, an office can tailor schedules, specialty programs and hours of operation to better suit their diverse needs.

Traditional forms of office communications have included signs, posters and newsletters. These take time, money and effort to produce but are viewed by only a small percentage of the patients on a regular basis. These modes of communication offer only minimal uptake by patients.

With vast improvements in the quality and functionality of hardware and software for message-delivery systems on the market, advanced technologies now make it possible to communicate with large groups of people in a short amount of time—in a way that is personal, professional, and interactive, and also cost-effective. Two such technologies are the PhoneTree automated telephone and MyProAudio’s Instant Audio for Email and Websites.

The dental business has been exposed to companies like PhoneTree for many years. The concept that is new to the industry is the technology of using audio in emails sent out by MyProAudio. 

Addressing the struggle to get one’s message across via an increasingly crowded Internet, MyProAudio.com President Doug Comstock recommends a communication channel neglected by most businesses: audio.

“We are more receptive to an offer made with audio than one in text alone,” notes Comstock, citing research concluding that people remember only 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear and as much as 50% of what they read and hear. “Audio increases sales because when we hear a voice, we feel the presence of a real person. A voice can convey warmth, sincerity, enthusiasm and many other appealing qualities, helping to build a personal relationship.”

There are many ways to customize these services. For example:

• Use voice testimonials. Honest, unrehearsed voice testimonials furnish instant credibility.

• Use staff voices to welcome patients to your practice.

• Inform your patients about holidays, schedule changes, etc.

MyAudioPro.com provides Ear-mail Audio Postcards, Audio Testimonials, Instant Audio Players and Web Audio Buttons all for one low annual fee. Its products begin playing instantly when clicked on and couldn’t be easier for a novice site builder to integrate into a page design.

Whether you are a small dental office or part of a multi-disciplined health center, effective communication is vital to the success of your business. By offering patients the products and services they want, your business is only addressing one piece of the puzzle. Increasing patient awareness through modes of communication that “touch” your patients can increase patient interaction, case acceptance and, ultimately, patient satisfaction.

Lorne Lavine DMD is the Founder and President of Dental Technology Consultants. Dr. Lavine holds two prestigious certifications, the A+ Certified Technician designation and the Network+ Certified Professional. These designations demonstrate proficiency in computer repair, operating systems, network design and installation. Dental Technology Consultants provide dentists a full range of services relating to the implementation of technology.

Dr. Lavine can be reached at drlavine@thedentistsnetwork.net.