Although there is more optimism in the market at the moment and some dentists are seeing growth in their business, the current economic climate is still uncertain. So how do you ensure you keep your appointment book full and provide your patients with affordable, quality dental care? A dental plan can be the perfect solution.
I appreciate that many dental practices feel uncomfortable ‘selling’ to their patients, however, it’s important to remember that selling is just communicating – raising awareness of your plan and providing patients with information and key benefits appropriate to them.
Patients won’t know about your plan unless you tell them about it. There are many ways to promote your plan to patients:
? Practice leaflets/brochures
? Website
? Practice posters
? Flyers
? Recall letters
? Newsletters
? Social media – Facebook, Twitter
? Email
? Recorded phone message/waiting room screens
Trigger points to discuss plans
As well as ensuring that your general marketing materials mention your dental plan, there are other ‘trigger points’ which provide opportunities to discuss the issue with patients, such as:
? New patient consultations
? Recall appointments
? Patients who require additional treatment
? Patients who the hygienist feels would benefit from more frequent visits
? Contact with inactive/dormant patients
Don’t be afraid to ask a patient if they’re interested in joining your plan. If you don’t ask then you don’t get. Besides which you should never assume that a patient isn’t interested without asking them directly. Regardless of a patient’s income, everyone appreciates affordability.
Successful conversions
The most successful practices are those with a real team ethos whereby everyone is working together, putting patients first and being motivated to make the practice a success. In order for your dental plan to be as successful as it can be, the whole team needs to be on-board, comfortable and confident in talking about the plan and its benefits.
If you’re looking to improve regular attendance and have a guaranteed income each month then perhaps you need to seriously consider a dental plan.