The front desk – a hive of activity and probably the busiest area in the practice. Other than treatment and treatment consultations (although these are known to happen in the reception area too!), everything else happens in and around the front desk. So, in amongst the chaos, picking up the phone to a prospective customer and succinctly explaining why they should become a patient at the practice and coaxing them into booking a consultation is no easy task. We’ve put together some great tips which you can easily implement within your own practice.
1. First impressions make the big difference
Making your prospective patient feel like you’re exactly the kind of practice they’re looking for is crucial and so first impressions on the phone should never be underestimated. It’ll be that phone call that ultimately encourages them to come into the practice. It’s therefore important, that on the call, you begin to build a relationship with them. To do this, as well as being friendly and attentive, make it clear how becoming a patient at your practice will benefit them. Build the value of the initial consultation by explaining exactly what they’ll be getting for their money, rather than just telling them how much it will cost.
2. Record to inform
Typically, how many enquiries do you get per week? Combine this with the average cost of treatment and quickly work out what revenue you could be getting. The big question is then how much of that potential revenue is your practice ‘actually’ getting? Without measuring the number of enquires received, how many enquiries turn into actual consultations and how many consultations then result in treatment plans being taken up, you have no way of knowing.
3. Wave the ‘new patient on the phone’ flag!
It’s important to have a visual code that indicates that someone is on the phone to a prospective patient and so not to disturb. Why not introduce a new patient enquiry form, but using a colour that’s different from everything else, such as yellow? If the yellow paper’s out, everyone knows to leave them in peace!
4. Use open and closed questions effectively
If you’re trying to gain commitment, using a series of closed questions works well – so, ‘would you like to make an appointment today?’. In contrast, open questions are great for building the relationship with the patient, and finding out exactly what it is they want and why.
Why not have a go at introducing these simple steps into your own practice to turn more telephone enquiries into consultations.
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