Selling well, whether it’s a course of treatment or tubes of toothpaste, will help to boost your practice’s income – but not everyone finds it so easy. Some of your team may be scared of the s-word and how they will be perceived by patients, or they simply don’t see themselves as a ‘salesperson’.
However, having a team that is confident and skilled in selling is important both for your practice, given the boost it can bring to your bottom line, and for your patients, as you will only be suggesting they take up treatment or use products because it will improve their oral health and/or cosmetic appearance.
To help you improve sales within your practice I’ve shared three of my quick, practical tips below:
- Increase your knowledge
Encourage every member of your team to learn as much possible about your products and services. The entire team should be aware of everything your practice does: how the treatment/equipment works, what ingredients are in your products, what are the success rates, who they are right for, etc. If you and your team have an in-depth knowledge of all areas of your practice this will help to foster trust in your patients and build confidence in your staff. You can support your team in this learning by making it part of staff inductions, ongoing training and regular team meetings.
- Create a visual motivator
Have a ‘leader board’ or visual chart showing how many of your main treatments have been carried out that week. If you want to increase the number of alignments, for example, then this should be the focus for the whole team for that week/month. The old adage ‘out of sight out of mind’ is true, if you can’t see it, there is no focus on it. Make your chart/results board as visible as possible but ensure everyone feels comfortable that this is not about pushing treatment onto anyone, it’s about opening up conversations with patients and uncovering what is important to them.
- Have the confidence to ask
Be bold and confident when talking to patients about what their aspirations are for their smiles. Remember that the patient has come to see YOU, not the other way around, so open good conversations about what is important to them. Don’t assume you know what they want, or that they are aware of all the services you offer. If you have the confidence to ask them more open questions you may well find out that the person you think is only there for a check-up is also interested in teeth whitening or unhappy with their smile. Patients won’t necessarily offer up this information, but just a few questions could lead you to discovering other ways you can help them.
There you have it, with these three simple steps you can help your team to embrace selling and reap the rewards for your practice!
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