After creating and establishing a dental practice, it is important to continue making efforts anywhere possible to help it grow, become successful and profitable. Here's 7 tips to reach those goals!
- Patients Like Goodie Bags
Children and adults like to receive free gifts and a goodie bag full of dental hygiene products works as well. A bag jam-packed with a small tube of toothpaste or tooth polish, dental floss, and a toothbrush not only shows them your appreciation but gives them the tools and education they need to continue following successful dental hygiene practices. You can also use the goodie bag as a great way to advertise your practice by having your logo and contact information on a prescheduled appointment card inserted with the products and perhaps even having your company name on the products themselves!
- Spread The Word About Your Special Services
Does your practice specialize in a certain procedure or special service such as dental implants or teeth whitening? If so, you want to make sure that your area is aware of what you do and that you are nearby. Marketing your specialties is not only important to increase profitability but to also build your brand awareness. Make sure all of your marketing materials communicate these unique services. With increased marketing and word of mouth from your pleased patients the word will spread about what you have to offer.
- Have Your Financing Options Ready
Having the capability to offer a variety of financing and payment options is a strong addition for patients that may need dental work but have inadequate insurance coverage. Post your payment options in your office and online. Its also a great idea to offer incentives to those that make their payments early.
More than ever, you and your patients are in a hurry and don't like to wait or waste time. You can help provide them with a greater visiting experience by reducing their waiting time and maximizing revenue and patient numbers. You can achieve this goal by being organized and prepared for their appointment and doing everything you can to get them in and out as quick as possible. Having an organized staff that is aware of scheduling patients quickly and smoothly to available hygienists in an orderly manner helps the process run more efficiently for everyone.
Besides pre-scheduling appointments, it is also important to enforce cancellation policies. This helps to ensure that you keep your appointment book filled as well as have time to set another appointment when a cancellation is made. It is important for your front-desk staff to understand that making appointments and quickly refilling cancellations is always necessary. Make sure your patients and staff are aware of your cancellation policy and that it is visible both in your office and in your in-house and online literature. It also shows great communication on your part to remind your patients of their appointment by a text, email and/or telephone call to ensure that the appointment is kept. Also, by enforcing the penalties of your cancellation policy this helps discourage cancellations as well as encourage your patients to keep their appointments or provide you with the most notice they can.
It may seem like a small gesture to some but a friendly staff upfront and in the back can go a long way in pleasing and keeping patients. Many patients are already nervous about their visit before they even make it to the dentists chair so having a friendly and hospitable front desk experience can make all the difference in their visits. Encourage your staff to smile and be relaxed and make everyone feel welcome as well as show concern for nervous patients especially children. It is important that you also encourage your hygienists to be friendly, warm and develop relationships with your patients. This goes a long way in their ability to easily recommend procedures and services as well as as instruct patients on preventative hygiene for a successful outcome and the desire to keep coming back.
One of the best policies to ensure of ahead of time is to make sure that your patients are all scheduled and your time slots are filled. This can be helped along by having your patients pre-schedule their next cleaning appointment and any procedure follow-ups. This also makes it easier on the patients so they dont have to worry about remembering when they need to come back.
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Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.
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