What Do Patients Want In A Dentist?

Transcription

1 What Do Patients Want In A Dentist? Top 5 must-haves patients want before they choose your practice. For the Dental Practice that wants to STAND OUT

2 What consumers want, what they don t know, & what you have to give can be married successfully to create a synergistic communication plan. There s definitely been a shift in mood among patients. Research confirms trust in dentists is in decline. 75% of surveyed dentists believe that the public holds them in high regard, yet only 9% of patients gave them two thumbs up, and only 7% believe that dentists provide good value! A strong community awareness and marketing strategy will help drive more top-quality new and returning patients to you. What consumers want, what they don t know, and what you have to give can be married successfully to create a synergistic communication plan. Become the local go-to practice by differentiating yourself from the competition. Build desire for your services by communicating solutions which solve various traditional consumer pain points like selfesteem, career advancement, social benefits, or functionality. Potential new patients need to understand what is special about you and why they should choose your practice. Do you know why your existing patients choose you over other dentists and why they keep coming back? From a consumer perspective, knowledge, experience, a caring team and environment, excellent value, and good customer service are givens. But when it comes to dentistry, most consumers really don t know what they want because they don t know what they can have. 1

3 Ensure you offer the TOP 5 MUST-HAVES! It s what patients want! 1. Convenience At the top of the list of dental practice attributes that indicate likelihood for success is whether or not a patient perceives your practice as convenient. Patients aren t going to go out of their way literally or figuratively to come to you. You need to identify potential barriers (distance, wait times, available hours, etc.) and eliminate or ease them in order to draw patients to you. Great hours. Are your hours determined by your patients needs or by your desire to duck out early? Offer appointments when patients want them. Stay open 6 days a week, especially Fridays and Saturdays, and on either side of standard working hours (7-10am, 3-6pm, and 8am- 3pm on Saturdays). Location. There s not much you can do about your location once you ve set up shop, so if you re in a location that isn t great, emphasize what you do have that makes it beneficial for patients, e.g. parking at our doorstep, easy access on ground-level. Consider a move to a growing neighborhood. Offer every new patient inquiry an appointment within hours. Block out time in your schedule to make sure you can capture these potential patients immediately. Answer all calls live during business hours. 2. Insurance Is Important Over 65% of consumers have some type of dental insurance, representing approximately $63 billion in coverage. Patients pay for it and want to use it, and whether or not you accept their insurance is a big BIG factor in choosing a dentist. When a patient asks directly if you accept X insurance, never ever answer with a flat-out no. Tell them, We work with a number of different insurances and Susan will be more than happy to help maximize your coverage. When you come in, she ll review your booklet with you and answer any questions you have. The number-one objective is to get that patient in the door. Go the extra mile. Insurance is intimidating and confusing. Not knowing what s covered will stop patients from accepting and following a treatment plan, resulting in thousands of lost practice revenue due to hundreds of lost patients. Offer predeterminations. Make your patients paperwork headaches disappear complete and file claims for them. Develop an in-office dental plan to off-set fees for uninsured patients. According to the University Institute for the Practice of Dentistry, no dental insurance is the top reason for no dental visit. 2

4 3. A Proven Track Record Patients want a dentist who has knowledge and experience wouldn t you? Let them know that you re established in your area with an experienced and welcoming team and that you know your stuff Do your patients refer their friends and family? A positive indicator is if 60% or more of your new patients come from referrals. Are you using advanced, efficient, up-todate dental techniques? Have you committed your team to continuously upgrade their skills? Have you received awards or recognition in magazines, etc.? Do you and your team have esthetically pleasing dental work and bright white smiles? Offer a FREE 2nd-opinion consultation so patients can meet you and see your modern facilities. 4. Quality & Gentleness Of Care Dental anxiety is high and choosing a dental practice can become a huge decision. 50% of people avoid dental care because they are fearful or have had bad experiences in the past. 30% do not go to the dentist regularly. You and your team need to go out of your way to reassure them that You offer sedation or pain-free technologies. Your team is sensitive to patient anxiety and is trained to deal with it. You and your team spend time with patients to put them at ease. One of the most effective ways to alleviate patient anxiety is to educate them. Think of it as a nurturing process. By keeping your practice visible, your solutions up front, and providing information over time, you will build patient trust and confidence in your expertise. The process of being there allows you to become someone who they can trust.

5 5. Excellent Value & Customer Service Patients don t choose their dentist based on cost alone, but consider best value and customer service. According to the 2010 Customer Experience Report, 82% of consumers stopped doing business with an organization as a result of negative experience. Yet customer service is one of those umbrella terms that means different things to different people and covers a wide range of potential pitfalls. People expect the basics from a professional team courtesy, politeness, and respect but customer service covers so much more. Consumers will drive further, wait longer, and inconvenience themselves for a practice that appreciates them. Add an extra boost by offering A supportive, friendly, and caring team who s trained in the best practices in customer service A well-groomed team with white smiles and excellent dentistry A super-clean modern office Clearly explained treatment plans On-time appointments always Written after-care instructions and follow-up calls made by the dentist Easy financial options and assistance with insurance plans and claims A positive and responsive approach to patient complaints An enthusiastic and genuinely welcoming team who has a positive attitude. 4

6 (Excellent Value & Customer Service Continued) And don t mess up on payment processing! You may have had a patient for years who has been quite satisfied with your service and if you mix up their bill or misfile their insurance payment, they will abandon. Isn t this one of the most frequent comments you hear when you get a patient from a competitor? Run an analysis of the patients who have most recently inactivated. Have they had a billing concern or issue? Give them a courtesy call to apologize and make amends, then send a reactivation offer. Patient education matters. According to Straumann USA, only 15-20% of patients who are indicated for an implant actually undergo treatment what a waste of preliminary work! How do you ensure patients get what they want and understand they need what you have to offer? Patients do expect their dentist to help them understand recommended treatment, and not just while they re in the chair. Regularly mailed newsletters will help to support your face-to-face recommendations. You ll see a boost in case acceptance over the long-term. Ensure payment processing is always accurate! 5

7 (Excellent Value & Customer Service Continued) Educate and get the message out that you re the dental practice to choose. The right multi-channel marketing mix can help you do that. However, if your team isn t on board, or is reflecting poorly on your hard work and qualifications when they pick up the phone or talk to a patient or potential patient, then they re undermining your practice. Hold a team meeting to explain how a program to improve patient satisfaction can boost team effectiveness and morale. Brainstorm with them about how they can deliver the kind of dental services that patients want. Work on enthusiastic patient greetings for on the phone and in person try Good afternoon. You ve reached Smile Dental and this is Susan. How may I help you? or Welcome to Smile Dental. I m Susan. How may I help you? Say it with a big smile! To help you get you what you want, choose a dental marketing firm that will help you educate your patients and potential patients, facilitate call conversions, appointment fulfillment, re-appointing, case acceptance, and referral rates. Experts can make a valid assessment of your team s interactions, provide staff training, monitor results, help identify the top attributes that make your practice unique and competitive, and incorporate them into your marketing materials print, , web, and social media. Educate & get the message out that you re the dental practice to choose. 6

8 Get Started Now!...with a FREE CONSULTATION When you call, you ll also get these reports free: 1. FREE MARKET AREA ANALYSIS 2. FREE COMPETITOR BREAKDOWN 3. FREE PATIENT CLUSTER REPORT. Our team of dental marketing intelligence experts will be pleased to share with you how our documented, analyzed, and expertly created dental marketing process will virtually guarantee practice growth. With your FREE CONSULTATION, you ll receive these reports and more, absolutely free with zero obligation then you can determine if we have a solution that might suit your practice to help you keep your schedule full. Patient News will help your dental practice STAND OUT! We re available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm EST. (888) STAND OUT Achieve Your Goals Distinguish Your Practice Be THE Dentist In Your Area MEASURE Call Tracking & Scoring Success Benchmarks Performance Dashboard IMPROVE Informed Coaching Fact-Based Feedback Continuous KPI Analysis DEVELOP Practice Needs Assessment Demographic Analysis Strategic Planning IMPLEMENT Creative Development Tactical Team Training Campaign Deployment Patient News has been helping dentists grow their practices for more than 22 years. We provide a wide variety of marketing solutions for new patient acquisition and patient retention, which means that we have worked with thousands of dentists, understand your profession, and know that every practice is unique