Patients can be challenging. They know they need your services, but when it comes time to accept treatment, they may hesitate.
Nationally, only about 34% of presented restorative treatment is accepted, according to Jarvis Analytics. That means that for every $100,000 in presented treatment, only about $34,000 is completed.
Here are seven effective ways to get more patients to accept treatment:
- Create a positive experience
- Build an emotional connection
- Identify potential roadblocks
- Deliver information based on the patient’s personality type
- Help patients overcome concerns about cost
- Give the right message at the right time
- Focus on quality of life, not quality of teeth
Click here to download the full guide to share with your team. Below are the highlights.
1: Create a Positive Experience
Your patients are forming an opinion of you long before they actually meet you. More than 75% of prospective patients visit a provider’s website before a visit, according to the Diamond Group. Try adding a 24/7 live chat feature to your website to answer questions and collect the relevant information to pass along to your team to schedule. By making it easy for patients to get the information they need, you’re creating a positive first impression.
Another easy way to create a great impression before a patient ever enters your practice is to give them a personal call. Assign a team member to identify the biggest cases for the next day and have the dentist or hygienist make a quick call to say they’re looking forward to meeting them. Most of the time, the provider will reach voicemail and that’s fine. The goal is to show your commitment to customer service and generate goodwill.
2: Build an Emotional Connection
People make decisions based on how they feel. If they like you, they’re more likely to want to do business with you.
Every interaction with every team member will influence how the patient feels about your practice. Start building rapport by asking the patient about their day or giving a compliment if you think it will be received well. Then transition into asking questions about their visit, displaying your natural empathy and compassion.
Download our guide for a list of great questions to ask.
3: Identify Potential Roadblocks to Treatment
There are three main concerns that keep people from moving forward with treatment: financial concerns, the time commitment, and fear.
By identifying any of these early on, you can address the concern and increase the likelihood of case acceptance.
You also can find out if there’s a special event coming up or another factor that could influence the patient’s timeline. Then you can pass that information along to the doctor.
4: Deliver Information According to the Patient’s Personality
Every patient is different, but they typically fall into four personality types. By identifying the patient’s personality type, you can predict how they may react to the information you need to share with them—and adjust the manner in which you deliver it.
Our guide provides deep insight into the different personality types and the best way to present treatment in each situation. Here’s a quick overview:
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