Are your enquiries up? Get ready for new regulars!
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 3rd March 2022
If you are in a position to accept new patients, including referrals, you need to ensure that you will be offering them an exceptional experience at every stage, as well as a successful clinical outcome.
You may have noticed more enquiries from people not on your list; if someone is unable to get an appointment at their regular practice with their preferred dentist, and doesn’t want to wait, they’ll be ‘shopping around’ just like any other savvy consumer. Other reasons for an uptick in enquiries could include a patient desiring treatment which isn’t available at their own surgery. Or, if they’re in research mode, they could simply be interested in seeing who has a brilliant – and better – reputation for offering this service.
Whatever is behind the increased volume of phone calls, emails or hits on your website, you must be ready to impress. Every new lead is a potential loyal regular; a truly successful treatment plan is not just a complete treatment plan, but one where the patient has been motivated to continue attending reviews and adhering to guidance and advice for keeping the result stable. This is about word-of-mouth too, which is often the most trusted source of recommendation for people looking to change dentist. They’ll be asking around, they’ll looking on platforms like Facebook; even if your social media is well-managed there is no way that you will hear or read everything that is being said or written about you. But when you are confident in giving people a wonderful treatment journey, unfiltered feedback should be nothing to worry about.
How to start preparing for an influx of new patients? If this isn’t something you have had to do for a while, it can be a productive exercise. Begin by walking through the process of making an enquiry or booking. Is your appointments system efficient, flexible and user-friendly? Do your front-desk staff feel up to speed on your treatments list and payment options, so they can answer queries correctly and promptly? Identify gaps, then find solutions. Anything from extra training to a complete overhaul of your practice management processes, including new software, could be the answer.
In fact, a high-tech surgery always impresses, so why not consider what other investments could be made. When patients can see you have cutting-edge technology, for improving their time at the dentist, this is a reason to make you their go-to. Digital technology can make visits faster and more comfortable, streamlining tasks; CAD/CAM has revolutionised the fast fabrication of accurate restorations, for example.
A happy team is one of your best advertisements, especially for a new patient who will spot the signs of an unhappy workforce immediately. A great team needs a practice environment that enables them to deliver care of an exceptional standard. Ensure all schedules give enough time for appointments, including discussions and conversations which are all-important when building new relationships and loyalties. As well as cutting-edge equipment, they deserve to have the best materials to work with, that support smooth workflows and successful clinical outcomes. They must be easy to handle too, so everyone enjoys working with them – your impression material should be a favourite with the dental nurse and your chosen lab, not just the dentist.
Have an overhaul of your stock, to check you are only using the hardest-working multitaskers that have a broad range of indications. Look at testimonials, and find out what other dentists are using. Materials really are a key element to driving up standards and for enabling minimally invasive techniques and conservative treatments that modern clinicians want to deliver. The best materials will allow you to do things faster and cheaper, without any compromise to the end result. COLTENE has materials for specialist and general dentistry, including some truly innovative products that professionals love. Its restorative range is particularly well-praised; for example, its BRILLIANT™ EverGlow universal composite, which is pliable yet won’t stick to instruments, also strong, blending naturally to adjacent teeth thanks to the Duo Shade system. Or, you could try Crios reinforced composite block, ideal for inlays, onlays, conventional and implant-supported crowns and veneers. Crios combines the advantages of a hybrid composite with those of CAD/CAM fabrication, so no separate firing process; these are high-performance products that will give you a reputation for delivering strong, beautiful restorations par excellence.
Patients want quality treatment and there are many looking for a new practice, because they want to invest in a particular treatment, or their loyalties have changed. If you have seen more interest, ensure that all the care you provide is a perfect match for their sky-high expectations. Refresh your processes, ensure your team is ready, look at what new equipment to invest in and choose only the highest-quality materials that enable efficient workflows and predictable enduring results, delivered conservatively.
Nicolas Coomber COLTENE National Account & Marketing Manager
For more on COLTENE, visit www.coltene.com,
email info.uk@coltene.com or call 0800 254 5115.
