How to increase your PPC

It’s almost like hitting the lottery.

You’re sending postcards out, and you get a call that turns into a whole family worth of new patients. Maybe the woman of the house called and scheduled herself, her 2 kids, and her husband!

GREAT, 4 patients in one call! That’s like getting two toys in your Cracker Jacks!

What if every call could net you more than one new patient?

Well, why not take the steps to bring up your Patient Per Call (PPC) average.

Every office should have a PPC of at least 1. I would argue it should be at least 2. That means for every call you get to the office, you should net 2 new patients.

How do you increase this percentage? The same exact way you get more referrals…ASK!!!

While I was at Jerry’s SofTouch managed practice, I overheard a new patient call come in to Ann, the front office specialist, and she answered a question or two, and booked the new female patient.

Before she hung up the phone, she asked, “Are you married?” I am assuming the answer was yes because Ann then followed up with “We could get your husband in to see Dr. Zachary at the same time you come in…should I go ahead and schedule him too?”

The conversation continued until Ann had booked the wife, the husband, and 1 child. Three total patients from one call.

Ann could have easily hung up the call after the wife booked, and celebrated the single new patient, but she took it a step further…and asked a simple question, “Are you married?” These three words led to an additional 2 new patients.

On this first call, almost everyone will have someone they know, even if they are not married, that will need to make an appointment at the dentist. TO take advantage of this, add these statements to your new patient call script:

“Are you married?”

“Do you know anyone else that would like to take advantage of the offer?”

These two statements alone will help set the stage for referrals, and increase your PPC average, not to mention your marketing ROI.

Have a profitable week!!!

Creating a "WOW" experience.

Hello again, for this entry, I have decided to include video I discovered on the World Wide Web.

The video depicts a pediatric dental office. I don't know where, or who the owner is, I merely know that even as an adult, I WANT TO GO THERE!

This video takes the Walt Disney theory to heart, "Do what you do so well that people can't resist coming back for more and telling their friends to do the same."

The amazing thing about the following videos is they were uploaded to the net by a patient. The doctor possibly has no idea they are floating around. Think about it, this patient liked the office so much, s/he took a video of it, AND uploaded it for the world to see.

Do you think this person talks about this office often. I bet they do, every time s/he gets a chance.

So, action to take tip for this entry: watch the video, and think of how you can provide this type of experience for your patients.



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PR Nightmares

In a recent issue of The Dental Profit Report, I talked about word of mouth and how negative word of mouth spreads much quicker than positive word of mouth.

This brought me to two somewhat humorous, but very true examples.

The first comes from two regular guys and their stay at a hotel. Be aware, this presentation has not only made the rounds of the corporate office of the named company, but also has seen many millions of views on the internet, and IT IS A TRUE STORY. Click on the titles on the left of the page to advance slides.

http://www.snopes.com/business/info/badhotel/frame.htm

And, the article testifying to the truthfulness of this from Snopes which is a website that proves or disproves viral content and urban legends.

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/badhotel.asp

Ok, for our second example that may hit a little closer to home. Someone has actually taken the time to create and maintain a website at www.baddentist.com.

This has become a nightmare for this dentist, and due to the displeasure of the creator of this website, continues to haunt him to this day. The website picks apart every minor move this particular dentist makes and even gets additional press from the dentist himself. For you law minded doctors out there, there is no libel or slander here, because all of the information provided on the site has been proven.

Here's another to note: www.worstdentist.com.

Now hopefully, for your practice, the examples above will never happen, but that doesn't mean the negative word of mouth does not spread. There are steps to combat this negative spread, and promote positive word of mouth. I have listed a few below:

1: Treat all of your patients as if they are your only patient. They do pay the bills. Also, they do know at least 10 other people that could use your services.

2: Communcate with them often. Send a monthly newsletter or even a handwritten thank you.

3: Take care of problems immediately! Try to avoid problems, but when there is a problem, dedicate quick personal response, it will lead to happier patients.

4: Take surveys. Verbal, writen, or by phone. A simple "Id there anything we could have done to make your visit better?" is a good way to know how the patient feels about their treatment and care. It will also provide great feedback as to what you could do in the future for all your patients.

For now, that is all. Remember, your patients perception is your reality.

Have a profitable week!!!