In order for a potential client to become your patient, you must first get them to show up for that critical first visit. If you and your staff can get them to show up, you can usually convert them into a long-term patient.

The secret to getting new patients into your office is to make it easy. Remove as many barriers as possible. What is a barrier? A barrier is anything in the mind of a potential client that would prevent him or her from scheduling an appointment with your office. Or worst yet, scheduling and not showing up! It is extremely important that your staff knows exactly what to say (and what not to say) to new potential clients on the phone. Have you taken time lately to listen to how your new patient calls are handled?

The following scenario is an example of setting up barriers . . .

Receptionist -- answers phone (after 10 rings, out of breath): "Doctor's Office, how may I help you?"

Potential Client: "I'm new in town and I would like to schedule an appointment to have my teeth cleaned -- I don't need any x-rays."

Receptionist -- pauses, then replies: "The Doctor requires that all new patients have a complete, comprehensive exam."

Potential Client: "What does that mean and how much does that cost?"

Receptionist: "The exam includes a Panorex, four bitewing x-rays, study models, periodontal screening and a visit with the doctor. The fee for all this is $166, cash or check."

Potential Client: "Uh, I'll call you later." Click!!

In our office, we learned to simply say, "Sure! No problem. What's a good time for you?" Works wonders. No barriers. We simply agree to their perceived needs and get them to make an appointment.

After they show up, we use all the skills we have learned over the years to win them to our way of thinking. We use co-diagnosis between the Dental Team and the Doctor (very powerful). We use our verbal skills. We educate, educate, educate! We use the intra-oral camera, Caesy Educational Series and tons of other stuff. We are extremely effective in converting most of these people into real patients -- patients that want more of the services we offer.

Examples of other potential barriers:

• Not accepting dental insurance
• Not treating children (a really BIG barrier)
• Not having any type of financing available
• Not performing certain dental procedures such as dentures, root canals, extractions or implants
• Not providing sedation or I.V.
• Not doing "white fillings"
• Not offering cosmetic services
• Not seeing potential clients ASAP
• Etc., Etc.

There is no end to the potential barriers that can be created! The key to increasing your conversion ratio is to keep the barriers to a minimum. Get potential clients into your office, not some dental office down the road.

We believe the "standard of care" for our patients should reflect the same standard we would want for our immediate family or ourselves. If we lose a potential patient to a high volume clinic, what chance do you think they have in receiving this level of care? If, on the other hand, we can get them into our office, we feel that we can eventually convert them to our way of thinking and provide them with the standard of care we offer.

Many of the patients we receive from our external marketing need a lot of dental work and most are not educated as how to have a healthy dentition, a nice smile and fresh breath for a lifetime. Do you think these people want bad breath, bleeding gums and ugly teeth? Of course not! We simply educate them -- we show them how to take care of their teeth and gums; we show them how to have fresh breath; we show them how they could have a whiter, brighter smile. We educate them on the benefits of having a healthy dentition for a lifetime. We emphasize such benefits as increased life expectancy, social acceptance, increased self-esteem and the ability to eat and chew what they want.

We often ask our patients to think about what they want their dental health to be one year, five years or twenty years from the present. We ask them to actually visualize what it would be like without their natural teeth. To help them, we often hand them a full denture. We ask them to imagine how it would feel to chew their food with plastic teeth.

You might be thinking that these are strong tactics. You would be absolutely correct! Most people have not spent one minute thinking about the future of their dental health.

Once we convert the patient to our way of thinking, we tailor the patient treatment to their needs. In the more neglected cases we concentrate on getting the patient healthy first -- free from decay and periodontal disease. Typically, as these patients see their gums, breath and overall health improve, they are more receptive to the more permanent dentistry at their disposal. Again, it is just a matter of education.

These patients also tend to send their family and friends! They are grateful that we took the time to teach them and they trust us because we have earned that trust. They are more likely to accept future recommendations that we make.