As we mentioned in our previous post, dental marketing is more valuable now than ever before. Your communication before and during your re-opening will be the key to attract and book high-quality new patients and retain more of your current patient base. In times of change, especially your re-opening, your front office staff plays a major role in your marketing strategy and they play a critical part in retaining your current patients and winning new patients. 

If you want to learn how to attract high-quality patients before and during your re-opening, sign up for our Masterclass, Growing Your Practice Post-Pandemic: How to Overcome Patient Fear of COVID-19 to Win New Patients & Sustain High Patient Flow Through 2021.

Reschedule & Retain

Whether your staff diligently rescheduled patients during the closures, or simply canceled all of your existing appointments, as soon as you have a tentative re-opening date, your front office staff needs to work quickly. Each patient needs to be contacted individually to get them back on your schedule. When you have your re-opening date, you need to run online ads that spread the word when you are re-opening and what treatments are being prioritized. Your front office staff should be well-informed of the ads you are running, so they can confirm that information and expand on any details as they reschedule patients. There will also be new obstacles your front office staff will face with your current patients, regarding safety, and preparing your staff for those conversations will help you reschedule and retain more of your current patient base.

Communicating Safety & Urgency

When your front office staff reaches out to these patients, many will be hesitant to book an appointment. Even after you re-open, many of your patients will still be afraid of catching the virus, and they will avoid booking an appointment until you rebuild trust with them. Remember, your patients haven’t lost trust with you specifically, but they have lost trust in the safety of their environment due to this pandemic, and need reassurance. Your front office staff can help patients overcome this fear and build trust by preparing to talk to patients about the improved safety of your office. Prepare a list of your safety and sterilization measures (including the steps you were completing before the COVID-19 closures) that your front office staff can read to patients who want to know whether it is safe to be in your practice. Additionally, your front office staff should communicate the importance of oral health to overall health, which will provide urgency that these patients should book an appointment.

Answer COVID-Related Questions

The biggest challenge your front office staff will face will be answering COVID-related questions. These hesitant patients will have many questions about the safety of your office. Collaborate with your front office staff to prepare answers to these questions, such as:

• Is it safe to come to your practice?
• Will I have to wait in a waiting room with other people?
• Are you checking patients for symptoms before treating them?
• How are you sterilizing your office?
• Is it safe for my kids to come in?
• Is there a virtual way to be treated?

If you need help training your front office staff to book more high-quality patients, set up a call with us.

Confirm Your Marketing

As you re-open, your marketing will spread the word that you are available and that your practice is safe for patients. The information you communicate in your marketing needs to be confirmed by your front office staff. Keep your staff informed of the ads you are running, so they can confirm and expand on that information: whether it is about safety measures, availability, rescheduling, or special re-opening offers. When patients are met with confirmation and reassurance at every step of your marketing, you will build trust with them. Your front office staff is the final step for patients to book an appointment, so make sure they are well-equipped to answer any last-minute questions and reassure patients they are making the right choice booking with you.

If you want to learn how to attract high-quality patients before and during your re-opening, sign up for our Masterclass, Growing Your Practice Post-Pandemic: How to Overcome Patient Fear of COVID-19 to Win New Patients & Sustain High Patient Flow Through 2021.