How To Turn Dental Price Shoppers Into New Patients
How To Turn Dental Price Shoppers Into New Patients
Your front office staff needs to be trained to handle any question a potential patient throws at them...including dental price shoppers.
According to our clients, this type of phone call is one that happens multiple times a day at their dental practices. Don't waste another call on price shoppers - give your front office staff the tools they need to convert those calls into new patient appointments!
A dental price shopper can be one of the trickiest phone calls for many front office staff members to handle with confidence.
However, price shopper phone calls can be some of the most important calls your practice gets. When these potential patients call your office, your staff needs to:
- Build a rapport with the caller
- Instill confidence in your dental practice
- Discover what's the main reason the caller reached out to your practice specifically
No one calls a dentist without a reason. Each caller has a concern or a need and your front office staff has the opportunity to answer their questions, meet that need and schedule an appointment.
For many new patients calling your practice, the simplest way for them to decide on where to receive a dental treatment is the price tag.
Educating patients on what makes your practice different, high-quality and worth a price is a large part of your front office staff’s responsibility.
Your staff needs to get a dental price shopper to come in for an appointment, but doing that without offering them the specific pricing information they want can be a challenge.
Control The Conversation
- Remember the goal is ALWAYS to get the caller to schedule an appointment.
- Offer potential new patients any type of savings you can helps build rapport from the start. Having that rapport makes appointment setting and discussion on cost of services much more friendly.
- No matter what question or objection the caller has, gently guide them back to understand coming in for an appointment is the best choice.
Educate The Patient
Most patients don’t understand the inner workings of a dental practice, especially when it comes to price and insurance. The following tips can help any staff member navigate those challenging price shopper phone calls.
- Try to avoid giving a price over the phone. This doesn't mean you say, "I can't tell you the price". Iinstead, help the patient understand that there are many variables that contribute to the price for a service because each treatment plan is tailor-made for each patient's unique needs (i.e. dental implants, crown, dentures, etc.).
- Always repeat that the best way for them to get an accurate price for their treatment is by scheduling a consultation with the dentist.
- Make sure to mention when your practice is offering a free consultation or discount for that service.
- If you don’t have a current special, express your willingness to work with the patient on financing options if they don’t have dental insurance. Make sure they know your office accepts a third-party financing option like CareCredit or has an in-house savings plan for those without dental insurance.
Take Time To Practice
Role playing and practicing is the best way for your front office staff to feel comfortable handling price shoppers on the phone.
Make sure to give them time to practice so they can be confident in turning price shoppers into new patient appointments.
Remember!
- The goal is always to get the price shopper to schedule an appointment during the call.
- Focus on educating the price shopper on why there isn’t always a clear price for a dental service.
- Express sympathy, communicate that you understand that trying to afford a dental procedure and prepare financially can be stressful.
- Always remember to mention specials, discounts, in-house financing, and free consultations. Make it clear that you are here to help them afford the dental care they need!