How to Boost Your Dental Patient Retention

Having dental patients come to you for treatment and consultation, only for them to decline care and not return, is costly and frustrating. It’s a drain on your resources, and it doesn’t benefit the patient. But the good news is that there’s a great deal you can do about it.

As a dental specialist, you are concerned foremost with providing excellent patient care. That is why you entered the profession in the first place. However, it is important to understand that to provide the best patient care and keep that practice successful, a repeatable sales process is necessary.

Define your sales process. What is your sales process? Does it consist of scheduling the patient, consulting with him or her and delivering the case presentation, and then turning the decision over to the patient? If this is your process, you are certainly missing out.

Instead, focus on helping the patient make a decision. Patients don’t want to experience the expense, time off from work and pain that may well be associated with the procedure. They will have many reasons both spoken and unspoken for why they don’t want the treatment. If your process includes taking the time, listening to them and being available, you’ll see your patient retention increase.

Listen to objections. Whether the conversation is with the treatment counselor or the dentist, once you have made the presentation, listen to what the patient has to say. If the patient is comfortable with you and honest, he or she will share real concerns. If the patient is less comfortable, the patient may say he or she needs to think about it. The reality is that objections will often come down to the following concerns:

1. Cost. The patient may think that the treatment is not affordable or that a cheaper option can be found elsewhere. If cost is an issue, or you think it is, discuss payment options. Also explain that your costs are competitive with the standards of your region, if in fact they are. Also let the patient know that if the problem goes untreated, costs will be greater in the future.
2. Time. The patient may not believe he or she can make the time needed for treatment and recovery. Let the patient know the average recovery time. If it will require missed work, let him or her know that it will, but that delaying the procedure will cause more time to be missed in the future.
3. Delay. The patient may think it is best to pursue treatment later. If it is in the patient’s best interest to have the procedure now, let him or her know all the reasons why that is the case.
4. Pain. Pain avoidance is one of life’s great motivators. Chances are, the patient will be concerned that the treatment will hurt. Alleviate the patient’s fears by telling him or her how many of these procedures are performed, how quickly the average patient recovers and other data that will help put him or her at ease. Also let the patient know that it will probably only hurt worse if treatment is delayed.