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10 Value Propositions to Increase Case Acceptance

How do you help patients understand the value propositions behind the dental services you provide in order to increase case acceptance? Your 10 value propositions in dentistry should include:

1. You use only the finest dental materials. Crowns, for example, are replacement body parts. You do not use discount parts but only the best materials because they are long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing.
2. You do not claim to be the lowest priced dentist, but your fees are an excellent value for the dollar. It is never cheaper to do it twice.
3. Your practice is patient-centered. That means that every decision, every recommendation is first seen through the prism of whether it is good for the patient.
4. You have the very best equipment that allows you to diagnose and treat patients using state-of-the-art dentistry.
5. You have been in the community for x years, and you plan to be there for many more years. Continuity of care is very important.
6. You are concerned about the patient’s overall heath. If you routinely take the patient’s blood pressure or do oral cancer screenings, explain the critical importance of these services.
7. You have exceptional diagnostic ability. The solution you propose will work in large part because you can accurately diagnose the problem in the first place.
8. You are an artist and a scientist. The treatment you provide in your office is unique. Patients can get similar treatment somewhere else, but they can only get your artistry in your office.
9. Dentistry is a customized service, not a commodity. People can buy mass produced items in a store or online and shop for the best price. However, a crown, for example, is a custom-made restoration for that fits one tooth in the mouth of only one of the 7 billion people on the planet.  Your dentistry is one of a kind!
10. You spend time with patients and get to know them. Patients are individuals, not numbers, and they are never rushed out of your office. You genuinely like your patients and they appreciate your gentle manner. In sum, patients can trust you to keep them comfortable and provide them with excellent dentistry.  Your loyal patients know that they get their money’s worth in your office.

These 10 value propositions are very powerful. While some patients want only the lowest price, no matter what, there are many good patients who are searching not for the lowest possible price, but the best possible value. That is what you deliver.

http://www.davidschwab.com

What’s Luck Got to Do with It: Creating Your Own Success

Are successful people just the beneficiaries of good luck or do they seize good fortune in the form of opportunities and also overcome adversity? President Barack Obama commented on this issue in a commencement speech at Howard University on May 7, 2016. “That’s a pet peeve of mine: People who have been successful and don’t realize they’ve been lucky. That God may have blessed them; it wasn’t nothing you did.” (The entire speech transcript can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Obama-speech-Howard).

It is certainly true that some people are more blessed than others at birth. If your family is enormously wealthy, then you may feel that you were born on third base. If your family is desperately poor, you may feel that you are not even in the ballpark. However, the arc of life of the fortunate and the unfortunate is not predetermined.

Pick up any issue of People magazine to read about people whose God-given talents propelled them to fame and fortune—until they squandered it all due to poor choices they made in life.

The problem with ascribing success to luck alone is that it invites a corollary: failure is a result of bad luck and the unlucky among us are victims, not masters, of life. This “victim mentality” can be insidiously self-fulfilling if one wallows in self-pity.

However,there are many inspiring stories of people who overcame adversity to become highly successful. For example, there was a man who:

  • Failed in business at age 21.
  • Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.
  • Failed again in business at age 24.
  • Overcome the death of his sweetheart at age 26.
  • Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.
  • Lost a congressional race at age 34.
  • Lost a congressional race at age 36.
  • Lost a senatorial race at age 45.
  • Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.
  • Lost a senatorial race at age 47.
  • Was elected President of the United States at age 52.

His name was Abraham Lincoln. Many historians consider him the greatest U.S. President.

To be blessed with good fortune is one thing; to take advantage of good fortune and to persevere in the face of setbacks is quite another. Success is achieved not by talents bestowed but by using those talents wisely and well.

Dental Implants: Explaining Long Term Value

In this video produced by Glidewell, David Schwab, Ph.D. discusses “sticker shock” that patients often experience when they review the cost of dental implants.  There is also a new twist on a favorite analogy that can be used to explain why dental implants are a great investment and value for the dollar over time.  Glidewell’s permission to use this video is gratefully acknowledged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgOmXkzr-qM

Setting Priorities in Your Dental Practice

Setting priorities in your dental practice is even more important that you may believe. I just finished reading Darren Hardy’s new book entitled The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster. I found myself laughing out loud at some of his stories about his painful experiences as a new entrepreneur. Mr. Hardy is now very accomplished, and he related a serious story that contains a lesson for all small business owners, including dentists.

Sir Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies, including airlines such as Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard was invited to give a one-hour keynote speech for a fee of $100,000. When he declined, the company that was trying to land him as a speaker upped their offer to $250,000, but that proposal was met by another polite yet firm turn down. The company then increased the offer to a whopping $500,000 for the one-hour keynote. This offer also included a private jet for transportation. The answer was the same—thanks, but no thanks. Finally, the company decided to let him name his fee and agreed to pay “whatever it takes.”

Here is the response from Richard Branson’s office, as reported by Mr. Hardy:

“No amount of money would matter. Right now, Richard has three strategic priorities he is focused on, and he will only allow us to allocate his calendar to something that significantly contributes to the accomplishment of one of those three priorities, and speaking for a fee is not one of them.”

When I read this account, my first thought, as a professional speaker, was that if I had received such an offer, I may have been persuaded to reorder my priorities. That, however, is the problem.

Mr. Hardy writes that people such as Richard Branson and Warren Buffet achieve success, in part, because they have just a few priorities and they stick to them. Hardy suggests that you write down all your priorities, narrow them down to three, and throw the rest away!

If you develop the habit of setting priorities and have the discipline not to get sidetracked by everything else that could compete for your attention in terms of running your business, then you will be able to focus clearly on your goals.

Try setting priorities and limiting your list to just three.

And download a copy of Hardy’s book for more advice and inspiration.

www.davidschwab.com

Dentists Need Scripts for Three Reasons

Dentists need scripts for three reasons: to make the practice more efficient, increase case acceptance, and provide consistent dental patient education. The word “scripts” is used as a short-hand method to suggest what are also called “talking points.” It is not a question of reading word-for-word prepared scripts when patients ask questions, but having key phrases available that each team member can weave into their own speech patterns.

Make the Practice More Efficient. A common scenario is that patients are told they need a certain procedure, such as dental implants. The benefits of dental implants are numerous, which is all the more reason to have a script that concisely conveys the most important information. For example, “dental implants are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised. They look and function just like natural teeth. They never decay or require root canals, and they can last for decades or even a lifetime with proper care.” One can always expand on this explanation, but notice how much information is conveyed in a short message.

Increase Case Acceptance. When patients cannot decide whether to go forward with recommended treatment, you can use a very compelling script: “The proposed treatment will never be more conservative, more cost effective, or less invasive than it is today.” Let’s unpack that sentence. Everyone wants conservative rather than radical dentistry. “Cost effective” is a very good term for conveying value. Finally, if patients delay treatment, they may need more extensive treatment in the future. The concept that the treatment will never be “less invasive than it is today” nicely captures that point.

Consistent Patient Education. For procedures that you commonly provide in your office, you need to have an agreed upon list of benefits. This list, or script, creates consistent patient education. If a patient asks why a crown is needed, it is likely that everyone in the office can provide correct answers, although the answers will no doubt vary depending on the person who is responding. The great advantage of having a script is for everyone literally to be on the same page and give patients consistent answers that the doctor has deemed in advance to be the best way to answer the question.

The wording used to answer commonly asked questions should not be left to chance.  Dentists need scripts to remove variables and provide a consistent and efficient way to provide dental patient education and increase case acceptance.

www.davidschwab.com

Fire in the Trash Can: Dental Practice Management Issue

Quick! There’s a fire in the trash can in your dental office. What do you do?

You could move the trash can to another room even as it sprouts flames and then go back to business as usual. Out of sight, out of mind, you know.

But wait. Do I smell something burning? Of course! The fire is still in the trash can, and it’s spreading! Even though the trash can is in another room, the problem has not been solved, because the fire is not out. In fact, the situation poses a greater danger the longer it is ignored.

In many businesses, including dental practices, the short-term solution to many dental practice management problems is to, as it were, move the fire in the trash can to another room. Just pretend the problem doesn’t exist or hope it gets better without any intervention.

  • There is a problem brewing between two staff members in the office. Let’s change the subject and hope the problem goes away.
  • The number of new patients has been trending down. Let’s talk about that great case we had last week and put off grappling with the new patient issue.
  • One of the computers isn’t working properly. Let’s use the computer in the back while we hope miraculously that the main computer will get better with some rest.

One of the hallmarks of good dental practice management is to face problems squarely and solve them in a timely way while they are still controllable.

You may have gone to dental school and you may not see yourself as a firefighter, but one of your main jobs is putting out fires.   Follow all the rules: prevent dental practice management fires when possible, respond immediately when there is a problem, and put the fire out once and for all so that problems in the dental office do not smolder and reignite.

David Schwab, Ph.D.

www.davidschwab.com

Dental Marketing Lessons from Caesar’s

The last place one might expect to learn about dental marketing is at a casino in Las Vegas, but during my recent visit to Caesar’s Palace, I noticed some savvy marketing that every dentist can use.

I was in Las Vegas for the American Academy of Implant Dentistry meeting, which I enjoyed very much. I had dinner in the hotel at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. The restaurant was crowded so I opted to eat the bar. I watched a football game on television and ordered from the regular restaurant menu.

The bartenders were interesting to watch. They served food and drinks, kept up a friendly banter to engage the patrons, and they provided an exceptional level of service. With their peripheral vision, the bartenders could see someone signaling at the far end of the bar. They served quickly, cleared plates, and made eye contact with customers often.

I noticed that the bartenders took pride in their work and exhibited a high degree of professionalism. They anticipated their customers’ needs and provided prompt service without hovering over anyone or being pushy. The bar patrons could sit back and relax, because the pros were taking good care of them while exhibiting a great attitude, high energy, and a commitment to their profession.

The ability to scan the room and anticipate needs is also important in dental marketing. Having a laser focus on patients and letting them know that their needs will be met and their questions answered will help engender trust and respect in patients.

Many patients have told me that their have respect for their dentist and they have also often commented on the team. People notice when the staff exudes competence and a can-do attitude.

If you want to show your patients great attitude and not just talk about it, take the team to a busy restaurant and bar where the waiters and bartenders give it their all. It will be motivational and educational for the entire team and important lesson in dental marketing.

David Schwab Ph.D.

davidschwab.com

 

 

Dental Marketing: Stop Losing Dental Patients

While many practices make great efforts to attract new patients thorough dental marketing, there are practices that are losing patients at the first point of contact. I call dental practices all the time and my personal impression is that more practices are experiencing busy times during the day when they cannot answer the phone. Instead of a live person providing a greeting, patients sometimes get a recording.

There are two issues here and two very good solutions. First, being adequately staffed to answer the phones is very important but often either overlooked are rationalized away as not possible. The same practices that attend dental practice management courses and other dental seminars and come away convinced that they should provide “Ritz-Carlton” service often miss the primary reason for the success of Ritz-Carlton: the company is always well staffed with helpful people.

I have checked into discount hotels late at night when the check-in line literally snaked through the small lobby and outside the building. At the Ritz, there are always plenty of well trained staff to expedite the check-in process, answer the phone, and handle guests’ needs.

In a dental practice, if you expect people to pay your fees for extensive treatment, then you need to cover the phones, even during busy times when all lines are ringing and multiple patients are checking in and out.

I know that some people will say that due to staff budget constraints, it is just not possible to provide adequate phone coverage 100% of the time. If this scenario has to happen, then my second recommendation is to have a specific outgoing message that callers will hear when you are busy. Instead the usual, after-hours outgoing message, put a special message on your voicemail system that says something like this: “Thank you for calling Dr. Smile’s office. Our office is open today. If you got this message it just means that we are busy for a moment but we will call you right back. Please leave your name and number and we will return your call in five minutes.”

For the busy potential new patient who is calling during his or her coffee break, this message is reassuring. The patient now knows that you are in the office, you care about the call, and you will call back momentarily.  This is great dental marketing!

By following these two dental marketing tips, you will lose fewer patients and capture more new patients at the first point of contact.

David Schwab, Ph.D.

www.davidschwab.com

 

 

 

They Are Out There: Dental Implant Marketing Challenges

I know they are out there. It’s a question of finding them and bringing them into your practice with adroit dental marketing. One middle-age woman with a mouthful of broken down teeth, an unattractive smile, and significant periodontal disease recently completed dental implant treatment.   She found the dental office that helped her when she responded to the practice’s Internet advertising. For years, this individual had driven past countless dental practices. She had no doubt been bombarded by ads promising replacement teeth and a beautiful new smile. Until one day, she searched on the Internet, clicked an ad that caught her eye, and made the decision to make a new patient appointment. Her life was changed forever.

This success story reminds us that demographics are destiny: we have an aging population with significant unmet dental needs. At my recent lecture at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry in Las Vegas, I identified four major challenges in dental marketing, specifically dental implant marketing:

  1. Increasing competition. There was a time when dental implants were placed only by specialists, but now general dentists routinely offer this service. Dental implants have gone mainstream. Trying to get a patient into your practice for implant dentistry is harder because every dentist around you has the same idea.
  2. Downward pressure on fees. With more competition and some very aggressive pricing in the market place, patients are seeing eye-popping fees for dental implants. It is harder for traditional practices to justify their fees, which nonetheless remain quite justifiable.
  3. It is difficult to cut through the clutter and get your message out. Doctors are honing websites, testing Google ads, and using more targeted television advertising to find patients who need their services. It’s not about “mass mailings” any more; it’s about precise demographic and geographic targeting.
  4. People often have priorities other than needed dental implant treatment. The patient I described above is now delighted with her new teeth, but she rationalized her procrastination for years before seeking treatment.

While marketing challenges have multiplied, the profession’s ability to deliver implant dentistry in an efficient and predictable manner has also increased. I will discuss specific marketing strategies in future blogs. Finding the “right” patients requires finely-tuned dental marketing, but every day we are reminded that they are out there.

David Schwab, Ph.D.

www.davidschwab.com

You Probably Think This Blog is About You, Don’t You

One of the most interesting developments in dental practice management in recent years has been the opportunity to beam into far-away offices via Skype for team training.  While I still spend many days on the road presenting dental seminars and working with clients in my dental consulting business, I enjoy conducting virtual meetings with team members in Virginia one day and California the next without leaving my office in Florida.

My Skype training sessions are not webinars, because they are not lectures.  These are back-and-forth interactive meetings where good discussions and qualitative learning take place.

During a recent Skype session, I was telling the team, including the doctor, about the importance of letting patients know that the practice is accepting new patients.  I explained that typically many patients either do not know if the practice is open to new patients or they assume that because it takes time to get on the schedule, the practice may be closed to new patients.

I saw the expression on the doctor’s face.  He had an “aha” moment.  He suddenly realized that he could not assume that his patients would refer to him, because many patients, although very happy with his office, simply did not know that he would welcome new patients.

There are many ways to get the message out: systematically letting patients know through brief yet effective verbal messages, effective wording on the practice website, advertising, and good interior and exterior signage with the “new patients welcome” message.

The good news for doctors is that they have not fished out the stream.  There are still many potential patients who would come to the practice, if their friends and family—current patients of record—were encouraged to spread the word.

The office team I was training that day on Skype took notes and made a commitment to shift their internal marketing into high gear.  I could see the enthusiasm on their faces—another great advantage of video meetings.