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Most dentists want to increase their private income, maybe they have been on the latest technical course, but they do not communicate the benefits of the treatment to the patient in a way that excites them and therefore the kit from the course is still in the box
The most dangerous number in business is the number one.
The reason I say this is that you should not rely on one way of getting new clients through the door or rely very heavily on one key person in your practice. If something was to happen to that person, then would it put your practice in a perilous position?
Another example of relying on the number one is if you are an NHS Practice and most of your income is derived from the NHS, with very little coming from private sales. I have spent nearly 20 years coaching and training dentists on their ethical sales and communication skills, here are just a few reasons why some dentists find it difficult to sell private options:
Deprived area – Many dentists will tell you that they operate in a deprived area and that patients in their area have not got the finances to purchase private dentistry. If this is how they think, then you can guarantee that their private sales will be poor. I have dentists who have trebled and quadrupled private sales by changing their mind-set, from one of they cannot afford it, to one of maybe they can and I will offer it to everyone.
Making assumptions – Although this is similar to number one, it still warrants a separate explanation and paragraph. One of the biggest communication mistakes made by dentists is making assumptions about whether their patients can and cannot afford treatments. Because some dentists make this mistake, then what happens is that they don’t offer their patients the private option, or if they do, then they do it half-heartedly . If this is the case, then it’s no wonder private sales are going to be poor.
Explaining the benefits – Some dentists find it challenging to explain the difference between a private and an NHS option. I have visited many practices and observed the dentists explain the features of the products or services, but it is the benefits that the patients buy and want to know the patients have very little interest in the features, they just want to know what’s in it for me, how will they benefit.
There are many more reasons, but in my opinion, these are the top ones. As you can see some of them are communication and others are mind-set. If you want to increase your private income and rely less on the NHS, then please get in touch ashley@thesellingcoach.com
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Two Reds Are Better Than One - Ashley Latter & Chris Barrow