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We all know the benefits to our practices if we have as many of our patients as possible join our plan, such as regular income, patient loyalty and not to mention money coming in whilst being on holiday! The big question is how do you grow the numbers and how do you get to hear a yes more often?
Here are 12 suggestions that if implemented can torpedo the sales of your plan.. Let me know how you get on!
We all know the benefits to our practices if we have as many as our patients join our plan.
These include
1. Regular income coming in every month, improved cash flow for the business
2. Because of the improved cash flow, we can plan better and make more sensible commercial decisions
3. Because we are not living by day to day, then there is less stress and of course we can take more holidays. Whilst we lie on the beach, we are still getting paid.
4. It creates increased loyalty from our patients
5. If the patients visit the practice more often, then there will be in better dental health and more likely to invest in their teeth, we should create more cosmetic work for our Practice.
6. Increased value of your Practice. The true value is always in the patient numbers, not the physical aspects of your business.
And there are many more
The big question is how do you grow the numbers and how do you get to hear a yes more often? From training thousands of Dentists and their teams all over the world on communication skills, in this article, I am going to offer twelve proven suggestions and tips that if implemented, can torpedo your sales of your plan.
1. Belief in the Product
You cannot sell anything unless you have 100% belief in the product that you are selling. If you have no belief in the product, then I don’t care how good you are at sales, you will never be as convincing as someone who has that belief. Every person in the team needs to share the same belief, if you have one person who doesn’t, then you have a sales prevention officer in your ranks. The first thing that needs to happen, is an open discussion with the whole team to hear a presentation from the owner of the practice and why they have a plan in the practice, the purpose and the major benefits to the business by having one. The team need to be brought into the why we are doing this; otherwise they are in the dark.
2. Set goals and Targets
You will always work better if there is a goal and a target to reach. So set a target for your team, monthly ones are best and ensure that you have a chart in the staff room with the scores/data on. The whole team needs to see how they are doing every day and a chart in the staff room will work well. I would also suggest that you offer a commission or a bonus scheme if they reach the agreed target, it gives the whole team an incentive and everyone loves incentives.
3. Never make assumptions
The biggest communication mistake made by Dentists and their team members is they make assumptions on whether a patient can, or in some cases, cannot afford to pay for treatment. Because of this mistake, it costs Practices thousands of pounds worth of lost income every year. I often see the same mistake being made when the team are presenting the plan, they make assumptions. Offer it to everyone; never make any assumptions, you will be pleasantly surprised who takes it up.
4. Create the right environment
One of the things I suggest to my clients is to answer all your new patient enquires into the Practice away from the desk. There are many advantages if you can do this, the major one is that there are no distractions and you give 100% of your attention to the new patient on the telephone. This also goes to when you are selling the plan. If you can present the plan to the patient in an environment where there is no distractions and noise, you will increase your uptake. You are having a conversation with a patient about healthcare; ideally we need to do this in an environment that befits the discussion
5. Have Specialists
Everyone in your practice is in sales and in ideal world; you want everyone to be able to have a world class Ethical Sales & Communication Skills. However, you will always have one or two stars in your team; ideally you want them to be the specialists. As football teams have centre forwards to score the goals, it might be not a bad idea to have a couple of people who focus on converting patients to the plan.
6. Develop a script
I know scripts are not everyone’s cup of tea. However, great actors and actresses learn scripts before they go on stage, or before they perform. Excellent sales people learn scripts. You need to know what’s in the plan and how the patient can benefit and if I woke you up at 3am in the morning; you can wake up and communicate the benefits of the plan to me, without missing anything out. That’s the standard you need to get to.
7. Communicate the Benefits
People will only take action if there is something in it for me (w.i.i.t.f.m) for short. So when you explain the plan to the patients, people are not interested in the features of the plan, they are only interested in the benefits. If you want to move people to action, focus all your language on how they will benefit and ensure it is communicated with enthusiasm and passion.
For example a feature of the plan might be world wide emergency cover. On its own it is boring, however, if you now link this to a (benefit) this will mean that if you have any problems abroad, you can visit a local Dentist who will get you out of pain, fix your problem, so that you can enjoy your holiday without any worry. Can you see the difference?.
8. Create a different Proposition
Your number one asset for your business is not the premises, it is not the equipment, the number asset is your database of patients who are members of your plan. That list has significant value, so use it. Go to the local shops, restaurants in your town inform them of your list, create a membership plan and see if they will offer discounts or incentives for your members, if they visit their establishments. Most businesses are poor at marketing and have no idea. Just think, if you had say ten shops and restaurants that will offer your members discounts, now you have added value to your plan. It will increase sales.
9. Close on the day
Joining your plan is not a life changing decision. It is of tremendous value to the client, especially if you take up my suggestion in number 8. Please never say to a patient after explaining the benefits of the plan to go home and think about it. If you do that, that is exactly what they will do, think about it. They will never join your plan. If you don’t close, you lose and so does the patient. Ask your patients to join the plan, if you don’t ask, they cannot say yes.
10. Follow up
Accept that there may be some patients who do want to go home and think about it, or discuss it with their partners, if this is the case, follow up with the patient at home either by telephone, text or by email. Please also ensure that you are marketing the plan every day, five days a week. Don’t do it spurts. Spurts don’t work. If you don’t shop for food, you will starve; it is the same with your plan. If you don’t offer it every day, you are starving your business.
11. Don’t take rejection personally
Please accept that the whole world is not as enthusiastic and passionate about your plan as you are. Some people would rather have a tattoo on their arm, than join your plan. Accept it, move on and never ever take it personally, it is not you they are rejecting, it is that they just don’t see your plan high enough as a priority. Some will, some won’t, so what, someone is waiting, next.
12. Celebrate
Finally, once you reach your targets, or exceed them, ensure that some sort of celebration takes place. A night out with the team, a few drinks after work, but celebrate your success.
There you have it, 12 Strategies that if you make part of your culture, you should see an increase in the sales of your plan. What is now important is a retention plan. There is no point in signing them up if you don’t have a plan to keep them on board.
If you would like to read more tips on how to communicate effectively and create the perfect patient journey in your Practice then please get a copy of my book “Dont Wait for the Tooth Fairy.” It makes no difference whether you are a National Health Dental Practice or a top end Cosmetic Dental Practice, if you have a passion for providing excellent communication to your Patients then you will love this book and consequently deliver more of the dentistry that you have trained so hard for and love to do!
Get your copy here for only £15. Dont Wait for The Tooth Fairy 🙂
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