The Q4 Baton Pass

Q4 Follow Through

Fall. The holidays. Family. Festivities. Dental treatment…? 

 You may be humming the tune,  “One of these things is not like the other”, but if you want massive practice success and loyal, happy patients…keep reading. 

As we move into Q4, let’s not allow the excitement and glitz of the above distract us from this very important, busy and prosperous time of year.

Run your unscheduled treatment reports.

Run your overdue hygiene reports.

Take the time to reach out to those patients requiring treatment and service. In Q4 we are passing the baton much like in a distance medley relay. In the relay, we don’t slow down at the end…we use every last bit of energy we have to pass off to the team mate, or in this case the New Year, who is firing out of the gate!

Let’s face it. Dentistry is typically not the first thing on most patient’s to-do list. Which is why it is SO important for us to follow up! Hopefully, we have been doing this all year, but if not, there is not time like the present.

Whether your practice is insurance driven or fee for service, many patients have unused insurance benefits. Perhaps there are patients who will benefit by finishing up one half of the treatment this year and maximizing their benefits to then be able to schedule the second half the first week of January! What a nice touch to let your patients know you are thinking about these things for them. And a nice New Year’s gift for you to come back to a full schedule

So run the reports. Today. And commit to a time block each day where you will reach out to these patients.

Keep the calls short and meaningful. Dentistry is not optional care. We cannot have healthy bodies without a healthy mouth. Let your patients know how much they matter to you by making these calls.

For hygiene:

“Hello Mr. Jones, your name came up during our morning meeting. Dr. Smith said he hasn’t seen you in a while and asked me to check in on you. He was right! It’s been quite some time and he would like me to find the soonest available appointment for you.  Dr. Smith and Mary can see you next Thursday at 2:00”

For treatment:

“Hello Mr. Jones, your name came up during our morning meeting. Dr. Smith asked me to call and check in on you. She is concerned about the areas of decay she found at your last exam and asked me to find her soonest available appointment for you.”

For voicemail:

“Hello Mr. Jones, this is Mary with Dr. Smith’s office. Could you please call me at this number ASAP.?”

This is a surefire way to get your patients to call you back. Stick to this short, simple script and your patients will act. Avoid messages like, “Just calling to schedule your appointment”, or “You’re overdue” or “It’s time to schedule your cleaning” or “Call us back to schedule your appointment”.

Remember, just like the relay, WE control our race. We win when our patients win and we owe it to them to give them the courtesy of intentional follow up and high-touch customer service.

Stay tuned for our next blog on how to handle appointment pushback when making these calls.  We will discuss simple ways to help guide our patients onto the schedule using value-driven beliefs.  

If you like what you’re reading we’re thrilled!  Any comments or questions?  Let us know by commenting below.  And as always…feel free to spread the love and share!

Cyndee Johnson is a world expert in hygiene production and delivering value proposition in dentistry. Her unique programs and collaborative team of experts bring success to those who call upon their services.

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