Jamie Wetherbe

The phone is often the first point of contact between your practices and potential patients. Learning to “own the phone” can make a drastic difference in the success of your business.

Your team’s ability to “own the phone” can mean calls converted to patients or missed opportunities for your practices. But with a few small adjustments to your team’s phone skills, you can turn more potential patients into productive patients.

With more than 40 practices in Texas, Jefferson Dental Clinics knows the value of every phone call. According Jefferson’s call center manager, Dalia Rios, there are many simple mistakes that can turn off a potential patient when they contact your practices. But, she says, the fixes can be just as simple.

“The most common mistakes are asking the caller to repeat themselves and asking for the appointment instead of offering one,” says Dalia Rios call center manager at Jefferson Dental Clinics.

Rios recommends employees have several days of training before jumping on a call.

“After a day of orientation to the policy and scripts, I recommend having new employees listen in for a week at a minimum,” she says. “I find that after this period, new employees are eager to jump in and learn hands on.”

Employees should also work on their welcome. An excellent greeting sets the tone of the conversation so make an impression with your enthusiasm.

Practice your introduction (you’ll be saying it several times a day) and clearly introduce your office, perhaps by including the dentist’s name or the office location.

If you’re short of ideas, follow this formula: “Thank you for calling (office name). My name is ... How may I help you?”

And, this may sound obvious, but make sure you have a pencil and paper handy so you can gather all of the patient’s pertinent information (name, phone number, email) early in the call in case the call drops or you need to follow-up.

Once you’re on the phone, you need to focus on making a connection with the caller.

“Use their name at least twice during a call to create a customized experience,” says Rios. “Listen actively to the caller so that you are prepared with a solution that serves the caller and your performance goals.”

For instance, if the caller has concerns, be sure to repeat exactly what the caller said so he or she knows you’re listening.

“Allow a difficult caller to vent, acknowledge their frustration and express to them that you will take ownership of the matter,” says Rios. “Most importantly, follow up if you say you will.”

Ask about the patient’s needs so you can provide the appropriate service. Avoid saying, “Can I book you for a cleaning?” or, “Would you like to see the dentist?”

Instead, ask more open-ended questions like, “What are you hoping to achieve with your teeth?” or, “What are your goals?”

Callers can ask hard questions, so this is your chance to prove your expertise by answering with authority and confidence. Remember, this is your dental office; you know the answers better than the caller.

“It’s important to stay in control of the call to avoid distraction,” says Rios.

If you are stumped by a tough question, write it down and share it with your team. Your coworkers might have more information, and it offers a learning experience for the whole practice.

And remember, avoid the black hole of talking cost: Focus on procedures and goals instead of price.

You should always offer an appointment – no excuses, no exceptions – and give the caller a couple of options. Offering two specific times and days increases your odds of booking an appointment by more than 40 percent.

For instance, you can ask, “Would you rather come in Monday for a morning appointment or Tuesday later in the afternoon?”

If those times don’t work, the customer will give you options that work for them. And make a note of patients’ preferences so you’ll be aware the next time they call.

This is also a chance to book more patients by asking if other members of the household would like to be scheduled for an appointment.

If the patient schedules an appointment, provide her with directions (including nearby buildings or landmarks), where to park and how to get inside.

Also remind patients of forms they might need to fill out and to bring insurance information.

You can describe the exam room experience and, if possible, inform the caller of the hygienist and dentist who will attend to them.

For instance, “When you are taken back to the exam room, our hygienist Sarah will clean your teeth and take some X-rays. Then Dr. Marks will join you for a quick exam.”

Whether or not the patient booked an appointment, always end the conversation on a positive note by thanking them for calling.

Articles

How one top DSO turns phone calls into patients

Social media isn’t just for Justin Bieber and Obama: Dental professionals are using Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to boost their business and attract patients. We talked to three of the most socially savvy dentists to see how they got their clout.

The California-based dentist known as “Dr. Flap” in the blogosphere, maintains more than one website and keeps up with 36,000 Twitter followers and 2,400 Facebook friends on his personal page.

While the 61-year-old, white-haired Cole perhaps isn’t your typical image of a social media guru, recent reports say otherwise. The 55-plus demographic is the fastest-growing group of Facebook users with nearly 10 million users in 2010, up from 1 million in 2009, according to 

, a digital agency that tracks Facebook trends.

“I see dentists in their 70s on Facebook and Twitter,” Cole said, who owned a private practice for 24 years. “Most people realize that you’re either a part of the Internet conversation, or people are talking about you without your participation.”

Cole, who often updates his Facebook page a dozen times a day and tweets twice as much, says he’s found social media success and followers by varying his content and “writing from the heart.”

“You’ll see I’m a dentist, but I’m also a real person,” he said, adding that he posts about his hobbies like running. “People want to associate with real people.”

Ignoring the advice of some social media consultants, Cole also puts his politics on his page.

There've been some discussions as far as dentists being involved in certain topics, and you shouldn’t discuss politics or religion,” said Cole, who calls himself a conservative Christian on his Twitter profile. “But if you’re going to be a real person, I think you have to be honest through your social media.”

Cole has also taken to newer social media platform 

“It seems to drive a lot of traffic because it’s very visual,” Cole said. “If I had to do it over again, early on I would be more visual on Facebook and blogging.”

The New York-based dentist, who specializes in cosmetic and restorative procedures, said he receives almost all of his patient referrals from the Internet. “About 57 percent from Google search, about 20 percent from Facebook and 18 percent from Twitter,” he said, “that’s why we take social media so seriously.”

Since stepping into the social media sphere three years ago, Connelly, 39, has attracted 16,000 Twitter followers – many who found him though the oral health-care blog he pens for 

Still, Connelly keeps his dental-focused 

“If you’re a regular person and not a dentist, following a dentist can be extremely annoying,” he said. “I don’t think people really care about teeth that much in the social media world.”

Connelly recommends following users you find interesting, reading what they post and using similar tactics as a way to formulate your social media identity.

“You have to imagine yourself being a non-dental person,” said Connelly, who often retweets news and scores from pro hockey teams his patients play for. “You have to remain interesting -- whether it’s sports, television or something that you do that’s unique, and then sprinkle a little dentistry in there.”

The periodontist in Tennessee updates his 

 and Twitter accounts, with 5,400 and 11,000 followers, respectively, all to rank higher in Google.

“My whole goal is when people type in gum disease or implants in a certain area that I would be the first name that popped up,” he said. “It’s nice to have a website but they’re static pages – they don’t change much -- and with the blog, Twitter and Facebook, there are multiple ways to link into your website.”

Welch tends to keep his posts mostly professional offering techniques related to particular procedures.

“It’s gotten my name out there with other dentists,” said Cole, who’s been practicing eight years. “We get questions and comments from dentists around the country we get a call almost every day about implants and cases.”

 channel with about 20 videos, mostly of implants and periodontal procedures (plus a clip from Friends starring Ross' weirdly whitened teeth).

“It’s just another piece of the puzzle to link to my name and my practice,” he said.

But it’s the names Welch would change if he had the chance to do it all again. “I’d change the domain names for my website and my blog,” he said. “It’s got to be really keyword specific.”