Warm Calls, Your Biggest Practice Builder

In order to keep patients coming back, give them a call once in a while to follow up and make sure they're staying on track with their dental care.

Showing new patients that you care by welcoming them to your dental practice is a powerful marketing tool. Their dental treatment is important to their health, to them, and to you. Nothing completes the task of getting dental treatment started better than a warm call.

Warm calls can best be done by the doctor the day after the initial exam. If the patient has not yet scheduled the next necessary dental procedure, call the following day. If you can't get your patient on the phone, send a postcard. If you have your patient's cell phone number, contact them by text. If you have their e mail, email them.

Continue to follow-up once a month until you get a Yes or a No. Set aside a few minutes each day to call patients on "Will Call" "Pending" or "Unscheduled Treatment" lists. If you are not already doing this, you are missing out on a great opportunity to grow your practice and retain patients.

Warm calls are, ultimately, the intersection of marketing and sales. The only way most patients will start unscheduled treatment is if you or your office team members follow-up and ask. Take time to get your new patients started with their dental treatment. Take action and make warm calls.

Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca is author of the book ""It All Starts with Marketing: 201 Marketing Tips for Growing a Dental Practice". She is an orthodontist in private practice in Antioch, California.

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