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The beginning of almost every new patient relationship starts with a simple phone call. That call can make or break a patient’s experience and determine whether or not they will choose your dental practice. Your front desk staff could be costing you money without even realizing it by the way they are – or aren’t – addressing a patient’s needs in that initial phone conversation. It’s important for your staff to be trained on how to appropriately answer any questions a potential new patient may have, and be able to offer alternate solutions.
Call scripts are great to incorporate into your dental marketing strategy to build rapport and take control of a phone conversation in order to get them in the door. They serve as a guide and can be a great way to elevate the patient’s experience and their first impression of your dental practice.
These are just a few of the major benefits you will experience from using call scripts:
- Avoiding mistakes – by giving your front desk employees a guideline of talking points, they will be less likely to forget something or make a clerical error
- Promoting consistency – this will also allow your staff to offer the same information to all new patients and create a consistent tone throughout your dental offices
- Improving customer experience – using a script can guide the conversation so potential patients get the most out of the call in less time and are offered the best solution or most accurate information possible
The script doesn’t have to be used verbatim; the goal is for your front desk staff to understand several objectives to achieve throughout the call and have verbal cues in order to shape the conversation. We have broken down some important components of a good call script for you, so you can identify where your staff may be missing out on opportunities.
On the call, you want your front desk staff to be able to do these five steps:
1. Greeting
• Show enthusiasm and friendliness
• Mention that your practice welcomes new patients
• Express genuine interest in the prospective patient
2. Listening
• Gather information about the caller that will help to make further recommendations
• Uncover the patient’s needs
3. Take Control
• Ask open-ended questions to qualify the patient
• Learn how the caller was referred to your practice
• Praise the practice and engage with the caller to build rapport and personal value
• Describe what they can expect on their first visit
4. Data Capture
• Complete name
• Best number to reach them
• Insurance information
5. Close
• Set up an appointment for the patient
• Let them know you’re looking forward to meeting them
As you train your staff, we recommend that you use a script that is easy to skim, roleplay with your staff for training purposes, and even encourage them to be comfortable going off-script. Go ahead and brace yourself for the ultimate tool for increasing call productivity and getting more patients into your office! Give us a call today for your free assessment and see how UpSwell can help you improve on these areas of opportunity. You will be connected with one of our hyper-local marketing experts that specialize in the dental industry.
