What Does Shopping At the Grocery Store Have to DO with a Dental Office?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever noticed that when you go to the grocery store you have a list and you check it twice, but yet, when you are actually checking out you notice you have spent a lot more than you anticipated?

And you may be asking what does shopping at the grocery store have to do with dentistry?!

Consumer experts have studied our buying trends and I believe that if we look at the process of how people buy we will see some similarities how this relates to your patients scheduling and paying for your services.

First, let me be straight here and I want to be clear that I am not asking you to be Salesey and we do not want our patients to feel like we are SELLING them a bill of goods.

What is important to take away from this information is that we are in the business of caring for people. We want to offer our patients products and services that create optimal overall health and make them feel good about themselves.

You can create your own economy by offering specific services to your patients.
Do your patients know exactly what services you offer?
Do you have a menu of services listed on your website?
Do you educate your patients about the specific types of services you offer them?

AND how can you educate your patients about your services in a way that peaks their curiosity and their interest in what you have to offer them?

Have you ever noticed the stand of items next to the check out stand?
You know, that stand you probably thought had nothing you needed?
Did you ever grab something from that stand on your right and you really didn’t need it? What about the gossip magazines on your left of the check out stand?
Ever pick up one of those? I bet you have.

There is a subliminal message which occurs while you wait to check out. The grocery industry purposefully puts these stands at the check out counter – to your left and to your right. You know you don’t need those items yet, you are looking at them and maybe you pick up those gossip magazines to read. Then you don’t finish the gossip and end up spending another 3-6 dollars.

Research states that these grocery stores sell 20-30% more products JUST from people standing in the check out line.

There really can be a subtle and yet value added sale that occurs with every patient who comes to your website, on-hold phone messages and when they are in your dental office.

This is not a marketing approach but a professional and very caring approach.

If you have your approach down to a science then you will have patients accepting more care, they will return to their dental hygiene appointments on-time and you will see an increase in aesthetic cases as well.

Here are some simple tips to increase your professional approach and increase profits in your practice:

1. Offer a menu of services on your website
2. Offer on-hold messages that educate your patients about your special services. (Examples: Forever White™, Free-Whitening, Six-month Smiles, Invisalign, implants, etc)
3. Show off your home care products offered in a beautiful showcase in your reception area (Examples: Create a beautiful display of Power Toothbrushes, specialty toothpaste and mouth rinses, etc.)
4. Show off your beautiful photos of before and after treatment on your patients of record. Display these in your reception area and on your website. (Make sure you have authorization to use patients before and after photos. Make sure these are YOUR photos not a generic photo of another person’s before and after treatment.)
5. Annually, at the hygiene appointment, each patient should complete with the hygienist a smile evaluation.

These are all great ideas to improve your production and have a higher number of excited patients who never thought they could enhance their smile until you introduced your menu of services in a professional approach.

It is also very important to have effective communication in place so every team member is aware of what they need to say to enhance the value of your services. Next, it is very important to offer flexible payment arrangements. Once patients feel excited about the changes they can make with their smile and total health, offer a way for patients to pay for this desired treatment.

Next time you are in the grocery store check out line, think about how easily it is to let your mind wander to buy things you never thought you needed but just had to have.

What can you do and say to make patients feel they can’t live without your care and special services?

These are a few tips to create more RAVING FANS when you take a professional approach to sharing the good word about all the valuable services you offer.

        

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