Does it stack up as an attractive offer to the patient? Are there ... Too many front desk staff use plan leaflets as a '
Ten tips on
HOW TO PROMOTE A PLAN
1
Get the plan right The first thing to get right when selling a plan membership is the plan itself. Does it stack up as an attractive offer to the patient? Are there enough reasons for the patient to make the move from PAYG to the plan? The collective benefits of joining the plan should make it a very easy decision for the patient.
2
Believe in the Plan If you don’t believe the plan is the right thing for the patient, then don’t expect the patient to believe it. Everyone in the team has to firmly believe that the plan provides the patient with the best outcomes all round – financial, convenience and most importantly, the best way of achieving excellent oral health.
3
Make it the default position For new patients, promote the plan as the default position. That is, when you have a new patient enquiry, don’t offer a choice in the first instance, tell the patient that the way the practice operates is through a patient membership scheme and back that up with the reasons you operate in this way – i.e. because it’s the best way of ensuring the patient gets the most comprehensive and regular dental treatment they require.
4
Know your stuff Whatever you do, don’t try to blag the conversation with the patient. Make sure every team member knows how the plan works, what the costs are, what the benefits are and how they should be communicated. If necessary, practise selling the plan to each other. The more ingrained the details of the plan become, the easier it is to have a natural conversation that doesn’t sound like a scripted sales pitch.
5
Prescribe the plan Patients respect the dentist’s knowledge, experience and advice. That’s why joining the plan should be ‘prescribed’ by the dentist. The conversation is very simple and quick and won’t impact on time in the surgery, it goes like this…
Mrs Smith, I notice you’re not on our patient membership plan, it’s something that I would strongly advise that you do. There are lots of benefits, but most importantly, it encourages you to attend regularly so we can ensure we maintain the oral health levels that you want. Please have a chat with the team on reception and they can let you have all the details, and even get you signed up today, if that’s what you’d like to do.
6
Don’t rely on the leaflets Too many front desk staff use plan leaflets as a ‘get out of jail free’ card. It’s an easy way of transacting the information about the plan without having the conversation with the patient. However, the risks are too great. Firstly, you probably won’t see that patient again for at least six months, possibly longer. Secondly, there’s a strong possibility that the leaflet gets put in a drawer and forgotten about. The leaflet should be a back-up to the conversation, for those patients not prepared to commit on the day – it’s not an alternative to the conversation. It can also be given to patients who have signed up as a reminder of the benefits of the plan.
7
It’s not just about the front desk Building a successful plan is the responsibility of the whole team. Everyone should know the details of the plan and feel comfortable talking about it and recommending it whenever the opportunity arises. It needs to start, in surgery, with the recommendation of the dentist and follow through to a further conversation at the front desk. Don’t leave the selling of the plan to just one person.
8
Make the process easy No-one likes a long-winded process. How easy is it for patients to sign up whilst in the practice? Can they do it online? Is it possible for you to pre-populate some of the information of the membership form to make it easier? The easier it is, the more positive responses you’ll get.
9
Talk about benefits not features Too many practices fall into the trap of talking about the features of the plan and not the benefits. Patients buy benefits, not features. It’s easy to move from a feature to a benefit by using the connecting phrase…’which means that…’ So for instance:
Mrs Smith, our plan comes with worldwide dental trauma insurance (feature) which means that should you have an accident abroad that results in a dental trauma we’ll pay for an emergency appointment with a local dentist to ensure you get the treatment you need (benefit).
Make sure you go through the features of your plan and get a clear understanding of what benefits they deliver.
10
Plant the seed You can start the promotion of your plan before you have the conversation with the patient in a number of ways:
Posters around the practice will communicate the benefits as patients wait for their appointment. You can also do the same, perhaps using video testimonials or a recommendation for the dentist if you have a TV screen in your waiting area. Having a leaflet dispenser on the reception desk with clear messaging on the dispenser will also help. The benefits of the plan and why you recommend it should also be on your website and perhaps talked about on your social media pages. The more places you put the information, the more chance it has of connecting with your patients.
DPAS Limited, Place Farm Courtyard Court Street, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6LW
Telephone: 01747 870910 Email:
[email protected] | www.dpas.co.uk
