Ep 207: Marketing to Your Existing Patient Base

 

Most practices focus all their energy on attracting new patients—but the real goldmine is the people already in your chairs. In this week’s episode, Jeff reveals proven strategies to keep patients active, complete more treatment, and generate more referrals from your current base. 

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Questions From This Episode

Why should a dental practice market to its existing patients?

Jeff says a healthy general practice should earn at least 65 to 70% of its revenue from patients of record, yet most marketing targets new patients. Existing patients already have diagnosed needs, such as those on your incomplete treatment list, so marketing to them can make sales easier. He says this can double or triple volume, revenue, and referrals in an established practice.

How do you tell whether your practice has a retention problem?

Compare your total charts to the number with a next visit date. Jeff says an average office with 5,000 charts may have only 1,000 to 1,500 patients with a next visit scheduled. He says about 20% of patients chase you for appointments and about 60% need follow-up, so a practice that only follows up with the easy 20% loses the rest.

How often should you contact patients who have no next visit date?

Jeff says doctors at his seminars most often answer once a week, and he thinks that is reasonable. With 3,500 patients without a next visit, that is about 3,500 calls a week, or 700 a day over five days, so you may need to spread calls across the team or hire someone dedicated to reactivation. He also says no patient should leave without a next visit date.

What should a patient newsletter include?

Jeff recommends a homemade quarterly newsletter, mailed on a folded 11 by 17 sheet, rather than a canned one. It can include a short educational article, team and office news, highlights of services your patients need with before and afters, and a special offer such as a free consultation as a call to action.

How can you market specific services to patients already in your practice?

Pick the services you want to promote, such as implants, veneers, or clear aligners, and show the end result with tasteful posters and videos in the reception area. Jeff suggests repurposing the videos on your website and social media, and sending targeted emails or letters to patients whose treatment plans show they need a service. Staff should be able to answer patient questions about these procedures.

Episode Transcript

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Ep 208: Using Statistics to Take Control of Your Practice

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EP 206: Reviving Struggling Areas of Your Practice