Many offices are looking for the “secret sauce” to getting the word out and enrolling their patients into their dental savings plan. Believe it or not, it’s not magic! A lot of what offices find is that it comes down to offering good value, combined with old fashioned PR and getting their team on board by providing them with training while rewarding their hard work. We’ve collected a list from our clients of what works for them so we can help you generate more revenue by selling more plans!
Team:
a) Get All Team members On Board – Educate your entire team about your plan and how they benefit your patients, as well as how the plans help your office and them. Execution is only as good as the team – once the team is on board, sales can happen.
b) Setup computers and iPad with Bookmark to Purchasing Your Plan – DentalStores customers can use the convenient Tablet Quick Store and Membership Quick Check Page. This means all team members can place an order from each of the ops and front desk. They can also verify membership quickly. Their staff knew how to use the store to purchase the plan, as well as the membership checking tool. The iPad we provide can be used as a floater.
c) Make Your Plan a Part of Production Goals – Categorizing plan sales as part of production makes sense, since it is service. It encourages your team to promote it more.
d) Incentivize Team Members – DentalStores can track team members sales for KPIs in the case you are interested in giving related bonuses to your staff. We’ve seen first hand incentives working – even in product sales! Whether it’s a quarterly bonus or some other reward for hitting production goals, incentivizing is the spark that starts the fire.
Marketing:
a) Facebook Posts and Ads
b) Offline Ads – ie. local newspapers.
c) PR / Media – Contact local newspapers and have a story written up about your new offering. We’ve even seen offices have TV segments with a local channel that was highlighting local business initiatives.
d) Email blast – Emailing your existing patients is a great place to start. Offices have had existing patients purchased plans as a gift for other family members (non-patients). Business owners may want to purchase the plan for employees.
e) Collateral Materials – Have business cards specifically created for your savings plan with a professionally designed logo (we can help with the business cards). Brochures are also great for having a professional appearance. It gave something for the patient to look at in office and take home. Some offices prefer large signage in their waiting room area to get their patients’ attention.
f) Refer A friend – Having a referral system in place incentivizes your patient to spread the word about your office (and your plan).
Pricing/Other:
a) Offer multiple ways to pay – Credit Card, Care Credit, Check, Cash, etc.
b) Great Value at a Good Price Point – Having volume discounts for family members and multi-year plans discounts can incentivize patients to pay upfront for multiple years or enroll the entire family at your practice (which equals more $). Moderately priced plans that provide good value for patients and cover the production costs of servicing the plans are usually the way to go.
c) Include $10 Gift Card to Patient Store – By bundling products and services together, it encourages patients to follow through with home-care regimens and have better oral health! (DentalStores can help you do this too).
d) Create an easy to remember short link – This will direct patients right to your membership plan so they can purchase it.
Bottom line – offering great value, marketing your plan, reasonable prices and properly training your staff is a recipe for success for your dental savings plan.