How Asking Questions and Slipping Into Discovery Mode Helps Build Relationships
The typical consumer will “shop around” for a dental office that can handle their implant needs. Most people in today’s society have a consumer mindset and will go out of their way to find an office that is ideal for them. How can your team help them see that your office is the perfect fit for their implant care?
Patients’ first impressions of the practice can be positively or negatively impacted by how the team handles the initial “phone consultation”. Keep in mind that you only get one chance to make a great first impression. As a patient advocate, ask the appropriate questions to determine whether or not the patient is a qualified lead for dental implants.
Disqualified Leads
A disqualified lead is someone who has moved through the qualification process and has exhausted all options. This is someone who doesn’t have the resources or support from others in their circle in order to start treatment within the next three months.
This, however, doesn’t mean that they’re not interested in starting treatment. The implant advocate who is helping the potential patient should help to review any and all potential options, such as:
- Financing
- Financing with a cosigner
- Loan from traditional lenders
- Asking a friend/relative for assistance
- Breaking treatment down into phases
Every single patient, whether they’re able to begin treatment immediately or not, should always have a “next step” in regards to obtaining their smile goals. This could look like:
- Asking friends or relatives, not for money, but to help them get healthy
- Working with credit repair companies to see if they’re able to improve their credit and obtain financing in the future
- Coming in for the consultation and finding out if they can take treatment in stages
- Looking into dental insurance/discount plans to see if it would benefit them financially
As an implant advocate for patients, it’s important to open a line of communication and always look for a way to extend that olive branch. Patients should never be left feeling as if there is nothing they can do. Everyone has a next step!
Follow-Up Schedule for Disqualified Leads
When a patient is considered “disqualified,” it’s important to still stay in contact with them. Let the patient know what to expect by establishing a follow-up schedule. While they’re working on their “next steps” to get where they need, let them know that you’ll reach out to them in two weeks to see if they have any questions, concerns or if you can be helpful in any way. Maintain the two week communication moving forward so the patient can feel secure that you’re going to consistently follow up and they’ve got an advocate they can reach out to in case of questions. Relationship building is incredibly important when working with implant leads.
