3 Ways to Increase Treatment Plan Acceptance
What would it mean for your dental practice if you could get more patients to say yes to your treatment plans? How much could you grow your practice if just one out of every two “nos” turned into a “yes” when presenting a treatment plan? And, how amazing would it be if you could get there without having to make a hard sell to your patients?
I don’t need to tell you how important case acceptance is for your dental practice. Maybe it’s not as sexy and exciting as marketing, but if you could increase case acceptance rates by even 10% or 20%, what kind of a difference would that make in your bottom line?
The good news is you can make that improvement, and potentially more. And there’s a pretty straightforward way to go about it. Here’s what you need to know.
There is no limit.
Before we get into the three simple steps to turn “nos” into “yesses,” it’s important to understand that the only limit on how many cases you can close — including high-value cases — is the limit you set in your mind. In other words, there’s no ceiling on the number of cases you can close and the amount of money you can earn, and I want you to really think about that.
A lot of dentists hear me say that and they immediately push back. They’ll say, “We’re totally booked up, I’m working crazy hours, I can’t possibly do any more.”
If that's what you’re thinking, I’m going to show you exactly how to double or triple whatever your financial goal is. You’ll be able to use it again and again, and you’re going to be able to get the same positive results every single time. By doing so, you’ll be able to reshape your schedule, making more money while even working fewer hours and performing more life-changing dentistry instead of just drilling and filling. Here are three steps to turning “nos” into “yesses” to get you moving in that direction.
1. Start treatment plan presentations with a question.
There’s no pressure here, no weird sales tactics, no crazy script that you need to follow. You’re simply going to let your patient know you have some information to share, and then ask if they’re interested in hearing more.
For example, you might say something like, “There’s something we can do to help prevent cavities. Would you like to learn more?”
You’re addressing the specific problem the patient has and letting them know they don’t have to keep having that problem because there’s a solution you can offer them. You have helpful information to share — but only if the patient wants to hear it. When the patient says yes share the information you promised.
Let’s continue the cavity example. In this case, you might say, “Great! It’s called a sealant. We just paint this special material directly onto the tooth so food, sugar, and bacteria can’t get through. That will significantly reduce the risk of cavities.”
Be sure to name the product or service and explain how it works in really simple terms. Don’t use any dental jargon. Don’t overcomplicate things. Talk about this the way you would explain it to a young child.
2. Put out the resistance.
After asking the question and explaining the solution in simple terms, you’re likely to get a little bit of resistance. Anticipate that and put out the resistance before the patient brings it up. For example, with sealants might say, “Insurance doesn’t always cover sealants but most of our patients go ahead with them anyway because the peace of mind is so great. You also wind up saving money because you don’t have the kind of decay that can lead to cavities or even more extensive dental issues.”
Instead of waiting for the patient to ask, “Will my insurance cover this?” you’re addressing the issue head-on and giving them a reason to overlook the objection about insurance.
It’s the same thing with higher-value services, too. You might point out that Perio Protect is going to save them a lot of time because they won’t need deep cleanings; it’s going to save them money because they won’t have to worry about costly surgery.
The formula is the same: Address objection head-on and give patients a reason to move forward anyway.
3. Give patients a call to action.
A call-to-action is just a fancy way to say that you let them know what the next step is — how they can get started right now so they can move forward.
For sealants, it might sound something like, “We can start right now and have four sealants done in about ten minutes.” For Perio Protect you might say, “We can go ahead and take a scan right now and start working on your Perio Protect trays.”
Are you ready to increase your treatment plan acceptance rate?
Increasing treatment plan acceptance rates is as simple as one, two, three. Start with a question, address resistance while giving them a reason to move forward, and give them a call to action to get started. Three simple steps you and your team can follow.
If you’re looking for training or coaching for your team to accelerate your growth, click here to learn more. And if you want to join a community of Dental Bosses just like you, I have a Facebook group where over 1000 Dental Bosses are already learning and growing. Join us in the Dental Boss Movement Facebook group today.
