GAP Australasian-Dentist-May June 2019

Category AustrAlAsiAn Dentist 97 even send photos of their teeth via a proprietary photo app to set up a call to discuss treatment options. #3: Effective dentist-patient communication Before discussing this point, emanuel suggests first debunking the fallacy that the clinical skills of a dentist outweighs his or her communication skills. in fact, he believes the opposite may be true. R C M Y CM MY CY CMY K amos_salli260718.pdf 1 26/7/18 4:42 pm “in the age of cosmetic dentistry, the paradigm has shifted from the predominant treatment of physical pain to a more holistic treatment that also looks after the mindset and aesthetic wants of the patient. Getting a patient over the line often entails spending quality time explaining the treatment plan and communicating the benefits in an informative and persuasive manner.” “it’s important to know where your business stands. For cosmetic dentistry, i would say somewhere between clinical and professional service retail. shouldn’t your dentists’ training properly reflect the industry they serve?” #4: Maintain and enhance database Many practices attribute their fully booked patient schedule to having a robust marketing campaign, without ever studying their patient database for trends on patient movement, comparing the turnover, for instance, between a 13-month cycle vs a 3-year cycle. if they did, emanuel predicts, many would actually discover that while patient retention during the 13-month duration appears healthy, the reality is they are “severely leaking” patients over the longer period. “that’s what we call a leaky database. the bucket may appear full because the practice is focusing on external marketing to fill it up. However, this business is really bleeding from the inside. instead of fixing the leak, you are trying to spend your way out of the problem, which down the road will make things worse.” it is usually much easier to revisit the patient database and highlight the problem areas instead of masking them. Why are patients leaving? Are we too focused on attracting new patients and neglecting old customers in the process? What measures should we take to retain existing customers? these are tough questions, especially if you’re not sure where to turn to for answers. For those who feel helpless around databases, spreadsheets and analytical charts, Pen and Momentum are running a series of workshops to equip dentists with the “big picture” state of their respective businesses, so that their marketing efforts can become more streamlined, targeted and cost effective in the long run. (https://www.thepennetwork.com ) u Ph: +61 3 83000 719 Fax: +61 3 9386 4141 E: emanuel@dentaledglobal.com Web: www.dentaledglobal.com Facebook Dental ED praCtICe ManageMent