By Angie Skinner and Penny Reed Limoli, Dental Genius Coaches

We may try to trivialize the importance of the telephone, but it's clear in the world of dentistry that it is the primary "point of entry" for new patients. Even as technology advances, Alexander Graham Bell's invention remains the first impression that can make or break your success in getting prospective new patients to schedule.

Having a friendly voice and enthusiasm is imperative to convert callers into patients of record. However, there are other necessary skills required. It's true; all of the friendliness in the world cannot cover up glaring inefficiency. Without systems in place and dedicated training for administrators, it's not certain your team will be able to sell the office and get the appointment. Passing a mystery shop with flying colors takes preparation, starting with the customer service strategy in your office and ending with your team's stated commitment to your approach. Implement these seven strategies and watch the number of new patient callers who actually schedule an appointment grow.

1. Make it easy to schedule. You want a new patient to be part of your patient family for a lifetime. But first, you've got to get them in the door. Here's a hot topic ... Where do you see your new patients: in hygiene or operative? This age-old debate can be solved quickly if you ask yourself a simple question: "How do you win as many new patients as possible?" The answer is simple! Give patients what they want. The average American believes that when they visit a new dentist, they will get a cleaning. If your inbound callers want a new patient "cleaning," schedule them in hygiene. If they are disease-free, by all means, clean their teeth. If you don't give patients what they want, they will keep calling offices until they find one that meets their requests. Be the office that does accommodate patient requests; you won't lack new patients.

2. Have immediate availability. What does that mean? You should be able to offer your caller an appointment for a new patient exam, cleaning, and X-rays within the next five business days. If you cannot do this, you are missing new patient opportunities. The immediate solution to this is to preblock for new patients.

3. Ask for the appointment. It's amazing how many offices field questions from callers and never once ask them to make an appointment. This step is the most important part of the phone call. Callers don't dial your office by mistake or for no reason. Like marriage, if you don't ask for a commitment, you'll often never get one!

4. Know the answers to the patient's questions. One of the most common questions asked is, "Do you take my insurance?" If you do accept insurance say, "Yes, we do accept insurance; however, you will need to contact your dental benefits company or human resources director for confirmation of benefits." If you are an out-of-network provider, say, "Yes, our office is an unrestricted provider of dental services. If you are able to choose any dentist to provide your care, then you're able to join our office as a new patient."

5. Call the patient by name. This is simple and rarely done. Dale Carnegie said it best, "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Be sure to tell the patient your name too. Start a relationship immediately, so callers aren't tempted to call other practices before making an appointment.

6. Give patients variety and flexibility. Many new patients are seeking early morning or late afternoon appointments. Establish your schedule so that you have some "peak" availability for new patients. Many times, a 7 a.m. appointment is more popular than a 6 p.m. appointment.

7. Use the right tone of voice. Over 80% of your communication over the phone lies solely in your tone of voice. Having a great vocal tone takes practice for some, yet it makes all the difference in patient conversion. In order to sound enthusiastic and eager to help, you must model those behaviors. We've found that unless appointment coordinators have an opportunity to hear themselves interact with a caller, they truly cannot assess how they sound to a patient.

8. Sell your office and your dentist to callers. Visiting a new office is a step into the unknown. Make your callers feel comfortable by showing confidence in your team; compliment them often. Rarely do we hear an employee enthusiastically say, "You are going to love Dr. Smith!" Callers can visit any dental practice in the area; it's up to you to let them know your office is their best choice.

9. Be prepared. Anyone who answers the phone must be prepared to make a new patient appointment. Don't make the mistake that many dental offices make of letting the new person answer the phone before they are fully trained. The telephone is the last place to put new personnel. Also, be sure you aren't trying to route all new patient callers to one specific front desk person. Anyone answering the phone should have the skill level needed to make the appointment without putting the patient on hold for more than 30 seconds.

If you really want to improve your inbound caller conversion rates, commit to regular mystery shopping by an outside party. Whether you hire Dental Genius™ to mystery shop your practice or ask a friend to do it, it should be done on a routine basis. (We suggest at least once per month.) Be sure to tell the team that you have made this commitment and let them hear their results. Give them a chance to succeed and they will amaze you ... and your new patients!

Visit www.mysteryshopdds.com to learn more.

Angie Skinner and Penny Reed Limoli are cofounders of Dental Genius™, providing practice management training and coaching as well as marketing to dental professionals. Members of the National Speakers Association, Angie and Penny frequently speak at dental seminars and conferences around the country. Want to hear them yourself — for free? Visit www.dentalgenius.com and sign up for our free monthly podcasts. For more information, please call (866) 332-6224, or e-mail info@dentalgenius.com.