Nothing is more frustrating than having a new patient inquiry who won’t answer your calls when you call to schedule them for their first appointment. You can waste hours of time calling and calling and calling and eventually begin to wonder if the person is real or not.
I’m going to bet if you got a phone call right now from an unknown number you probably wouldn’t answer it.
Most people wouldn’t.
Realize that is how you look to a prospective new patient. Just because the person submitted a form on a web page or left you a voicemail does not mean that your phone number is in their contacts list.
The fix is simple.
Text the lead before calling them: Send a message saying, “Hi, Josie. This is John at Dr. Smith’s Office. You asked for an appointment. I’m going to call you in about 1 minute from this number.”
This increases your chances of getting a response by up to 50%.
Beyond this, you can set up a system that sends automatic follow-up “nurture” messages to the person every few days for several weeks.
This re-engages the lead, reminds them of their need, and encourages them to call your front desk to book an appointment. Sometimes people request an appointment and then things come up or change. Just be persistent.
If they needed your help last month they’ll still need your help next month if they don’t get care.
To take it to the next level, implement marketing automation software or a CRM. This keeps track of the prospects you have so that none fall through the cracks.
There are many options available, from MailChimp to more advanced software such as Infusionsoft.
Alternatively, you can use an agency that already has a system in place. You’ve probably heard of Go High Level and other variations.
Of course, there are many more things to know in order to create a consistent flow of qualified new patients for your practice.
To save time, many practitioners choose to partner with my agency, The Customer Factory.
To find out if our marketing program is a good fit for your practice visit our website and book a 15-minute Discovery call. You could have new patients coming in as soon as this time next week.
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