BACK TALK SYSTEMS, INC. 14998 W. 6th Avenue, Suite E-500 Golden, CO USA 80401 USA 1-800-937-3113 CANADA 1-800-461-0100 UNITED KINGDOM 44(0) 1202-534-986 AUSTRALIA 1-800-800-963 www.backtalksystems.com CA Tip #20 GIVING THE POTENTIAL NEW PATIENT CONFIDENCE In the past two e-mails, I have been discussing the importance of handling the potential new patient phone call. No matter how great your chiropractor, if you don't get the caller to schedule, your chiropractor can't help them. Additionally, one lost potential patient means we have lost him and all the patients he may have referred which could cost thousands in lost revenue! It is important to remember that when someone takes the time to dial your number and contact your office, they are ready to take action. I believe we can all agree the easiest patient to schedule is one who has been referred by another patient or medical doctor. Conversely, the most difficult patient to schedule is one who has no allegiance with you at all. They are calling from an advertisement, or insurance book. Therefore, I will discuss this type of patient. Additional caller scenarios can be found in the Team Training manual in the Chapter 9 - Scripts. Remember, the important thing is to create the feeling that this is the office I want to schedule with. What feeling does the potential patient need to get from you? A feeling of confidence, professionalism, caring, trusting, etc. There are several questions this caller needs to have answered before making an appointment. They are as follows: 1. Does this office give me confidence? 2. Is this doctor experienced? 3. Does this doctor have experience treating my problem? 4. Does this office care about me? 5. Is my problem serious? 6. How much will I have to pay? The important thing you must understand is that all the first five questions must be addressed before you address the 6th question, however, the 6th questions is almost invariably the first question asked! So you have to be adept at controlling the conversation and begin controlling it immediately in order to answer the questions. The first thing you need to know is where the patient is coming from i.e. referral, yellow pages, insurance book, etc. Second, you should ascertain if this is a new (acute) problem or a long standing (chronic) problem. No matter what, this type of patient must be scheduled almost immediately. If you are not able to give them an appointment, they will just call the next office on their list, since they have no loyalty to you at this time. Here is a sample of scripting. YOUR PHONE ANSWERING TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE SHORT AND TO THE POINT, GIVING THE CALLER THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE BUSY YET PROFESSIONAL. YOUR VOICE SHOULD BE PLEASANT AND UPBEAT. 1. Does this office give me confidence? The first thing you need to do is get control of the conversation! "Smith Chiropractic Group, this is Susan." "Hello, I was wondering how much you charge for a visit." "Sure, I'd be happy to give you that information, but can I get a little information first?" "OK" At this point you should be reaching for your New Patient Intake Form so you can ask the questions in order and you have the scripts in front of you. WHERE IS THE PATIENT COMING FROM? "Were you referred by a patient of ours, or another medical doctor?" THIS QUESTION GIVES THE CALLER THE IDEA THAT MOST OF YOUR NEW PATIENTS COME FROM REFERRALS OR MEDICAL DOCTORS. IT INSTILLS CONFIDENCE. IT ALSO INTRODUCES THE WORD "REFERRAL" ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND IN A NON-THREATENING WAY. "I was just looking through the phone book." "OH, than let me give you confidence that you have called a very well respected, reputable chiropractic office." It is paramount that the caller feel your confidence. Your responsibility as a chiropractic assistant is to believe in your chiropractor and instill confidence in your patients. If you don't believe in your chiropractor, they will certainly feel it! "I hope so. I really didn't know who to call." "Have you seen a chiropractor in the past? IF YES, FIND OUT WHEN. ALSO, YOUR CHIROPRACTOR MAY WANT TO CONTACT THE PREVIOUS CHIROPRACTOR. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET THE NAME AND PHONE NUMBER IF POSSIBLE. IF NOä Well then, you will be in for a treat! At this point, you must tell the caller something about your chiropractor that will give him confidence. I suggest that you or your chiropractor write a short paragraph about your doctor that will give the caller some information. I have written volumes on front desk organization and one important thing is to have information about the chiropractor at your fingertips i.e. where he/she went to Chiropractic College, techniques & modalities performed, specialties, etc. You must be ready to answer questions knowledgeably and professionally! Sample information paragraph: "Dr. _____________ has been practicing for over 20 years and he has an excellent reputation throughout the area. He is an excellent chiropractor and has an advanced degree in Neurology. I know how hard it is to look through the YP for a doctor." To be continuedä The preceding information has been excerpted from The Chiropractic Team Training and Practice Management Manual written by Susan Hoy and available at Back Talk Systems. This manual contains over 200 pages of team training tips and practice management procedures and forms. Why not join the hundreds of chiropractors who have already made the commitment to organize and systemize their office. For more information contact Back Talk Systems at 800-937-3113 or log onto their website at www.backtalksystems.com