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 Team Tip #18 THE POTENTIAL NEW PATIENT PHONE CALL Has this ever happened to you... Your phone rings and you answer. The caller greets you with the following question: "Yes hello, could you tell me how much you charge for an office visit? I would be a new patient." You say (because this person caught you off guard): "Sure, a new patient visit at our office is $75." Suddenly you realize you shouldn't have volunteered this information so quickly. The caller says: "Thank you very much, I may call you back." and hangs up. You know that you have just lost that potential patient and all the future patients who could have been referred by this potential patient. This scenario has happened to all of us, whether we care to admit it or not and there is no telling just how much potential income is lost because we weren't well trained and confident enough to handle this type of phone call. I hate scripts. Why would a chiropractic office need scripts? I, like most people, am sick and tired of those incredulous tele marketers who are so totally scripted that you begin to wonder if they're human. In fact, some of them are not! I have changed my mind about scripts, however, at least as they pertain to certain scenarios in our office. I have found that scripting is essential in our office. Our scripts, however, must be delivered naturally and comfortably. Every staff member must be saying the same things. Remember, people have to hear something five times before they remember it. It is vitally important that every staff member is saying the same thing and in the correct verbiage. Over the years we have had many employees who just simply are not trained to handle certain questions. They don't know what to say or how to say it, not because they are not capable but because they are not well trained. Make no mistake about it...what you say and how you say it can make or break a practice. Even the best communicators must be trained in how and what to say. Presentation is everything! Obviously, you may have the best chiropractor in the world, but if you don't say the "correct" thing to get the potential patient to schedule, your chiropractor can't treat them! So the object of the "all important" initial phone conversation is to get the caller to schedule an appointment. Your job is to get the patient to schedule so your doctor can have an opportunity to treat them. To begin with, you have to understand what the potential patient is feeling when he calls your office. For starters, he is feeling like making an appointment, so it might as well be with your office! This potential patient is probably in pain, he may be experiencing fear, confusion, frustration, exhaustion and is probably experiencing anxiety about seeing a chiropractor. But make no mistake about it, when a person picks up the phone and calls your office, they are looking for an appointment and you have to know how to get it. The first thing you need to do is give the potential patient the "feeling" that this is the chiropractor and the office they want to visit. The way you handle and control this all important phone call will make the difference between a lost patient or a new patient. What feeling does the potential patient need to get from you? There are several questions this caller needs to have answered before making an appointment. The caller may have inquired about price, but I have difficulty with the idea that this person just wants the cheapest chiropractor. I believe the caller simply does not know what questions to ask. I firmly believe we should advise the caller about fees, but we must answer many other unasked questions first. 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? In the next few weeks, we will be discussing suggested scripting for handling the potential new patient call. 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 Susan Hoy has managed a busy chiropractic office since 1989. Currently, Susan travels throughout the U.S. helping teams become more organized, systemized and energized. Susan will be presenting team training events in the following areas: Montgomery AL - July 19th & 20th, Lansing MI - July 10th & & Aug. 7th, Pittsburgh PA - Aug 2, Omaha NE - 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