3 Ways to Sell More Cosmetic Cases And 1 Mistake To Avoid
Many dentists find themselves asking the question, “How can I get my patients to come to me for cosmetic dentistry, instead of going to a “specialist”,” And it’s important for any practice to take steps to increase this segment of their business. Luckily there are a few simple things that anyone can do to sell more cosmetic cases.
Here are three things that every dental practice should do to increase their cosmetic business and one surefire mistake to avoid:
Create A Smile Evaluation Form
Creating a “Smile Evaluation Form” is one of the simplest, and easiest, steps to seeing a big increase in the number of cases a practice will do. It’s crucial to help identify patients who are interested in cosmetic dentistry – without putting them on the spot. As you have probably experienced, it can be a touchy subject to ask an existing patient if they are interested in cosmetic work, without making them feel self-conscience.
This is where adding a Smile Evaluation Form to the list of paperwork a patient fills out at every visit is critical. It provides an easy way to identify those interested in cosmetic work without making patients feel like they are being targeted. Don’t make the form complex or difficult.
We have found that asking the following four questions is more than enough to get a conversation on the topic started with a patient:
1. Are you happy with the appearance of your teeth/gums/smile?
2. What don’t you like about your smile?
3. Would you like to discuss enhancing the appearance of your smile?
4. Would you like to discuss how to make your teeth white?
Get Testimonials
Testimonials from real customers are a proven, and powerful, marketing tool for any office. Besides being extremely effective, testimonials are budget friendly and can be used in a variety of ways to promote your practice. Any dentist that can capture testimonials from thrilled patients will see their business grow.
Testimonials can come in a variety of forms. Written testimonials are great in the office, on your website or in print ads. A picture certainly is worth a thousand words when posting before and after photos on social media or your website. Patient photos are great for a website and for use in the dental office. Having the KöR photo album with page after page of before and after photos in the waiting room as well as the operatory is a great way of promoting what is possible.
Whitening the teeth of staff members is a fantastic way to demonstrate results. It allows patients to interact with real whitening success stories and ask questions. Many still have a hard time believing before and after photos are not enhanced. Seeing a great smile in person allows it to feel real and attainable. A happy staff member is also more willing to be enthusiastic about whitening, leading to increased sales.
Remember testimonials can be submitted to external sources as well. Online review sites can be persuasive for potential new patients looking for a dentist in their area. You can also submit your case to KöR Whitening and be featured on KöRwhitening.com. This only adds credibility and exposure to the terrific things being done in the practice.
Ask About Whitening Prior To Any Restorative Work
Anytime a patient is about to undergo restorative work it’s an opportunity to bring up the possibility of whitening. If a patient ever decides to whiten, they want to do so before restorative work begins. This prevents them from having the hassle and expense of redoing restorative work after whitening in the future. Any patient about to undergo restorative work should be encouraged to consider the possibility of whitening their teeth as well.
Avoid Using an Inferior Whitening System In Order To Save Money
A popular promotion among some dentists is to offer free whitening to draw more business. To cut down on expenses, they often choose to go with a cheap and easy whitening product for their free promotion. Unfortunately, those cheap whitening products will produce marginal results at best. This is not the way to attract new clients that will stay after the promotion is over. A patient that gets lackluster results with the free promotion is unlikely to be a repeat customer.
The bottom line is loyal patients are loyal because of the quality of your work – not the “freebies” they are offered to get them in the chair. At the end of the day, what they will remember is whether or not they got a great result – not that they got the whitening for free! Dentists who use KöR Whitening will benefit from a superior whitening solution and patients will return for all their dental needs. If your goal is to create loyal patients, it pays to use a product that earns that loyalty.
To learn more about how we can help your practice sell more cosmetic cases, contact us today and ask about our smile evaluation form.
