Growing Pains

Two months after Dr. Fryer opened his doors, he was able to catch up on the backlog of treatment he had built up at the other practice. But he quickly realized running and building his own practice was not as simple as it seemed. “Early on we had two big challenges,” says Dr. Fryer. “One was hiring and developing a strong team. And the other, after we had completed all the treatment remaining from the other practice, was new patient flow.”

Dr. Fryer found the key to his staffing success: hiring an office manager who treated the practice as if it were her own. It was important to give her the freedom and authority to do her job. “Hiring Missy Lapic was truly the catalyst for all the success we’re having right now,” says Dr. Fryer. “She works here and draws a paycheck, but it’s the internal drive she has that’s key. When I hired her, she was overqualified for the job. We sat down and I shared my vision with her. She’s internalized my vision and uses it every day to filter all her decisions, making sure they’re in line with the goals we are trying to achieve. She has built a team that both she and I are proud of – one that is nurturing yet efficient.”

The Second Challenge:
Increasing New Patient Flow

When it came to attracting new patients, Dr. Fryer tried traditional marketing and advertising, with limited success. He then added a patient referral company to get the phone to ring. “We tried direct mail and newspaper ads and had varying degrees of success. Our big turnaround was our experience with 1-800-DENTIST and how we began dealing with the new patient calls we received,” says Dr. Fryer.

Dr. Fryer began a thread on the Townie boards documenting the results he had with 1-800-DENTIST. “I’ve picked up so much information from Dentaltown that I felt I needed to contribute and help others by sharing my experience with a patient referral partner,” says Dr. Fryer. “In the beginning, we weren’t very happy with the results, but as time went on, our posting became more and more infrequent because we were getting so busy we had no time at the computer. The real turning point was when 1-800-DENTIST introduced me to Jay Geier, founder and president of the Scheduling Institute. Jay has more than 20 years experience in helping practices like mine do a better job attracting new patients and getting them to commit and keep appointments. Our marketing efforts and 1-800-DENTIST got the phone to ring, but Jay Geier gave us the missing piece of the puzzle – the ability to handle calls from new patients and get them to commit to and keep an appointment.”

When Dr. Fryer first met with Jay Geier, he began to see just how important first patient contact is. “When I first spoke with Jay, I thought, ‘what’s the big deal?’ about the way we answer the phone,” says Dr. Fryer. “But my office manager, Missy, was open to trying these new techniques and when she did, we discovered just how well they work. It was amazing! It seemed like such a simple thing, but it had a huge impact on our new patient flow.”

Telephone Tips by Missy Lapic

1. Have Someone Available to Answer the Phone. Answering machines and answering services cannot help you set new patient appointments. You have to have a trained team member available Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to answer the phone. Our practice is open on Saturdays, but closed on Wednesdays. To test this theory, I started coming in on Wednesdays to cover the heaviest phone times – early morning and after 3 p.m. I was amazed at the opportunity the practice was missing. By being there to answer the phone on the day we’re closed, I was able to book three-to-five new patients.

2. Get Caller ID. For the times someone is not available to answer the phone, get caller ID. It benefits the practice in several ways. First, you know what calls you’ve missed. Second, when you answer the phone, you know who’s calling so you can get prepared. When the phone rings, I look at the ID, greet the patient and am quickly pulling up the patient’s chart on the computer so I am ready to answer questions and help guide them in the right direction. This is amazingly helpful and keeps me in control of the conversation.

3. Be Firm But Friendly. We often hear the advice “speak with a smile.” While it’s important to be friendly, it’s also critical to stay in control of the conversation. We write our scripts for each and every possible phone scenario. Then we have our team practice, so we know the path we want to take on each call and we are less likely to get derailed.

4. Get People in ASAP. People without dentists look for any little obstacle to keep them from coming in for treatment. One of the worst things you can do is prolong the appointment time. Something happened to make them call your office. It’s your responsibility to react to their impulse immediately and get them scheduled within 24 hours. Of course, you’ll need a staff that understands how this benefits the practice and is flexible and accommodating.

Dr. Fryer’s office staff (from left): Sandy Kappele, hygienist; Jessica Brewer, assistant; Missy Lapic, office manager; Dr. Kevin Fryer; and Shona Palmer, assistant.

One of the techniques Dr. Fryer had success with was identifying the patient’s need, rather than answering questions that don’t pertain to scheduling an appointment. “When a new patient calls and the first question he or she asks is, ‘What are your hours?’ you know that’s not really why the person called. What that person has is a need and doesn’t necessarily know how to express it. You have to stay focused and take control of the conversation with the goal of having the patient make an appointment and getting him in the office.”

One of the techniques Dr. Fryer and his staff found effective was using the offer of a free consultation to encourage patients to set and keep their appointments. “We are selling a service, not a commodity,” says Dr. Fryer. “Unfortunately, some patients perceive that cheaper is better, which is not the case in dentistry. When potential new patients ask about cost, Missy quickly responds by telling them that we cannot effectively quote treatment costs over the phone and we don’t want to mislead them by quoting something they might not need. She then offers them the opportunity to come in for a free consultation. Again the goal is to get them in the door within 24 hours.”

Creating a “One Visit” Patient Experience

Dr. Fryer’s goal for the initial phone call is to give patients enough information to make an appointment – not to decide whether or not they’ll accept treatment. “I haven’t learned how to do a root canal over the phone,” says Dr. Fryer. “Yet, patients call in with questions that can’t be addressed over the phone. There are two primary barriers to committing to an appointment and committing to treatment:
fear of pain and fear of cost. Once I can get them to come into the office, they can see that I’m a nice guy, my team is great, and we have comfortable payment options, their apprehension decreases, allowing them to commit to treatment.”

Another resource Dr. Fryer tapped into that enabled him to attract more patients and do more dentistry was CareCredit. “Offering financing through CareCredit dovetails with what Howard Farran teaches about the American consumer,” says Dr. Fryer. “If I decide to go out and buy a washer and dryer tonight, I’m probably not going to pay cash for it. I’m going to use my credit card, or if the retailer is offering financing, especially if they’re offering no-interest financing, I’m going to take advantage of that. I’ll save myself some money. Dentistry is no different. Patients are always calling looking for payment plans. Again, it’s about the vision of “one-visit dentistry” and giving patients what they want – immediate gratification. They come in, they want the dentistry and CareCredit makes it easy for them to get the dentistry. CareCredit is a breeze to use and I’m always amazed at just how quick it is.”

As a solo practitioner, Dr. Fryer often misses the camaraderie of the partnership he had with his friend. “Having your own practice is very rewarding,” says Dr. Fryer. “Yes, it’s a lot of work. But when you have resources like the Townies to tap in to, it makes it so much easier. You can ask about the experiences others have had with different programs and products. In fact, since 2003, our production for new patients at their first visit has improved 105 percent and our collections have improved 261 percent. That’s definitely enough to keep all of our operatories busy.”