The $2,500 Phone Call Most Practices Miss by Flint Geier

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The $2,500 Phone Call Most Practices Miss 

by Flint Geier

Most practices are losing thousands in potential revenue every month without realizing where it’s happening in their new-patient pipeline.

Dentists often assume the biggest problem is marketing. It’s not.

The costliest mistake happens when a potential new patient calls but never ends up walking through your front door.

Every time a potential new patient opportunity gets missed, the typical practice is losing about $2,500 in future collections. That’s the average in many practices. To determine your practice’s average revenue per new patient, take your last 12 months of collections and divide it by the number of new patients your practice saw in that same 12 months. That number is what’s at stake every time the phone rings and a new patient is on the other end of the line.

Unconverted new-patient calls represent a huge, missed opportunity. But, with the right systems in place, you and your team can avoid common mistakes that may be costing you new patients and make positive changes that drive practice growth.


The best ability is availability
To improve conversion, you must understand the new-patient mindset. Scheduling a dental appointment likely isn’t their top priority in life; it’s just another task they need to check off their list. They’ve probably been putting it off for days, even weeks, so when they finally find a small window of time in their busy schedule to call, they’re not going to be happy if that call goes unanswered.

Disturbingly, the data tells us that the average practice misses upwards of 30% of the calls that come in, and many of those missed calls are potential new patients. Let me be clear: If you are not available at the times patients want you to be available, in their mind, you don’t exist at all. Most new patients won’t call back or even leave a voicemail if there’s no answer. They’ll simply move on to the next dentist that shows up on Google. Wouldn’t you?

This is a place where facts must come before feelings. Study your phone system, determine your current answer rate, and get your team aligned to maximize coverage in the hours that have the most missed calls. You will likely see a trend in certain peak times. Keep it simple and address those first.


Stop putting up unintentional barriers
When new patients call, they have one goal in mind: scheduling an appointment. However, many are simultaneously looking for the first excuse to avoid that biannual to-do. This is where the great practices separate from the good.

Well-trained team members stay focused on warm greetings with a welcoming tone. They are never negative, dreary, or even overly enthusiastic. The simple difference it makes when they choose to “smile through the phone” can be what gets that new patient to think, “This is the place for me.” The team must also be educated on all active marketing promotions and know exactly where the next few new patient openings are on the schedule. Too often, the team member who answers the phone can’t actually help, so those potential new patients don’t schedule.

If new patients who reach out never actually walk through the front doors, nothing happens. They don’t get to have a great in-person experience. They don’t get to move forward with treatment that could change their lives. Strip away the barriers. Get rid of the unnecessary fluff and make it quick and easy to schedule an appointment. Then you’ll start seeing results.


Shift your mindset
New-patient calls are often viewed as interruptions, when they should be viewed as opportunities for growth. Remember, the average new-patient call is worth about $2,500, maybe more. Make sure whoever answers the phone knows how valuable these calls actually are and is properly trained to quickly convert them into appointments that are going to show up.


Take control of the conversation
Your team should be in the driver’s seat during new-patient calls. Typically, though, patients ask question after question, and suddenly 10 minutes have gone by and the appointment still hasn’t been scheduled. Team members should be prepared to answer typical new patient questions but also know how to keep the process moving toward the goal: scheduling an appointment and doing so as quickly as possible. You do not want to be running a free dental Q&A hotline!

Keep in mind that some callers may have a legitimate reason not to schedule right then. Maybe they have to check their work schedule or talk to their spouse about timing. Ask for their contact information before you hang up. Most practices don’t do this, leaving the team with no way to follow up and secure the appointment.


Stop saying no
After patients hear the word no, you’ve lost them. Let’s say a patient asks if you’re open on Saturdays. If you say no, that patient is already thinking about who they’re going to call next. Instead, explain that you have availability Monday through Friday, and are confident you can find an appointment time that will work for their schedule. Remember, even if the answer is yes, don’t stop there. Direct the conversation to get them scheduled, which is what they called to do.


First impressions matter
If you want a more profitable practice and to serve more people, you must make good first impressions. That’s what tells patients they’ve found the right place.

New-patient calls can be hugely profitable or hugely draining. Don’t lose out on that opportunity for growth. Answer every call. Make scheduling quick and painless. Help patients get what they want, and they will reward you for it.

To find out if you are inadvertently missing out on new patient opportunities in your practice, visit schedulinginstitute.com/5star and take the 5-Star Challenge.
Author Bio
Flint Geier Flint Geier, president of Scheduling Institute, soon to be The New Patient Institute, has spent his career inside one of dentistry’s most results-focused organizations, working with thousands of practices to build high-performing teams and drive growth. He hosts the New Patients Now podcast and has spoken on industry stages nationwide.
This content is sponsored by Scheduling Institute.
For more information, visit schedulinginstitute.com.
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