The treatment planning experience for the patient nowadays has to be visual if you want to maintain a consistently good conversion rate and encourage word of mouth recommendations.
The days of audio – lengthy explanations by the clinician – and print media – letters and unintelligible print outs from practice management software – are fading into the past.
I understand that print media has an important role to play – compliance and consent being paramount.
Imagine, if you will, an estate agents office who display mortgage conveyancing documents and title deeds in the window, in order to sell houses?
Nope – I want to see pictures of where I might want to live next.
Later – when I’ve imagined myself in the new house, I’ll read the specifications.
Much later (and under duress) I’ll read the mortgage documents, the conveyancing paperwork and the title deeds (actually – I won’t, unless something goes wrong).
It’s the same now in dentistry.
Patients want to see pictures of their existing smile so that they can tell you what they are unhappy with.
Patients want to see simulations of their new smile to assess the possible outcome if they proceed with your recommendations.
So here’s a list of the things you have to do if you want to be at the top of your game AND have patients saying “YES” and telling their friends:
- extra-oral photography
- intra-oral photography
- intra-oral scanning
- digital radiography
- digital smile design
- 3D scanning
- Powerpoint treatment plans
- video voice-over on the Powerpoint
- an impressive presentation pack
- photography and-/or videography at the end of treatment with consent to tell the patient’s story
Then, after the patient has said “YES”, you can hit them with all the boring paperwork – to refer back to later if anything goes wrong.
How many practices do I know that offer all 10 steps outlined here?
The innovators – the top 5% – and business is booming.
