A client asks:

“I have a lot of patients at the moment who are deferring treatment because they are telling me that

they cannot afford it at the moment

should I reduce my prices?”

I cannot afford an iPad on 28th May – even though I want one. (Yes – I know – I don’t need one).

I’m not going to call Apple and offer to haggle on the price.

Its not about the price – its about the AFFORDABILITY.

Apple don’t need my business – so they will not have to shift.

But the dentist in question needs his patients’ business – so he will have to shift.

But pricing is not the “shifting point” – affordability is.

I recently took my 15-year old daughter to a private orthodontist.

The treatment plan was £2300.

I couldn’t afford it.

But I could afford to pay over 4 months.

So that was our agreement.

4 cheques for £575 – me happy, daughter happy, dentist happy.

If all of your appointment books are full, you don’t need to haggle.

But if its a choice between a £400 treatment plan, payable over 3 months – or a gap – take the treatment plan.

The only rule nowadays is that there are no rules.

Learn to listen better – and make your treatment plans affordable.