Soaring prices of essentials like food and utility bills are straining household incomes. This leads to the inevitable decision to cut costs wherever possible, and anything deemed unessential is discarded.
At Patient Plan Direct, we firmly believe that dental plans are not just a financial commitment but a long-term, essential investment for a patient’s oral health. Regular dental check-ups are the cornerstone of this investment, providing timely assessment, monitoring, and swift action to address emerging issues before they escalate into costly problems. Therefore, we present this guide for dental practices with our top tips on retaining plan patients in your practice throughout the cost-of-living crisis, ensuring their oral health remains a priority.
1 – Attracting the Right Patients for Your Dental Practice
Securing long-term plan members is a goal that you can actively work towards as a dental practice owner or practice manager. It all starts with setting the correct pricing structure tailored to your practice. By considering competitor prices in your local area and understanding the demographics of your community, you can position your dental plan monthly fees to attract the right clientele who appreciate and can afford the quality of service you provide.
2 – Highlight the Perks of Membership
Ensure your patients are well-informed about the perks of plan membership. Special offers, like discounts on teeth whitening during quieter months, can entice patients and foster a sense of appreciation for their membership. Our clients offer 10-20% discounts on other treatments exclusively for their plan patients. However, the most significant benefit is that spreading the cost of dental care into monthly manageable payments is an invaluable investment in their oral health. Regular visits to the practice allow for early intervention, sparing them from potential discomfort down the road.
3 – Promote Your Dental Plan
Ensure you have your TV screens, posters, and leaflets in the reception/waiting area to stimulate conversations and reinforce the benefits of plan membership.
Also, consider the power of online marketing. You can regularly email all patients about your plans and exclusive offers and feature these messages on your practice’s social media pages.
Let your social media channels reflect your practice’s vibrant and friendly nature! It’s not just a platform to talk about plans; it’s about building relationships and fostering a sense of community your patients want to be a part of. So consider a mix of posts about the practice team (those who have recently qualified, work anniversaries, etc.) and patient results, such as smile makeovers, amongst your dental plan posts.
4 – Embrace Flexibility
Flexibility is a powerful tool in retaining patients, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. For instance, if a patient’s current dental plan includes two annual examinations and hygienist appointments each, consider transitioning them to one and two hygiene visits or one and one hygiene visit. These plans, set up in the background for situations like this, can encourage your patient to stay on a lower-priced dental plan, demonstrating your practice’s adaptability and commitment to their care.
5 – The Personal Touch
When you have private plan patients, you can allow more time for each patient. This is about providing comprehensive care, respecting their time, and making them feel valued. So, with the extra time, ask them about their day and how they’ve been since their last appointment, showing them that their well-being is a priority.
When you invest the effort to cultivate trust and nurture personal connections with your patients at each appointment, they’ll not want to go elsewhere for their dental check-ups.
If you’re looking for a dental plan provider for your practice who will help you grow and nurture your dental plan base our guide for dental practices will help. You can complete our online enquiry form here to find out more. We offer unique services tailored to your practice’s needs, and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can support your practice’s unique circumstances.