Recently the American Dental Association reported that in 2010 only 37% of the adults in the US visited the Dentist (http://www.ada.org/news/8366.aspx). Ughhhh…......We can do better than this. We need to do better than this!
If you are reading this blog post, I suspect that you are as passionate about helping people have great oral health as I am. That’s why I was so disappointed in the fact that so few people are visiting the Dentist. However, if you are a regular reader of this blog you also likely recognize that I am an unapologetic optimist. So, let’s turn this dour statistic around and consider it a call to action!
Perhaps the best way to get more people going to the Dentist is to enlist your patient’s support. We all know that the patients who are referred to your office can be the best new patients because they already know and trust you. Here are 5 great ways to ask for referrals:
We’d Like Your Help “Linda, We’d like your help. Recently the ADA reported that only 37% of the adults in the US visited the Dentist in 2010. If you know one of those people who isn’t going to the Dentist, please tell them about our office. With your help, we’ll help more people enjoy the benefits of great oral health.”
Compliment “Mary, we sure love seeing patients like you! When I see your name on the schedule I know I am going to have a great day. Would you do us a favor and send more people like you to our office?”
We Love Seeing New Patients “Randy, we love seeing new patients. If you know someone who could benefit from the type of care we provide please tell them about us. We’ll always make room for your friends.”
Inform “Susan, just yesterday a caller asked us if we accept new patients. The truth is we love seeing new patients. If you know of anyone in need of a Dentist, please send them to us. We’ll take great care of them.”
Comfort “David, we read recently that almost 50% of the adults in the US put off a visit to the Dentist because of fear. If you know someone like that please tell them about us. Dentistry today can be painless!”
Practice these types of referral requests in your next Team meeting. Tackling the problem of declining dental visits at the grassroots level will not only benefit your practice but will also help turn around this sad statistic. Consider this a call to action to turn your patients into raving fans who can’t wait to go out and tell others about your practice! Keep Smiling!