Misty Clark

Are you enjoying some great destination CE these days? How about tapping into the great online CE currently available? Either way, it doesn't do you much good to learn better dentistry and business if you aren't sharing it and doing it regularly! Right? Spread the word about what you and your team are doing so that your patients can grow in their confidence about you, referrals to you and long time loyalty. You'll also likely attract some new patients along the way!  

So, here are five steps you can take to take your continuing education and turn it into public relations!

1. Internal verbal skills. Make sure your team is aware of the course you completed and the benefits your patients will receive. Have your team (including you) mention it in conversation to your patients during your visit. For example, if the patient asks how you are doing, reply by saying, "Great. We are so excited that Dr. Jameson attended a course on whitening techniques. You know, she is always researching to find the best methods of whitening to offer you."
2. Press release. Write a press release with factual information on the course. Many times the course will offer a pre-written press release into which you can insert your own information. Send this press release to local newspapers and publications. You can even include it in the hygiene bags for your patients to read, mail with statements, or include in a separate mailing.
3. Update your Web site. Add the new course to your Web site. The home page should have a mention of it with a link to learn more about CE event. This page should contain program details, the press release, benefits to the patient, logo (if relevant - i.e. Invisalign logo), and photos.
4. Email. Formulate an email to send to your patient base. The email should state the new benefits of the course that the patients and/or the practice will receive. The email should include a link to your Web site for more information. Be sure to invite your patient to call the office for more information or to utilize the new service.
5. Social media. Mention the course before, during and after the event on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Do you have a flip camera? If so, use the flip camera to take video during the event. Or you can film yourself or a team member giving props to the course after the event. Post that footage on your social media sites and to your Web site.

If your continuing education is in regards to a new piece of equipment, place signage around the office with the announcement. You can even have a "limited time only" special promoting the new technique or equipment. A great example is for CEREC. If you have just started using CEREC, post signs that introduce the new equipment and list a special for moving forward with treatment. The offer can be "Receive a complimentary Sonicare toothbrush when you have a CEREC crown placed-limited time only."

The goal of continuing education is to bring more service offerings to your patients and to enhance what you do so that you are giving the best care possible. Why not let your patients know what you are doing for them? They will appreciate you for it and may even send more patients your way!

Monday mornings are especially tough for dentists. You come into your office and your staff is already busy retrieving all the phone messages from patients over the weekend. This patient wants to cancel, that patient wants to change their appointment. Another found your website or received your marketing postcard but can only be reached...

You get the picture. On Friday you had a pretty full calendar booked, and on Monday your staff is going through hoops just to fill in the holes. Add to that the patients who call during evenings and holidays and lunchtimes and no wonder your office manager and staff are so stressed.

There's no doubt. Phone communications are one of the biggest challenges for dentists. For now patients expect 24/7 contact. They want to be treated with compassion and professional courtesy any time of the day or night. They get frustrated with answering machines, and prefer speaking to a live person who will ask them precise questions about what's going on.

Of course, times have changed and so have answering services. Today you have many choices available. But which one is right for you? Here are the most important questions you should ask before trusting any answering service to speak with your patients:

1. How long have they been answering calls for dentists? The longer the better! The experience required to grasp the complexity of dental communications is at least five years.
2. Is their staff specifically trained in dental terminology? If not, your patients may not receive the expertise and compassion they require when they call.
3. Are they fully compliant with HIPAA? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects you and your patients. Make sure they're 100% compliant and can prove it!
4. Can they manage appointment scheduling and confirmation? Have them visibly show you first. Be certain their technology and software can successfully integrate with your current scheduling systems.
5. Do they process messages through multiple means? Nowadays patients communicate by telephone, e-mail, voice mail, texting, and wireless devices. An answering service must be proficient in all of them!
6. Are their services customized to your precise requirements? The cookie-cutter approach doesn't work here. They should be able to verify insurance, track ad responses, while providing updates about your practice.
7. Can they promptly and correctly handle emergency situations? Rapid response is of the essence. Ask them how they route calls and dispatch crucial services with attention to detail and follow-through.
8. Are their operators based in the United States or overseas? Speaking to someone in a foreign country is not what patients expect. Be positive your answering service only uses 100% American operators.
9. Do they offer bilingual English/Spanish support? It's crucial to reach every segment of the population. Only select a service that can clearly demonstrate its fluency in the Spanish language.
10. Have they been recognized by the industry and won awards?

Only two prestigious awards count here: The ATSI Award of Excellence and the Cam-X Award of Excellence. If they haven't won at least two of these in recent years, they're probably not the answering service you want. To maintain a thriving dental practice, nothing is more imperative than retaining patients and acquiring new ones. With more options than ever for patients seeking a dentist, you need every advantage over your competition.

Consider the right answering service as your Virtual Office, helping to grow your practice while making sure you never lose another patient due to poor communications. So select carefully. Demand the reliability that is absolutely essential for modern medicine, and for your patient's peace of mind!