A highly entertaining way to boost revenues
Across any business sector there are few, if any, sales techniques which customers actively enjoy. Dental practices, however, are breaking the mould. Dan Durie explains.
There aren’t many professions in which a practitioner can hold their audience captive while they enjoy learning about, and become motivated to invest in, additional purchases. There are even fewer in which the practitioner can – consistently and almost effortlessly – increase sales by between 40 and 100 per cent, without them or their staff uttering a single word.
Yet the dental practice is one such rarefied environment and this is happening now, every day, in over 1,500 waiting rooms across the country.
The service involves placing television screens around the practice, most predominantly in the waiting room. While the size, style and position of the screens have all proven to affect overall outcomes it is, of course, what they play out which is the really potent factor.
Many practices have, over the years, broadcast ordinary television in waiting rooms in an effort to entertain customers who are often apprehensive and bored. Some have invested in services for dental animations and information. However, while they may have had their place ten years ago they now simply stand in the way of what is proving to be the silent, star salesperson.
Content is king
The programme consists of a series of individually selected and sequenced silent media productions; run in a recommend loop time of around 15 minutes’ (this is adjustable to each practice if its average wait time differs from this norm).
The loop is divided into distinct types of media, expertly interspersed. Comprising of News, Sport, Entertainment and high-quality commercials for treatments, products and expertise available at the pratcice.
Watching, learning, wanting…
The results are now well-researched and documented across all demographics (aged over 18). Tests across large numbers of practices consistently reveal that, on average, 86-91 per cent of patients choose to watch the screens.
It is interesting in itself to reflect a moment on this fact alone. It compares very favourably with the 4 per cent who read posters or magazines. There are two key advantages in this. Firstly, it demonstrates that customers are being entertained and distracted while they wait their turn – improving the customer experience (and also helping to alleviate nerves). Secondly, it demonstrates a far better chance of the practice benefiting from the 80:20 rule: 80 per cent of custom generally comes from 20 per cent of customers. It is vital to influence as many of that 20 per cent as possible.
Post-appointment interviews, comparing patients who have been to practices with this service with those from practices without the service, show that unprompted product recall doubles. Between 60 and 75 per cent feel more informed about products and services. On average, those who have watched reveal an intention to purchase almost double that of those who haven’t.
…and buying
The effects of the programme on increasing treatment bookings are definitive. On average, enquiries for private cosmetic treatments increase by over 50 per cent – and this is sustained over time. For example, one year-long study across 150 practices showed that sales of teeth-whitening procedures rose by 43 per cent during periods of on-screen promotion.
The follow up
The success of the TV channel is probably best illustarated by the overwhelming requests from our customers for us to create a service and produce a library of videos and leaflets for them to email to their patients in order to follow up all the enquiries they were receving. These enquiries were typically for private and specialist treatments such as, implants, whitening, composite bonding and invisible braces.
In response to our customer requested, we developed the online service and content libraries. Enabling practices to be able to email their patients personalised video and leaflets. This service was then further expanded in 2018 to included content for practices to share with patients via social media and to post on their websites.
Easy does it
The service is inexpensive and quick to install. Neither the partners nor the practice staff have to be trained to update the TV channel in the technology, as the programme is fully managed remotely by a team of experts. The screens are even turned on automatically each working day, ready and waiting to start silently selling.
The online service is designed with simplicity of use at the heart of it, should you need help or support or dedicated and friendly customer care team will be delighted to help. Whats more the service includes a licence for 10 users at each practice, so the whole team can benefit with no additional expense.
Some key facts
- Typlically a 50% uplift in treatment enquiries
- At least 86% of patients on average watch screens (fewer than 4% read posters)
- Effortless sales and product awareness
- Improves patient visiting experience
- Fully managed, flexible service – no work for practice staff