The Dental Marketing Power of Suggestion

I love Olive Garden. It is definitely on my top ten list of places to go out to dinner. The reason I love it so much is not just because they have delicious food (which they do), but it’s because the service is always amazing.

My most recent experience was not any different. Our server was great. However, at the end of our meal, after she boxed-up our leftovers, she forgot something… She forgot to up-sell.

After the credit card receipt was signed, I realized that we hadn’t had desert. Being a rarity for my wife and I to get a night out together, we wanted more time to talk and enjoy this time. As our server walked away, I asked my wife if she wanted desert or a glass of wine, or something. If I had not already paid, I think she would have said yes. Instead, we just sat there, talking, and taking up space.

My point is: We were going to sit there for another 20-30 minutes regardless of whether or not we got desert. We could have easily added about $15-20 to our bill, and probably would have given a bigger tip. But, the server didn’t ask if we wanted anything else. She completely missed the opportunity.

As a dentist, how many times a day do you miss the opportunity to get more production out of each patient? You have a golden opportunity with every person that sits in your chair, because as long as you have your fingers in their mouth, they aren’t going anywhere. So, talk to them. Tell them about veneers, or suggest a teeth whitening treatment. If they show interest in having something else done, talk to them about it on their way out and have them make the appointment before they leave your office. Bam! More production, just like that. The key is letting them know they need more, and getting a commitment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMC Dental Marketing is a full-service Dental Practice Marketing, Dental Advertising, and Practice Management agency that focusses on solving a dentists top 2 problems - attracting new patients and retaining the patients they already have.