Prav Solanki: You know, what can we do to get this patient over the line? Don’t tell them to go and think about [00:00:05] it. If they tell you they need to think about it, then that’s our opportunity to [00:00:10] ask them, okay. While you are going to think about it. Prav is there anything that I haven’t mentioned [00:00:15] today that’s going to help you make that decision? I feel like perhaps I’ve not explained myself [00:00:20] clearly, and that’s why you do need to go away and think about it. Is there any other information [00:00:25] I can help you with that is going to help making that decision a lot easier. [00:00:30] Have that conversation while the patient’s in. So you given the treatment plan [00:00:35] they take it away. You follow up that treatment plan. How long do you follow it follow [00:00:40] it up for. Are you following up for a minimum of two years? If they don’t go ahead, at what cadence [00:00:45] and frequency are they? Are the follow ups. What type of communication channels? Email, text [00:00:50] message? What are we using here? And then are you utilising technologies [00:00:55] such as loom to send them a summary of that treatment [00:01:00] plan in a video format best delivered via the clinician elevates your conversion [00:01:05] rate ever so much.

[VOICE]: This [00:01:10] is Dental Leaders. The [00:01:15] podcast where you get to go one on one with emerging leaders in dentistry. [00:01:20] Your hosts. Payman Langroudi [00:01:25] and Prav Solanki.

Prav Solanki: Hello and welcome to the Dental [00:01:30] Leaders podcast Prav Solanki here. And this is going to be another [00:01:35] solo episode, and I’m just back on [00:01:40] the Monday morning after my TCO course that I’ve just delivered for [00:01:45] IIs Academy over in Surrey had around 21 delegates [00:01:50] there, and I always learn stuff when I deliver a course. [00:01:55] I also change every course as well. You know, um, what I taught [00:02:00] on the TCO course last year is, is different [00:02:05] to what I taught this year, and the core fundamentals of it were the same, but [00:02:10] it was different because I get new ideas, I speak to more practice [00:02:15] owners, I learn about the little problems and nuances that they face. [00:02:20] And then as a consequence of that, I switch up my content and I’m terrible [00:02:25] for it. So I’ll give you a simple example. I was [00:02:30] on the train on my way to Weybridge the night [00:02:35] before the course. My presentation from last year was done, [00:02:40] so I could have just rocked up that morning and delivered the course, [00:02:45] but I had an idea that popped into my head how could I sell [00:02:50] dentistry? Or how could I explain sales in a [00:02:55] different way, in a way that my delegates would find it easier to [00:03:00] understand? Anyway, an idea popped into my head and I thought I could do it using [00:03:05] the analogy of supermarkets, baked beans, and commodities. [00:03:10] So I changed my. I changed like 30% of my presentation. [00:03:15] I changed the overall theme of my presentation and hence [00:03:20] changed the whole course.

Prav Solanki: Was it better 100%? Did the [00:03:25] delegates understand more? Absolutely. Did the delegates engage more? [00:03:30] Without question. Was it worth me staying up all [00:03:35] night to do that, waking up at five in the morning to finish the presentation [00:03:40] off and then deliver a presentation that I wasn’t quite [00:03:45] sure how it was going to go because it was a new idea and I hadn’t run it past anyone. It [00:03:50] was a risk, but well, well worth it. And the purpose of today’s podcast [00:03:55] really is to just, I guess for those out there who are [00:04:00] sort of professional speakers or getting on that speaking [00:04:05] circuit, I think one of the things and I can’t speak for everyone. Right. But one of the things [00:04:10] for me, I think it’s a bit like a woman going to a party. [00:04:15] And hasn’t got a new dress to wear. Right. If I’m delivering [00:04:20] the same presentation a year later, six months later, I want [00:04:25] to make sure that I’m bringing something new to the game, right? If you’re going [00:04:30] to a party and you think, flipping heck, everyone’s seen this dress or everyone’s seen this outfit, that’s feedback [00:04:35] I get anyway. Might be completely wrong. I need to go out and buy a new this, that and the other right? [00:04:40] And I think the same comes to me when I’m presenting content. [00:04:45] I don’t want to present the same stuff over and over and over again.

Prav Solanki: And bearing [00:04:50] in mind I’m learning from practices every day, I step into one practice and learn about a [00:04:55] problem that didn’t exist. I fix that problem and I bring that to the surface, right? I [00:05:00] walk into another practice, and perhaps I figure out a different way of solving [00:05:05] the same problem, or they have different HR nuances, or they have different marketing [00:05:10] challenges or patient communication challenges. Right after having been [00:05:15] in this game for 16 years, I am learning new shit every [00:05:20] single day, and I believe I should be bringing that to the forefront of my [00:05:25] content. And a lot of speakers that I see do the same thing, right? A lot of speakers that I speak [00:05:30] to try to bring new material to the table, and that in [00:05:35] itself is a bit of a challenge. Right? So later on this year, next month, [00:05:40] I’m delivering a one hour session for Clearcorrect [00:05:45] at the Millennium Point in Birmingham. Right. Probably the best [00:05:50] place I’ve ever spoken at as a venue, but I’m there for the [00:05:55] second year round. I can’t just rock up and deliver the same stuff I could and I [00:06:00] could get away with it, but I’ve got to bring something new to the table, I really do, and I [00:06:05] think that’s, you know, that’s one of the challenges that we face as speakers. [00:06:10] But I think also as practices. Right. And I want to I’m going [00:06:15] to share some stuff from my own course content. Because this [00:06:20] is about bringing something new to the table, which is when it comes [00:06:25] to selling dentistry.

Prav Solanki: Selling your treatment or [00:06:30] selling your service. What’s really important? Is [00:06:35] that, however you articulate that, that you stand out. And it becomes [00:06:40] more important, bringing something new to the table when everyone else is [00:06:45] doing the same shit. And what I mean by that is the fact that [00:06:50] dentistry is becoming more and more and more commoditized as [00:06:55] life goes on, as time goes on and people are reinventing the wheel, right? Just [00:07:00] to stay ahead of the game, I’m going to give you a couple of simple examples. Clear [00:07:05] aligners. Invisalign. Clear. Correct? Sure. Smile. Spark. Call [00:07:10] it what you want. It’s a piece of plastic that you stick in your teeth. It straightens your teeth [00:07:15] and helps patients go from crooked and gappy to straight. It’s as simple as that, right? [00:07:20] But the problem is it’s being treated like a raw material at the moment, [00:07:25] like like a pure commodity. And part of it is our fault [00:07:30] as marketeers and our fault as practice owners, because we’re trying [00:07:35] these little creative strategies to say, hey, come to my practice [00:07:40] for Invisalign, or come to my practice for bonding, or come to my practice for implants, [00:07:45] right? And marketeers like me are tasked with doing things differently, doing [00:07:50] things more creatively, changing the game or whatever it is. And we are all [00:07:55] fighting for the same patients. But what are we selling that patient? And this is where my [00:08:00] concept of baked beans came into my TCO course.

Prav Solanki: Right. Because I’m going [00:08:05] to share some of that content. Now imagine you went and bought a tin of baked beans [00:08:10] from Harrods, or you bought a tin of baked beans from Tesco, [00:08:15] or a tin of baked beans from Aldi. And let’s assume for argument’s [00:08:20] sake, all three places sell Heinz baked beans. [00:08:25] Yeah, you crack that tin open, you are getting exactly the [00:08:30] same thing. It’s a commodity, right? Stick it on your toast. It’ll [00:08:35] taste the same. But why would somebody pay more at another place? [00:08:40] Right? It’s the process. It’s the experience. It’s what you do with [00:08:45] those beings. It’s the nuances. And that’s the same with your practice. [00:08:50] Because now patients think that when they buy clear aligners, they’re just [00:08:55] buying a product and they’re not buying the service that comes along with it. [00:09:00] And so if somebody wants straight teeth and let’s not beat around the bush, Invisalign [00:09:05] is the premium or leading brand in the world. So let’s say a patient wants [00:09:10] Invisalign. So they look online. They see your practice, someone else’s practice, and someone else’s [00:09:15] practice. But the end result is a piece of plastic that comes from a lab in the States, or wherever [00:09:20] it comes from. It gets delivered. You chuck it in your mouth, change it every couple of weeks. [00:09:25] End of the treatment. You’ve got straight teeth, so why should they pay you £1,000 more [00:09:30] than the next guy down the road? Right? And especially [00:09:35] when there’s so many open days and offers out there at the moment, it becomes [00:09:40] a challenge.

Prav Solanki: And so Invisalign is becoming a commodity. Do you know what [00:09:45] patients are doing now? And this didn’t happen? Well, it did, but not [00:09:50] as much, right? If I wind the clock back, a even just 18 [00:09:55] months patient would pick up the phone. They’d have a conversation. Interested [00:10:00] in Invisalign changing my teeth? You’d have a little bit of a conversation about them, as [00:10:05] you know. How long have they been thinking about it? Why now? How has it impacted [00:10:10] your life? What does sunshine and rainbows look like? And give them some good [00:10:15] news that you can help them get there. Offer a complimentary consultation. Get them in with a clinician [00:10:20] or a TCO. Sell them the dream. Take a deposit. Rock and roll. Right? Maybe the finance [00:10:25] conversation is pay up front. Get a bit of a discount, give them a bit of finance. Whatever it is, get [00:10:30] them over the line done and dusted. What happens now? That same patient is [00:10:35] calling half a dozen practices, getting some quotes, getting [00:10:40] some ideas, and then what they’ll do is they’ll book 2 or 3 consultations [00:10:45] and then they’ll make a decision. And so part and parcel of what I teach [00:10:50] on my course is how do you make your experience memorable, [00:10:55] how do you stand out and how do you connect with [00:11:00] that human being.

Prav Solanki: And so the first part, honestly, the first part about this is [00:11:05] it’s mindset and it’s about human connection. It really [00:11:10] is about that human connection. And what I mean by that is simply this, [00:11:15] that as practices, as clinicians, as [00:11:20] CEOs, as salespeople, we’ve started to look [00:11:25] at human beings as objects. So instead of referring [00:11:30] to them as patients or as human beings, we’ve now started using language [00:11:35] like leads cases, aligner cases, [00:11:40] numbers fits. Right. So I want 25 [00:11:45] Invisalign cases. We’ve got 55 leads. We’ve got this [00:11:50] many numbers. Our conversion rate on Invisalign patients. Yeah, I [00:11:55] had five consults this morning and got three three of those leads converted. [00:12:00] And we often forget that behind every single one [00:12:05] of those patients that we’re seeing. And I think it’s important to step back to this. There’s a human [00:12:10] being and that human being. Has a [00:12:15] story, and that human being story is different from the next lead [00:12:20] and the next console. And unless we tailor our communication. [00:12:25] A follow up process and our conversation [00:12:30] around each human being. Someone else is going to snap that patient [00:12:35] up. So let’s let’s take patient. Let’s call him Steve. Right. Let’s take Steve. [00:12:40] And Steve calls three practices. He’s got crooked teeth. He’s [00:12:45] interested in Invisalign. And let’s assume he’s got somewhere between 3 to 4 [00:12:50] grand in his pocket. Got a rough idea of what Invisalign costs. And there’s a range, [00:12:55] but he’s ringing around because he wants the best deal, right? Because all he thinks is buying is a piece of plastic. [00:13:00]

Prav Solanki: So he rings. Practice A and practice A [00:13:05] says, yeah, absolutely. We do Invisalign. We’re well experienced. We’ve done loads [00:13:10] of these cases. I’ve got some before and afters. And Steve, if you’d like to book him for a complimentary [00:13:15] consultation, you can come in and see our TCO. No problem. [00:13:20] Steve says, let me think about it. Moves on to the next practice rings. Then [00:13:25] the other practice says the same stuff. But instead of saying you can book [00:13:30] in with TCO, says, oh, you can actually book in with the dentist. Who’s going to [00:13:35] do the Invisalign treatment? We don’t have a TCO here, so you can get straight to the dentist [00:13:40] and that’s going to be complimentary. So now what have we got? We’re [00:13:45] still selling tins of beans right? Heinz baked beans and one Heinz baked beans and the other. And [00:13:50] then the third practice, they call up and say, Steve, you’re in luck on this Friday, we’ve [00:13:55] got an open day. What that means is you can meet the dentist if you decide [00:14:00] to proceed with treatment on the day you get £250 off, we’ll throw [00:14:05] in some free whitening. Your retainers are covered, and we’ll also give you a hygiene [00:14:10] appointment all on us. And you get a small simulation, [00:14:15] blah blah blah blah blah. And Steve goes, wow, that sounds amazing. Absolutely. [00:14:20] Let’s get booked in. Now the other two practices have potentially [00:14:25] missed out.

Prav Solanki: Same service. Maybe your price point is similar [00:14:30] to what they’re offering on that open day. Right. And [00:14:35] so we’ve got to ask ourselves the question that are we doing ourselves enough [00:14:40] justice just on let’s just think about the phone call now, just on that phone call in [00:14:45] explaining to that patient what is on offer. If you offer [00:14:50] free whitening, mention it. If you offer retainers included [00:14:55] in the package, even if they’re not free, right included in the package, mention it because [00:15:00] you want to make sure that patients comparing apples for apples. And if [00:15:05] there are competitors offering or marketing open [00:15:10] days in your area, and you need to be sensitive to that, right. And perhaps [00:15:15] you need to bring that to the forefront of the discussion with the patient. If [00:15:20] you’re able to price patch, mention it. If you don’t compete on price, then [00:15:25] what are we going to do to add value to that conversation? [00:15:30] Right. I always say try and make that phone call as memorable as possible. [00:15:35] And this comes down to Usp’s, right? What [00:15:40] is it in your clinic that is different to the next clinic? [00:15:45] And so when it comes to Usp’s, what I’d like you to do is a little exercise [00:15:50] I’d like you to figure out in your practice what exactly [00:15:55] are your usp’s. Right. So perhaps pause this [00:16:00] podcast after this little statement I’m going to make and write down [00:16:05] what your points are, your unique selling points and propositions, and [00:16:10] then make sure your team on the telephone are able to articulate [00:16:15] these in a way that makes that phone call memorable.

Prav Solanki: So [00:16:20] how do we break down our usp’s? Let’s just stick [00:16:25] with Invisalign. And we’re trying to get Steve over the line, okay? How many [00:16:30] years have you been straightening teeth? How many cases [00:16:35] have you done? How many before and after pictures have you got? Have [00:16:40] you got those before and after pictures on your Instagram profile or on your website? Does [00:16:45] an automated email go out after they’ve sent an inquiry with you? Three best [00:16:50] before and after pictures on there that are not just retracted shots, but full face cases. [00:16:55] Have you spoke to that patient? And they’ve got a central diastema. [00:17:00] And have you got a central diastema case that you can send them the Invisalign has [00:17:05] fixed? Okay. So the first part of the USB write down how [00:17:10] many years of experience, how much volume and what have you got in [00:17:15] terms of evidence? Okay. What evidence can you show this patient [00:17:20] that we do Invisalign different and here are our results okay. [00:17:25] And it’s not a commodity. It’s about the end service. Next thing [00:17:30] if you’ve got any Google reviews, have you got any video testimonials that are [00:17:35] specific to Invisalign? Perhaps you can screenshot your Google reviews [00:17:40] and email them to Steve. If you’ve got a CRM system that [00:17:45] handles this for you, for example, Lead Flow, which is the one that we’ve [00:17:50] built, we we screenshot the the treatment [00:17:55] specific testimonials and [00:18:00] we automatically email them to the patient so they can see all the video [00:18:05] testimonials.

Prav Solanki: Now, even if you haven’t got a CRM system, go through that exercise [00:18:10] and email it to the patient. Send them a video testimonial of [00:18:15] a patient who you’ve taken that’s maybe sat on your Instagram page or sat on your website or SAT hosted [00:18:20] somewhere and show them examples of that. So that’s the next part, okay. Reviews, [00:18:25] testimonials and evidence. So write down all your usp’s regarding [00:18:30] that. Right? Have you got 500 plus five star Google reviews at the [00:18:35] practice? Have you been established 20 years you’ve been offering Invisalign treatment for the last [00:18:40] ten years, and you’ve completed over 600 cases, and you happen [00:18:45] to be recognised as a diamond, platinum, apex, [00:18:50] whatever provider it is. Okay, so whatever badges and awards [00:18:55] and stickers have you got? Have you won an award for patient care or for example, [00:19:00] you know, the whole apex diamond thing, whatever it is. [00:19:05] Okay. Often these awards badges and stickers just sort of remain in the [00:19:10] background. And even though we’ve got it plastered all over our website, we don’t [00:19:15] bring it into our phone conversations. And then your skills and approach. [00:19:20] Yeah. Have you got a slightly different approach to the way you do it? Do you offer something [00:19:25] like dental monitoring, or have you got a dedicated WhatsApp number [00:19:30] with the treatment coordinator? At any stage during your journey? You’ve got direct WhatsApp [00:19:35] communication with us.

Prav Solanki: If that is part of your process, explain it over [00:19:40] the phone that it’s slightly different here because patients do have problems and we’ve got [00:19:45] a dedicated WhatsApp number. Okay. In terms of the patient journey, do you offer convenience [00:19:50] evening appointments, weekend appointments? Yeah. Do we, um, carry [00:19:55] out remote reviews? So instead of you having to come in all the time, the dental [00:20:00] monitoring thing, we can do some zoom consultations. You can just pop in and pick up your [00:20:05] aligners. If everything’s tracking easily. We don’t want you to have to take time off work. [00:20:10] And we’ve made it really convenient. And then so that’s another set of USBs. [00:20:15] And then finally, what about the technology and the toys [00:20:20] that you have in the practice? Everyone’s got a scanner these days. Not everyone [00:20:25] talks about it. Yeah. We’ve got this amazing 3D scanning technology, [00:20:30] Prav. And when you come into the practice, what we’re going to do is we’re going to take a scan of your teeth. [00:20:35] It’s going to bring them up in 3D on the screen and right next to it, [00:20:40] it’s going to create an artificial intelligence simulation that’s going to show you how [00:20:45] your teeth are going to look. When they’re straightened. That’s [00:20:50] a really cool piece of technology that we’ve got. Okay, so perhaps you can talk about that. [00:20:55] And so let’s re-articulate everything. So we’ve just pause [00:21:00] the pause the podcast for now and just think about what your usp’s are, write [00:21:05] them down, go through that exercise with your team and go through [00:21:10] that exercise in relation to every treatment that you offer.

Prav Solanki: Implants, [00:21:15] Invisalign, general dentistry, restorative dentistry, crowns, [00:21:20] veneers, whatever it is. Hygiene. Maybe you offer [00:21:25] this air flow gbdt, warm water, all the rest of it. It’s [00:21:30] all good and well having this tech. But if you’re telephone team can’t talk [00:21:35] about in articulating in a way that the patients can understand, you’re missing [00:21:40] a trick because your patients won’t end up learning about it. So back to [00:21:45] Steve. Hi, Steve. So I understand your interest in Invisalign. Fantastic. [00:21:50] Well, you’ve come through to the right place in the local area. We are the most experienced [00:21:55] practice. We happen to have done over 400 cases in the last 12 [00:22:00] months. Our senior dentist, Doctor Solanki, has [00:22:05] been doing this for a long time. Um, and he’s earned himself a [00:22:10] flipping apex status, which means he’s one of the top providers in the whole [00:22:15] of Europe. But not only that, in addition to Invisalign, what he [00:22:20] also offers and I know you’re not interested in this, but he also offers fixed [00:22:25] braces. Now, for some patients who’ve got more complicated situations [00:22:30] where Invisalign can’t fix everything, we can do combination treatment if needed. It’s [00:22:35] on the table, so I suggest you come in and meet him. When [00:22:40] to send you an email with five Google reviews and a video testimonial with [00:22:45] Graham in there, who’s been through the same process, he’s got a gap in the middle of his teeth. [00:22:50]

Prav Solanki: You’ll see how we transformed his smile. Not an easy case, but he’s done loads of these, [00:22:55] so you’re going to be in the best possible hands. And with over 405 star Google reviews, [00:23:00] just take your time to read them. You can be rest assured you’re going to be getting the best treatment [00:23:05] and care now. Doctor Solanki skills and approach [00:23:10] to his Invisalign treatment are quite unique in the sense that once [00:23:15] you’ve had your teeth fully straightened, what’s going to happen is he’s going to do a little [00:23:20] bit of tooth contouring to just tidy up those uneven edges. And [00:23:25] that’s completely included in the price. And after treatment, once you’ve got these beautiful [00:23:30] straight teeth, we’re going to whiten them for you to whatever shade you want. So you’ll have [00:23:35] a perfect set of straight white teeth. And if you choose to do so at that stage, [00:23:40] we can also do some things with composite bonding, porcelain veneers and things like that. [00:23:45] And Doctor Solanki is an absolute artist when it comes to that. Now [00:23:50] I know you’re really busy and you’ve got you’ve got a really busy job, as you mentioned earlier [00:23:55] in this call. So we offer late Tuesday evening appointments. You can come in after work [00:24:00] and don’t have to take time off. And every other Saturday we’re open from [00:24:05] ten till four. So you can come in then as well.

Prav Solanki: But in addition to that you go [00:24:10] in to have Kerry’s WhatsApp number. Any issues, take a picture of your [00:24:15] teeth, WhatsApp it to us and you’re going to have direct line of communication. You’re not having [00:24:20] to wait to respond to emails or anything like that. And as you know, as I’ve told you, we’ve got the best [00:24:25] technology here, that 3D scanning technology, when you come in for your consultation, what’s [00:24:30] going to happen is we’re going to show you what your future smile looks like. And at this moment [00:24:35] in time, we’ve got a little bit of an offer on, which means the retainers at the end of treatment and [00:24:40] what retainers are for these little, um, there’s some additional aligners and the little [00:24:45] wire that goes along the back of your teeth. And after you’ve had your teeth straightened, what it’s going to do, it’s going [00:24:50] to keep them perfectly straight, because your teeth have a tendency to move back. And believe it or [00:24:55] not, Steve, about 50% of the patients we treat are because [00:25:00] they’ve been treated before. And either they weren’t given retainers or they didn’t wear them. But [00:25:05] we’re going to keep our eye on you for the next 12 months. So included in your package [00:25:10] is two six monthly check ups. To keep an eye on your retainer and make sure [00:25:15] your teeth are not moving. Now, I’d love you to come in and meet Doctor [00:25:20] Solanki. He’s offering a complimentary consultation. He can specifically scan [00:25:25] your teeth, show you what your future smile will look like.

Prav Solanki: And if you decide to go [00:25:30] ahead, then, as I’ve mentioned, you’ll get the complimentary whitening will throw [00:25:35] the retainers in completely free of charge included in the price, and we will get [00:25:40] you to that perfect smile on your wedding day where X, Y, and [00:25:45] Z. Right now that phone conversation is so much better [00:25:50] once you’ve layered in your usp’s, but you [00:25:55] can’t sit there and blame your receptionist for not using usp’s if [00:26:00] you haven’t delivered the training to them. So it’s our job as [00:26:05] clinicians, as associates, as practice owners to [00:26:10] educate our team on all the different usp’s that we offer. Whether you’ve just been on [00:26:15] a course, whether you’ve got postgraduate education and you’ve trained all over the world, [00:26:20] whether you’ve been on this course, that course or the other, whether you’ve got a specific gentle technique for dental [00:26:25] phobia or injections or whatever it is, you’ve really got to sell it to your [00:26:30] team members, but also go through a, you know, a role play exercise where those team members [00:26:35] not only know your usp’s, but know how to articulate them right. [00:26:40] And so let’s take Steve again. Let’s imagine you getting through the [00:26:45] door. But another two practices getting through the door. And he comes in for that consultation. What [00:26:50] does your patient journey look like. Okay. What does that confirmation. [00:26:55] Text message, appointment and email look [00:27:00] like? Does it tell him that you’re excited to see him? Does it show me before and after? [00:27:05] Is the text message personalised, or is it just a standard one that comes out from [00:27:10] Software of Excellence at Bentley or whatever practice management software that you’re using? [00:27:15] Is there a little phone call that happens prior [00:27:20] to that patient’s appointment, Steve’s appointment, saying, we’re really looking forward to meeting you. [00:27:25]

Prav Solanki: Do we ask Steve to send us a picture of his smile so that Doctor Solanki [00:27:30] can look at it beforehand and do some prep before he comes in to [00:27:35] do a simulation or whatever, right. Stick it in the Smile View software or something like [00:27:40] that, or use something like the airbrush app to do a, you know, a rough [00:27:45] simulation of what his future smile could look like in his face. Yeah. Is there anything [00:27:50] like that that goes on? And when he steps through the door, what’s that like? [00:27:55] How is he welcomed into the practice? Who goes out and collects Steve [00:28:00] from the waiting stroke reception area? Is it the clinician? Is it the nurse? What does [00:28:05] the power dynamic look like in that situation? All of these things [00:28:10] are part of your your patient journey that you could [00:28:15] differentiate yourself from the next practice. When they’re going in for a consultation, [00:28:20] they’re okay. When you talk about money, how is the treatment plan presented? What [00:28:25] is your posture in the room? How do you answer that? Patients questions? [00:28:30] Do you connect with them in a certain way? Do you find some common ground and some [00:28:35] personal information about that patient? Do you reiterate the usp’s [00:28:40] that that patient has shared with you? Your receptionist [00:28:45] has done all this hard graft to articulate a usp’s and get some information [00:28:50] from that patient.

Prav Solanki: Are you ignoring that, or are you using it again to reinforce [00:28:55] what they have said? And this requires, you know, good leadership and team communication [00:29:00] from you, between you and your team. And then the treatment plan, [00:29:05] how do you present that? Is it sent by email? Is it delivered [00:29:10] there and then in person? Are you getting some feedback from them on where they sit [00:29:15] in terms of price, is there any information you haven’t presented today that’s [00:29:20] stopping them from making a decision? Are you asking that patient head on, and are [00:29:25] you then letting them walk out of that door to go and think about? I think one of the delegates on the [00:29:30] course said that, well, I’m too scared to close the deal [00:29:35] here and now. So I suggest that they go away and think [00:29:40] about it. That actually forms part of the language and the presentation. Would you like to go away [00:29:45] and think about it? And that particular delegate is going to change their [00:29:50] approach and has actually promised me that what they’re going to do is be a little bit more [00:29:55] aggressive. Maybe aggressive is the wrong choice of word, but you know, what I mean is [00:30:00] more along the lines of, okay, Prav, now that I’ve presented everything to [00:30:05] you, what are we thinking? Where’s your head at now? Are we going to book in and [00:30:10] we’re going to go ahead.

Prav Solanki: Should we get your hygiene appointment booked in so we can get you started? You know, [00:30:15] what can we do to get this patient over the line? Don’t tell them to go and think about it. [00:30:20] If they tell you they need to think about it, then that’s our opportunity to ask [00:30:25] them, okay. While you are going to think about it. Prav is there anything that I haven’t mentioned [00:30:30] today that’s going to help you make that decision? I feel like perhaps I’ve not explained myself clearly, [00:30:35] and that’s why you do need to go away and think about it. Is there any other information I [00:30:40] can help you with that is going to help making that decision a lot easier. [00:30:45] Have that conversation while the patient’s in. So you given the treatment plan they take [00:30:50] it away. You follow up that treatment plan. How long do you follow it follow [00:30:55] it up for. Are you following up for a minimum of two years? If they don’t, go ahead, at what cadence [00:31:00] and frequency are the other follow ups? What type of communication channels email, text message? [00:31:05] What are we using here? And then are you utilising technologies [00:31:10] such as loom? To send them a summary of that treatment [00:31:15] plan in a video format best delivered via the clinician elevates your conversion [00:31:20] rate ever so much.

Prav Solanki: But a TCO can also do that. [00:31:25] And I think that’s the sort of the key things from my course that I delivered [00:31:30] this weekend always come back and reflect on my train journey. [00:31:35] On the way back at the top of my presentation, I create a new slide. And [00:31:40] that new slide has a list of bullet points on how I’m going to change the course [00:31:45] next time, what I’m going to do differently, how I’m going to present this differently, [00:31:50] so on and so forth. But, you know, I think the two most valuable [00:31:55] exercises that I think come out of my training [00:32:00] and sales training, whether I’m running my TCO course or doing specific trade sales training for people, [00:32:05] is this is mapping out your customer journey to the nth [00:32:10] detail. So step by step, there’s an exercise [00:32:15] that I get my clients to do and map their patient journey out separately. [00:32:20] So I’m going to end on this which is this become the patient. Set up a fake email [00:32:25] address but someone else’s mobile number in there. Make an inquiry. See [00:32:30] what sort of communication you get. See if you’re happy with the email confirmation. [00:32:35] You get the text message confirmation you get. So if you’re happy with [00:32:40] the follow up emails and the number of times if you’re happy with the response rate. The [00:32:45] conversation that happens on the phone. Become the patient. [00:32:50] Go through that process. Map the journey about out about what’s [00:32:55] happening now.

Prav Solanki: Don’t map out your future journey or the ideal journey. We all know what the perfect patient journey [00:33:00] looks like, but map out what’s happening and figure out what you need to change [00:33:05] to deliver a better service. Be, you know, communication [00:33:10] that helps you convert better. And I think that’s it. I think that’s [00:33:15] all I’ve got to speak about today, really, is I am incredibly passionate about [00:33:20] sales. I think sales is all about connecting [00:33:25] with the patient, meeting them where they are at in that in their journey, [00:33:30] really understanding them and articulating how you can help them [00:33:35] fix their problem in a really easy to understand [00:33:40] way. And finally, being mindful of [00:33:45] the fact that patients are always at some stage in [00:33:50] that decision making journey, and you’ve got to be sensitive to the [00:33:55] fact that they may not want to buy today or tomorrow, or in three months [00:34:00] or in six months time. And that’s okay, because [00:34:05] these patients will eventually go ahead with treatment. If a patient has come in with crooked teeth, [00:34:10] if they go away and think about it in 12 months later, they haven’t had treatment. [00:34:15] Guess what? They’ve still got crooked teeth, and at some point that pain will resurface. [00:34:20] And if you’re there waiting in the wings because you’ve been in touch [00:34:25] with them, you’ve constantly been communicating with them over the last two years, maybe [00:34:30] once every 2 to 3 months. Just keeping in touch. You’ll be first on [00:34:35] their list.

[VOICE]: This is Dental Leaders, [00:34:40] the podcast where you get to go one on one with emerging leaders in [00:34:45] dentistry. Your hosts. Payman [00:34:50] Langroudi and Prav Solanki.

Prav Solanki: Thanks for listening, guys. [00:34:55] If you got this far, you must have listened to the whole thing.

Prav Solanki: And just a huge thank you both [00:35:00] from me and pay for actually sticking through and listening to what we’ve had to say and what our guest has [00:35:05] had to say, because I’m assuming you got some value out of it.

Payman Langroudi: If you did get some value out of it, think [00:35:10] about subscribing. And if you would share this with a friend who you think [00:35:15] might get some value out of it too. Thank you so so, so much for listening. Thanks.

Prav Solanki: And don’t forget our six [00:35:20] star rating.