- Build Excellent Rapport – People show up to appointments because they have to or because they want to. Guess what? They don’t have to so help them want to come to their doctor appointment.
- Take at least 2 minutes throughout the call to find common ground, to understand their goals, and to make a connection. It could be children, hobbies, job similarities etc.
- YellowTelescope Magic Wordtracks: “Tell me a little bit about what you hope Dr. ____ can do for you…” and “I can certainly relate to what you are telling me because…”
- The Doctor Will See You – Remind the patient that they will be seen by the doctor and that the doctor’s time is valuable.
- YellowTelescope Magic Wordtrack: “Dr.____ will be taking time out of his rather hectic schedule to meet with you personally, so I want to ensure we select a time that works for you…”
- Schedule ASAP
- Did you know that the sooner the appointment, the greater the likelihood that the patient will show up? Not surprised? Neither are we – here is your friendly reminder to remind your scheduler in a friendly way.
- Write It Down –Placing appointments in a calendar helps one’s mind remember a commitment regardless of whether one checks that calendar again.
- Most medical office staff members remember to ask the patient to write the appointment down or place the appointment in their phone or calendar. Don’t stop there. Wait to ensure it is done.
- YellowTelescope Magic Wordtrack: “Do you have a pen and paper handy? Or perhaps your iPhone or wherever you keep your appointments?” Pause, and once you hear that they do, confirm by saying “Great. Just let me know when you are ready…”
- Providing clear information, even if you plan to email the same information to the patient, helps him commit the appointment to his memory and ensures the patient does not forget to put the appointment in his calendar.
- Don’t Confirm, Remind:
- When giving reminder calls ideally 2 days prior to a patient’s consultation or medical appointment with the doctor, remember it is a reminder call and not a confirmation call.
- Psychologically, when somebody confirms an appointment with us they are checking to see if we still plan to keep our commitment. When we remind somebody of a commitment, we are simply ensuring the person knows we still expect them 100%. Decrease your cancelation rate today by following this simple rule.
- YellowTelescope Magic Wordtrack: “Hi ____, this is ____ from Dr. ____’s office. How are you? Great. We know you already have this in your calendar, but we wanted to quickly call you and remind you of your upcoming appointment, Tuesday at 2pm, with the doctor…if you have no other questions, we look forward to seeing you then.”
Stay tuned for next month’s blog titled “The Many Misdemeanors of Management – Part 2…” and we look forward to seeing many of you in Las Vegas this week. Don’t forget to forward this to a colleague and a friend.Sign Up Here for this monthly blog and visit us at yellowtelescope.com.
About Yellow Telescope
We help doctors grow their aesthetic or elective practices, whether they are solo practitioners or within a group practice, in exactly 3 ways:
1 – Training – we run in-depth training for high-level practice managers and sales staff in the medical industry. These 2-Day events are literally guaranteed to grow your medical business.
2 – Staffing – we can recruit, then train, and then even supervise a high-level employee at your practice. We run practices everyday so we know exactly what you are looking for. Hire us to hire the practice manager or salesperson who affects your results more than any other single factor.
3 – Practice Management – we can help run your entire practice while maintaining your autonomy. Every practice we manage has grown by 60-125% in the very first year they have worked with YellowTelescope. And we don’t make a dime unless you grow. Founded in 2008, YellowTelescope is a company, unlike any other in the aesthetic surgery field, focused solely on medical practice growth. Learn more about why YellowTelescope has become an industry leader in just four years at yellowtelescope.com.
