January 15, 2018 by bettyhayden

Children’s Dental Give Kids A Smile Day

Hello Friends,

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, what do you have planned to help educate families in your community about the need for better dental health?

Field trips to local schools? School field trips to the office? Participating in the National Give Kids A Smile Day?

If you are interested in having me help your office create a custom “Children’s Dental Health Month” (or different themed) campaign by providing you with ideas for special offers, patient gift giveaways/drawings, community involvement such as school field trips and presentations, cross-marketing with local businesses and hygiene continuing care/incomplete treatment scripting, please contact me today at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Be sure to see Pediatric Dental Marketing Ideas for many ideas on how to Consistently Exceed Parent & Patient Expectations and Consistently Be Great! Visit here: Pediatric Dental Marketing Ideas

If you’re looking for Dental Health Month activities, crafts, printables, etc. please see my Pinterest board: Children’s Dental Health Month Ideas

This article will focus on Give Kids a Smile Day which is held annually on the first Friday in February.

Here are some ideas and tips to help you host a successful Give Kids A Smile day in your office.

The ADA website has an excellent Give Kids A Smile Toolbox http://www.ada.org/1584.aspx It’s loaded with information such as Planning, Promotion, Forms, etc.

I wanted to share some additional ideas with you that have really helped to make this day a huge success and gain great patients long after the day is over.

Employee Participation – While you can’t mandate that your team volunteer to work this event, you can ask them to volunteer to work this very special day that will help many underserved children in the community. If you require your team to be there, you must pay them. GKAS day can be a very busy day for the office, I recommend ordering lunch in so team members can relax during their break.

Services/Procedures – Decide which free services you will be offering to the children on this day.

Advertising/Marketing your Event – Here are just a few ways to do this:

Social Media Pages ~ Make good use of all your social media platforms to share information about GKAS day.

TV News ~ Fax & Email a press release.

Fliers ~ Create fliers for in-office use and to give out to those in your community.

Even if your schedule is filling up, continue to advertise! Think of it as spreading seeds all over the community, getting your name in front of many people. You never know when those seeds will grow!!

Key things to remember/do before, during and after the event:

Show lots of Enthusiasm:

Be enthusiastic about this great event and how wonderful your office is!

Printed Materials:

In addition to the event information/details. Be sure to include: Doctors (office) Name, Address, Phone number, email, social media pages, and website.

Telephones:

Thank them for calling, ask how they heard about the event (TRACK EVERY Callers Referral Source)
So your schedule is full for that day, what do you do when the phone continues to ring with people wanting to schedule an appointment for their child(ren)?
Take down their name, phone number, chief concern, and let them know you will call if there are any changes in the schedule for that day. (Believe or not people sometimes cancel/no-show on this day!)
Just because you may not be able to see them on that day, offer them a different day for a complimentary consultation. Give them hope, give them a chance, they’ve probably been turned away from other offices.

Donations:

See if you can get donations from local businesses for the event.
Be sure to include any business that contributed to the event in your advertising & thank you’s after the event!

Day of Event:

Every child receives a goodie bag that includes an imprinted toothbrush.
Take pictures!!! (The ADA website has a release form)
Enter all charges into the computer and write off as GKAS-Charity (Record total donation dollars – the production)

Sadly, There will be some treatment that you won’t be able to do that day – give them a treatment plan and if they cannot afford treatment in your office you should refer them to a dental school or Medicaid office. Have a list ready for them.

It may be the first visit to the dentist for some kids so they may be scared you really have to work at keeping them comfy & make it fun.

You might be surprised to see how many families end up becoming patients.

After the Event:

Send a thank you to the children after the event.
Send a thank you to any business that contributed to the event.
Submit a press release talking about the success of the event, pictures, and tips for parents to keep their child’s smile healthy.

Make your Give Kids a Smile Day a huge success!

It’s actually a really fun day – exhausting yes, and maybe a little heartbreaking but it feels good to volunteer your time and donate your services to help so many children in the community.

If you have any questions about hosting your Give Kids A Smile Event or would like help planning/advertising (press release & talking points)/marketing this special day, please contact me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

If you’re looking for additional marketing ideas for February not related to Children’s Dental Health month, please visit: Dental Marketing & Practice Management Ideas for February

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your inbox each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Feel free to tell your dental friends all about us so they can start benefiting from these dental ideas too. If you liked these ideas, please let me know by hitting the “like” button. Thank you!!!

Yours for Greater Success,
~Betty

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest

December 23, 2017 by bettyhayden

Tips and Ideas for Effectively Answering The Dental Office Telephone

Hello Friends,

“You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”

What kind of impression is your dental office team creating for you? Do you know how effective they are in answering the office telephone? Does it really matter? Absolutely!

All of your marketing efforts lead people to the phone first. Don’t waste your money by losing the potential patient or aggravating current patients due to poor telephone skills and habits. Your entire team (clinical & admin) should be trained on how to properly answer the phone and handle the call. Answering the phone is a privilege and a great opportunity!

Here are a 10 helpful telephone tips & ideas:

Smile before you pick up the phone.
Answer the phone within the first couple of rings.
Answer the phone with a thank you for calling, identify the office and give your name. (ex: Thank you for calling Dr.Smiles, this is Betty. I can help you.)
Do NOT let the caller go to voice mail (or a busy signal!) during business hours (including lunch hours). People hate leaving messages. Oftentimes, they’ll hang up and call the next office on their list.
Never, ever answer the phone with “hold please” or “can you hold?”! Take a quick second, find out who they are and what they need. People hate to be put on hold. If you are habitually needing to put callers on hold, you need more people answering the phones.
For the few times when you do need to put a caller on hold – please, consider having a great message on hold service. Here’s why: Should I Use A Message On Hold Service?
Get the caller’s name and use it often.
Find out how they heard about your office (document the referral source!).
“What type of insurance do you have?” shouldn’t be the first thing you ask. In fact, let the caller bring that part up. Your goal is to build a relationship with the caller, to get to know them and their expectations.
Offer an appointment. Sounds obvious right? You might be surprised to know how many offices I have called as a “shopper” and was never offered an appointment.

Set aside some time to meet together as a team – everyone in the office should be trained on how to not only answer the phones but they should know how to handle the calls. At the very least, professionally & courteously direct the caller to someone who can help. Role play will help all to feel more comfortable handling different types of calls.

As a team, create your Telephone Principles (Scripts) which are your goals & expectations for each call.

Know how to respond to the following callers:

Shopper Callers – Great opportunity! Typically, the shopper caller has a need and is ready to “buy”, that’s why they are “shopping”. Don’t blow it by refusing to quote fees over the phone.
Insurance Questions – Have a great response to: “Do you take —-ins?
Wrong Numbers – offer an appointment anyway.
Sales Calls – Be kind, they’re just doing their job. Maybe they need an appointment. Plus, you don’t know who they know. It’s simple – always be kind.
Organizations or local businesses requesting donations – Empower your team to fulfill their request. At the very least, offer them an appointment.

The telephone ringing should never be viewed as an interruption to your already too busy day. Certainly, handling the phones is a big responsibility but it’s an even bigger privilege. Don’t miss out on any opportunities to set your office apart from the others by always exceeding the caller’s expectations.

If you have questions about how to successfully handle telephone calls or need help training your team, don’t wait, ask for help. I’m ready to help you. Email:bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

If you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month, I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave a review on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK

Be sure to take a second and subscribe to receive in your email inbox each month, my FREE dental marketing and practice management tip & ideas.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest

July 10, 2017 by bettyhayden

Tips and Ideas to Grow and Improve Your Pediatric Dental Office

Hello Friends,

Are you looking to improve and grow your pediatric dental office? Today, I’m going to share several dental marketing and practice management ideas for your pediatric office. You may want to print out this article and discuss these ideas with your team. Together, come up with a plan that will help to make this your Best Year Yet!

Before we get started, keep in mind that the way to mom and dads’ heart is to treat their children well. The way to keep mom and dad loyal to your office is to treat their children exceptionally well. Why? Happy Kids = Happy Parents. As a mother of two children, I know this to be TRUE!

Here you go, Dental Ideas for the Pediatric Office…

grow and improve your pediatric dental clinic

Reception Room –

Clean/Well-maintained
Up-To-Date Décor
Video Games – Stationary or handheld devices
Books – Lending library bookshelf.
TV (childrens movies and short dental education videos)
Pictures – Wall of fame, digital photo frame or photo album filled with pictures of your patients.
Photo “booth” area with backdrop and photo props.
Tablet/Cell Phone charging station for parents.
Bottled water (beverage & snack station for parents.)

New Patient Experience –

Give tour of the office
Explain what they can expect during their visit
Free stuff – children love to pick out a prize after their visit.
Sign them up for your kids club/team.
Send them a welcome card after their first visit. Kids love to get mail!

Open House Kids Day (In Office) –

Choose a theme: Carnival, BBQ, Luau, Movie/TV/Book Characters, 50’s, etc.
Activities: Face Painting, Balloon Twisting, Hula Hoop Contest, Karaoke, Crafts, Carnival-like games, Photo booth/props, Bounce house, etc. (Depending on if the event is inside or outside the office)
Prize: Have a drawing to win a gift basket, gift card, bicycle, or team up with a local business for a donated prize.
Food: Hot dogs, Chips, Ice Cream/Popsicles, Water, Popcorn, etc.
Advertise: Promote via social media sites, local newspapers, in-office fliers, on continuing care postcards, and emails/texts to your current patients.
Option: Book appointments in hygiene only, this way, you’ll have production for the day and the doctor(s) will be free to visit with guests and still do the exams.
Memories: Take lots of pictures during the event to share on your social media sites, newsletters and media press release.

Host Patient Appreciation Events (Outside of office)

Skating Rink, Indoor Bounce/Trampoline, Movie Theater, Public Pool, Bowling, Local Park, etc. Invite your patients to bring a friend. Be sure to have imprinted give-aways and information about your office at these events. Encourage all attendees to visit and like your social media pages.

Fun Dress Up/Theme Days –

What: Decorate the office, team dresses up, small prize giveaways and snacks.

Theme Ideas: Luau, Superhero, Disney, Western, Carnival, Sports teams, Pajama Day, Silly hats/hair/socks, Etc.(visit party & dollar stores or orientaltrading.com for a ton of theme ideas)

Children’s Dental Health Month –

In-Office –

Charity – Host a Give Kids A Smile Event (See Children’s Dental Health Month and GKAS Day Ideas )

Field Trips – Invite local schools and daycares in for a free field trip to the dentist. (Serve a Healthy snack such as grapes, apple slices, string cheese and small bottled water, Present Education stations/demonstrations -visit the ADA website and Pinterest for great ideas for presentations, Toothbrush bags for the students and teachers/parents, show a short Video while the kids eat their snack)

Outside the office –

What: On-site Short Dental Education Presentations/Demonstrations and Toothbrush gift bags for the kids and teachers/parents.
Where: Schools, Daycares, Library, Mom groups, etc.

Participate in local Family Health & Wellness Fairs –

See Health and Wellness Fairs for some great ideas.

Community Involvement – Visit local farmers market, art/street fairs, Races/Run/Walk for-a-cause, Fundraisers, Parades, Etc. Be active in your community. Have imprinted freebies ready to pass out at these events.

Visit Local Businesses –

Where: Pediatricians, Dental Offices, Children’s stores, Dance studios, Salons, Etc.
What: Introductions, Referral pads/business cards, Small Gifts (Imprinted toothbrushes, flosscards, lip balm, etc.) Food (Bagels, Donuts, Fruit, Pies, etc), Contest/Drawing for Prizes, Lunch-n- Learn, etc. TIP: When visiting general dentist and pediatrician offices, always treat their reception team wonderfully… if your goal is to meet the doctors and get patient referrals, you want/need them to like you. 😉
SEE Dental Marketing Ideas for your Local Library
Consider sending a food/drink/ice cream truck to local offices/businesses.

Back-To-School/School Break Visits –

Set aside some back-to-school and/or breaks from school special days in the office. Special pricing or promotions on Sealants, Ortho, Fluoride, Mouthguards, etc. Consider doing a drawing for a Backpack filled with school supplies. Contest: nominate your favorite teacher (use social media sites to promote), prize ideas for winning teacher: Breakfast/Lunch at the school, free teeth whitening, or team up with local businesses for prize donations.

SEE Dental Ideas for Local Schools

Book Drive –

Collect new or gently used books to donate to your local library or schools. Promote via social media sites, local newspapers, in-office fliers, on continuing care postcards and to your current patients.

Incentive: Gift Basket (put together a fun themed gift basket). Every person that donates books can enter a drawing to win a gift basket. You do not need to be a patient of record to donate books.
Once you have collected all the books:
Take pictures of the books
Put together toothbrush gift bags w/office information and special offer to deliver to the employees of the library and or school.
Deliver books and gift bags to the library and or schools.

Kids Club/Team –

I’m not a fan of “no cavity” clubs because I like to see all children have the opportunity to be part of the office kids club/team and sometimes, a child’s unfortunate cavity is the fault of the parent. Have a club/team that is just for fun and that rewards healthy habits, report cards, community involvement, etc. Take a picture of each child to hang on your wall of fame or in a digital photo frame or picture album, as well as for your website, newsletter and/or social media sites. Present the child with a certificate/wristband/t-shirt when they sign up for your kids’ club. Have monthly contests/drawings that the children can enter to win prizes.

Give-Aways –

Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Floss/floss threaders, Toys, Puzzles, Kites, Books, Gift Cards, Bubbles, Stickers, Balloons, Fidget Spinners, Kites, Small Stuffed Animals, Glow items, etc. Children love to leave the office with a small treasure.

Referrals –

Acknowledge all referrals with a thank you card/letter signed by the dental team. Consider offering thank you gifts/raffle items. Prize ideas: Gift Cards, Family get-away, Gift Baskets, Etc. See Gift Ideas – Pinterest Board

Social Media –

Utilize social media platforms to keep your current patients up to date with all of your office happenings, to build relationships with local businesses and connect with potential patients. Be sure to connect with community mom groups and all kid-related businesses on your social media platforms. (See this Pinterest Board for a plethora of posting images.)

Facebook Videos – Share (live) videos about brushing & flossing techniques, what to do in a dental emergency, why baby teeth are important, what age should a child first visit the dentist, how much sugar is in your favorite drink/cereal/snack, healthy snack ideas and so on.

See Social Media Site Posting Content Ideas

Answer Your Phone –

Sure, you know that the office phone should be answered within the first couple of rings by an unhurried, friendly scheduling coordinator whose goal is to schedule an appointment and wow the caller with excellent customer service but if you want to see greater results from your marketing efforts, then you must be certain that your office phone is answered during times when patients are calling. Minimum: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm, including lunch hours. Invest in your entire team by providing training on how to effectively answer the phone.

Forward your calls to an answering service if needed. Having a live person for the caller to talk to is so much better than your caller getting an answering machine or voice mail and then deciding to call the next dental office on their list in hopes of talking to a “live” person.

Also, despite our best intentions to not put a caller on hold we know that it still happens from time to time. Consider having an on hold message for these times, this way, you’ll have the opportunity to share office information, special offers, social media sites, etc. with the caller rather than them listen to nothing, an annoying beeping sound or lame music. See also: Should I Use A Message On Hold Service

Missed calls and calls poorly handled are missed opportunities and those missed opportunities mean missed dollars…big dollars!

For more telephone success tips, take a minute to read this helpful article: How to Effectively Answer the Dental Office Telephone

Host a Candy Buy Back –

For tips and ideas on successfully hosting a candy buy back see: Dental Marketing Ideas for October

Blog/Website – Become the dental expert in your community. Post articles, videos and pictures on your website and social media sites about different dental treatments/products, sports safety, what to do in a dental emergency, etc. TIP: Pin your blog posts, articles, videos and pictures to your office Pinterest boards. Pinterest is a GREAT way to drive traffic to your website. If you don’t already have Pinterest for your office, add that to your to-do-list. Have a variety of family related boards such as dental health tips, recipes, crafts, party ideas, healthy snacks, book ideas and more. Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards for ideas.

Sponsor local sport teams –Free or reduced rate for mouthguards for local sports teams.

Distractions/Safety – TV’s in the treatment rooms, Ceiling Tile Scenery, Sunglasses, Etc. Make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for every child.

Contests/Drawing – Coloring contests, Monthly Gift Card/Gift Basket drawing, Wristband, Photo, Etc.

Post-Op Calls – Each evening place a “just wanted to see how well you’re doing call” to any patient that had an extraction or maybe was nervous or had a rough time during their visit.

First “Happy” Visit Experience – Take picture of child in the chair (holding a first visit sign or certificate) and give to parent in a cute picture frame. Share these pictures on your social media pages. Tag the parents in the post.

Are you ready for the #1 Way to Market your Pediatric Office? –

Consistently Exceed Parent & Patient Expectations and Consistently Be Great! Give your patients something positive to talk about to their neighbors, workmates, friends and family members. Make it easy for them to refer patients to you. (If you need some ideas to help Improve your Office, be sure to check out How to Attract and Cultivate Loyal Dental Patients ,Tips to Improve your Dental Office Part 4 ~ Happy Team and Office appearance

I know this is a lot of information but if you’re serious about wanting to grow your practice, then it’s worth it to take the time to market your practice effectively using some or all of the ideas that I have shared with you today. Remember, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to do this on your own, I’m here to help.

Reminder, keep track of your events, the businesses you visit, any donation requests, etc. Put specific referral source codes into your software system, this way, when you ask “How did you hear about us?” you have the correct referral code to enter in and you’ll be able to acknowledge that source with a thank you as well as know what marketing is working to bring in new patients.

Are you receiving my complimentary Dental Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email inbox each month? If not, please follow today or send me (bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. Feel free to tell your dental friends all about this website so they can start benefiting from these dental ideas too.

If you liked these ideas, please let me know by hitting the “like” button. Thank you!

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest

Betty Hayden Consulting – Dental Coaching, Practice Management, Leadership, and Marketing

Dedicated to helping doctors and their team have an office that is not only highly productive and fun but one that allows them to consistently exceed patient expectations.

dental consultants

Children’s Dental Give Kids A Smile Day

Tips and Ideas for Effectively Answering The Dental Office Telephone

Tips and Ideas to Grow and Improve Your Pediatric Dental Office

Hello Friends,

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