Five steps to conversion following a consultation

So you’ve got your campaigns underway, your marketing is on brand and you have a healthy number of leads flowing in. But once you’ve got a client booked in for a consultation, that’s not the end of the story. In fact, usually, that’s just the beginning. Not everyone who contacts your practice will be ready to head straight into treatment – every lead is unique and at a different stage in their journey, so tailored follow-ups after consultations are just as crucial as the initial follow-ups.

Here’s our practical guide to patient conversion and five easy steps to follow after a consultation, plus the steps to take for a no-show.

Qualified and unqualified

Firstly, we can loosely breakdown your leads into two different types: qualified and unqualified leads. Qualified leads are those that are definitely interested in your practice and treatment, while unqualified leads are effectively your passive leads – they are potential patients who are browsing, but not ready to commit to treatment. Ideally you want the majority of your consultations to be qualified leads, but all are important, and all will need following up.

It’s important to quickly identify which potential patients require immediate attention, as these are leads that will be converted more quickly, and here time is of the essence. If you’re at the stage where a patient has visited for a consultation, but you haven’t heard back from them, now’s the time to implement the five-step follow-up plan.

Five-step consultation follow-up plan:

1. If your lead has not progressed to treatment from their consultation, the first stage is to add them to your email follow-up programme, so that they are kept informed and your practice is still in mind. Remember to keep emails targeted to their treatment, and avoid overloading their inbox.
2. If you have already arranged to call the patient after their consultation (it’s a good idea to do this at the end of the meeting), the second step is to call and check in with them. If you haven’t already arranged a time and/or day now is the time to call.
3. The next three stages are three phone calls over three days.
4. Leave a message stating that you’ve tried to get in contact previously and it would be great to hear their thoughts on the consultation.
5. If there’s no answer on the last phone call attempt, don’t forget to leave your contact details on a voicemail.

Five step follow-up plan for a no-show:

1. If your lead booked a consultation but has failed to attend (FTA), the first step is to call within five minutes of their scheduled slot – they may be delayed or want to rearrange.
2. If there’s no answer, follow the call immediately with an email asking for them to get in touch to rearrange the consultation. Make the process as easy as possible for them, with a clear call-to-action such as a link to an online booking system, the practice phone number or a ‘reply to this email’ option.
3. Add them to a mailing list for special offers and information relating to the consultation treatment.
4. Attempt to contact twice more, periodically. Use what you already know about them to determine the best method for future contact, for example how did they book the initial consultation? This is likely to be the most reliable choice for future communications.
5. On step five, the final call, make sure they have access to your contact details. Avoid harassing them beyond this point.

Summary

Once you’ve determined your qualified from your unqualified leads, you’re ready to focus your energies on those prospective patients of value. From here on in following a systematic approach to your communication, means that leads don’t slip through the net or get forgotten. Once they’ve had their consultation, don’t wait for them to contact you: be proactive but not pushy.

The five-step plan is a breeze with DenGro onboard

If you want to automate your follow up processes, DenGro is exactly what you need. The follow-up steps above are built in – you and your team get reminders if you need to personally contact leads, and in the meantime DenGro keeps the conversation flowing through the use of personal yet automated SMS and emails.

By utilising DenGro to nurture leads from the start, you keep all your lead’s information in one place, including their preferred time and method of contact. With plenty of communication going on, it means that you’re less likely to get a ‘no-show’ and even if you do, it’s not a lost lead. DenGro can still keep them interested and make sure your practice is the first one they think of when they are ready for treatment.