7 Ways to Win on the Phone

As the former Practice Administrator for a multi-7-figure plastic surgery practice, answering the phone was a daily conversation and a critical component to the success of the practice. As competition continues to increase in the aesthetic industry, how your team is answering the phone and what they are saying can dramatically influence your entire practice. We wrote a blog back in 2019 called “Money is Calling – Invest in Your First Impression” which we recommend you read, as well. Aesthetic surgeons usually allocate about 5% of total revenue to advertising and promotion with the primary goal of getting the phone to ring. Smart practices know the leads coming via the phone are far better than the leads coming from DMs on Instagram, Live Chat, and website chat forms.

Here are 7 ways to get your team to win on the phone:

1. Answer Quickly & Smile

Let’s start with phone etiquette. It is essential to have your employees understand the art of speaking on the phone. We recommend answering the phone by the 3rd ring. Being optimistic is one of the top rules in sales. Your voice and how you articulate yourself are crucial when making a first impression on a potential patient. Even though this new lead cannot see your smile, that doesn’t mean they can’t hear it.

2. Introduce Yourself And Your Aesthetic Practice

Regardless of what the call is about, we recommend scripting the first 30-45 seconds of every call. When you know what you are going to say it can give you confidence and take control of the conversation from the beginning. But, remember to not sound like a robot which you can start to do if you say the same thing over and over again. Be genuine and know each patient is unique. Here is one introduction we have seen work:

  • Thank you for calling Dr. Jones Cosmetic Surgery. My name is Gina, may I please have your name? The client answers, and then the staff member should say have you been to our practice before? Once we are aware of their status, we can move down the funnel.

3. Ask For Your Prospective Patient’s Name And Use It During Your Conversation

It is a best practice to gain and keep someone’s attention by using their first name throughout the conversation. As we start building rapport with your prospective patient, mentioning their name within the conversation has proven to increase the conversion rates of this future patient. Using their name throughout the call also personalizes their patient experience and makes them feel like more than just another caller.

4. Ask Your Prospective Patient Questions

It’s important to help lead the client into the practice by asking them questions about their cosmetic journey. By asking questions you can better position your practice and your physicians to win a new client.

Here are 5 questions your staff should consider asking when taking a new phone lead:

  • How long have you been considering the procedure?
  • Have you been on any other consultations? (Side note, we always want to be the last consult, the prospect sees)
  • What is the goal you are looking to achieve?
  • How long has this been a problem for you?
  • Have you addressed this problem in the past? What worked/didn’t?

5. Be Prepared To Discuss Fees And Other Office Policies

We recommend all prospective patients are told a price range prior to coming into the practice in order to avoid any chance of sticker shock. This allows transparency and it helps filter out the patients who might not be ready to make this financial decision. Also, mention any office policies such as your cancellation policy, wearing a mask, or if they are allowed to bring a family member or friend to their consultation.

6. Introduce The Unique Elements Of Your Aesthetic Practice

What makes you worth your fees? When prospective patients are looking around at other practices and they don’t see anything that sets you apart from your competition, they will most likely choose the cheaper option. You build value and actually give the right kind of accolades. Your receptionist or patient coordinator should have a crafted message that is told to all new leads that highlights your practice’s unique qualities, experiences and accolades of the practice. This could be something like:

  • “Dr. Jones is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and has been practicing in Miami for over 20 years. He performs over 500 breast-related surgeries a year making him one of the top breast experts in the nation. Dr. Jones is truly in a league of his own and you are definitely in good hands when you come to Jones Cosmetic Surgery.”

7. Ask The Prospective Patient If They Would Like To Book A Consultation

Once you have prequalified the patient, you want to ask them their availability to come in for a consultation. This is one of the biggest steps in the phone call process to convert your potential patient. If you get to this point in the conversation and fail to book a consultation you probably wasted 10 to 15 minutes of valuable time you might not get back. You can tell them you offer virtual consultation or in-person consultations and this is the best way to really customize their treatment.

Interested in learning more about the connection between winning new clients and how your team is answering the phone? Whatever you think and more importantly want to happen on the phone needs to be actively managed and monitored, which is a service MD Internet Marketing can provide. We recommend listening to 1%-2% of new client calls each month in order to make sure what “management” wants to be said is actually being implemented. We work with a variety of call tracking vendors, which can be implemented on any website or marketing product. If you want to learn how to get more out of your marketing and your team, contact us today. Our team of specialists can answer your questions, help find gaps in your marketing funnel, and boost traffic to your aesthetic surgery practice.

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