Wednesday, June 24, 2015

New Patients Inc - June 2015 Newsletter


Call Tracking Revisited

We've discussed call tracking in previous newsletters, and in our latest book, Unlimited New Patients, Volume Three. We also discuss the subject at length in our online Marketing Summit Series and in practically all our live presentations.     

Why do we talk about this so much and for so many years now?   
  
Because with proper use of call tracking you're basically getting the "Keys to the Kingdom." 

What do we mean by that?

What is Call Tracking?    

Briefly, it's when you attach a unique phone number to your outbound marketing. That could be a mailer, a radio spot, TV spot, anything really. This unique number forwards to your regular office number. The call is time stamped and recorded. There is also a lot of other information that gets recorded. Valuable information!    
  
All of this data is stored on a website. The doctor (or your marketing company) can log on to the site and see all the calls that came from each marketing effort. The calls can be played back. The doctor can hear how the staff handles new patient calls and can take corrective action if needed.    
Most of all there is no guesswork as to the exact source of the patient referral.

Life before Call Tracking    

Before the advent of call tracking, it was difficult to know if the practice marketing efforts were actually working. Dentists and practice managers often relied on their "feelings" about how the radio spots, or the mailers, or the website were working. Or they would rely on the front desk person's "feelings" about how well the marketing was performing.    

Feelings are a lousy way to arrive at management decisions.   
  
Or they had to rely on notoriously inaccurate data in their practice management software. The patient was asked how they heard about the practice. Do you think that's going to be accurate? Twenty five years of result tracking has told us, "No, it's not accurate. Not even close."  
  
And even that data (as lousy as it is) can be missing if the patient referral field was just left empty. 30% of the time there's nothing in that field. Or the wrong source was credited. For example, patient hears the radio spot which led them to the website and when asked, the patient says that the website was how they heard about the practice. This isn't accurate is it?   
  
All of this results in bad data being entered and acted upon, which results in bad (and costly) management decisions.     

Call tracking can eliminate the bad data and dependency on "feelings." It can show you how many new patient calls you're missing (it's 19%!!!). It can arm you with the knowledge that your front desk is expert at converting callers to patients, or it can alert you that the front desk needs help or training. It can show you where you are needlessly losing out on new patients and wasting marketing dollars.

But there's a Problem    

The results of a month's long study we did revealed that even though call tracking produced a treasure trove of useful data, the doctor was often too busy with running the practice and doing the dentistry to even listen to any of the phone calls. Or too reluctant to take any corrective actions.    

The doctor had "the Keys to the Kingdom" but couldn't (or wouldn't) make the time to use this valuable management data!

Is there a Solution?   

YES. This is what's known as a 'cliff hanger.' The solution will be announced in our next newsletter. Be sure to tune in for an exciting announcement.


Take a look at our NEW website www.newpatientsinc.com
  
Do you have a topic you would like covered in an upcoming newsletter? Ask here. 

Just email either Howie Horrocks (whh@newpatientsinc.com) or Mark Dilatush (markd@newpatientsinc.com) with your topic. We will get them into the newsletter.
 
If any of you need us, just call 866.336.8237. We will be here for you.


Got questions? Want to learn more?   

You can reach Mark & Howie at:
Howie: whh@newpatientsinc.com
Mark: markd@newpatientsinc.com
 Check out our latest dental marketing book

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