Dental Phone Scripts Work Well
Dental office phone scripts work with the right intent. The idea is to support the person answering the dental office phone. Not to have them reading from a card or a computer. We’ve all been there. When we are talking to a company representative that isn’t listening. And that you can tell is just reading from a script. That simply doesn’t work. Our phone conversations should be conversations. And the biggest part of a conversation is great listening skills.
Get the basics down. Communicate with your dental team. So that they can better communicate to patients. And represent you and the practice just the way you want it done. As the dental practice owner or manager, it’s up to you. It’s up to you to lead the way. Give your team great tools and support. And they will surely take care of you too!
Create Your Standard Greeting
Your phone greeting brands you! And allows your patients to establish a sense of trust right from the start. Especially if the phones are always answered within 3 rings. And by a live person!! Who always greets them with the same warm tone and words. No matter who picks up the phone. Trust. It’s all about trust. And the greeting is so much more important than you might imagine. Script it! And then encourage your team members to add their own personality and touch to the greeting. Your patients want to know your team too!
Dental Phone Scripts Work Because They Allow Us To Listen
Most of the calls we receive are similar. There isn’t much new under the sun in the world of dental questions. Patients need to schedule an appointment. Or maybe they need to reschedule an appointment. There is a question about a bill. Or maybe a question about a procedure. You know the drill. And your team may know even better! Get your team involved to help write the scripts. Make it a team effort. And create the answers your team needs.
We can listen better when don’t have to think about what to say. With a little practice, we’ll know just what to say. And as a dentist or practice manager, this is important. You can rest assured that your team is saying all the right things. Because you have played a key role in making sure they do. Because you are not at the front desk you may not really know what’s being said. But with phone scripts and training, you can focus on your work. And know the team is doing theirs well too.
Dental Office Phone Scripts E-Book Info
Take What You Need!
My “Dental Office Phone Scripts” will get you started. I have put together the most common scripts I have needed in my years of dental practice management. And put together for you what I say in those dental conversations. But you can certainly customize these scripts to suit your practice needs. It is your practice, after all. Take what you need and leave the rest!
Be sure to include some basic phone training for your team too. Don’t think that just everyone knows what to do with that phone! Crazy things happen when we assume! Right? And someone can be answering the phones badly for a very long time before we realize that something was going on there. And how can you know what’s really going on? I’ve got some great resources here for you as an individual dental administrative professional or as a practice owner/manager.
Dental Phone Scripts Take Practice
Practice makes perfect! So, the story goes. And it’s a true story! Because many of our dental office phone calls are similar, we get lots of practice. But practice before you go on stage! And we are certainly on stage at the front desk. It’s a great idea to practice with other team members if you can. Or on your own if you have to. Replay some of what you’ve heard patients say and ask. And respond out loud. I know it sounds silly. But it will help you when you have a real conversation.
Disregard the discomfort. You will get more comfortable with your practice. No one feels comfortable when they first start to practice anything. Whether it’s playing the violin or riding a skateboard. There’s that feeling you will look or sound ridiculous. And you might! But guess what!! The world keeps on spinning and no one even notices. And if they do, they certainly forget quick enough.
How To Begin
As a dentist or practice manager, bring the team together. Take the time to ask questions. Ask what phone conversations they find difficult. What questions are they asked? What information do they need to better answer the questions they are asked? Ask questions as if you were a patient yourself. See how your team responds. And then ask them to work with you in preparing the answers to those questions. And let them know you want to give them all the tools they need. Not to criticize. But to empower!
Dental administrative professionals who want to master the phones – kudos to you! I suggest you make a list of the most often asked questions you receive. Or those calls that really give you pause. Or make you wonder wont you are supposed to say next. And ask your doc if you could please set with them for a few minutes one day soon. And let them know, you would like to check in with them on some phone techniques. Because you want to be sure you are representing them well. And caring for patients and their practice in the manner they want.
Dental Phone Scripts Work With Proper Use
Remember to use your individual personality. The idea of script is not to give you exact words to say. But to lay the foundation on which to build your conversation. To guide the call to a designated result. To bring conversion. And to allow the dental office team to focus on listening to patients. And to remove stress and the “what do I say now?” worry.
Additional Support Is Available
Purchase the materials you need here to get you started. At whatever level you are comfortable with. But know that I’m also here to help. If you would like individualized help in scripting calls or just general dental office conversations. We can do that. Or if you would like a practice partner for your team, I’m up for that too. We can work out a plan that gets you where you want to go! Contact me here.
