Should Dentists Give Free Consultations?

‘If you’ve built rapport with them and you present them with a plan that meets their expectations they will be likely to sign up’ In this episode Brad is talking about free consultations, he shares what he does in his practice and advice on how to make free consultations a successful part of your dental business. Whether to provide a free initial consultation or not is a decision that has to be taken by every dentist business owner and this episode provides great tips on how to make it work.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Who does the complimentary consultation? It should be with the person carrying out the treatment. This is so a plan can be created and the prices involved shared Be definitive You need to be working towards a situation where you can give the patient a plan and the costs involved at the initial consultation along with the next steps. Take a deposit This is key to ensuring people attend the consultation. The money can be returned when they attend the next appointment or deducted from the overall treatment cost. Provide a wonderful experience Make sure that at every touchpoint, at every single point they are getting a great experience and your values are predominate in that experience. Secure the treatment plan Do the final thing that secures the treatment plan ask the patient the question ‘what do you want to do?’ It will sometimes bring up questions that you can answer and leads to the handshake that moves things to a formal arrangement of the payment plan. Summarise the next steps Tell them what will be done in the next appointment. Often people go to book the next appointment but don’t know what they are coming in for. Send a comprehensive treatment letter. Provide a comprehensive treatment letter as soon as possible after the consultation. This enables the patient to review each step of the treatment plan.   BEST MOMENTS ‘If people can’t afford the deposit how will they be able to afford the treatment’ ‘People should be able to experience the true caring nature of your practice’ ‘ We have been doing free consultations for around 10 years and we have a good conversion rate’     ABOUT THE HOST   Brad believes that everyone at any level should be focused on achieving multiple sources of income to create diversity and balance in life. He feels passionate about helping dentists work towards freedom by building wealth in different areas and helping to develop a mindset to improve one’s ability to handle the stresses of clinical life.    Still a practicing dentist, Brad has implemented strategies to create a practice to allow him to carry out the dentistry he wants whilst continually expanding with loyal staff and patients. These strategies can be adapted to any dentist, whether you are an associate or the practice owner, to help bring back your passion for dentistry.   In addition to running a successful private dental practice, he has grown several other dental businesses and as an investor is growing wealth outside of dentistry to help protect his legacy for his growing family.   He is chair of the Horsforth Town Team, dedicated to the promotion and development of business in his local area in North Leeds, UK.   Due to his track record and down to earth advice, he has become sought after as a mentor and spends part of his time dedicated to mentoring dental professionals about business, mindset and personal development.   CONTACT METHOD Brad Thornton Instagram Brad Thornton LinkedIn Brad Thornton Facebook