There are plenty of ways to start a successful clinic. However, these are the four essential keys to dental practice success.
Patient Trust
Through your actions, you’re constantly being judged as to whether you’re trustworthy or not. One of the best ways to overcome this judgment and build trust with your patients is by providing exceptional service from the moment a patient books their appointment to the moment they walk out the door after their treatment is complete.
To do this, you need to do many things right. That includes everything from building a trustworthy website to hiring a team with impeccable customer service skills.
In a previous blog post about optimizing your website, I talk about the importance of online reviews to build your trust and credibility.
In fact, according to Google, 95 percent of patients are in the habit of reading reviews before deciding to buy something. Ensure your patients have a positive experience and encourage them to leave an online review because this will help build trust with your patients.
Patient trust leads to loyalty
Trust is everything. Whether you’re buying a new car, looking for a new home, or visiting the dentist, patients need to feel that they can trust you. The best way to do this is by listening to your customers’ questions and concerns and provide the highest quality of service. Maintaining high-quality service and exceptional patient care will generate powerful referrals for your business and increase treatment acceptance.
Develop the most efficient office design possible
Your office design should reflect who you are as a dentist and the patients you treat. Design and flow will enable you to provide the finest quality of services for your patients.
In my previous blog about dental practice design, I explain how to create a functional office space that will also meet future growth needs.
The best dental practices designs are separated into three functional zones, including the public, production, and private areas.
Functional zones ensure each area of your office is designed with a purpose. This will eliminate lost productivity and can eliminate unnecessary frustration.
Your office design should also make a statement about the type of dentist you are and reflect your business and customer vision. You want to create a lasting impression that will stay with your patients long after they leave.
One of the best ways to do this is to make sure your reception area is bright, clean, and inviting because it’s the first point of contact you make with your patients.
Another critical aspect about starting a new dental practice is the location of your office. It’s essential to make sure your office is easy to find and convenient for your patients.
Consider all of the site’s features:
- Is there enough parking?
- Can patients read your signs?
- Are there any other dentists in the area?
Your patients will become “raving fans!”
One of the best ways to measure whether your dental practice is succeeding is when your patients become raving fans. This usually takes some time, but if you provide exceptional patient care at fair prices, this will naturally happen.
If you do all this, you will begin to notice your patients are happy to see you when they visit and leave feeling good about themselves.
These good feelings naturally lead to referrals. In time satisfied patients will become your biggest fans helping to propel your business.
The most important thing you can do is build relationships, provide patients with exceptional care and do what is best for them. If you focus on these steps, the rest will follow.
To learn more about the keys to starting a successful dental practice, make sure to download the first chapter of my book DentalEase: The Essential Guide to Building the Stress-Free and Profitable Dental Practice of Your Dreams.
The first chapter is free to download and will give you even more insight into creating a successful practice.
