“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Consider starting your new patient experience with a tour of your office. The reason I like to do this is twofold; 1) The tour allows you to differentiate your office from every other dental office the patient has ever visited (they typically have never had a tour before) and 2) The tour allows you to subtly showcase what is available in your office. In our office, Karle, our treatment coordinator, provides all new patients with an 8-stop tour that takes 3-4 minutes. Here’s a checklist of our tour:
1. Greeting with handshake
“Mary, it is great to meet you! My name is Karle. We love seeing new patients and I am thrilled you chose us for your dental care. We want you to feel very comfortable when you are here, to think of us as your dental home. Let me give you a quick tour.”
2. Dr. Nielson’s credentials
“Here are some of Dr. Nielson’s continuing education credentials. You will notice that Dr. Nielson is absolutely passionate about dentistry and helping his patients have great oral health. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and he has also completed advanced training on sedation dentistry so that every visit can be as comfortable as possible.”
3. Team Member photo wall
“We have photos here of our wonderful team members. Don’t worry; there won’t be a test on their names! I get to work with these amazing people and you are going to love them!”
4. Patient rest room
“Our patient rest room is there to the right. You’ll notice we keep a supply of single use toothbrushes and mouth rinse in case you’d like to freshen up before or after your appointment.”
5. Dental Products Display
“This is our dental products display area. We stock things like electric toothbrushes, periodontal rinses, breath products, and flossing aids. Many of our patients have told us they appreciate being able to leave our office with everything they need to support their dental health. You will also notice some whitening products in this display area. One of our goals is to help our patients have the whitest, brightest smiles in Arizona and we are happy to offer three different whitening options. We can do it for you in our office, you can do it yourself with custom whitening trays, and we have a simple, over-the-counter product as well. They all work great and it’s just a matter of deciding what works best for you.”
6. Photos of Patients
“You will notice photos in different places in the office of some of our patients that Dr. Nielson has provided ideal dentistry. While we are a general dental office, we are also able to provide complete smile makeovers and complex restorative dentistry as well. In fact, our goal is to help every one of our patients have great oral health and the smile of their dreams. The pictures you see in our office are just a few of the patients we have helped to have beautiful, healthy smiles.”
7. Panorex machine
“This is a panoramic x-ray machine that allows Dr. Nielson to see things he can’t see with the naked eye. You will notice that we use state-of-the-art technology to help our patients with preventive care so we can identify problems at the earliest possible stage and treat these issues conservatively before they become bigger issues.”
8. Hygiene Department
“We have two awesome hygienists, Kelli, and MaryEllen! You will find both Kelli and MaryEllen to be very gentle, yet thorough. Our hygiene department is extremely important because by keeping your regular appointments we are able to keep you as healthy as possible and reduce future dental expenses. Oral Cancer screening is an important part of your hygiene appointments and we are extremely proud to offer state-of-the-art molecular diagnostic testing to help us identify periodontal disease and develop a specific treatment plan. This is important because today we know the status of your oral health has a direct relationship with your overall body health.”
You will notice that the tour is not really a tour in the traditional sense of showing them every detail of your office. Think of it more as a somewhat ‘virtual tour’ where you are symbolically demonstrating what makes your practice unique. That old adage of never getting a second chance for a first impression is so true! Start that fist visit with powerful tour that demonstrates all the great things about your practice. Keep Smiling!
