Orthodontist On Hold Messaging Keeps Your Orthodontic Practice Smiling!

In the perfect orthodontic practice, you would never place callers on hold. However, no practice is perfect, so it pays to consider the importance of what callers hear when they contact your practice. Research has proven that, for prospective patients, what happens in those first 60 seconds can mean the difference between requesting your services or hanging up the phone!

Your telephone is one of the most effective and least expensive orthodontist practice marketing tools available – if you are using orthodontist on-hold messaging. When prospective patients are asked to wait on hold in silence, they “abandon” the call (hang-up) in less than 40 seconds. So, connect a radio to fill that empty void? Well, playing the radio for your music-on-hold requires the necessary performance license to do so, otherwise you are subject to copyright infringement laws which can be very costly! Or even worse, may advertise a competing orthodontic practice.

Research however does show that with message on hold, callers will remain holding on the line for up to 3 minutes. This reduces caller abandonment, giving you the opportunity to serve your caller. Further research has also concluded that 88% of callers prefer on hold messages vs the alternatives ( silence, radio, canned music), and that in some cases more than 30% of callers will inquire about information heard while on hold. It’s pretty safe to say then, that targeting your practice information to a prequalified callers will produce the best results for your marketing dollars.

Here’s 5 Ways Your Practice Will Benefit from Orthodontist On Hold Messages: 

• What You Hear Is What You Get!

The first interaction with new prospective patients is the telephone. They’re shopping to find a trusted professional, one that will take care of them or a family member. Often times prospective patients judge their initial call into your practice, as how they will be treated as a patient. One of the major benefits of having orthodontist message on hold marketing is how much it enhances the image of a practice. In the orthodontic practice perception and image is everything, and message on hold establishes your practice as a leading professional, and one that puts patients first.

• Opportunity To Grow Your Practice

You know your practices inside and out. But, do your callers know it as well as you do? I would image not. With on-hold messaging, you can use on- hold time productively by educating callers with targeted messages about your credentials, services, financing options, additional offerings, new patient specials and more. On hold marketing is a tool that enables you to speak to your potential patients and patient family one on one.

• Lost Potential Revenues

As mentioned above, caller abandonment (lost calls due to hang-ups) is a very real problem! In fact, it’s estimated that caller abandonment account costs businesses up to 60% of potential revenues. So, if you feel you don’t place patients on hold often enough to consider on-hold messaging. Think again! AT&T reports on average 70% of all your calls will be placed on hold. Your patients can and will be placed on-hold for a number of possible reasons: they are waiting to speak with someone when they first call in, and the receptionist is busy, they’re being transferred to the appropriate team member who can answer a financial question, they’re waiting to talk to a staff member or orthodontist that maybe with a patient at the chair, or are waiting while a member of your staff is getting information or pulling their chart. Never just let patients wait. Use your on-hold time to speak to them, and don’t risk losing potential callers and revenue.

• Improve Efficiency

Let’s face it hold time happens, and sure you can certainly use orthodontist on hold marketing to help grow your practice in a variety of ways. For a moment, let’s go back to this whole caller abandonment issue. First, thin about some of the more common reasons why callers go on-hold in the first place? They need your location, hours, insurance information, etc. You can use your on hold recording to provide answers to these frequently asked questions by give hours, locations, or give out your website address for information regarding insurances, payment or financing options, easy online appointment scheduling (if available), etc. This greatly helps to reduce caller wait times, and allows your staff to operate more efficiently.

• Gain Valuable Referrals!

Right from the very first day of school to the time of your practice you know it’s all about growing your practice by obtaining new patients. Of course, one of your greatest sources for new patients, are your existing ones! Satisfied patients refer family, friends and co-workers. Remind callers that the greatest compliment to your practice is the trust and confidence they place in you to care for others. Maybe you have a referral program If so, mention in your message. Another idea is to include patient testimonials on-hold, their stories and endorsements are effective marketing messages that should be conveyed to your first time callers.

It’s critical to remember that every caller, whether or not they are existing patients or parents, could react to a need for your orthodontic services, either for themselves, their child, a friend or an acquaintance. Orthodontist message on hold allows you to communicate valuable information about your practice to a captive, interested and audience.

On hold marketing is truly a unique, highly targeted and invaluable in-bound marketing opportunity for your practice, one that should not be over-looked! The bottom line is what callers hear while on-hold with your practice can be the difference between opportunity gained or lost! Having a professional message on hold service will drive the right marketing message to garner more business, and enhances your image to your potential and existing patients.