In our time working with dental practices, many dentists treat their stories of same-day closes as mythical events that come around once in a lifetime – or many once a year if the dentist is really good. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Same-day case acceptance can become the new normal for your practice… with the right method.

The Impact of Same-Day Case Acceptance on a Practice

It is possible for dental implant practices to gain case acceptance on the same day the patient comes in. Not only that, but it can even be the typical case. Having an implant patient accept your case on day one is the ideal situation in terms of your own investment.

Every dental implant practice has a marketing strategy, and many invest a great deal of time and money into attracting their ideal patient for high-value procedures. On top of money, dentists have to spend time consulting with patients about implants… which doesn’t actually generate any revenue.

So, if a patient accepts your case on the first day, that’s far less work for you in terms of consulting and convincing. Additionally, it’s less work for your team in terms of phone calls and scheduling consultations. 

If a patient doesn’t commit to treatment during the first consultation, you run the risk of losing them. They may decide to “shop around” and then take their business elsewhere after talking to other dental practices. Or, they might drop out of the implant buying journey altogether. This means all the time and money spent attracting, connecting, and consulting with them has returned nothing for the practice.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Of course, patients want time to think and consult with their loved ones. This is, after all, a big decision, especially financially. And we don’t want to force anybody into something they don’t want.

Instead what we want to do is use a consultation strategy that answers all of a patient’s questions and concerns and creates a “buy now” mentality for them. Rather than feeling coerced, they feel excited and ready to commit. The entire deliberation process necessary for a patient still occurs, only faster.

Driven dental recently got to power a webinar outlining a fantastic strategy for same-day case acceptance. It’s called the “Same Day ‘Mini’ Records Close” by Sherrine Washington.

The Simple Technique to Unlock Same Day Closing at Your Practice

The Same-day “Mini” Records Close is a strategy steeped in the psychology of sales. Though not many dentists are comfortable thinking about their practice in terms of sales, very few dentists would decline the opportunity to treat more patients and bring in more revenue.

“I created this ‘mini’ records system because I was so tired of sending people home when they were ready to move forward… I now say ‘we can get started on your smile design right now!”

-Sherrine Washington

What is a Same-Day Mini Records Close?

“It has become the norm for many front office coordinators to schedule potential patients for an in-person consultation.  Dental practices are not in the business of just scheduling consultations.  Practices are in the business of scheduling consultations and helping patients find financially comfortable solutions for their dental needs. Creating a mini version of your records exam makes it easy for patients to say YES and to seamlessly proceed to the next step in the process on the same day of the consultation.  It’s all about being patient-centric while changing lives all at the same time.”

-Sherrine Washington

This method applies all the best methods of sales psychology to the implant treatment process, and the results speak for themselves.

This close works because it eliminates all of the reasons a patient might say “no” to treatment. It takes into account everything that can hold up the consultation process and accelerates it, creating instant clarity and ownership around the patient’s decision. However, it also leads to excitement as the patient realizes they get to design and commit to a brand new smile the very first time they show up to your office.

How to perform the Same-Day “Mini” Records Close.

1. Allow up to 90 minutes for the consult, and tell the patient so.

Many dental implant practices make a huge mistake in the way they schedule consultations: They don’t schedule to with same-day acceptance in mind. For example, they schedule a few 60-minute consultations in a row. But what happens if the first patient decides to move forward with treatment? There isn’t time to prepare them and go over records and paperwork before the next patient comes in for their consult.

Always tell patients that their consult may take “up to 90 minutes,” but they don’t have to go the full 90. If they ask why, Sherrine recommends saying, “well, I’ll tell you. Our patients love us. So many of them come in for the consult and make the decision to continue to the next step of the process the very same day.”

As an added bonus, allowing 90 minutes takes more pressure off of the decision. The patient doesn’t have to feel hurried or rushed to make a decision. They have the time to consider everything and ask any questions they want to.

2. Set the intention for a same-day decision when scheduling the appointment.

Remember how this method is all about removing the main obstacles to case acceptance? It starts by setting the expectation for a same-day decision on the phone.

This means, making sure that every potential patient coming into your office to consult is pre-screened, pre-educated, and pre-qualified about implant treatment – and ready to commit. And, if they need someone else to help them make a decision, like a spouse, having them on the phone during this process is best practice so any of their concerns or questions can be addressed before the appointment. If you can, make sure the spouse comes in for the consult, too. That way, all that’s left on the day of their appointment is for them to make the decision.

How do you do this? In our time working with dental practices, we have found that the most successful offices bring in a full-time “Virtual Patient Advocate” (VPA) whose sole job is to pre-screen, pre-educate, and pre-qualify leads for high-value dentistry and procedures.

When they schedule a patient, they make sure all hurdles are overcome, let the patient know what to anticipate, and let the patient know they are now equipped to make a decision on the same day of the appointment so they can get started on the life-changing treatment they need right away.

3. Offer a same-day records exam, but miniaturized.

Instead of having them come back for a records exam or for finalizing paperwork, have everything prepared. Tell them, “We can get started with designing your smile right now.”

Sherrine developed this method to easily transition the patient to the next step. Have all the materials the patient needs on hand, ready to go for the consultation. At the beginning of the consult, you can even hand things off to your treatment coordinator as you move to the back to prepare impressions, scans, or photos.

The goal of the “mini” records exam is to simply do one thing the patient needs, something that will take roughly 15 minutes. It could even be as simple as “before” photos. Some practices have the patients fill out the forms they need that day, and others take impressions.

The point is to split up all of the diagnostics and records-collection work into two parts: Part A takes place right after the consult, and Part B at some point in the next 48 hours. Having your patient perform the first part on day 1 gets them committed to treatment. They take more ownership over the process. Very few will ever drop out between your consult and Part B of the records exam.

To accomplish this, always have a team member on hand to perform the “mini” records exam. We recommend assigning one specialist to this who understands what to do and how to perform it quickly, who is also personable. 

Watch the results come in.

This same-day method has generated millions of dollars for dental implant practices. When practices switch to implementing the “Mini” Records Close, they often report success on the very first month.

For the best possible results, review this content with your team. Discuss the strengths and potential challenges your practice could have to implement it. Assign your own “mini” records assistant to always be ready during consultations.

For more of Sherrine’s methods, visit realtalkselling.com or check out her Facebook page.

Lastly, if you want to partner with a VPA or kickstart your dental implant marketing plan, then book a FREE strategy call with us today. We’ll give you information on how to have the best implant consults possible and take a look at your current marketing strategy and offer free insights. You’ll walk away feeling more confident about gaining implant patients than ever before.