Drive Dental Practice Growth by Leading with Loyalty
We love partnering with the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM) and supporting the catalysts for success in dental practices.
I was fortunate to conduct a recent AADOM webinar with John Stamper on how leading with patient loyalty is the secret weapon for unlocking attainable growth in your dental practice. We started with an assessment to help provide office managers with a snapshot of where their practice stands regarding patient loyalty.
We covered everything from patient feedback and retention to dental membership plans and online presence. The scoring breakdown was pretty telling (with a maximum of 60 points):
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51-60: You're crushing it! Patients love you, and it shows. Keep up the amazing work!
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41-50: Solid foundation, but there's always room to improve. Let's find those little tweaks that can make a big difference.
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31-40: You're in the "loyalty growth zone." You're doing some things right, but consistency is key. Let's pinpoint those areas for improvement.
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30 or less: Huge opportunity here! Focus on communication, trust, and accessibility to start seeing a massive impact.
Patient loyalty is your powerhouse
No matter where you land on the assessment scale, the core message is clear: Patient loyalty can unlock success for your practice. Think about your own consumer experiences. We stick with brands that make life easy. It's the same in dentistry. Patients leave when things get complicated.
So, how do we make it easy? Access. That's the magic word. We talked about a few key elements:
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Proximity: Is your location convenient?
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Office hours: Are you accommodating patient schedules?
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Coverage: Do patients feel their coverage is honored, and is care affordable?
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Affordability: Are your costs transparent and fair?
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Pricing transparency: Do patients understand what they're paying for?
When you nail these, loyalty skyrockets.
We also acknowledged staffing challenges, low insurance reimbursements, and rising overhead. It's tough out there! Relying solely on insurance? That's a limited strategy. That led us to discuss coverage options: cash pay, PPOs, and membership plans. We broke down the pros and cons. The data on dental membership plans is compelling.
Adults without coverage? They delay treatment. New uninsured patients? High no-show rates. Almost 50% of patients don't return after 18 months. These are the problems membership plans solve. They boost accessibility, especially around cost and transparency. Loyal patients spend more, and our data proves it. We've seen patients who switch to a dental membership plan visit nearly twice as often, with lower no-show rates.
The numbers don’t lie
One of our customers saw a remarkable 66% increase in cash production, going from $473,000 to $787,000 in X months after implementing a Kleer and Membersy membership plan, compared to just 5% growth in insured production. This success story is a game-changer and a testament to the potential of membership plans. Plus, dental membership plans attract new cash patients. We've seen practices get a staggering 135% increase in new cash patients! That's how you stand out in a crowded market and inspire hope for the future of your practice.
When we compared membership plans to traditional insurance in one practice, the membership plan's production exceeded 75% of other coverage options, and collections surpassed 100%. This is a clear indication of the serious profit potential of dental membership plans. It's not just about patient loyalty; it's about financial growth and stability that can be achieved with the right strategies.
Toward the end of the webinar, we hit on some great points during a lively Q&A. Here’s some of what we covered:
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Membership plan examples: Think children, adults, perio tailored to your UCR fees.
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Connecting loyalty to metrics: More visits, higher treatment acceptance, increased production and collections.
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Multiple plans: Two to three options are ideal.
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Membership plans as a second payer: Possible, but often a discount plan is better.
The bottom line? A well-designed dental membership plan, built on patient loyalty, is a win-win. Patients get the care they need, and your practice thrives. Patient loyalty is not just a strategy; it's a testament to the value and quality of your service and the key to your practice's success.
Brad James is the Director of SMB Markets at Kleer and Membersy.
Related resources
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Our experts will show you how our advanced, cloud-based membership plan platform—coupled with resources, tools and support from the experts at Kleer, can bring your practice phenomenal results.
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more visits
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more treatment accepted
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more production
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more collections