parent patient optNow that competition for ortho cases has intensified, orthodontists should focus marketing efforts in areas they may not have considered in the past. One such market segment is parents of young ortho patients.

A substantial number of ortho patients are adults, motivated by the desire to look better and the availability of ortho appliances that are virtually invisible. Among adult prospects for orthodontics, those who have already committed to getting treatment for their children are especially good candidates, for several reasons:

1. They are already sold on your practice.
Parents who choose your practice for their children are already familiar with the benefits your practice offers. Once they become interested in ortho treatment for themselves, it will be relatively easy to persuade them that your practice is the best choice.

2. They have direct relationships with team members.
Many of the parents of young patients visit the practice often and have relationships with the doctor, treatment coordinator, assistants and front desk staff. If all team members have been trained to create patient and parent satisfaction in every interaction, strong relationships exist even before you recommend treatment.

3. You can provide the convenience of parent-child appointments.
There will be many times when both parent and child can be seen and treated during the same office visits. If parents have to be there anyway to get care for their children, the idea of getting ortho treatment for themselves at the same time can be very persuasive.

4. You can offer free exams, consults, and other incentives to accept treatment.
Prospective parents can be “sold” very gently by offering complimentary exams, pointing out that attractive parent-child discounts are available, or simply talking about how the practice would love to create beautiful smiles for them as well as for their children.

The fact that parents of young patients are already pre-sold and in a relationship with the practice makes them an excellent source of new ortho production.

 

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To learn how to run a more profitable, efficient and satisfying practice, visit the Levin Group Resource Center at www.levingroup.com/ortho. You can also connect with Levin Group on Facebook and Twitter (Levin_Group) to learn strategies and share ideas.