Convert calls to appointments It's imperative to eff ectively measure how many phone calls turn into new patient appointments. Most offices off er little to no training or guidelines of what to do when the phone rings. Lay out a script or a template of expectations of how calls should be answered, including what information to collect, and to ensure appointments are booked before calls end. Several phone services off er call recording to ensure your staff is providing optimal customer service, or you can role-play with your team to ensure members use correct verbiage to create a lead into an appointment. Track your referrals When spending marketing dollars, continually review what works and what doesn't. There's no "magic formula"-every office has a different mix of what brings in new patients. Your front office staff should always assign a specific category for each new patient who comes in the door (examples: "Online," "Radio," "Mailer," "Community Event," "Referral from Current Patient"). Review these categories at the end of each month, and make sure every new patient is accounted for in the system. Adjust your marketing dollars based on the results. 94 OCTOBER 2017 // dentaltown.comhttp://www.dentaltown.com