Resources
How To Increase Appointments With Database Mailers
Increase your revenue $10,000 – $30,000 per quarter
Why should you mail your database every other month, or at least every quarter?
Because one well-written, personal letter sent to your database can generate $20-30,000 in sales right away.
Keeping your patients aware of new technology is one of the most important strategies for growth that a practice can implement. Your patients know you, they trust you, trust your recommendations, and most of them want to hear well all the time!
Your current customers are the easiest type of patient to sell to because the trust is already there, you just have to let them know there is something better than what they have and show them by having them come in for a demo.
“We consistently recall our patients for hearing aid checks and annual evals. That’s enough, right? I don’t need to mail them.”
We hear this all the time and while recalls are important, there’s something about getting a personal letter from you, notifying them of the new technology available today. It’s also a great way to increase sales every quarter–something recalls don’t do.
Your patients will love you even more when you keep them hearing their best. If you’re an established practice, database mailers and patient upsells should be around 40% of your revenue.
1. Build a list of 500 patients (or more) who are using technology that is three years old or older.
Do you know how to pull a list from your database management system (Blueprint, Sycle etc.). If not, you can call the customer support line and they can show you how.
The list should be of patients, hearing aid purchasers who have hearing aids that are 3-years-old or older. As you’re reading you may be cringing. “Three years, that’s way too soon.” This is one of the more memorable lessons Kevin St.Clergy, one of MedPB’s founders, learned early on in running his own practice.
He had a patient come into his office when he was in the clinic who had 2-and-a-half-year-old hearing aids. He asked Kevin at the appointment, “What’s new in hearing aids?” As a young audiologist, Kevin had it in his mind that nobody needed new hearing aids before the 4-year mark. He told him, “You don’t need new hearing aids, Mr. Jones. Yours are only two-and-a-half years old.”
He’ll never forget his reply, and it was Kevin’s first and luckily early lesson that some patients want the best.
He said, “Kevin, I didn’t ask you how old my hearing aids were, I asked you what’s new. I’ve worked my whole life to be able to afford the best of everything. I know there is new technology out there that’s better than these so either show me what’s new, or I’ll go down the street and let them show me what’s new.” Of course, Kevin shared with him the newest technology available at that time and he bought new hearing aids.
There are consumers out there called early adopters. They are people who always want the best of everything. Not everyone will buy, not everyone will respond, but if you pull a list of patients with 3-year-old hearing aids and older every time, you’ll see more success from your database mailers.
2. Prepare a personal letter that is centered around a new hearing aid with an upgrade or trade-in offer.
The idea is to notify patients when new technology is available. The letter should be focused on one product that you think is awesome. When writing the letter, focus on the benefits of the new technology and the problems it solves for them.
Avoid making the main focus on features or functions such as connectivity, Bluetooth or rechargeable. These new features are a great ‘nice to have’, but it’s not what will justify a $6,000 new pair of hearing aids. Focus instead results, on how this new technology makes speech clearer in a variety of settings, like restaurants, crowds and church.
Focus on the benefits of hearing better and of not having the hearing aids die in critical moments.
Patient testimonials are key here. Include 5-20 on that specific product to show not only do you think it’s a great product but other people, other patients overwhelmingly recommend it too.
MedPB has sample proven mailers we can share with you. Contact your Practice Advisor to get them.
3. Schedule an event for two days only, with a manufacturer rep on site for demos.
When you have a manufacturer rep on hand for two days more people respond! If you can’t get one scheduled to do demos for the two-day event, that’s ok, but you’ll see a 10-15% better response rate if you do! It’ll increase the number of interested patients and also allow you to see an experienced rep do a demo for patients.
Why only two days?
You want to create a sense of urgency so that more patients will call. You can always extend the offer or schedule another day for patients who can’t make it but want to hear about the new technology. Keep the event to the advertised two days only. It will pay off.
4. Train your front desk how to handle follow-up calls.
Make sure your front desk knows about the mailers, has a copy of them at their desk and knows how to convert the calls into appointments.
Ask your MedPB Practice Advisor for our Appointment Maximizer script to use so that you can convert as many phone calls into appointments as possible.
The next step is to have your front desk staff call all of the people you mailed as a follow-up. The call script is simple. Just have your front desk call and ask:
Hi, this is [your name] from [your practice name]. Is [patient name] available? [Practitioner’s name] asked me to call you to see if you received the letter we sent you a few days ago? Did you get the letter?
If the patient answers, “Yes, I got the letter.”
That’s great. [Practitioner’s name] is excited about this new hearing aid and I’ve seen several patients who love it. [S]he wanted me to call you and schedule an appointment to come in and try this new and exciting technology. What’s better for you, Monday or Tuesday?
If the patient answers, “No, I don’t remember getting the letter.”
That’s ok. [Practitioner’s name] mailed you a letter about a hearing aid that [s]he feels can help you hear your best. For two days we’ve got a manufacturer rep in the office doing demos of this exciting new hearing aid and I’ve seen several patients who love it. [S]he wanted me to call you and schedule an appointment to come and try it. What’s better for you, Monday or Tuesday?
Calling your list will get you another 4 to 5 appointments on top of the patients who were intrigued enough to call you. The key to getting your front desk on board with making these calls is to clarify their purpose and the benefit to the practice.
5. Prepare your providers for the event and demos.
Providers (Audiologists, Audiology Assistants and/or Dispensers) should all be aware of the mailers and how to do a demonstration of the new technology. Check to see that everyone is comfortable doing a demo. If you aren’t sure how to do an effective demo, contact your manufacturer rep right away for some quick training over the phone. Ask what to do and how to show how much better this hearing aid works.
Want more ideas on how to grow your practice? Set up an appointment with your Practice Advisor.