The TC should assume a position of leadership as she presents fees.
THIS MEANS THAT A WELL-EXECUTED FEE PRESENTATION IS ONE IN WHICH THE TREATMENT COORDINATOR DOES VIRTUALLY ALL THE TALKING.
The TC will walk the prospective patient through the entire document, including payment options, and the patient will not feel the need to interject until this overview has been completed.
In many ways, the first time the patient will commend on the fees being presented is when they are asked to do so.
THEY WILL WANT, AND EXPECT your employee to be in charge here.
Begin with the bottom line total: This is the first thing the buyer wants to see. Show them anything else during this presentation and you lose their attention.
Next, explain what is included: Setup of braces or clear aligner with all adjustments and a number of emergency appointments. Removable retainers are included with a year follow up to make sure the teeth are not relapsing. Electric toothbrushes with four special cleaning heads. Oral hygiene instruments and tools.
Review the insurance benefit and any discounts: Lead them to how we came up with the out of pocket investment.
Introduce the payment options: Do not discuss any 3rd party financing unless needed. Always push for Orthobanc account setup. Show how they save money with a high down payment or pay in full.
Ask for a commitment
Sample script:
“Based on Dr. Lee’s assessment of your (child’s) needs, the treatment time will be ___ months and your total investment is $__________. Now, let me show you what this includes. (TC immediately points to and review these items):
Placement of Braces / Invisalign setup
All office visits
All adjustments
All emergency visits
A set of removable retainers including a year of retainer checks
Oral hygiene instruments throughout treatment
(Last item) Because our practice places a high priority on oral hygiene, you will also be receiving this oral B Bluetooth ready electric toothbrush with 4 special heads for cleaning braces as part of your treatment plan (hands toothbrush to patient, answers questions as needed).“
Your insurance benefit with (carrier) is $ _________, which brings your out of pocket investment down to $__________.
(TC immediately transitions to payment options):
Now we offer a few options where you can pay for this investment. We offer a payment in full option. Our down payment is $300 with a balance of $________ financed over ____ months with ____ equal payments of $____, interest free.
If you elect to pay for treatment up-front, our office gives you a courtesy discount of 3% which gives you a savings of ______.
“Which of these options would work best for you?”
The last question is the most important question: You are asking the patient to make a decision.
The patient will always do one of three things:
Choose payment-in-full
Choose one of your financing options
Voice a concern: the TC needs to know how to handle these concerns. Fortunately, it is not hard. We will learn soon how to do that?
Guess which payment option MOST patients will choose?
Most patients will choose the lowest down payment option.
Misconceptions of patient objections and concerns: Many TCs when beginning will see these as negative events because they are obstacles to moving forward. However, from the patient perspectives, they do want to move forward with treatment but they need help from the TC to overcome these obstacles before they move forward.
In ortho, the most common responses , if there is a concern, will be:
A concern about fees
A need to talk to a spouse or think it over (these are essentially the same).
Here are the steps to take to address patient concerns:
Empathize with the patient’s concern: We let them know we understand where they are coming from.
Clarify the objection: This is critical. You must understand EXACTLY what the concern is. For example, when a patient says “your fees are too high,” is it the down payments, the monthly payment, the total cost, is it in comparison to another practice?
Address the objection: ONLY AFTER CLARIFYING THE OBJECTIVE do you then provide an alternative based on the information.
Ask for agreement: confirm that the issue has been resolved.