How to approach clients who conduct a market survey

You know these clients – those who come to the practice after they have visited several practices, received at least three suggestions for treatment plans, searched Google for all types of implants, prices, and even all the pros and cons of zirconia crowns.

They probably annoy you, do they not?

Well, think again, because if you think of them as pests (as many do) who are only interested in the price, you’ll probably treat them as such, and you’re sure to lose them!

In fact, if we think logically for a moment, these are your best clients! Why? Because the very fact that they make the rounds in different practices means the most important thing to you: they very much want to undergo the treatment.

One of the biggest and most common mistakes that I see among those who close treatment plans is that they think that these clients go from practice to practice, just looking for the lowest price. This is a false and incorrect assumption – there are clients who buy the first vehicle they like and those who cannot make up their minds until they have tested at least three cars.

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Here are six tips that will increase your chances of winning the hearts and pockets of clients who conduct a market survey among several practices.

     Encouragement – First, encourage these clients by letting them know that they are doing the right thing by getting more offers: “Very nice, I’m glad you have other offers. You will be able to really evaluate and understand the treatment plan we are offering you.” This way, you can gain their confidence.

     Trust – Clients will choose the practice that wins their trust, expresses the most empathy towards them, and especially, creates a sense of professionalism – where they are offered a detailed proposal, a reasonable plan, and are treated with respect and patience while receiving answers to their questions. Note that these clients are usually confused by the number of proposals they received and therefore the trust you produce is most important.

Another point: do not dismiss the other dentists who offered them other plans (“Who’s the cobbler who offered you this plan?”) because it might come back to bite you. It can be said implicitly: “Look, there are all kinds of approaches to dentistry. I don’t know whom you got suggestions from and it doesn’t really matter, but with us, there are no shortcuts.” (Which clients will want shortcuts when it comes to dental treatments?) “It is no accident that we have been preforming dental implants for 15 years, and that our success rate stands at about 96% [if this is true].”

     “So what if you have cheaper offers?” – Do not worry about clients receiving cheaper offers. Instead, you need to ask yourself why the clients came to you if they have a cheaper offer. Why didn’t they go to the cheap practice? Well, the answer is simple: they are probably afraid of the cheap offer they received, since clients think that cheap means low quality and expensive means high quality. In fact, clients who come back to you after receiving a cheaper offer from a different practice just want another small discount in order to close the deal with you. You should hope that you adjusted for the final discount of closing the transaction.

As I have mentioned, clients are not looking for the cheapest price; they are afraid of prices that are too cheap, but are looking for the cheapest price they can get from you! This, or at least the feeling that they will get the lowest price possible, is what you must provide.

     Avoid point-to-point comparisons – Beware of point-to-point comparisons with other, cheap offers. If you compare information in this way, you will communicate that you are the same. Just say, “Mr. Smith, in dentistry, as in any other field, there are all kinds of price levels. At our practice’s level of professionalism, and considering our standards–” (here I recommend adding the competitive advantages of the practice: medical expertise, years of experience, training, innovative and advanced equipment, etc.) “–these are the prices. There are less expensive and more expensive prices, and you are entitled to choose what standard of care you want to receive.”

In certain situations, it is advisable to add the following sentence: “It is not that we earn more; we simply have a high level of treatment and materials that come at higher costs. There is no such thing as high quality at a low cost. What you should compare point-to-point is the medical treatment program. Mr. Smith, I find it difficult to understand how you were offered treatment without a bone graft, when you have no bone at all. What will the implants be attached to?”

     Maximum coverage – Offer these clients two or three alternatives to a treatment plan. Why? Because if you only offer an implant plan for $60,000 they may not be able to afford it, and if they receive an offer from another dentist for a prosthesis on implants at $35,000, it is reasonable to assume that they will turn to the other dentist for treatment rather than to you. The goal is for the client to undergo whatever program they want and can finance – with you. In addition, it is easier for clients to make a decision on what is good for them when they have two or three alternatives, instead of only one option.

     Goodbye, but not farewell – If the client has not completed the rounds at other practices, you should come to two conclusions with them before you part ways, provided you have developed trust and friendship. A: “Before you make a final decision, come to us for another consultation so we can give you an opinion on the treatment plan you want to perform and make sure it is medically correct.” B: “Once you have definitively decided that you want to carry out the treatment plan, I will work for you to get another discount.”