Why Old Patients Ghost You (E.319)

“We are so worried about marketing to strangers, yet we do not put that same emphasis on the patients who already know us.”- Sara Hansen

Brief Overview of the Episode

This episode takes a hard look at one of the most expensive silent problems in dentistry: patients who say they are interested, leave without scheduling, and never come back. Sara and Regan show that ghosting is usually not rejection. It is hesitation, confusion, life getting busy, or a trust gap the practice failed to close. They walk through how to identify the missing piece, how to follow up without sounding transactional, and how to build a simple reactivation system that keeps patients from slipping through the cracks.

What This Episode Reveals

Ghosting is often not about price, laziness, or disinterest. It is what happens when the patient does not feel fully understood, does not know what to do next, or leaves the office without a real relational bridge back to care. Practices lose too much time and money chasing new patients while unscheduled treatment from existing patients keeps piling up. The opportunity is already inside the practice. The question is whether the team has a system to protect it.

What You’ll Learn

• Why patients ghost even after a good visit
• The trust mistake many teams never realize they are making
• How to ask questions that uncover what really matters to the patient
• What a relationship-based follow-up message actually sounds like
• Why generic reminders fail and personalized outreach works
• How to use notes, life details, and timing to re-engage patients
• A simple reactivation cadence teams can start using right away
• Why internal follow-up can be a bigger growth lever than more external marketing

If This Sounds Familiar

• Patients say they will call you back, then disappear
• Your team is great in the moment but follow-through is inconsistent
• You have a growing unscheduled treatment report and no clear plan
• You keep spending money to attract new patients while existing treatment goes untouched
• Patients seem interested in care, but something keeps stopping them from moving forward
• Follow-up feels random, generic, or dependent on whoever remembers

Next Steps

1. Run your unscheduled treatment report and look at what is already sitting inside your practice.
2. Create a simple follow-up cadence your team can actually stick to.
3. Use personal notes, not canned reminders, to reconnect with patients in a way that feels human.
4. Book the free assessment meeting if you want help building a reactivation system that does not let patients quietly disappear. Book Here

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TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00] Regan Robertson: The Productive Dentist Academy Podcast

[00:00:02] Regan Robertson: Network.

[00:00:04] Regan Robertson: I know for sure it’s because trust hasn’t been established, meaning they did not ask me about what was important to me.

[00:00:14] Regan Robertson: Thanks for tuning into the Everyday Practices Dental Podcast. I’m Reagan Robertson, my co-host Sarah Hanson, and I interview real dentists and experts who grow their dental practices using authentic marketing in a way that you can remember, repeat and use in your own practice to get the patients you deserve.

[00:00:30] Regan Robertson: Let’s dive in.

[00:00:31] Regan Robertson: Hey, Sarah Reagan

[00:00:35] Regan Robertson: Ghosting these days isn’t just for dating you now.

[00:00:40] Sara Hansen: You

[00:00:40] Sara Hansen: know, maybe I’m too old, uh, for dating ghosting stories. I’ve been married 25 years.

[00:00:50] Sara Hansen: Did I, you

[00:00:50] Regan Robertson: know, yeah, I’ve been, I’ve been with. With my hubs for 26 years. Oh. So I guess we’re dating ourselves right away. Did and ghosting. I don’t remember [00:01:00] ghosting being a thing when, when we were,

[00:01:02] Regan Robertson: I don’t either

[00:01:03] Regan Robertson: in the dating realm, but it sure is like it’s a hot topic now.

[00:01:06] Regan Robertson: It is. It is.

[00:01:08] Regan Robertson: It’s a regular thing to do. But now it seems like, do you think patience were ghosting doctors 26 years ago?

[00:01:17] Regan Robertson: Yeah, I do. I do, but it’s

[00:01:19] Regan Robertson: been pervasive thing.

[00:01:20] Regan Robertson: Yeah. But the difference is, I think, I mean, so I have been in dentistry. 25 years. So thinking back to some of my first jobs, right? Mm-hmm. We did, we had schedules that were written out in a huge schedule book.

[00:01:35] Regan Robertson: Mm-hmm. Right? We had ledgers that you used, pen and paper, like nothing was digitized at that time. So I think it was probably harder to track some of those patients other than just literally pulling each chart. You know, going through, does this patient need treatment? I mean, wow. It’s like now we have so much technology to make our lives easier to figure [00:02:00] out where are those patients?

[00:02:02] Regan Robertson: So, Reagan, why, why do you think people ghost? What’s that about?

[00:02:07] Regan Robertson: I can tell you why I’ve ghosted. Okay. So I’ve been a, I’ve been a ghoster, uh, with different services. One, I think it’s a lack of like avoiding conflict. Mm-hmm. So, uh, I won’t, I, I have not ghosted my dentist, so that full disclosure there, but I have, I’ve definitely, uh, go hair, hair, uh, hair salon folks over the years.

[00:02:30] Regan Robertson: Yeah. So if I don’t, if I feel like they’re not. They’re not hearing me and or I’m not making a great connection. And I don’t feel like my hairstyle has been like basically to, you know, to my liking. Mm-hmm. And I try, like, I’ll try a couple of times, but I’m so, I’m a people pleaser too. Like I’m recovering, I’m recovering people person, so I will smile.

[00:02:50] Regan Robertson: I’ve smiled and then been like, okay, thank you. And then I will not. I don’t reschedule or, or I say something like, oh, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll take a look at my calendar and then I’ll [00:03:00] reschedule, and then I haven’t rescheduled and, and usually it’s because some need wasn’t met and either I tried to communicate it and it wasn’t received, or I didn’t feel like it was going to be received.

[00:03:14] Regan Robertson: Mm-hmm. So that’s been a really powerful, I think grow up, grown up, grow up lesson for me over the years.

[00:03:20] Regan Robertson: Yeah.

[00:03:21] Regan Robertson: Is, is I think that people will often ghost. Because of, you know, those reasons. Um, there’s probably other reasons also, but that’s, that’s why I’ve, I’ve ghosted in the past. Mm-hmm. How about you?

[00:03:33] Regan Robertson: Yeah, you know, it’s interesting because I think, at least for me, outside of dentistry, but even inside, you know, medical appointments or dental appointments, I will say it’s probably, well, I know for sure it’s because trust hasn’t been established, meaning they did not ask me. About what was important to me.

[00:03:57] Regan Robertson: So I have an example I wanna share. [00:04:00]So my hu Oh my

[00:04:01] Regan Robertson: God. Keep

[00:04:02] Regan Robertson: going.

[00:04:02] Regan Robertson: Yeah, that totally hits that.

[00:04:04] Regan Robertson: Keep going. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. So my husband and I were looking at cars and you know, we go to this dealership and we’re looking at cars, and I’m a mom with two busy girls, right? I want to have something that I can haul friends in back and forth.

[00:04:20] Regan Robertson: Between swim practice and horseback riding and stuff like that. And as we’re talking to the salesperson, um, my husband wasn’t there at the time, so the salesperson’s just talking to me and he’s telling me about this SUV and how great the motor is and how, you know, it does all these things. And I’m like.

[00:04:39] Regan Robertson: I don’t care about that. Like I wanna know that I can put my kids in the back and it’s safe and you know, does it play great music and you know, that sort of thing. And so what I find interesting about that conversation was he never once asked me what is important to you in buying a car? [00:05:00] Right? So if we relate that to our patients.

[00:05:03] Regan Robertson: Why are we asking our patients what is important to them? You know, do you want a beautiful smile? Do you care more about the function of your smile? Um, are things painful to you? Are you losing confidence? You know what’s important to you? And I think that that’s a missing piece sometimes.

[00:05:21] Regan Robertson: I think that’s a huge missing piece.

[00:05:23] Regan Robertson: My, the light bulbs went off. Yeah. Because that, I can equate that over, not just to the times when I have, uh, you know, and what I’m saying, this is like 10 years ago, 15 years ago. But even still, it’s still relevant today. Yeah. If I’m not feeling heard, that’s a big deal. And you know, do you know my grandpa, he owned car dealerships.

[00:05:39] Regan Robertson: Yeah. And I never got to meet him, but I was gifted one of his sales training books that he created for his sales team. So this was back in the forties. 1940s, which oh, according to my son, was like, they didn’t even have electricity at that point. The whole book Dinosaurs. Yeah, the whole book was like, the first section was know, like, know your audience.

[00:05:59] Regan Robertson: And [00:06:00] it was about how to sell the car to the woman in the relationship, which I thought in the forties that was extremely progressive.

[00:06:08] Regan Robertson: Yeah.

[00:06:08] Regan Robertson: And it was, it had like two columns that I remember and one column had like what a woman looks for in a car now. Don’t be triggered today, obviously ’cause it’s very gender stereotyped and, and, and obviously wouldn’t apply to today.

[00:06:23] Regan Robertson: However, it did get to the point of listen to the needs of how that end user is going to apply the vehicle versus, uh, the man in the relationship. Yeah. So it had a lot of the technical specs, end details about the car itself on the right column for the man. And then on the left it had the comfort the. Um, you know how easy it is to get the kids in and out of the car.

[00:06:43] Regan Robertson: Like it was all of these really soft touches that was more about how the car will make you feel. And then the one on the right was how the car performs and how it stacks up against the other vehicles as far as longevity of the motor, for example. So I, I think [00:07:00] you’re absolutely spot on and, and it can be really difficult, especially like doctor, if you’re.

[00:07:06] Regan Robertson: Sitting across from a patient and they’re smiling at you and nodding and, and, and everything seems like it’s okay. Yes. And then suddenly they don’t. It’s not, and it’s so confusing. We have to be able to read between the lines. I think that’s a killer, a killer tip, Sarah. Mm-hmm. So what, what do you see, um, doctors asking in that appointment or in their marketing material?

[00:07:26] Regan Robertson: Whatever messaging is out that shows the patient that you’re willing to listen to them. Like really listen to them

[00:07:33] Regan Robertson: at Productive Dentist Academy. We’ve helped thousands of private practice owners find the clarity inside their data and take

[00:07:39] Regan Robertson: control again, starting with a free 60 minute coaching session.

[00:07:43] Regan Robertson: Head over to investment grade practice.com right now before the next patient sits down to claim your free 60 minute coaching session. That’s investment grade practice.com.

[00:07:53] Regan Robertson: I think it’s important that even when you send the patient, um, their new patient information, getting to [00:08:00] know them, asking questions about, you know, how do you.

[00:08:04] Regan Robertson: How do you feel about your smile? What’s important to you? Um, what things don’t you like about your smile? We really start to understand the patient. Also, I think understanding who they are, so asking a lot of questions. If you have a patient that is very analytical, maybe they are an engineer by trade, right?

[00:08:24] Regan Robertson: I would guess they probably care more about the function of their smile than maybe the cosmetic. Any woman is really going to care about cosmetic. So understanding that, and then as you present to them with treatment, now you understand what’s important to them and it makes it easier. So for example, Reagan, if, if you told me, Hey, I really want to.

[00:08:50] Regan Robertson: You know, I want a new smile. I wanna feel confident. I’ve put my kids first for so long, and now it’s my time. And I say to you as the, the dentist, [00:09:00] Reagan, have you been putting off dentistry for a long time? And you know what? This is about you. Now let’s invest in you. Right? This is, you care about that beautiful smile.

[00:09:09] Regan Robertson: We can find a way to make that happen for you. You know? Now when you start speaking to that patient’s language, then it’s like. Now they have, they have a reason to feel one trusting of you because you’ve listened and you’ve repeated that back to them. But now you’re finding a treatment plan that works for them, right?

[00:09:27] Regan Robertson: And a way to communicate that to them instead of just getting into, you know, our diagnostic conversations that we tend to do. But now we are really customizing that language for each of our patients.

[00:09:41] Regan Robertson: So, okay. So while in a dating scenario, ghosting is not a great way to kick things off, and I wouldn’t personally recommend chasing someone who ghosts you.

[00:09:51] Regan Robertson: I would say that they, uh, allowed themselves to be fully seen and bye-bye. We don’t want that. But in the dental office we can [00:10:00] certainly save relationships that, um. Have, have ghosted us. And I love how you talked about the homework, the intake of it. I know in my own, like the medical practice, um, that I go to, they had my heart wrapped in a bow when I sat in for my very first appointment.

[00:10:17] Regan Robertson: And when the doctor came in, she says, hello, Reagan. I have just spent so much time going over your medical history. Thank you for filling all of that out. We pay attention to it like. Like that was so cool. ’cause then I was like, okay, I’ve already, you know, you know you have to do it online and then you probably have to do it in person, and then the nurse sees you and then the doctor sees you.

[00:10:37] Regan Robertson: And oftentimes it just feels like, why am I even filling this out? Mm-hmm. So that’s incredible. So if you’ve done your homework. You’ve presented treatment and they have not said yes to care yet. Uh, like what steps in your vast history, Sarah, um, do you find works best to get them out of the, the ghosting category and back into engagement with us?[00:11:00]

[00:11:00] Regan Robertson: Yeah,

[00:11:01] Regan Robertson: I think. You know, it happens so frequently. Doctors, I want you to picture your practice. You’ve given your patients a great patient experience. They’ve gone through, they’re happy, they’re not upset. You know, they want to move forward, but then at the end when they get to that. That point of moving forward, something comes up, meaning they say, let me check my calendar.

[00:11:25] Regan Robertson: I’ll call you back, or let me talk to my spouse, or something like that. And then what happens is these patients just quietly disappear. Not because they’re upset, not because they don’t care, but simply because there was something that they. We’re not attached to in a way. Um, there’s something that still is holding them back.

[00:11:46] Regan Robertson: So until that patient actually takes action to move forward and book an appointment and come in, there still is a missing piece that we need to identify as a team. Um, maybe it’s, they’re concerned [00:12:00]about finances, but they’re embarrassed. Right. Maybe there was just something that they’re like, ah. I don’t understand, but I don’t wanna feel dumb.

[00:12:08] Regan Robertson: And so I’m gonna shake my head and smile and, and pretend like I know what you’re talking about. Um, and so, or sometimes maybe they just need time to register or process, right? What, what they’re doing. Um, so again, I don’t think it’s bad for them, but where we need to stop the ghosting is do we have a follow-up system?

[00:12:30] Regan Robertson: Do we have an opportunity to them? To then say to them, Hey, you know, I know you’re not moving forward. Is there something that’s holding you back? Right. Are they concerned about finances? Do you have the solutions for those? Is there something that maybe they didn’t understand? Um, I know there are multiple times when presenting treatment plans that the patient, you know, was smiling and shaking their head, and when I took a minute and said.

[00:12:55] Regan Robertson: What, so can you repeat back to me what the doctor said that you needed? They [00:13:00] looked at me with like a blank stare, right, which told me something in that treatment presentation or diagnostic with the doctor they didn’t get. So that was a clue for me to say, you know what, I’m gonna grab the doctor and I’m just, I’m gonna pull him in for just a minute.

[00:13:14] Regan Robertson: I just want to make sure that all of your questions are answered. So I think taking the time. To understand why those patients are not moving forward. That is where I think that ghosting happens. Um, and then what, like then what do we do once they’re there? Right now we’re trying to reactivate, so now it’s like we’re on the defense instead of being proactive, if that makes sense.

[00:13:38] Regan Robertson: No, it totally makes sense. I think it makes it. It gave me the realization that there’s a super fine line. So follow through is probably the weakest area that I see in any dental practice when it, when it comes to, um, treatment acceptance obviously. And, and there is an unintentional ghosting that I think happens on behalf of the practice.

[00:13:58] Regan Robertson: So again, speaking from [00:14:00] personal experience, I’ve been presented treatment plans and I walk out the door without scheduling so that I can process, which is great. Yeah. Healthy to process and then. My brain goes off into a million different avenues. I’m a busy mom. I am a busy wife. I am a busy daughter. I am a busy, best friend.

[00:14:16] Regan Robertson: Yeah, I am a busy, uh, uh, career woman. I have so many things going on that I’ll end up putting, you know, my health often goes down further on the priority list and I will forget about it. So days turn into weeks that can turn into months, and the practice is also just as silent. And so that is a nuance and a and a.

[00:14:39] Regan Robertson: Discretionary moment. Like you don’t wanna be too pushy, but you also wanna gently carry that relationship forward with that transaction. Mm-hmm. So you want to reach out and let them know and, and I’ll tell you. When a medical establishment does that for me, be like a text message, just a friendly reminder and even saying friendly [00:15:00] reminder, something that is relational that, uh, has 10 outta 10 come off for me as a really great.

[00:15:08] Regan Robertson: Way to be held and then, oh my gosh, it’s always, oh my gosh, yep. I’ve, I’ve gotta schedule this, or I meant to do this, and, uh, brings it back top of mind. And had they not done that, yeah, they, they could have lost some pretty big treatment plans as a result of that. So I think understanding that your job, um, as a practice is to continue that communication and hold that relationship after they walk out the door is, is massive for re-engagement.

[00:15:34] Regan Robertson: It’s massive. And here’s the reality is it’s like, I think we just get so busy that we, we just forget, right? I mean, we’re really focused on the patients right in front of us. However, those patients, the new patient experience has not ended yet. Oh, you know, Victoria says this a lot. She says, um, when, when does that new patient experience [00:16:00] actually end?

[00:16:00] Regan Robertson: Is it at the time of the exam? Is it, and it’s like, no, that new patient experience does not end until they are now a loyal patient of yours and are referring friends and family, right? Um, and so what happens is they go through this new patient experience. They kind of fall through the cracks. We don’t have a follow-up system in the practice just because we’re busy.

[00:16:21] Regan Robertson: We’re focused on the patients in front of us. And yeah, Reagan, you’re exactly right. It turns into six months later and we’re like, oh wait, where is that patient? So teams I would recommend and doctors have some type of treatment follow-up, and doctors, I know you’re busy. If there is a patient that didn’t move forward, I would recommend to hold that relationship really close to you, that you actually reach out to them.

[00:16:46] Regan Robertson: Maybe it’s two days after or something, even sending a text. Hey, this is Dr. So-and-so, you know. I know we talked about a lot of things at your visit. I am here to answer any questions that you have. You know, I think trying to [00:17:00] bridge that, that gap of when the patient goes through the experience to when they fall through and, and that ghosting happens.

[00:17:07] Regan Robertson: Um, so, you know, establishing a system in the practice where you can get on top of those and that they’re not just quietly slipping out the back door. And next thing you know. You’re down, you know, a hundred patients because they just, it’s not that something happened, it’s just that they’ve quietly disappeared.

[00:17:26] Regan Robertson: Do you see what that is? So in our own personal relationships, we take them very seriously. We honor them, we invest in them because we know that it’s that, that it’s something precious and I, and, and the, there’s a big discrepancy in, in any healthcare organization really, or business because there is the myth that there will always be more patience.

[00:17:46] Regan Robertson: I think it’s probably not a myth. There will always be more patience, but I think we put more effort. On the acquisition of patients than we do, maintaining the relationships that are so valuable, which actually is what can drive the growth of the [00:18:00] practice long term and help it become a durable, stable business.

[00:18:05] Regan Robertson: Uh, what are the stats on how much typically is sitting in a practice like with unscheduled treatment?

[00:18:14] Regan Robertson: Oh, Reagan. Be prepared to have your mind blow.

[00:18:17] Regan Robertson: I know it’s big, but I I, I’ve heard you say it before, but I don’t remember what the exact, exact stats are.

[00:18:22] Regan Robertson: So at least 500,000, but millions, plural of, and Reagan.

[00:18:28] Regan Robertson: I what thought you said that because like ridiculous. No, and so. Doctors get hyper-focused on, I need more new patients, I need more new patients. But yet we’re missing, like, we’re so worried about marketing to strangers, right? They don’t know us like they don’t know, which, I’m not saying that’s bad, but yet we, we don’t put that same emphasis.

[00:18:51] Regan Robertson: On our patients that know us, they’ve been to our office, they’ve met our team, we’ve had conversations. There still is a level of trust there, right? Maybe they [00:19:00] haven’t completed the full new patient experience because they haven’t scheduled treatment. So again, that’s our opportunity to reach out and say, Hey, we’re thinking about you.

[00:19:09] Regan Robertson: You know? Um, not just like a generic text message that says, Hey, you’re due for your past due cleaning, you know, but like a genuine, you know, heartfelt. Relationship matters. Text.

[00:19:22] Regan Robertson: Right. Okay. Okay. Let’s get into the tactics and the how to, so you guys will get to write this down because this is, this is what’s gonna bridge it.

[00:19:29] Regan Robertson: So if you’re tired of patients ghosting you, if you run an unscheduled treatment report in your practice and you have a hundred thousand plus 500,000, who knows what you have? Yeah. Uh, I personally as a business owner would be focusing on that.

[00:19:42] Regan Robertson: Yeah.

[00:19:43] Regan Robertson: So dedicated, instead of spending tons of external marketing dollars, trying to acquire patients who aren’t even bought into your care in the first place.

[00:19:52] Regan Robertson: So that’s, mm-hmm. That’s where. I would definitely focus. So in the, the tactical realm of what’s to be done. I wanna put, [00:20:00] I wanna put one nugget in Sarah, and then I’m gonna let you fly with this because I know you’re so good at this. I gifted my medical doctor, I got her tea, so her and I like. Tea. And she mentioned in one of our appointments that she loves double cream, Earl Gray.

[00:20:16] Regan Robertson: So I went on vacation and I found some double cream, Earl Gray and I got it for her. And then, I don’t know, it was like a couple, a couple appointments in that I finally remembered that I bought it. But anyway, regardless. Took it to her. She was like, oh my gosh, it’s so sweet, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I get a handwritten note like a few days later, like not even maybe a week.

[00:20:36] Regan Robertson: And it was uh, you know, on her stationary of course, but handwritten. And it was, thank you so much for the tea. It was delicious. I will think of it every time. Uh, I’ll think of you every time I drink it. And

[00:20:47] Regan Robertson: it was

[00:20:48] Regan Robertson: just a simple signature. It was a short note. It was sweet, it was hand mailed to me and. I will continue to always stay at that practice.

[00:20:57] Regan Robertson: Yeah.

[00:20:58] Regan Robertson: They’ve got it [00:21:00] completely dialed in. What are some things that our listeners right now can do when they’ve made the treatment presentation? The patient has walked out the door, you know it’s sitting in your books, you can find it.

[00:21:12] Regan Robertson: Mm-hmm.

[00:21:13] Regan Robertson: What can they do starting tomorrow? Starting today, as soon as they listen?

[00:21:17] Regan Robertson: Yeah. Yeah. Starting today. Just reach out with a heartfelt relationship matters, text, email, whatever that looks like. Right. You know, and again, let’s, we’ve gotta keep it out of the transactional. I mean, all of these things that we’ve been talking about the last few weeks really are about that relationship and trust is so essential for.

[00:21:40] Regan Robertson: You know, your practice, right? They’re, they’re trusting you in so many things. So again, reaching out with a heartfelt text of, you know, Hey Reagan, it’s been a little while since we’ve seen you, you know, we know last time we, we chatted, you were concerned about your smile. We would love to discuss that with you some more.

[00:21:59] Regan Robertson: Please give us [00:22:00] a call. You know, just something like that, right? Or if you have concerns or things like that. So. Everybody, you can run an unscheduled treatment report. You might be a little overwhelmed by one, the unscheduled active patients that actually show up, uh, and the dollar amount that’s associated to that.

[00:22:20] Regan Robertson: But just start working that report. Reach out to your patients, send them a heartfelt message, give them a phone call. Um, you know, I, I do get that. It can be, it can be a lot, right? It, it’s kind of one of those. Those systems that it’s like, okay, so we know we’ve got several patients that, that have ghosted us.

[00:22:42] Regan Robertson: Uh, like that feels overwhelming, but just start, um, again, there, you know, there’s systems you can implement in your practice to help make that easier for you. But just start, right. Okay. Or maybe, yeah, I know I can, I can see your wheels turning right now.

[00:22:59] Regan Robertson: Well, [00:23:00] one, this is, this is spring cleaning, so yes.

[00:23:02] Regan Robertson: Yeah. So doctor, you have spring cleaning mission ahead of you here, and, and that does, that requires a little bit of extra work. Let’s go low tech and high tech. So low tech, they don’t have automation software to do this. They, uh, you know, just this, the scenario is we’re gonna have to hand do this. So,

[00:23:17] Regan Robertson: yeah.

[00:23:18] Regan Robertson: Uh, so would we take, we would take what the, would we take the doctor, the front desk team and, and then life notes are really important. So when you say heartfelt. I wanna get into the how of this. Like what does heartfelt look like? Really, like if it’s definitely not just, Hey, we miss you, call us, or Hey you, we made a treatment plan and you didn’t do anything with it.

[00:23:38] Regan Robertson: I like how you said, um, you know, you mentioned that you cared about your smile. So would somebody go in and look at. The, the treatment plan and the life notes and kind of figure out like what message should go in that text message. And then, and then how did you do it? Like say, okay, Sherry, you have 10 today, and Mike, you have 10 today.

[00:23:58] Regan Robertson: Yes. And that’s, and that’s it. And that’s how you’ll go [00:24:00] through and chunk a list out.

[00:24:01] Regan Robertson: Yes. And, okay, wait. Here’s another reason why teams notes are so important. Let’s say Reagan. Doesn’t schedule. I’m the treatment coordinator and I’m like, Reagan, you know what’s holding you back? And you say, Sarah, my daughter’s getting married in two months.

[00:24:18] Regan Robertson: I just cannot deal with this until like, let me, you know, get, get her off and married and then I’ll call you back. I better at that moment. Be putting a note in that says, Reagan’s daughter’s getting married in two months. She will, you know, let’s make sure we follow up with her after May. Right. So then when the team’s going back in and you’re trying to figure out why is this patient not scheduled?

[00:24:42] Regan Robertson: Well now we have notes in there as well saying, oh yeah, her daughter got married. That’s right. Right, so then you can reach out. How did the wedding go? You know, my hygienist

[00:24:52] Regan Robertson: shout out to my hygienist Michael. He is dialed in. Like he takes really, really great notes. Things that I do not remember [00:25:00] talking to him about.

[00:25:01] Regan Robertson: And then when I see him again, he always follows up. He is so good about that. Um, and it doesn’t makes me feel like I’m in relation. It also makes me feel like I will do anything he says, literally. Like if he’s, if I get a recommendation for my health, I am, I am down to follow it.

[00:25:17] Regan Robertson: You’re it.

[00:25:18] Regan Robertson: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[00:25:19] Regan Robertson: Okay. So text message that has something that is personal If If it’s available, yeah. Yeah. Text

[00:25:27] Regan Robertson: message equates. Yeah.

[00:25:29] Regan Robertson: Phone call. Connect with the person before you connect with the treatment that they should be coming in for.

[00:25:33] Regan Robertson: Yes. Bingo.

[00:25:35] Regan Robertson: That’s it. Have you, have you ever heard of anybody doing, um, like mailed notes or has it mostly been phone, email, and text?

[00:25:42] Regan Robertson: So here’s the reality is none of us pick up calls anymore. I mean, I

[00:25:46] Regan Robertson: know nobody screens ’em.

[00:25:47] Regan Robertson: Everybody screens, everybody seems to voicemail. I mean, and even like while I’m working, I can’t take phone calls very often. Right. So it’s not that I don’t wanna talk. To people. So again, if someone texts me or if someone sent me [00:26:00] something in the mail or an email, I am much more likely to respond to that than calling somebody back.

[00:26:05] Regan Robertson: So I don’t think phone calls are bad, but what we don’t want is if we’re noticing that our patients aren’t picking up the phone, then that’s your trigger to say, okay, what else? You know? Um, I would also say, if you know your patients. Like the older generation, they’re gonna love a handwritten note, right?

[00:26:23] Regan Robertson: I mean, they’re still the ones that come in to make their dental appointments or they send handwritten cards because that’s just the generation, the technology didn’t exist for them. So if there’s an older gentleman or woman that you know, you know, would love to just receive a handwritten note from you.

[00:26:40] Regan Robertson: I mean, go to the dollar store, buy a bunch of blank cards, you know, or get your, your own customized stationary with your logo for marketing, right? Um, but send just a handwritten note. Hey, you know, we’re thinking about you. We know it’s been a little while, you know, do you have any questions? Can we support you?

[00:26:57] Regan Robertson: How’s your family? Right? So [00:27:00] again, dentistry. We have to pull it out of that transactional and doctors. I would guess that the more trust based, the more relationship based your experiences are with your patients, just all around is going to be better for not only you, but for the patient, right? They’re going to accept treatment.

[00:27:21] Regan Robertson: If they are concerned about something, they will ask more questions. But I think if we get into that transactional relationship, it’s easy for them at that point to just say, okay, I’ll check my calendar and call you back when we’re in a relationship with someone. It’s harder for us to say, oh, I can’t make it.

[00:27:40] Regan Robertson: Right. It’s like even to keep their appointments and things like that because they care about us, right? We don’t cancel on our best friend going to dinner, but we’ll cancel on someone we don’t know. ’cause we’re like, yeah, something better came up. Right? So again, like we can’t stress enough how important that relationship piece is.

[00:27:59] Regan Robertson: And [00:28:00] again, our, our patients sometimes. They’re not brave enough or they’re scared or whatever to ask more questions. So it’s our job then to find out more about them, right? And to find out what’s holding them back. Why are they not moving forward?

[00:28:18] Regan Robertson: Guides are so important in our lives. So it’s important doctors, that you’re the guide for your patients and your team.

[00:28:24] Regan Robertson: Um, you know, for you and me, Sarah, let’s help, uh, guide our dental practices into the system. So when we go from low tech spring cleaning, let’s just get back to baseline. That’s great. How do we turn this into a repeatable? System so that we’re not going back and saying, oh my gosh, we’re at 500 k of unscheduled treatment and we have to go above and beyond to write the ship.

[00:28:45] Regan Robertson: This is an incredible internal marketing opportunity that will, I mean, it’s ridiculous. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so let’s take system. Hi. Well, I owe systems.

[00:28:56] Regan Robertson: I mean, so here’s the deal. Meet with your team, right? And [00:29:00] figure out what’s gonna work for you. So I hear often teams use the two day, two week, and two month, uh, treatment reactivation system because it’s easy for everyone to remember.

[00:29:11] Regan Robertson: So again, a patient goes through that journey, treatment is presented for some reason they didn’t accept treatment. You go through that protocol. If they still didn’t accept treatment, right, then you reach out to them in two days. Um, you’re gonna follow up with them, you know, ask their permission, Hey, I’m gonna follow up with you in two days, right?

[00:29:31] Regan Robertson: Again, we’re setting the expectation that they can expect you to call, um, or reach out or text or whatever. Um, then two weeks later, so what’s happening now is that patient knows that we care. I also tell teams. You guys all have iPhones film a generic, short, fun video that you can send to your patients, right?

[00:29:52] Regan Robertson: That just is maybe the hygiene team that’s like, Hey, we’re thinking about you. You know, it’s time for your cleaning. Come and see [00:30:00] us. Right? So it doesn’t always have to just be a text message or an email or a phone call, but you can add personalized videos. You can do fun, different things. Like I said, handwritten cards are really great, but establish the system because if you’re seeing maybe.

[00:30:15] Regan Robertson: You know, 10 patients a day and. Three of those didn’t schedule. Well, now it’s only three patients, right? Yeah. Not thousands of patients that we’re reaching out to. So even just starting today in your practice and say, okay, team, what’s going to work for us? You know, do we wanna do two days, two weeks, two months?

[00:30:34] Regan Robertson: Do we wanna follow up the next day? You know, what does that look like? And then every day you guys do exactly what that system is. Um, now it’s not gonna be overwhelming, and your patients will come to expect that. That they’re like, they’re gonna follow up with me if I don’t schedule, you know, they’re not gonna let me slip through the cracks, type of thing.

[00:30:55] Regan Robertson: And they feel held that way. Um, and so again, I think just making sure [00:31:00] that we’re not, you know, letting them disappear, but that within our internal marketing system that we’ve gotta plan to reach out to them.

[00:31:08] Regan Robertson: So if you’re not giving your team space every single day to account for those, then you’re missing out is what?

[00:31:14] Regan Robertson: It’s absolutely. That’s where the system’s going to fail if you do not invest time structure into that.

[00:31:20] Regan Robertson: Yes. Or a designated person, right? Mm-hmm. That that is part of their job description is every day they will follow up with the patients. You know, again, whatever that internal system looks like, that they’re following up with those patients.

[00:31:33] Regan Robertson: That they’re saying, Hey, you know, it’s been a few days, we haven’t seen you. Um, so those are the pieces that we can start Monday, right? Um, and start to implement. Yeah. What

[00:31:45] Regan Robertson: softwares, uh, or technology have you seen that help automate, uh, re re-engagement?

[00:31:52] Regan Robertson: So any practice communication software, which I would guarantee most practices have this day and age because [00:32:00]texting is,

[00:32:00] Regan Robertson: but are they optimizing it?

[00:32:02] Regan Robertson: You never

[00:32:02] Regan Robertson: know. That’s So that’s what I was gonna say. That’s the question is are you utilizing it? But I would say most practices, um. Have some type of patient communication software, and I would bet that there is some sort of campaign, um, feature or, you know, uh, bulk messaging that you can reach out to those patients.

[00:32:23] Regan Robertson: But again, I would recommend doing not just bulk messaging unless you wanna get caught up on the, like, really past due ones, but every day that you are. Sending that relationship based message, no matter what that looks like to that patient. Um, and just letting them know that you care.

[00:32:42] Regan Robertson: What are some of our common ones that, that practices likely have in, in, uh, action right now and don’t realize that they’re not using it?

[00:32:51] Regan Robertson: Yeah, dental intel engagement is a huge one. You know, if you’re tracking analytics again, they go hand in hand. You have the analytics to say, [00:33:00] Hey, this is how many patients are due, or this is how many patients are active but not scheduled. Um, mango is a big one. Mm-hmm. I know we’ve, um, so there are several out there.

[00:33:13] Regan Robertson: Um, I’m happy you guys, if you have any questions like. Feel free to email me. Um, again, I can help walk you through great systems, what that looks like. Um, how do we utilize that software, you know, things like that. So again, um, I would say teams don’t miss out on this opportunity. Um, again, it’s so crucial to keep those happy patients just help.

[00:33:38] Regan Robertson: Like I said, you know, it’s dentistry’s a relationship and I think we just sometimes miss out on those. Trust, touch points that they go through without that patient experience every time they come in.

[00:33:53] Regan Robertson: Oh, Sarah, I adore you. I adore that you are really passionate about keeping the trust touch points. I know you and I both, it’s a personal passion [00:34:00] of ours to hold that relationship.

[00:34:02] Regan Robertson: Um, listeners, our mission is to help you, one, get the most out of what you’re already doing so you don’t have to waste money and end up. Wondering where all your profit is going, because oftentimes it’s really, we just have to turn around and pay attention to what’s already available to us. And, and I think that that is something as to really seasoned marketing mavens that we both are, uh, we see over and over again, uh, together.

[00:34:26] Regan Robertson: So yeah, email, Sarah’s sa RA. dentist.com and with any questions you have, you probably have a software that you’re not utilizing that can help you with your re-engagement on patients. You probably have areas where your system can be improved that you’re not even aware of and you really should, you really even be aware you should be practicing dentist thing, but in the, in the interim, you know, of life, it’s just one of those areas that when we look at it, man, it’s gonna save us so much money.

[00:34:56] Regan Robertson: Yeah, it’s just about reconnecting with those patients that already trust you,

[00:34:59] Regan Robertson: [00:35:00] that simple. Hey, thanks for joining us on Everyday Practices Dental Podcast. It would mean the world to me if you could leave us a like or a review on iTunes or go to Productive Dentist Academy through Google and leave us a review there.

[00:35:12] Regan Robertson: You know we are here each week to talk about what’s possible when you leave your practice with clarity and courage. If you are ready to build a business that supports your life and not the other way around, investment grade practice coaching, powered by Productive Dentist Academy can help visit investment grade practice.com to schedule your free 60 minute coaching session so you can start designing the practice and lifestyle you’ve been dreaming about all along.