While it is always great to attract new patients to our practice, keeping these patients must also be on the forefront of our mind if we plan to keep a thriving and growing practice. We place a higher importance on our senses than we give them credit. Sight, smell, hearing and touch play a major factor when we think of the overall experience and the impact they have upon our patients at our offices.
We are all aware of the power of first impressions, but have you considered the impression your practice would have on you if you were a new patient walking in for the first time? Those few seconds are often a patient needs to form a lasting opinion.
The first impression is made outside your front door. How is your practice being represented outside the front door? This can help draw new people to your practice, and help your patients find you easily.
Does the office décor look out of date? The new patient may (unfairly) assume that the dentist’s skills and/or technology offered are also not kept current.
Walk around the office with fresh eyes, starting from the front door. Is there any clutter? Are the magazines tidy and dental health related? The waiting room area should be designed in a way that makes your patients feel relaxed and calm – not overly modern, stark or sterile. You want to have comfortable furniture, water, soft lighting. All things that can help to relax your patients
What colour is your office? Choose calm colours that are more natural like soft blues, greens, and earth tones. These can help patients stay calm and relaxed. You want to avoid the use of bright, brilliant colours like reds, oranges and yellows as these colors can increase anxiety and agitation.
Is the business team dressed professionally? Of course, don’t forget that everyone likes to see a smiling, friendly face greeting them and acknowledging their presence. It may be an old saying, but the truth has not faded; “A smile costs nothing, but gives much”
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