I was recently looking at a wide range of Dentists’ Websites.

I was trying to pretend I had a dental problem.

What would I be looking for online?

And which one of the Dentists’ websites would hit the spot and have the answer to my problem?

I was quite disappointed.

At first glance most if not all of the websites did not mention the sort of real dental problems that people face.

I was presented with lots of information, discounts and offers.

I started to get lost on most of the websites looking at a lot of stuff!

Now I was starting to focus on how much it was going to cost me rather than my real dental problem. I found this quite fascinating as Dentists tell me the most difficult callers to convert to appointments are the price callers.

Some websites were all about the dentist and what they can do to help but they didn’t address my real problem or even get me thinking about things.

One website I looked at had a tab named “problems”.

I thought I was getting closer to reading about my problem. If it was on their website they must have seen many other patients with the same dental problem so I was starting to feel I was getting closer to the person that would know all about my problem and be able to fix it.

The menu tab revealed a list of dental problems. One of the tabs read “anxiety and fear of the dentist”.

Did this address the problem I had? Was my real problem that I was afraid of the Dentist?

No.

My real problem was that I wasn’t able to get to the Dentist BECAUSE I was afraid of the Dentist. I was looking for a solution. How could I be less afraid of the Dentist so I could at least make an appointment?

I looked at other problems listed on websites.

If I had a gummy smile the real problem was that I didn’t want to smile and people thought I was cranky and sad all the time and even more embarrassing when people asked me why I didn’t smile.

Periodontal Disease and bad breath. We know they are problems but what is the real problem? The real problem is people will move away from you when you have bad breath and it is probably the reason why you have had trouble getting a job!

If your website addresses what I like to call the “Real Problem” then you will definitely attract people to call your office. Once on the phone the real problem can be discussed and questions asked. The caller now has urgency and concern and trust that they have called the RIGHT Dental Office.

If we can get to the real problem do you think people will move closer to saying yes and going ahead with treatment?

YES!

This got me thinking about how do you represent yourselves on your websites? How does this translate back into your Dental Office when the phone is answered? Are the front office team asking questions to find out the callers real problem?

Not every caller to your Dental Office is going to be able to freely tell you what their problem is. We all know sometimes it is even a challenge to find out which tooth it is. Finding out the real source of their problem will actually help you move the caller closer to making an appointment. The caller will start to believe that finally someone gets me and understands my problem. The caller will now believe that they have called the right office and you will have the solution ready for them.

This blog features simple practical ideas that are easy to implement tomorrow in your Dental Office, impacting immediately on your Patients’ Dental  Phone Experiences, and ultimately, improving your practice profitability.

At present I have availability for two new private clients. For more information on how I can improve your Dental Office’s Phone Numbers contact me, Jayne Bandy at  jayne@theDPE.com