Clear aligners have taken the dental world by storm because of their convenience, usefulness, and effectiveness. These are snug-fitting clear plastic aligners that are custom designed and made for each patient by 3D printing them from BPA-free clear plastic.
Still, as a dentist, we believe you know all the benefits clear aligners bring for the patient, but you have to find a way to offer these to your patients and raise the patient’s awareness of the usefulness of clear aligners. Here we’ll share essential tips that can get you more clear aligner sales and how these can help your dental practice’s bottom line.
Assume a Sales-y Mindset
The primary thing that can help your dental practice get more clear aligner sales is for the dental team to assume a sales-y mindset. It is essential because the clear aligner service is a relatively new dental service that some people don’t yet trust.
Suppose you are looking to make more clear aligner sales. In that case, you need to become the salesman, but do this smartly – emphasizing the benefits, convenience, and other advantages the clear aligners can bring to your dental patient. Please note that not every patient is a candidate for a clear aligner, so you must ensure you are advertising the clear aligner services to suitable patients.
Ask Questions
You first need to ask questions – your patients will tell you everything you need to know about tailoring your approach. Ask them simple questions: Why do you want straight teeth?; How many lifestyle changes are you prepared to make?; What would you gain by having straight, nice-looking teeth?; etc.
Develop a conversation and devise a treatment plan; based on this, you can hone a proper marketing strategy to drive more patients through your doors.
Emphasize Benefits
Always, and we mean ALWAYS, emphasize the benefits of a treatment and NEVER talk about the features. By letting your patients know the benefits they are getting instead of using specialized words that they don’t understand, they are more likely to opt for the treatment or service you provide. It is an essential strategy you should repeat every time you discuss possible treatment with a patient.
Now that we’ve taken care of the particulars, let’s get down to the good part, our top tips to note that can help you make more clear aligner sales:
1. Encourage Your Dental Team to Promote the Service
Your dental team is vital for the smooth running of your practice, but you can also use them to promote services. Your staff needs to know how to recognize patients’ needs and help them fix any issue. For example, your dental receptionist can ask the patients in the waiting room if they are happy with their smile or would like to improve the look of their teeth. It is a perfect opening, as the patient can learn about the clear aligner option that does not involve wire braces, and once they come in for the consult or sit on the chair, they are intrigued to ask about the clear aligner treatment.
2. Focus on the Patients
The focus should always be on the patient, not on increasing the dental practice’s bottom line. When you focus on the patients, their needs, and desired outcomes, you will be more effective in helping them. It pertains to talking with the patients and not talking to them. No one wants to be talked at, but patients will respond when their desires, pain points, and expected outcome are considered.
3. Use Simple Words when Discussing Benefits
Avoid talking in a language that only other dentists would understand: use a simple language that patients will understand and can relate to. Avoid discussing advanced CAD/CAM modeling or 3D printing, or BPA-free plastic when explaining the clear aligner service. Instead, emphasize benefits like a discreet, removable brace that is a quick way to get straighter teeth and the perfect smile they’ve coveted.
4. Add a Before/After Photo Book with Success Stories & Run Promo Videos
Because many people have not heard about the clear aligner option, you can educate them while they wait at your dental practice. Provide brochures and hang posters in your waiting room emphasizing the main benefits of using clear aligners; focus on why people can choose this treatment over traditional wire braces.
Create a before/after photo album with success stories from past patients, and keep it in the reception area. Create videos that outline the effectiveness and convenience of using clear aligners to get straighter teeth, and run these in your waiting room. These can also include testimonial videos of patients who have used clear aligners and gained the desired result. Waiting patients can learn about the possible treatment, and interested patients will definitely ask you more about getting a clear aligner.
5. Leverage Social Media
As we’ve discussed in a previous post, social media is the most powerful tool a business has at its disposal, and if you are not already using it, start immediately. Post appropriate content across all your dental practice’s social media accounts and promote the benefits of the clear aligner service you provide. When creating social media posts, you need to keep track of and note these things:
- Include the benefits of the clear aligners over traditional wire braces
- Add before/after images of treated patients
- Add patient testimonials
- Use catchy visuals and always include a Call-to-Action button in your posts.
6. Don’t Discuss the Price
It may seem counterintuitive, but you should refrain from discussing or advertising the price of the clear aligner service. If you mention price in your advertisements, you should be prepared to compete on price, as people will always find someone with a more competitive price. Instead, focus on highlighting the value the clear aligner treatment will bring them; for example, tell them it can fix an overbite and help straighten crooked teeth. If you wish to attract them with a free giveaway, then establish a free consultation to discuss whether they are candidates for clear aligners – it is an excellent way to attract new patients to your dental practice.
The Bottom Line: Focus on Target Patients!
It is most likely that your clear aligner target patients would be people between 20 and 40 years, so focus your efforts on attracting them by honing your marketing strategy, and you should see the results almost immediately – more patients making appointments for clear aligner consultations and ultimately more clear aligner sales. Please follow the Great blog, as we constantly add great content to help you grow your dental practice and improve your services with our digital dentistry methods.
