Whenever you have a comprehensive new patient exam scheduled, the front desk should be sure to alert the rest of the staff if any cancellations or postponements from other patients occur around that time that day, or in the days immediately afterward.

Why? Because enthusiasm has a shelf life. Once a person makes the important leap to decide to act on your recommendations, they want things to start happening as soon as possible.

Even in the time between making the decision and making the appointment to begin treatment on the way out, their enthusiasm can start to falter (which is one reason why chairside appointing is a good idea). The interval between making an appointment and a patient's arrival is just more time for them to second-guess their decision.

There is real value in doing a thorough new patient exam and doing everything you can to learn about the patient and share your practice philosophies. In fact, there is great value in it, which is why I recommend every team member do their part to contribute to an outstanding comprehensive new patient visit.

The psychological momentum you create during that visit can be lost quickly if you don't act on it in time. So do everything you can once they have agreed to your plan to let them know that the process has begun. Share how excited you are about their decision. Let them know you are going to start the prep that is necessary for their first visit. Have them make a financial commitment up front and then get them appointed as soon as possible.

Look for opportunities in the schedule the day of that first visit where you might, if possible, be able to fit in a small procedure to get things started. In fact, identifying newly opened blocks of time is a good morning huddle heads-up, whether you have a new patient that day or not.

If you have no choice but to book the new patient's treatment farther out, keep them in mind when you have a cancellation in the following days and give them priority when it comes to having an option to move up their appointment. Remember, you want to give the patient the sense that "this has begun." So the sooner you begin, the better.

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