Regardless of the nature of your business, your sales funnel is likely to leak at some point. The key is to find where these leaks are and take proactive steps to close them and ensure leads progress smoothly.
In order to identify weak points in your sales funnel, you must first understand each phase that a potential patient goes through before becoming a loyal patient. Optimizing these stages is the first step in spill-proofing your sales funnel.
Marketing strategy
Successful lead generation starts with an effective, multi-platform marketing strategy that maximizes the number of leads your practice receives. Getting high-quality leads is critical when it comes to expanding your patient base.
Website design
Once a prospect finds you, he or she will visit your practice website to do further research on your services. A user-friendly website that provides useful information will significantly improve the likelihood that a visitor will either fill out a contact form or call your office.
A slow-loading site, irrelevant content, and lack of call-to-action will negatively impact your conversion rates.
What is the main call to action that should be the most visible link on your website? BOOK AN APPOINTMENT! Your prospective patients are looking on your website specifically for this option. Not to request an appointment, not just for kicks and giggles; they want to book an appointment. We live in a world with instant gratification. Making your potential new patients wait to book, or call to book can result in lost leads.
Response time
This is one of the most critical components in converting leads into patients. According to studies, following up with leads within 12 minutes of receiving them increases the likelihood of conversion. However, conversion rates may drop off significantly if the lead is followed up within an hour.
First contact
If your front-desk staff has not been trained on phone etiquette and sales techniques, you could be losing many leads each day. Sales are difficult to master, and most front-desk staff does not have the skills to promote your practice. However, taking the time to train your staff to successfully close leads will increase the number of new patients you see each month.
Lead nurturing
According to studies, for every nine leads that your practice receives, only one will schedule an appointment. Following up on leads that have yet to convert is critical to growing your practice. Staying in touch with leads through newsletters and emails keeps you fresh in their minds so that when they need to schedule an appointment, they know whom to call.
The consultation
From interaction with your staff to wait times, the patient’s experience at your practice determines whether they become a regular patient or not. Often, patients form an opinion about your practice even before entering the exam room. Your staff is an extension of your reputation. It is important your office conveys a sense of friendliness and professionalism.
Follow-up
Just because a prospect does not schedule an appointment does not mean you should hang up your hat. According to experts, practices that followed up at least three times with leads had a 36 percent higher conversion rate than practices that followed up just once. Your staff should be persistent in a way that displays a genuine interest in prospects’ wellness and healthcare. Without persistent follow-up, your conversion rates will continue to remain flat.
Once a prospect becomes a patient, your efforts should shift to staying engaged, delivering value and keeping the patient satisfied. A happy patient is much more likely to spread the good word about your services and send referrals your way. Loyal patients are more likely to write positive online reviews for your practice. A good online reputation translates into more qualified leads and a better conversion rate.
The main goal: Increasing the conversion rate.
The three key goals of any successful practice are maintaining a high conversion rate, growing the patient base, and retaining current patients. If you are promoting your practice, every time your phone rings, you have paid for that ring. However, when that phone finally rings and you ask the patient to hold, or your website doesn’t make it convenient for them to book an appointment, you may lose a potential new patient and all their future referrals.
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