Podcasts about ekwa

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss a powerful but often overlooked concept: discretionary spending and how your dental practice can benefit from it. Americans spend over $6 trillion every year on things they want, not just things they need. That includes healthcare decisions, like cosmetic dentistry, implants, and other elective treatments. Gary breaks down how understanding this mindset can help you better position your services, attract fee-for-service patients, and break free from insurance limitations. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Have you ever wondered how many people actually take full advantage of their dental insurance? You might be surprised! In this episode, Gary and Naren dive into a shocking stat: only 2.8% of patients use their full yearly dental benefits. That means nearly everyone else is missing out on the coverage they've paid for. So why does this happen? Is it because people forget, or is dental insurance just too hard to navigate? Gary and Naren break it all down, exploring how dental insurance hasn't kept up with rising costs and why many patients don't value their benefits. They also offer practical tips for practice owners and staff to help patients make the most of their insurance, ensuring they get the care they need. Tune in to understand why only a small percentage use their full benefits and what you can do to change that. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Ready to market smarter in 2025? In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah reveal the four essential marketing pillars your practice needs to grow without relying on PPO plans. Learn how to master organic SEO, build trust through Google reviews, improve call conversions, and optimize landing pages while attracting the right patients and boosting profitability.  Listen now and unlock your 2025 marketing strategy!     Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Can PPOs legally set fees for services they don't even cover? In this episode, Gary and Naren break down the latest state-by-state legislation and what dentists need to know to protect their revenue. You'll learn how to identify non-covered services, adjust your fees legally, and avoid letting outdated contract terms limit your income. Tune in to discover where your state stands—and what steps you can take today. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Running a dental practice comes with a lot of moving parts. From managing patients to keeping up with paperwork, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But what if your software could make things easier? In this episode, we're joined by Dana Johnson, a dental software expert who shares how to use systems and technology to build a smoother, more profitable practice. If you're tired of feeling stuck in old systems… or just want to work smarter, not harder… you'll love the practical tips Dana shares in this episode. From training ideas to tech tools, this is your guide to creating a simpler, stronger dental practice — one that's built to grow, with or without insurance. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Do you feel tired, burned out, or stuck in your dental practice? In this episode, co-host Michael Walker talks with Laura Brenner, a former dentist who knows how that feels. Laura shares her story of working in a busy, insurance-driven practice, where she felt overwhelmed and disconnected from her purpose. She explains how stepping away from insurance-heavy systems helped her find more balance, build better relationships, and enjoy work again. You'll hear helpful ideas on setting boundaries, finding real success, and creating a dental practice that supports both your health and your happiness. If you've ever thought, “There has to be a better way,” this episode will help you take your first step toward a better future. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Feeling tired, stressed, or overwhelmed in your dental practice? You're not alone. In this episode, co-host Michael Walker talks with Kari Carter-Cherelus—a dental hygienist, speaker, and author who has walked that same path and now helps others find a better way forward. Kari shares her personal story of burnout, what caused it, and how she turned things around. She opens up about the real pressures dental professionals face—tight schedules, insurance frustrations, lack of appreciation, and feeling like there's never enough time for life outside of work. You'll learn how reducing insurance dependence can help create more balance, better patient care, and a happier, healthier team. Kari also shares simple, real-life strategies to manage stress, improve office culture, and support one another. If you're ready to feel more in control of your time, your practice, and your well-being—this episode is full of helpful tips and inspiring insight you won't want to miss. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/   

In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, hosts Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah break down the essential steps to developing a customized blueprint for success in your dental practice. Many dentists feel trapped by PPOs, working harder each year while losing a significant portion of their revenue to insurance write-offs. But the good news? There's a way out. Gary and Naren share a step-by-step approach to help you reverse engineer your success, transition away from PPOs, and build a thriving, profitable practice that provides personal, professional, and financial satisfaction. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

Many dentists feel stuck in PPO plans, especially in small towns where every other practice is in-network. They worry that going fee-for-service isn't possible in their area. But what if that belief is holding them back? In this episode, Gary and Naren share the story of a dentist who thought exactly that—until he saw things differently. Instead of seeing his town as a challenge, he realized being the only fee-for-service practice could actually be an advantage. Patients are looking for quality care, and many are willing to pay for it—if they know where to go. Gary breaks down the mindset shift needed to leave PPOs successfully, no matter where your practice is located. He also shares practical steps, including how to market your practice, attract the right patients, and build strong relationships that keep them coming back.   Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, co-hosts Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss what it truly means to achieve financial independence through your dental practice. They break down the steps to financial freedom, including how to grow revenue with high-quality new patients, why PPO write-offs limit your wealth, and smart financial strategies like pension plans and investments. Gary and Naren also highlight eye-opening statistics from the American Dental Association (ADA) about how few dentists can retire without lowering their lifestyle—and how you can ensure you're on the right track. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/   

When a practice drops a PPO plan, patients don't always react the way you'd expect. It's not the cost of a crown or an implant that surprises them—it's their hygiene visit. For years, they've believed their cleanings were “free,” but once you're out of network, that changes. In this episode, Gary and Naren dive into why hygiene visit fees create the biggest pushback, how insurance companies handle co-pays differently, and what you can do to keep patients from leaving. You'll hear real-world examples, simple communication strategies, and ways to prevent surprises for your patients. Navigating this transition doesn't have to be difficult. By preparing in advance and understanding what matters most to patients, you can avoid common pitfalls and ensure a smoother shift to fee-for-service. If you're thinking about resigning from PPOs, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how to keep your practice thriving while reducing insurance dependence—without losing valuable patients.   Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you!  https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/ 

In this episode of The Stress-Free Dentist Podcast, Dr. Eric Block welcomes back Naren Arulrajah, CEO of Ekwa Marketing, to discuss a crucial topic—keeping your new patient schedule consistently full. They dive into the pitfalls of relying on PPO plans, the power of SEO, and strategies to attract high-value patients without heavy discounts. Naren shares insights on maximizing online visibility, leveraging Google reviews, and optimizing phone call conversions to ensure more patients book appointments. Dr. Block also shares his journey of going fully fee-for-service and how it transformed his practice. If you're looking to boost new patient growth and improve profitability, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways. Plus, learn how to get a complimentary marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa to supercharge your practice.

Going out of network with insurance is a big decision for any dental practice, but timing is crucial. In this episode of The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah break down the key mistakes practice owners make when transitioning away from PPO plans. They outline four critical factors to evaluate before making the move, including the strength of patient relationships, the effectiveness of marketing strategies, and scheduling demand. If your practice isn't prepared, dropping PPOs at the wrong time can lead to revenue loss, empty schedules, and unnecessary stress. But with the right approach, you can successfully transition while maintaining financial stability. This episode is essential for practice owners who want to take control of their profitability without risking their patient base. Tune in to learn practical steps to ensure your practice is truly ready to go out of network.   Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

Are you tired of PPOs cutting into your hard-earned revenue? Many dentists feel stuck relying on insurance companies for patients—while sacrificing profits. But what if you could take control and bring in patients on your own? In this episode, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss the 5 key areas of a marketing audit that can help determine whether your practice is ready to reduce PPO dependence. You'll learn how to check your Google rankings, online consistency (NAP score), website performance (Lighthouse score), credibility (E-E-A-T), and review growth (Google Review Velocity). By understanding these essential marketing factors, you can replace insurance-driven patients with high-quality ones who value your care—all while lowering marketing costs. If you've ever wondered, “Is my practice ready to go out of network?” this episode gives you the answers. Tune in now and take the first step toward insurance freedom! Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, co-hosts Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss "Three Tips to Significantly Increase Your Conversion Rate." They define conversion rate as the percentage of new patient calls resulting in booked appointments, sharing benchmarks, and grading scales for assessment. Highlighting the importance of tracking and training, they stress the need for recording and reviewing calls to identify improvement areas.  Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode, Naren and Gary explore the insurance company business model and its impact on dental practices and the broader public, highlighting recent events, including systemic issues like AI-driven claim denials, that have placed the insurance industry under scrutiny. They emphasize how these practices reveal insurers' priority to collect premiums while minimizing claims payouts, often at the expense of policyholders. They will also share how this trend affects dental insurance and advocate for educating patients on the limitations of their plans while positioning practices as genuinely caring about their patients' health. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

This episode of "The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast" explores how staying in-network with PPO insurance can significantly impact a dental practice's profitability and overall net worth. Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss the hidden costs of insurance adjustments, which can amount to 45-50% of collections, reducing practice profitability and valuation. They illustrate this with real examples, emphasizing how becoming out-of-network can dramatically increase a practice's profitability, making it more desirable and valuable in the market. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

This episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast highlights the importance of proactive marketing when transitioning away from PPO plans. Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss three key strategies: setting bold goals for collections and new patient numbers, implementing a comprehensive marketing plan, and targeting the resignation of at least one PPO plan in 2025. They emphasize the risks of neglecting marketing, likening it to unused muscles that atrophy, sharing real examples of practices successfully leveraging organic SEO for consistent patient growth, and urging listeners to plan to avoid disruptions and achieve sustainable success. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

This episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast addresses the growing impact of AI-driven auto-denial insurance claims and how dental practices can adapt. Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss how insurance companies use AI to increase profits by automating claim denials, making it challenging for dental practices to receive payments. They highlight the financial imbalance in the dental insurance model, where only insurance companies benefit, and urge dentists to reduce their dependence on PPO plans, as reform is unlikely. They also emphasize focusing on what practices can be controlled to achieve financial and operational stability. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  

Ever wondered how the journey of reducing insurance dependence began? In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah share the inspiring story behind the podcast's creation seven years ago. They discuss how a niche focus on helping dentists successfully resign from PPO plans has empowered over 400 practices nationwide. From the pitfalls of DIY strategies to the transformational impact of personalized coaching, this episode highlights steps to make 2025 your most profitable year yet. Tune in for more on building a thriving, fee-for-service practice and putting insurance dependence in the rearview mirror! Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/  

In this episode of The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, co-hosts Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss the growing trend of dental insurance claim denials. They explore how insurance companies are increasing claim rejections, requesting excessive documentation, and leveraging policies like wait periods to reduce benefits utilization. They emphasize that these practices prioritize profits over patient care, creating challenges for dentists and patients alike. Gary and Naren encourage dentists to reduce their reliance on Insurance, highlighting the benefits of resigning from PPO plans and attracting patients without Insurance, stressing the importance of building strong patient relationships to sustain a thriving, independent dental practice. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode of The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss whether dental insurance will undergo significant changes in 2025. Gary highlights the historical context and entrenched profit-driven practices of insurance companies and explains why a major overhaul is unlikely. However, minor legislative improvements, such as prohibiting insurers from setting fees on uncovered services, might occur. Book a free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa and discover how we can help you leverage reviews to attract more patients! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

Find out the impact of Google Reviews on reducing PPO dependence through this episode of The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, where Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah share how modern consumer behavior is reshaping dental marketing. They explore why fewer patients rely on insurance company websites and instead turn to Google to find top-rated dental practices. Learn how having numerous positive reviews influences patient decisions and enhances your online presence, which is a mindset shift for dentists, focusing on Google strategies rather than PPO participation.   Book a free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa and discover how we can help you leverage reviews to attract more patients! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah talk about one of the most common questions dental practices face from potential new patients: "Do you take my insurance?" They emphasize the importance of proper call training to address this question effectively and convert inquiries into appointments. Gary shares a case study of a practice that improved its call conversion rate from 25% to 75% through focused training, highlighting the impact on new patient numbers without increasing marketing costs. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

This episode of The Less Insurance Dependence Podcast focuses on "Recession Proofing Your Dental Practice." Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah share straightforward tips to help dental practices thrive during challenging economic times. They emphasize building patient trust, creating a relationship-driven environment, and providing unique reasons for patients to choose your practice, such as state-of-the-art technology and a focus on prevention. The episode also highlights the pitfalls of relying heavily on dental insurance networks and encourages practices to attract patients who value quality care. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode, Gary and Naren dive into strategies for "Recession Proofing Your Dental Practice." They explore the reality that dental practices are often viewed as expendable by insurance companies, leading to unfair reimbursement rates and restrictive policies. Gary shares insights from working with over 400 practices that have successfully transitioned away from PPO plans, emphasizing the power dentists have when they choose to operate independently of insurance constraints. This discussion offers a blueprint for building a thriving, resilient dental practice that prioritizes fair treatment for patients and providers, regardless of economic downturns or industry pressures. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

Ever wondered how to Improve Your Practice Without Completely Committing To Fee-for-Service? Gary and Naren take on a discussion throughout this episode about ways to improve a dental practice without fully committing to a fee-for-service model. They address the benefits of gradually reducing participation in PPO plans, allowing practices to increase profitability while maintaining flexibility. Gary shares a compelling case study of a dental practice that successfully transitioned out of PPO networks, increasing collections and reducing overhead. Tune in and get inspired to make small, impactful changes that could transform your practice's future. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the answer to this episode title question, share the most powerful tool that will allow you to attract the right associate, and how to avoid potential problems you will have to deal with by hiring the wrong associate dentist.    Did you know that the #1 reason why associateships fail is that the practice is not busy enough to support the senior doctor and the associate? You can be proactive and solve this through marketing!  If you want to learn how to Master marketing in 2022 and beyond, schedule a Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/ 

Managing people is one of the most challenging things for a business owner. In this week's edition, Jeff invites Naren Arulrajah to share some of the management principles that helped him build EKWA into the thriving business that it is today. 

In this episode, Gary shares 4 particular tips that a practice owner in any state of his career can use to improve case acceptance. Shownotes - Schedule a Free Meeting with EKWA -

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the most important talking point you should use when talking to your patients about dropping plans. Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the important lessons learned from Dr. Dan Alleman's Denver CO Study Club Presentation. Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNowSchedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss how you can leverage the moment with your patient to build connections by applying Dr. Robert Cialdini's 6 principles of influence. Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss how being part of PPO plans impacts your ability to help the charity of your choice!  Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss how the tide is shifting in hiring quality team members for your practice. Gary sends a hopeful message to dentists who are taking down their ads! Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the importance of building connections with your patients and provide tips for successfully building a rapport with them! Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss how to successfully convert potential new patient calls into scheduled new appointments and 5 phrases that could help you achieve it!   Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren address how elevating the relationship-driven element of your practice eliminates your patient's subconsciously developed fight-and-flight response! Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/LID-MasterClass-RegisterNow Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-ScheduleMSM

In this episode, Gary and Naren address how the PPO environment constrains dentists from living their dreams and provides advice on how to resolve it! Register for Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/MasterclassRegistration-LID Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-MSM-BookMeeting

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss how to mitigate “FEAR,” the number one reason which makes dentists unsure about leaving the PPO network. Register for the 9-Hour CE MBA Workshop: https://bit.ly/RegisterMBA-LID Register for the Gary's Masterclass: https://bit.ly/RegisterMasterClass-LID Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/MSMScheduler-LID

In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the importance of your patient's impressions about your practice and how an Office Tour helps achieve this! Register for the 9-Hour CE MBA Workshop: https://bit.ly/MBA-March-LID Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-MSM-EKWA

One of the hide-and-seek games Insurance companies play with the dentists is that they don't tell the dentists the maximum fees they can schedule. So how would you know if your fees are set below the maximum allowed level?   In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss the answer to the question Can I Raise My Fees on PPO Plans? and the resources which can help you with this! Register for the 9-Hour CE MBA Workshop: https://bit.ly/LIDEpisode178-MBA Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LIDEpisode178-MSM

Do you have questions about dropping PPO Plans? If the answer is yes, this is a must-listen episode as Gary answers the most common questions dentists have about dropping PPO plans!   Register for the 9-Hour CE MBA Workshop: https://bit.ly/TD-MBA-MARCH Learn more about Gary's Practice Coaching Program: https://bit.ly/CoachingProgram-LID Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/LID-MSM

We are now experiencing an unbelievably high inflation cycle. It has not been this high for the last 39 years! So with this cycle, as a dentist, do you think it's a good idea to raise your fees or not? In this episode, Gary and Naren discuss inflation and whether you should raise your fees. Give it a listen to find out the answer! 3-Hour CE Masterclass to reduce your overhead to 60% or less: https://bit.ly/3Jk3PdB Learn more about Gary's Practice Coaching Program:  https://bit.ly/3gBLjAR  Schedule Free Marketing Strategy Meeting with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/3uCNtZb 

Is your dental practice scope right? Gary and Naren shine a new light on the right scope of the dental practice and ways for you to determine a suitable one. Remember, the scope of your practice is not static, and it can change over time. Listen to learn more! Register for the upcoming Masterclass: https://bit.ly/3zaLMCz  Get Digital Marketing Support from EKWA: https://bit.ly/32qyA0I 

There are 6 principles of persuasion, and if you use them effectively, you create ‘moments' in your dental practice. During these moments, patients are three times more likely to say yes to whatever you are attempting to persuade them with. Listen to this insightful episode as Gary and Naren explain how to leverage the moment to grow your ideal practice! Persuade your patients with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/3BPYQOE

Do you ever wonder about how to remain insurance-friendly in the process of going out of network? This is a great way to keep an ideal percentage of your existing in-network patients as well. In this episode, Gary shares the End of the Year Insurance Letter which will help you create a win-win situation for yourself and your patients! Register for the 2.5 Million Dollar Masterclass: https://bit.ly/3nsLWQ7  Lower Your Marketing expense with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/3BPYQOE  Practice Coaching with Gary Takacs: https://bit.ly/3bfp6Xd 

We all know that the practice overhead cost has increased after the pandemic due to increased PPE cost. As a result, practice profitability and the ability to cover the overhead cost have become lower. With this reality, insurance companies have now started lowering their contracted fees as predicted. Listen to this episode to find out how they did it and what you can do about it! Register for the 2.5 Million Dollar Masterclass: https://bit.ly/3nsLWQ7  Lower Your Marketing expense with Ekwa: https://bit.ly/3BPYQOE  Join the RIDA Summit: https://bit.ly/2WkO8zF  Practice Coaching with Gary Takacs: https://bit.ly/3bfp6Xd 

To become a PPO-free practice, it's essential to maximize your marketing so that you can proactively replace any patients you may lose. The goal is to keep as many existing in-network patients as we can. Most dentists have no idea about how their marketing partner doesn't utilize marketing to increase loyal patients. And this leads to the biggest mistake on your dental website. As marketing becomes very important before and when you go out-of-network, Gary discusses the biggest mistake that could happen on your dental website. And then, he will explain how to AVOID it in this episode! 00:01:06 > Intro to today’s topic 00:05:08 > The biggest mistake! 00:05:52 > You don’t show up 00:09:46 > How to correct it 00:14:38 > Routine-checks of website uniqueness Resources SCHEDULE YOUR FREE MARKETING STRATEGY MEETING FIND OUT YOUR INSURANCE ADJUSTMENTS LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING Transcript Gary: Welcome to another episode of the less insurance dependence podcast. I'm Gary Takacs, your podcast co-host, along with my great friend Naren. Hey Naren, how are you? Naren: I'm fine. Thank you, Gary. Today's topic is going to be a fun topic.  Gary: Yeah, we've got a great topic. You might have noticed a title, but if you haven't let me give it to you right now, it's the biggest mistake on your website. Now, how's that for a provocative title? But it's something that's very, very important. It's something I've noticed now with some of our new clients. As we look at what they're doing in terms of marketing, we kind of scrub their marketing to determine what's working, what isn't working, and how we can refine it, and the reason why that is so important and in the context of this podcast why it's so important is that when you go out of network which is why you're listening to this podcast when you successfully go out of network, it's very important to maximize your marketing so that you can replace any patients you might lose when you go out of network and let's be candid you are going to lose some patience when you go out of network. Naren, that's a blunt statement, but it's the truth agreed?  Naren: hundred percent agreed absolutely Gary: we've never seen it. We've never seen a situation where a practice didn't lose some patients, and sadly, it's the ones that the only reason they're in practice is that you take their insurance. So, you're going to shake those out. Now the goal is to minimize the loss of patients and lose as few as we can. We want to put it put another way put the positive way, we want to keep as many of your existing in-network patients as we possibly can, and the goal, let's put it right out there the goal is to keep 85 to 90 percent of your existing in-network patients when you go out of network, but you're going to lose some, and so marketing becomes even more important than it ever was because we want to replace those proactively before you go out of network and one more thing is that when you go out of network for many practices, they will lose what their biggest source of patients in the past the PPO plan was  Naren: Right Gary: that was your it was your biggest source of patience, but also you were paying dearly for it. You were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year because, remember that key point, I want you to think of your discount the write-offs that you're required to take by the PPO plan. I want you to think of those write-offs as a marketing expense, you know, and the write-offs are the difference between your usual fee and your contracted fee and that difference today is typically 42 to 44 percent. So, you're paying 42 to 44 percent of your revenue for marketing, and I want you to think of it that way because you're basically paying the insurance company to provide you patients, and I think when you look at it that way, all of a sudden the light bulb will go off and it's like oh my goodness, I could spend a small fraction of that and get the added benefit of attracting people who choose me for reasons other than I'm on their insurance. So, the second reason why it's so important to be proactive about this is as soon as you resign from delta MetLife traveler's blue cross blue shield as soon as you resign is this it's as if a giant hand reaches out to the picket on your hose and turns the hose off. Naren: yes Gary: and what I mean by that is they turn the previous flow of new patients, so there let's get very specific about it let's say MetLife has been providing a practice of five new patients a month historically.  Naren: yeah Gary: and we've got to replace not only the ones that we're going to lose but the five new patients a month that will now no longer be coming to us because we're no longer listed as a provider on those plans, so marketing if the marketing was important in the past it becomes even more important in the future for the reasons we just outlined, and we've noticed as we evaluate all the marketing that they've done in the past and we scrub it, the biggest mistake that the dentists make in terms of their website is that it does not have unique content, it doesn't have unique content. Google penalizes. It's like you go in the penalty box. You know we're in hockey season right now, Naren, kind of hockey season, and you're keen on hockey being up there in Canada, and what happens when you get to put what happens when a player gets put in the penalty box? Naren: I don't think they're happy, you know Gary: it's not good Naren: it's not good exactly, yeah Gary: and so, Google puts your website in the penalty box when you have duplicate content Naren: yeah, it's like one of the no-nos. It's like there are certain things they encourage you to do, and the certain things if you do it, you go on into what I call the virtual jail, the google jail.  Gary: Yeah Naren: so once you're in the google jail doesn't matter how else you how hard you try, how hard you work, you're not going to be shown you know being seen Gary: you're not going to show up in a search when someone's searching for a dentist in your community if you're in google jail  Naren: just to put things in perspective Gary: the sad part Naren most dentists have no idea that their website has duplicate content, and now if you think what, what do you mean most dentists have no idea because they didn't write their website a marketing company wrote their website, and maybe they said and doctor we will give you an exclusive in your area your zip code, we won't sign up any other dentist in your zip code or your area maybe you know however they do it. So now you think I'm good, but in fact, that website that you have is all over the internet in hundreds of other dental offices websites, and now you're all getting penalized because you have duplicate content.  Naren: yeah, a couple of other points I want to make is you said this Gary I think your friend Howard used to say you know-in those days you know put up your dental office you know in a mall or where there's a lot of foot traffic right a lot of traffic  Gary: And you know downtown founder was very strongly convicted that when you're looking for where to put your dental office, you want to put it on a busy street that has tens of thousands of cars driving by every day so they could see your sign. That was something, and Howard even said make sure that you've signed that you have in your dental office for your dental office make sure it's lit at night, so when people are driving by, you're not open or anything, but when they drive by, they can see your sign now that was I by the way I never fully subscribed to that approach you know that concept, but that was something that Howard taught for many years go ahead and take it from there Naren. Naren: yeah, so today it's different, right? For example, we were looking at your latest report from February. You were seen around 97 000 times, and it was for around 490 different keywords. So think of it like this, 97 000 people who are looking for a dentist and they're not looking for dentist phoenix, but they're looking for veneers you know zipcode vineyard street name best you know sedation dentist in town you know all kinds of keywords and in your case a total of 3 000 and out of that 485 you're doing extremely well in meaning you're showing up on the first ten results of google for 485 of those search terms. Now it's like 485 search terms are like 485 roads that are driving people to you and total traffic.  Gary: Traffic analogy, traffic now traffic is still important  Naren: yeah  Gary: but it's not traffic in vehicles driving by your office looking at your sign. It's internet traffic  Naren: Right Gary: visiting your website, so the traffic analogy is as important as ever, but it's not in the way we've always thought of traffic as you know cars driving by your office; however, it's people virtually driving by your website and stopping and so traffic's very, very, important but you know you're not going to get that traffic if you have duplicate content because you're not going to be ranked people aren't going to see you. It's literally like being listed in a, you know, build it's like in the old days building your office on a backwater road that nobody knows where it is  Naren: right  Gary: nobody's ever going to see it, so let's talk about how to how to correct it. The best way to correct it is to do what I did, which is to turn it over to the pros and by that I mean we use EKWA and one of them we use your agency Naren, in my life smiles dental practice and one of the very first things you did for us, and it's ongoing you've done it ever since is you create a unique custom website with completely custom content and that took initially- it was your initial project with us when we started four and a half years ago and every month that website gets enhanced gets added to adds new pages adds new elements adds new keywords key phrases new coding that goes along with it. So I would recommend that you jump on my shoulders and do what I did and turn it over to the pros. The other alternative is literally- for you to write your own website. Now the flaw with that is you might end up writing a decent website that's customized, but in fact, it'll probably lack unless you have coding experience computer coding experience, it will lack all the coding and the behind the curtain elements of your website that are as important to Google as anything else. Naren: yeah, so even when it comes to content- right, google will give you guidelines on how that page should be written. It's not just about, you know, original content but it's how many words and how things should be structured you know, for example, we don't want to get into too many details because we don't want to, you know, kind of confuse people but even like inserting your bio a certain way like Gary said the coding part if it's not done correctly you know it's useless I mean google won't give you all the credit you deserve because google doesn't see it the way it should see it so absolutely Gary it was a lot of science today maybe five-ten years ago it was more of an art, but, now it's very specific and very you know driven by google pretty much.  Gary: and let's look at the cost-efficiency of that Naren if you don't mind me sharing your fees, okay if I do that  Naren: absolutely, Gary. Gary: I love your fee structure it's a all-inclusive flat monthly fee no surprises it's twelve hundred dollars a month and that includes many, many, many, things but one of those things is to create a custom website that's continually enhanced so doctors even if you could do this I'd question whether it's a good use of your time wouldn't it be better to be chairside providing treatment uh generating much more than twelve hundred dollars a month than spending all that time you know working on your website you can certainly work with EKWA as we did Paul and Tim and I contributed parts of our of our content of our website but that was very manageable very easy and it was we had fun doing it because it wasn't something that was burdensome you know for us to do it but that's what I would recommend you do and Naren if you'd be kind enough to offer the marketing strategy meeting we could put a link in this show where any of our listeners you normally charge for that marketing strategy meeting 900 fee but let's waive that fee and they can meet with Lila stone your director of marketing and during that meeting Lila will spend about six hours in prep time looking at every aspect of your website what's working what isn't working pull some behind the scenes statistics on your website show that all with you some google analytics that you likely aren't aware of show you those things show you what you're doing well what you can do to improve and where the opportunity is to radically improve your digital marketing. That will be in in in less insurance dependence dot com. If you scroll down in the show notes, there'll be a link. Click that link and schedule that meeting with light. It'll be time very well spent.  Naren: absolutely, thank you so much, Gary yeah, and  Gary mentioned what we do in addition to building the custom site and adding content we also take care of NAP, Google lighthouse, Google EAT a lot of things to do with Doctor Robert Cialdini his influence principles how to apply it so not only do people find you know through the google highway so to speak, but also we can influence them, so they decide to call you and then, of course, track everything leads phone calls, so you know what's happening are things are getting better they're not getting better why and that ongoing process of making things you know better tomorrow than they were yesterday or last week or last month. Gary: now let's talk about a little dark topic that we need to talk about because it's reality sadly there's a lot of mischiefs that goes on the internet, and it's entirely possible that someone could discover your website and start cut and pasting and putting into their website  Naren: 100 Percent Gary: that that happens. I mean, I'd love to tell you that Naren:  all the time Gary: that never happens  Naren: all the time  Gary: All the time. So, I know one of the things you do for us is on a regular basis, you review the website to make sure it's not being duplicated somewhere else. Can you talk a little bit about that? Naren: absolutely, so we have a process, so we have a process on when our people write the content as well as when we maintain the website. So, for example, when we write new content, everything is put through a tool called Copyscape that checks if any part of that article that's getting published is copied from any other website. So even a sentence being copied will flag it. So we make sure that nothing we ever post has any copy. Of course, we make sure that it meets all of Google's guidelines. The second thing like Gary said is what we have noticed over the years is when a website is ranking as well like carries are you know, which usually happens after a while, if you do things properly the way google wants it, people will start copying it they're like oh he keeps showing up all the time let me just copy-paste the information and I'll show up to I mean you know people sometimes don't think that Google has pretty smart people working for it so they think they can fool google but of course google catches it when it catches it sometimes the problem is google does google kind of punishes both parties you know they don't just punish the one who sometimes copied the good guy gets punished too I mean they don't do it on purpose, but it happens so to avoid it what we do is we constantly keep looking at your content that we published-originally which we know was original content again like every few months or so to make sure that nobody else is copied. When they copy, we don't argue with them. It's just not worth our time. We will just go and rewrite that section or rewrite that page. So, it's a constant process. Gary is absolutely right. It's not just about because I know we had had conversations with clients they're like no, no, no, I wrote it how come somebody else has the same information because you did such a good job somebody just stole it from you know it's unfortunately you know.  Gary: you're also proactive, Naren, in that the website is completely dynamic  Naren: Yes Gary: you're adding pages-new pages of information on a regular basis. I could be mistaken on this narrative, so I'm going to ask you for accuracy on this, but I believe that we now have over a hundred website pages on my website is that absolutely so the website is a breathing living that's the way we look at it organism it just keeps getting better and better and the reason we do that is we want to target more and more search terms so instead of only 10 000 people seeing Gary's practice now it's 97 000. So the more content we add the more keywords we can target and therefore more traffic we can attract yeah that dynamic nature is one of the elements that's part of the google ranking algorithm you know if you have a static website meaning it doesn't change that will drop literally like a rock in in ranking on google because they have a high value they place a high value on dynamic websites those that are changing and adding new information and more relevant google sees it as more relevant because you're staying up with things one again let's tie this back to the context of this podcast marketing becomes more important when you when you go out of network because you're literally when you resign you're going to turn the spigot off of any new patients coming from metlife or delta or blue cross blue shield travels or whatever the PPO is so you've got to replace that flow and then you have to replace the patients that you're going to lose when you go out of network and if you do those ahead of time you're operating from a total position of strength you're prepared you're ready you've already replaced those and you just keep ploughing forward and it's why this is so important which is why we wanted to do this podcast episode on that to draw your attention to it and to put this very important topic on your radar screen because I don't think many dentists have naturally thought about whether their content is unique or not and now it is critical that you start to identify that and you take action so that your website provides unique content so that you can perform well when it relates to google it's all about google you know as I say when I'm when I'm speaking you know what's the number one search engine in the world google what's number two who cares and it literally is who cares because of the dominance of google and it's very important that your website perform well in in the eyes of google. Naren, thank you for contributing your expertise to this, and thanks for all your team does to keep my website unique and custom and reflecting our practice, and always improving in the eyes of Google, which is a very important criterion for us. Hey guys, thank you for joining us on the less insurance dependence podcast. We sure appreciate each and every one of you. If you haven't done so already, I have a request for you to go on iTunes, and if you haven't done this, already go on iTunes and write us a review. A review will help more dentists find the less insurance dependence podcast; for now, thank you for the privilege of your time, and we look forward to bringing you the next less insurance dependence podcast.

Many dentists experience the problem of new patients not showing up. There could be many reasons why your new patients are not showing up for their appointments. However, this problem at your practice results from several common areas. Gary Takacs will dive in and turn three common problem-areas into three tips that will help dentists improve the process of getting new patients. By listening to this episode, you can transform your practice into a practice that attracts all the new patients with kept appointments! 00:01:05 > Intro to today’s topic 00:01:15 > Announcement  00:03:20 > Common problems 00:04:12 > 3 tips to solve the problem Resources REGISTER TO THE MBA WORKSHOP NOW! LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING SCHEDULE YOUR FREE MARKETING STRATEGY MEETING Transcript N: Hello everyone, welcome to another amazing episode of the less insurance dependence podcast show. This is Naren, your cohost. Today's topic is going to be a viral topic; many of you have written to us asking this very same question – the question is Help! My New Patients Aren't Showing Up!. Help! My New Patients Aren't Showing Up! Before we jump into this topic, I have a quick announcement, the three-part thriving dentist MBA workshop is happening on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of April, it is three evenings 7 – 10 pm eastern, 9 hours of CE, Garry goes through the ten elements and the 24 systems, this is one of our best-seller courses, so if you have not taken it, I strongly recommend that you take it we probably have a couple of more seats left to go to thriving dentist.com/MBA and sign up we will include a link. Gary, let's talk about Help! My New Patients Aren't Showing Up! G: Naren, we have been deluged with that question by dentists all over the country, so I have two opening comments, doctor. If you saw that title and you are thinking, gosh, I need to listen to this one, know that you have got company. There are other dentists that are expecting this challenge, and that is my first comment – you are not alone if this is your challenge  and the comment I have is – here is the great news, there are some solutions at hand that is going to help you solve this – so stay tuned you are going to hear those solutions, and you know as we dive into the topic here one of the things I want to say, this can be a multi-faceted challenge there could be many reasons that contribute to new patients, not showing up, it is kind of like imagine this Naren, imagine you take your car into the mechanic, and you say my car is not working fix it, and what is the mechanic going to say at that point? Well, I need more information – what is it that is not working in our car? Is it the transmission; is it the motor? Is it electric? What is it I can help? What is it? So I really like to get more information before giving specific information you know specific solutions about new patients not showing up but we have been doing this long enough to know that the problems fall into a number of different common areas, on why new patients don't show up and so we are going to use our accumulated knowledge to share with you where those common speed bumps are so you can solve those in your practice and this becomes a solution in your rear view mirror instead of something that you consider to experience In your day to day, you know there is nothing more frustrating, our marketing worked, we got the patient to call they made an appointment it is like we are almost there and yet they didn't show up o let me go through the I will clarify the problem and then we will present the solution, and I am going to cover three tips to help more patients show up for a kept – we call it a kept new patient appointment because it means they kept it that they showed up – so here is what I believe and here is maybe the motivation for you, I believe if we can get the patient through your front door for that first appointment, they are never going to want to go anywhere else, and I hope that is true in your practice – ask yourself that question – that if anew patient comes in they will never want to go anywhere else for their dental care, I truly feel that from every ounce of my dna for my life smiles practice, that if patients come through the front door, they are never going to want to go anywhere else for their care – so kind of do a status check on that and make sure we are presenting the behaviors that we want to present when we want to encourage people that have found a practice for life, so let's over those tips along with a solution for each and every one of them. N: I was going to say, Gary, it is so basic and so science-based everything you are going to share; I think if people apply it, they will see a significant improvement; the key is understanding the science and applying it correctly G: Now, how do we know that? We know that because we have literally the data points on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of practices where we can say look what happened to look at what we have improved. The conversion percentage – the number of calls that convert to an appointment, and then we track the number of kept appointments – is it a kept appointment? It is almost like when I ask doctors what the most important metric to track in your practice is – and they will give you all kinds of different types, and I say from a business standpoint, well, it is collections N: Yeah G: it is your collections because those are dollars in the bank, and so really it is the kept new patient that we track and the data, and when we are able to track it in hundreds of practices, and now I can report back to you, so let's talk about problem number 1 – why they are, and these are not numbered in the importance they are numbered to remember to cover all 3, but I am going to say problem number 1 on why patients might not show up for new appointments, and that is that the new appointment, was made too far in the future – was made too far in the future that is the problem, and here is the solution set up a template in your practice where you can see new patients no later than one week from that phone call and ideally that should be three business days, and Naren this is just human behavior common sense the longer a potential new patient needs to wait from the call to the actual appointment time the less likely they are going to show up. Remember that the new patient, the relationship that they have with you before they come in is thin at best, it is thin – maybe they found you through search through a Google search which Naren thanks to your support of EKWA a lot of our new patients come in to us because they found us through Google search, think about what they are experiencing of us in before that first appointment, they found us on line maybe they will look into some reviews maybe they went to the website now they talked to someone on the phone and they felt good so it is there, it is the beginning of rapport but it is still relatively thin so if you can shorten the amount of time from that phone call to the appointment the kept appointment ration will go sky high, and again ideally I know I am being tough on this with you but I am being tough on purpose because it will work if you do what I am suggesting here – no farther out from a week from the call ideally get that down to no more than 3 business days, and the language that we can use on that call is something like this – Naren we love seeing new patients at life smiles because of that doctor asked me to allocate a specific time for callers just like you this week – we can see you Thursday afternoon or Friday mooring which would you prefer, there is the language there – so if the patient pushes back and say oh right now I am at a big project at work, I am better off in 3 or 4 week s- no harm no fault – now that is perfectly fine, but we have let them know that the red carpet is rolled out for them – so and the solution is to st up new patient blocks in your schedule and every practice management software has the block scheduling functionality, set up those blocks and then use a 48 hour release for that block – what that means is that if you have not filled it with a new patient, 48 hours ahead of time 2 days, the 48 hours is not meant to be literally doesn’t have to be down to the second, it just means that about 2 days out, if it is not filled – pull it and you can fill it with anything at that point, and that way you are not going to be sitting on your hands, one thing you have to do doctor is you have to monitor your blocks, if they are all filled guess what – wouldn’t that be a wonderful problem to have? N: Yes G: To need more new patient blocks, so that is the first problem and solution, the second problem is there was not enough connection on the part of the patient to feel connected to your office that is the problem, it was there, but it was kind of loose and not as strong as it could be – wasn't enough connection so let me give you the solution to this and doctors stick with me on this one, this will this could be one of those things that you look back on 20 years ago and say I remember when I listened to Garry's podcast N: Haha G: And you could not believe the massive difference it has made in my practice ok I hope I have teased you enough on this – I want you to reach out to the patient, and send them a text message from you before their first is it, before their first visit and by the way this is not done on your phone with your tums, texting ha ha it is your team, they will send this out and they are going to send it out via their key board, we are going to send a text and the one of the text message goes something like this – Naren this is doctor Paul Neilson from life smiles dental care Carly mentioned to me that we are seeing you as a new patient this Thursday afternoon I just wanted to reach out to you personally and let you know how much I am looking forward to meeting you Naren Carly mentioned that you have just recently moved to phoenix I want to be part of the welcoming committee to tell you that you have chosen a great place to live, a big fan of this area and you are going to love it – hey I am looking forward to meeting you this Thursday afternoon – see you then, there is the text message. Now notice what I did – I added something personal to the text, which of course, your team members can do because whoever took the call should.be the one sending the text because they did the call – may be the customization is Naren Carly mentioned that you had some pain on the upper left that is fortunately now not causing you the trouble we would be sure to take a look at that visit, Naren Carly mentioned that nothing is going on in terms of concern with your mouth, we just wanted to get established with a great office well you called the right place – can't wait to see you on Thursday – now think about what this does – our listeners will recognize the name Robert Cialdini if you are a regular listeners podcast it is going to be on the quiz guys N: Haha G: There are no quiz guys, but if there was, there would be a Robert Cialdini on the quiz, and this is one of the six fundamental principles of marketing; get these right, and your marketing results will improve, and this is all about reciprocity, reciprocity. So you are giving something first, imagine how impressed a patient – my dentist sent me a text before my first appointment – who does that? N: Right! G: Who does that – I mean, that is really cool, and at a subconscious level, it creates an obligation, a feeling of obligation, the least I should do is show up – well, what a nice guy N: Exactly, and he knows a few things about me; he has paid attention he has looked at my – talked to his team about me, and looked at you know my situation, and he is sending me this personal text G: Maybe the patient is you know involved in a business somehow and they think well these guys have got their stuff together, you know these guys at life smiles really have it together – it is all encouraging it is all positive – so problem number two was there wasn't enough connection and the solution was to send a text message out to the patient, welcoming them to your practice, and customize that with a short note relative to what we shared on that for the patient phone call – problem number 3 – help my new patients aren't showing up is not effective enough telephone communication on that first call – not enough it was more of a process call like we are taking an order, and we want it to be a phone call that truly impresses the patient that they called the right office and read this on how your phones are handled in those new patient calls and this is something I believe that every office including my own can get better on, it is not something that has been perfect so something you can do we can do for your team members is talk about some phrases to use without scripting just some talking point and some phrases and some of those phrases might sound like this – 'Naren it is so great to meet you by phone I cannot wait to meet you face to face we love seeing new patients here at life smiles dental care you have called the right office,' just another way – we love seeing new patient, and a another red carpet is rolled to and make sure that the tine is welcoming that it literally feels like they are on the red carpet that was rolled out for them you know, and then we always like to finish that new patient call, with a fun little connection for the patient, Naren I am almost at the finish line, but I have one more little detail I want to share with you, before your visit on  Tuesday I have a little homework assignment now don't worry it is a fun homework assignment, you are going to be seeing Dr. Paul, and in your appointment, you're going to see Kelly, your hygienist, and I would like you to visit our website and go to the about us page, and I would like you to review Dr. Paul's background and also Kelly she is the hygienist you will see, I think if you take a minute or two just to review that you are going to discover why you are going to have such a great experience with us on Thursday afternoon well, that is it cannot wait to see you will see you on Thursday so finish with the homework assignment, they may or may not do it likelihood – we have actually asked in client offices we have had team members, well did you do my homework? Yeah, well, I learn this and this and this about the doctor they literally show you that they have done their homework, now I am not going to say this will happened a hundred percent of the time, but if you can get them to do that, we have created another commitment that will enhance the likelihood that they will show up. N: Yeah, I mean every point, every tip that Garry just gave it is all about taking a stranger because they are a stranger to you. I mean, they are not your cousin, your brother your best friend, and kind of growing that commitment towards you which is what we call relationship so the chances of them not showing up comes down – and these three tips that Garry just shared, you know it is all in the show notes, you can go through them and even make notes create a cheat sheet, hang it on your wall or give it to your front desk person because and any-body else involved in sending the text, etc. implement it I can guarantee this is going to make a fundamental difference in your practice – how do we know? Well, Gary has tested it in every one of his practices, and it works, G: Yeah it really does and it is amazing how this stuff works, it is amazing the compounding effect these things have on patients showing up for that appointment, - if you take it and look at it by itself, it is a little thing but then you add the little things up and collectively they make a massive difference and they make an incredible difference – well I hope you enjoyed this episode, hopefully we are solving a challenge or problem in your practice, it is kind of like an itch that you need to scratch hopefully we are solving that for you and ensuring some tips that will help you increase your kept appointment rate, as we come to the finish line herein this episode you know I would like to make a comment if not getting enough new patients then I recommend you jump on my back and do what we did, in m life smiles dental care practice and that is as you would likely know life smiles is a client of EKWA digital marketing the company that Naren founded, CEO and founder – we are a paying client of EKWA and if you are not getting enough new clients or new patients, I would encourage you to schedule a marketing strategy meeting you will talk to Lila stone she will spend about 6 hours of preparation time before that meeting and let you know exactly how your website looks in the eyes of Google, she can give you a peak behind the curtain about how it looks in the eyes of Google, to share with you what is working and what is not – let face it, your website is your hub of all of your marketing and then she will share with you how to make some changes so that you can be better recognized by Google and search – so you appear on a page one in your community, so they will share tips with you shell let you know what is working and hat is not working in your practice and how EKWA can help you. If you are not seeing enough new patients, there is a solution there – Naren, can we put a link in the show notes for a marketing and strategy meeting with Lila? N: Absolutely, Gary, absolutely thank you G: Again, that is a – that is a- you will find that at less insurance dependence. Com if you simply follow that down, you will see show links, and all these links will be in the show notes, and you can click right on that, and it will take you to a scheduling template where you can schedule that – well, I hope you enjoyed this episode on the less insurance dependence podcast, and hopefully we solved a problem, and it helped you to make improvement in an area that is extremely important in every dental practice, thank you for the privilege of your time today, and we look forward to connecting with you on the next less insurance dependence podcast.