Follow-Through as a Marketing Tool

If follow-up hasn’t been a topic on the agenda for your office meetings, perhaps this story will give it a place at your next gathering.

I had my regular visit to the dentist several weeks ago. During the visit, the need for handling a minor matter was discovered and a treatment plan was developed. However, because I didn’t have my calendar with me, I did not schedule a return appointment while on-site, instead promising to call back to do so.

Well, as happens to us all, things got in the way of that call-back and eventually, I forgot my commitment (Hey! I’m human – it was a minor matter [smile]).

Today I realized that I had not followed through. It’s been about six weeks.

Know what else I realized?

The dentist’s office never called about scheduling that return visit.

That’s lost revenue for them, especially since the more time that goes by, the less likely the client is to call to make that appointment. And it was easy revenue for the practice. Easy in that the sale had already been made. I was totally agreeable to getting the service, it was simply a scheduling matter.

How many times has your practice lost revenue because nobody pursued it?

It doesn’t matter if the client is checking their calendar, checking their insurance coverage, consulting with a spouse or simply thinking it over.

Make that follow-up call.

There is revenue at the other end of that telephone.

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