Fix guide · Step 3: Tracking
How to turn more aligner consults into treatment starts
Read this ifConsults end with "I'll think about it."
This is the last stage before revenue. A small change here moves your case count more than anything upstream.
- How to use this guide
- 1Read the steps with the people who'll run them
- 2Copy the templates into your system
- 3Measure the number at the bottom next month
What this takes
You and your treatment coordinator. One consult to try the new order. Measure consult-to-start next month.
Track the full patient journey
- The five rates
- Cost per booked, cost per win
- Where starts come from
The fix, step by step
Start with what bothers them
Ask what they'd change about their smile, and let them talk. Their words become the reason to start.
Scan and show the outcome before the fee
Let them see their own teeth and the projected result first. The fee lands differently once they've seen what they get.
Explain the plan in two sentences
How long, how often they come in, what it involves. Keep the detail for questions.
Lead with the monthly payment
Then give the total. A treatment coordinator presenting the fee often works better than the doctor, because patients ask money questions more freely.
Ask for a decision
Give two yeses: start today, or book the scan appointment this week.
Handle "I'll think about it"
Ask what they want to think over, answer it, and book a short follow-up call before they leave.
Templates you can use today
The decision question
Would you like to get started today, or would you rather book your scan for later this week?
"I'll think about it"
Of course. What's the main thing you want to think over: the cost, the timing, or whether it will work for you?
Booking the follow-up
Let's put a five-minute call in for [day], so you're not left wondering. Does morning or afternoon suit you?
Same-day text after the consult
Hi [name], great meeting you today. Here's the payment option we talked about: [monthly amount] a month. Any questions, just reply here.
Only text patients who agreed to receive texts from your clinic, and include a way to opt out.
How to measure it
Consult-to-start = treatment starts รท consults that showed up. Also count same-day starts, which shows whether the decision question is being asked.
What to fix next
Start with the step that's costing you cases.
Three short videos, one per step, in the order we fix them.