4 Critical Elements For Converting Web Leads Into Consultations

Two weeks ago, I sent out a blog article on the importance of sales training, which included a whole section on Expert Phone Skills necessary to convert calls into consultations. 

This week, I want to back up just a bit because before you can use your expert phone skills, you need to get those prospective patients to ACTUALLY pick up the phone and call you! 

This week, I’d like you to think about a few important questions:

• What percentage of your leads are coming from your website? 

• Do you track these leads? 

• How quickly do you respond to inquiries?

• Do you have a clear, concise process for follow-up?

• Do you have a dedicated person on staff to handle this? 

If you answered I don’t know or no to any of these, don’t worry, I’m here to help you create a game plan to more effectively convert your web leads into new business.

4 CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF CONVERTING WEB LEADS

Did you know that the average aesthetics practice generates 52% of their leads from their website?  That is larger than patient referrals, social media, other physicians, referral sites and traditional marketing combined.

If you don’t have a carefully thought out plan, process and practice in place to track and convert these leads, you are leaving money on the table.

Website leads are general “cold” leads which means the prospect typically:

• Is highly cost-conscious

• Was not referred by anyone

• Found you with an online search

• Has some anxiety about results, downtime, pain, recovery, anesthesia, etc.

It is more challenging to convert cold leads as you have to be able to quickly respond and clearly communicate your practice’s Unique Value Proposition (UVP).

#1 TIMING

Web leads are 7x more likely to convert if they are responded to within an hour of contact. If they are looking at your practice online, no doubt they are contacting others as well. 

If at all possible within your practice, if there is someone that is able to monitor web leads in real time when they come in (whether it is your front desk administrator, patient care coordinator or office manager) that is the optimal way to ensure you have high conversion rates. 

All leads should be entered into your Patient Management Software and the prospect should be contacted within an hour via:

• 1st – a call

• 2nd – an email 

• 3rd – a text message

Note: It’s important to not leave a detailed message on an answering machine regarding what the prospect called about as that can be sensitive information. 

If you are unable to reach the prospect, follow up again in 48 hours with a phone call, then email and text. Finally, seven days later make a last attempt to follow up with a call, then email, then text.  After that point, you can simply keep their information for your mailing list for upcoming newsletters or promotions going on in your practice.

#2 INFORMATION GATHERING

I cannot stress highly enough the importance of information gathering.  Taking the time to input the following information into your software can be the difference between an average follow up call and one that converts a lead into a paid consultation:

• Date of initial inquiry

• Referral source

• Patient demographics

• Areas of interest or concerns

• Interest level if indicated (immediate, moderate or just gathering information)

• Date of first patient contact

• Follow up data

#3 AUTOMATED E-MAIL

If it is not possible to have a designated staff member monitoring your incoming web inquiries in real time, someone on your staff should be checking on these leads several times a day. 

It’s very important to have an automated response email that generates when someone submits a web inquiry. This email should be both friendly and informative, welcoming them to your practice and assuring the prospect that someone will be following up with them within 24 hours.

#4 FOLLOW UP EMAIL ETIQUETTE

If a prospect is unable to be reached by phone, the next step is to send a personalized follow up email. The following are my best practices for follow up email etiquette:

• Personalize each email by using address headers with specific name field rather than just general.  This adds a personal touch.

• Use business etiquette. Be professional and not too casual in both the greeting and the closing. Ensure proper grammar and spelling.

• Ensure privacy by using a general subject line like “An important message from Dr. XYZ.” Use a “hook” that gives them a reason to open the email.

• Introduce yourself. Tell the prospect who you are, what you do and what your unique value proposition is. Give your credentials and the details of your staff and what makes your practice stand out from others.

• Answer the specific question that addresses the prospective patient’s inquiry or provide additional resources (link to a specific page on your website, procedure information, brochure or a video about your practice

• Remember to include a privacy notice at the bottom of the email

EXPERT SALES TRAINING

Remember, I’m here to help you make your practice thrive! There is going to be an exciting aesthetics sales training seminar scheduled in Los Angeles in October. Stay tuned for details coming soon. 

In the meantime, if you would like to schedule a call to see how I can train your team to generate more revenue for your practice, please click I will be happy to connect with you.