If you're having a lot of FTA’s (failed to attends), it's possible that your follow-up process needs refining.
In this article, you're going to learn how to reduce your FTA rate.
If a lot of people you speak with over the phone are not showing up for the in-person consultations, make sure you're doing the following:
- Getting in touch with leads as soon as they make a booking request - while the information is still fresh in their minds.
- Building up a relationship and rapport on the call, prior to the consult.
- Reminding the leads about the true value of the treatment.
- Giving leads an appointment reminder with a phone call and/or text message/WhatsApp on the day of the appointment and the day before. (At this point, you can also give them the option to reschedule if they can't make it).
Always ask for a deposit.
A great way to filter out and identify leads with lower intent, is to ask them for a refundable deposit.
You can find out how to do that in this help article called:
When and how should I take the deposit?
When someone doesn’t want to pay a deposit, it’s due to one of two reasons:
- They don’t trust you enough.
- They’re not motivated enough.
To create trust, you'll need to build rapport on the call.
To strengthen their motivation, talk about the transformational benefit for the patient - what they’ll feel or be able to do after treatment that they can’t right now.
Talk about having a straighter smile that will give them more confidence, or to look their best for a special occasion - their wedding day for example.
A speedy follow-up process, where you build rapport and take a deposit will have a big effect on reducing FTAs.