It's that time of the year again. Faces are pointed up to the sky, your employees are talking about barbecues and midweek days off. While Independence Day fireworks are often celebrated and anticipated, fireworks caused by debt collection and patients with payments outstanding are an entirely different kind. The two "explosive" activities have more in common than you might think.
1. Start Small and Early
Many times, you don't even quite know when a big fireworks display has begun until you hear a faint pop and see one or two little pricks of light. You can begin dental collections in the same way. Have you attempted to contact your past-due patients at all? A letter or personal phone call may just do the trick.
2. Burn Bright
It's not just the fireworks that impress the audiences below. There's often a pitch-dark sky, warm evening, and loud, patriotic music blasting away as accompaniment. How can you burn bright in attempting to collect on late checks? A positive, upbeat manner and training staff with the best language to work with the people they speak to are two ways to stand out.
3. Vary It Up
There are a slew of interesting names for the different kinds of fireworks blasts you see, including Bengal fire, cake, salute, ring, peony, and Diadem. The takeaway? A fireworks show wouldn't be very interesting if it was 45 minutes of ring after ring after ring. A dental collections strategy may be much more successful if you combine several efforts, including options such as talking statements with third-party collection letters.
4. Leave a Tail
One of the biggest ways to guarantee an "OOOOOOH" at a fireworks show is the comet with the sparkly tail. You know the one, it bursts like a flower, then ends with a fizzing, glittering tail. This blast works because it engages the audience right away, then keeps its attention several moments more. You want to immediately engage with your patients by providing information they find important, such as how to avoid accruing higher fees, then keep their attention, such as by providing an instant way they can connect with you to pay.
5. Go Out with a Bang
It's called a grand finale for a reason. You know when its coming because the music crescendos and the fireworks start coming closer together, louder, and bigger. How does this apply to your dental collections strategy? It could mean several things. You may be celebrating, because your efforts have paid off. You may have to follow those fireworks' steps and become the loudest you've ever been in talking to your patients. Or you could raise the flag (it is that time of year) and ask for help. An experienced accounts receivable management and debt collection agency may be just what you need to give your payments that pyrotechnic push.
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