https://youtu.be/jK4tkLquomg

Below, we’ve compiled some of the key points discussed in the Jameson Files Episode 133. To enjoy the full conversation with our very own Carrie Webber and Dan Cristelli, you can watch on YouTube or listen to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify.

Carrie Webber:

Welcome to the Jameson Files. I'm Carrie Webber and I'm your host. And I'm so thrilled to have my teammate Dan Cristelli with me today. Dan works with our marketing clients through the Jameson marketing services, helping clients achieve their goals for both external and internal marketing efforts. Dan is at the Jameson offices in Oklahoma city today, which is exciting because he's from Vermont. So he made a big, long trip to come be with us in person.

Patient reviews is a hot topic now.

One of the big topics that we constantly work on with clients is how to manage patient reviews effectively. Managing this aspect of your practice has become its own topic, and there are some best practices that you as dental practices can start to apply more intentionally in your marketing processes to help you get a consistent result. So, Dan, you work with clients daily, and I'm sure that this conversation comes up regularly. What do you find are the biggest questions or the biggest obstacles when it comes to patient reviews?

Dan Cristelli:

That's a great question. I think one question is why are these important? I think there’s still a perception that an online review doesn't carry much weight as a personal referral. But last year a study showed that 79% of consumers see an online review as carrying more weight than a personal referral. So they're really important. So that's usually the first question: why is this important?

Why are reviews important? 

That’s why I spend a lot of time working with our clients on the rationale behind a Google review. Here's why it's important. I focus on three different aspects:

The first is how Google's algorithm looks at their practice and ranks their search rankings. Then I obviously talk about how a potential new patient is going to see these reviews. And we talk about how the practice can use reviews as an extra set of eyes on how your systems and team are performing.

Carrie Webber:

So you’re helping people understand why it's important to put a little bit more emphasis on managing their patient reviews, but then how can they do that?

How do you learn to ask for patient reviews well?

Dan Cristelli:

That's probably the most difficult part. We understand that those conversations aren't always easy. I meet with teams on how to approach the entirety of the review process. I like to take a look at a four-step approach. 

The first thing is education. You need to educate yourself on why Google reviews are important. And not only yourself, but also your whole team. The second thing I recommend is to start with what I always refer to as the low hanging fruit, the raving fans. You start with asking them for a review because it's easy to talk to them, and you know they're going to give you a good review. So it helps with building those skills.Once you've done that, you can look at cues. Any sort of praise that's offered is a good example. If someone's raving about a procedure they just had done, it's a good time to talk to them about a review. If you are asking the right questions during the check-out, you're going to have opportunities. And then finally, the last step is just getting to that point where you're consistently asking almost every patient to leave you a review.

Carrie Webber:

Often it seems like the biggest obstacle is just getting comfortable with that conversation. You know, if you want to see a really positive improvement in getting the patient reviews that you want, tell the patients what to expect. Tell Mrs. Jones, “You're going to be receiving a text from us when you leave here, asking for a review. So, if you can, kindly leave us a review.