How to create the perfect dental sales follow up sequence

Creating a successful dental sales follow-up sequence is critical to any marketing strategy for private dental practices. 

Like the best dental care, follow-up messages help build relationships with dental patients, increase engagement, and drive more conversions for you, the private dentist.

Reading time: 15 minutes

However, like any of your marketing campaigns, creating an effective follow-up sequence requires careful planning, personalisation, relevance, and compliance with GDPR. This article answers ten popular questions about creating the best sales follow-up sequence for a private dental practice. 

Whether you want to improve personalisation, automate your follow-up sequence, or ensure GDPR compliance, we've got you covered. Read on to learn how to optimise your new patient follow-up sequence and drive more conversions for your dental practice.

Here are ten popular questions about how to create the best sales follow-up sequence for private dental practice:

1. How do I determine the optimal frequency and timing for follow-up emails and calls?
2. What are the best ways to personalise follow-up messages for each prospect?
3. How can I make sure my follow-up messages stand out from competitors?
4. What are the most effective call-to-actions for follow-up messages in the dental industry?
5. How do I track and measure the success of my follow-up sequence?
6. How can I make sure my follow-up messages are not perceived as spam?
7. How can I make sure my follow-up messages are relevant to each prospect?
8. How can I automate my follow-up sequence?
9. How can I ensure my follow-up messages are GDPR compliant?
10. How often should I send follow-up messages to prospects?

Let's dive in with the first one.

How do I determine the optimal frequency and timing for follow-up emails and calls?

One of the critical factors in creating an effective sales follow-up sequence for a private dental practice is determining the optimal frequency and timing for your follow-up emails and calls. Email marketing, and SMS, can be a delicate balance, as you want to stay top-of-mind with your leads without overwhelming them with too many messages or coming across as pushy. 

Here are some tips to help you determine the best frequency and timing for your follow-up messages as part of your dental marketing strategy:

1. Consider the length of your sales cycle: The length of your sales cycle can play a significant role in determining the frequency of your follow-up messages. If your sales cycle is short, like teeth whitening, send follow-up messages more frequently, such as once a week or every few days. On the other hand, if your sales cycle is longer, like for your dental implant service, you should space out your follow-up messages once every two weeks or once a month.
2. Consider your prospect's communication preferences: Some prefer to communicate via email, while others prefer phone calls or even text messages. This is just good customer service. Take the time to ask your enquiries about their communication preferences and adjust your follow-up sequence accordingly.
3. Leverage automation: Automating your follow-up sequence can help ensure your messages are sent at the optimal frequency and timing. Use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, like GrowthEngine, to automate your follow-up messages based on your sales cycle and your potential patient's communication preferences, ensuring your ideal process is followed across your entire practice or group.
4. Use data to inform your follow-up strategy: Tracking the success of your follow-up messages can help you determine the optimal frequency and timing for your messages. Use data analytics, like those in GrowthEngine, to track open, response, and conversion rates and adjust your follow-up strategy accordingly.
5. Be persistent but respectful: It's essential to be persistent with your follow-up messages and respectful of your prospect's time. If you are still waiting to receive a response to your first message, feel free to send a follow-up message a few days later or diarise a phone call. However, if your prospect has explicitly stated that they're not interested, it's essential to respect their wishes and stop sending follow-up messages.

Determining the optimal frequency and timing for your follow-up messages create a successful sales follow-up sequence for a private dental practice. By taking into account the length of your sales cycle and your prospect's communication preferences, leveraging automation, using data to inform your strategy, and being persistent but respectful, you can create a follow-up sequence that keeps you top-of-mind with your prospects without overwhelming them with too many messages.

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What are the best ways to personalise follow-up messages for each prospect?

Personalising your follow-up messages can be a powerful way to build relationships with your prospects and increase the likelihood of converting them into customers. Here are some tips on how to personalise your follow-up messages for each prospect:

1. Use their name: This may seem obvious, but using your prospect's name in your follow-up messages can help you establish a personal connection and make them feel valued. It is, after all, their favourite word. Make sure to spell their name correctly and use it throughout your messages.
2. Reference their specific needs or pain points: When following up with a prospect, reference the particular needs or pain points they mentioned in your previous interactions. This shows that you were paying attention and understanding their unique situation.
3. Share relevant content: If you come across a blog post, article, or another piece of content that is relevant to your prospect's interests or needs, share it with them in your follow-up messages. This shows that you're invested in helping them find solutions to their problems, even if it doesn't directly relate to your product or service.
4. Provide personalised solutions: If you can offer personalised answers to your prospect's needs, highlight this in your follow-up messages. For example, if they mentioned that they're looking for a particular type of dental treatment, explain how your practice can offer a personalised solution to meet their needs.
5. Use their preferred communication method: As mentioned in the previous article, it's essential to consider your prospect's communication preferences. If they prefer to communicate via email, ensure your follow-up messages are personalised and engaging. If they prefer phone calls, use this opportunity to build rapport and establish a personal connection.
6. Follow up at the right time: In addition to personalising the content of your follow-up messages, it's also essential to follow up at the right time. If your prospect mentioned that they're going on holiday or have a busy period, wait until after this time to follow up.

By personalising your follow-up messages for each prospect, you can build strong relationships and increase the likelihood of converting them into customers. Use their name, reference their specific needs or pain points, share relevant content, provide personalised solutions, use their preferred communication method, and follow up at the right time.

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How can I make sure my follow-up messages stand out from competitors?

In today's digital age, prospects are bombarded with sales messages from multiple companies daily. Therefore, ensuring your follow-up messages stand out from your competitors is essential. Here are some tips on how to make your follow-up messages more memorable:

1. Personalise your messages: As mentioned in the previous point, personalising them can help you establish a personal connection with your prospects and make them feel valued. Use their name and reference specific details from your previous interactions.
2. Use attention-grabbing subject lines: Your subject line is the first thing your prospect will see when they receive your follow-up message. Use attention-grabbing subject lines that pique their interest and entice them to open your email or answer your call.
3. Provide value: Instead of just trying to sell your treatment plan, provide value to your prospects in your follow-up messages. This can be helpful tips or resources, free consultations or assessments, or other offers that show you're invested in helping them solve their problems.
4. Be creative: Don't be afraid to think outside the box; be creative with your follow-up messages. This could include sending a personalised video message or creating a customised infographic that highlights the benefits of your product or service.
5. Use social proof: Social proof, such as customer testimonials or case studies, can help build credibility and trust with your prospects. Use these in your follow-up messages to show how your product or service has helped others in the dental industry.
6. Follow up promptly: Following up on time shows that you're proactive and invested in helping your prospects find solutions to their problems. Make sure to follow up within a reasonable timeframe after your latest appointment.
7. If possible, use remarketing: If the dental service is suitable as part of the guidelines in Google Ads, for example, remarketing to prospects will increase their familiarity with your dental office. 

By personalising your messages, using attention-grabbing subject lines, providing value, being creative, using social proof, and following up promptly, you can make your follow-up messages stand out from your competitors and increase the likelihood of converting prospects into existing patients.

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What are the most effective call-to-actions for follow-up messages in the dental industry?

A call-to-action (CTA) is vital to any sales follow-up message. It's the part of the message that encourages your prospect to take the next step, whether scheduling a further consultation or going ahead with your treatment plan. Here are some effective call-to-actions for follow-up messages in the dental industry:

1. Schedule a consultation: A consultation is often the first step in the sales process for dental practices. Use a CTA that encourages your prospect to schedule a consultation to learn more about your practice and services.
2. Request a quote: If your prospect is interested in a particular service or treatment, use a CTA to encourage them to request a quote. This can help them understand the cost of the service and make an informed decision.
3. Sign up for a free trial: If you offer a service that can be tried for free, use a CTA that encourages your prospect to sign up for a free trial. This can give them a taste of what you offer and make them more likely to become paying customers.
4. Make a purchase: If your prospect is ready to make a purchase, use a clear and concise CTA that encourages them to do so. Make sure to highlight the benefits of your product or service and offer any incentives or discounts to encourage them to act.
5. Download a resource: If you offer helpful resources, such as treatment guides or ebooks, use a CTA to encourage your prospect to download them. This can help build trust and establish your practice as an authority in the dental industry.
6. Refer a friend: If you have a referral program, use a CTA to encourage your prospect to refer a friend. This can help you expand your customer base and build relationships with new clients.

Effective call-to-action in your follow-up messages can encourage your prospects to take the next step in the sales funnel and increase the likelihood of converting them into customers. Use CTAs throughout the patient journey that encourage consultations, request quotes, sign up for free trials, make purchases, download resources, and refer friends.

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How do I track and measure the success of my follow-up sequence?

Tracking and measuring the success of your follow-up sequence is essential to understanding what's working and what's not. Here are some tips on how to track and measure the success of your follow-up sequence:

1. Set goals: Before you start your follow-up sequence, set clear goals for what you want to achieve. This could be a certain number of consultations scheduled or a certain amount of revenue generated. You can measure your success and adjust your strategy by setting goals.
2. Use a CRM tool: A customer relationship management (CRM) tool like GrowthEngine can help you track the success of your follow-up sequence. Use the tool to track which prospects have been contacted, when, and what the response was.
3. Analyse data: Use data analytics to track your follow-up messages' open, response, and conversion rates. This can help you understand which messages resonate with your prospects and which must be revised.
4. Test and adjust: Experiment with different approaches to your follow-up sequence and measure the results. For example, try other subject lines or call-to-actions and see which ones generate the best response rates. Use this information to adjust your strategy and optimise your follow-up sequence.
5. Monitor ROI: Monitoring your follow-up sequence's return on investment (ROI) is essential. Track the revenue generated from your follow-up messages and compare it to the cost of your marketing efforts. This can help you understand the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and adjust your budget accordingly.

By tracking and measuring the success of your follow-up sequence, you can gain insights into what's working and what's not. Set clear goals, use a CRM tool like GrowthEngine, analyse data, test and adjust, and monitor ROI to optimise your follow-up sequence and increase your chances of converting prospects into existing customers.

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How can I make sure my follow-up messages are not perceived as spam?

One of the challenges of creating a successful follow-up sequence is ensuring your messages aren't in your prospect's spam folder. Here are some tips on how to ensure your follow-up messages are not perceived as spam:

1. Get permission: Ensure you have obtained consent from your prospects before adding them to your email list or contacting them with follow-up messages. This can help establish trust and reduce the likelihood of your messages being flagged as spam.
2. Use a recognisable sender name: Use a sender name that is recognisable and identifies your dental practice. This can help ensure that your messages are not perceived as spam and are more likely to be opened.
3. Personalise your messages: Personalising them can help you establish a personal connection with your prospects and make them more likely to engage with your messages. Use their name and reference specific details from your previous interactions to avoid coming across as spam.
4. Avoid trigger words: Avoid using trigger words in your subject lines or message content that are commonly associated with spam, such as "free," "money," or "limited-time offer." These words can trigger spam filters and prevent your messages from reaching prospects' inboxes.
5. Include an unsubscribe option: Include an unsubscribe option in all of your follow-up messages. This can help you avoid being reported as spam and maintain a positive reputation with your prospects.
6. Monitor your email deliverability: Use an email deliverability tool to monitor your email deliverability and ensure your messages are delivered to your prospects' inboxes. This can help you identify any issues causing your messages to be flagged as spam and take corrective action.

By following these tips, you can help ensure that your follow-up messages are not perceived as spam and increase the likelihood of engaging with your prospects. For example, get permission, use a recognisable sender name, personalise your messages, avoid trigger words, include an unsubscribe option, and monitor your email deliverability.

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How can I make sure my follow-up messages are relevant to each prospect?

Relevance is vital to making your follow-up messages effective and engaging. If your messages aren't relevant to your prospect's needs or interests, they will likely be ignored or deleted. Here are some tips on how to make your follow-up messages relevant to each prospect:

1. Use data to segment your prospects: Use data analytics to segment your prospects based on their needs, interests, and behaviours. This can help you create targeted follow-up messages relevant to each prospect.
2. Personalise your messages: As mentioned earlier, personalising them can help you establish a personal connection with your prospects and make them more likely to engage with your messages. Use their name and reference specific details from your previous interactions to make your messages more relevant.
3. Focus on benefits, not features: When crafting your follow-up messages, focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just listing the features. This can help your prospects understand how your product or service can help them solve their specific needs.
4. Share relevant content: Share relevant content, such as blog posts or articles, with your prospects related to their needs or interests. This can help you establish your practice as a trusted source of information in the dental industry.
5. Ask for feedback: Ask your prospects for feedback on your follow-up messages and adjust your strategy accordingly. This can help you understand what's working and what's not and create more relevant messages in the future.
6. Use a drip campaign: A drip campaign is a series of automated follow-up messages sent to your prospects over time. Use a drip campaign to send targeted messages relevant to each prospect's needs and interests.

By making your follow-up messages relevant to each prospect, you can increase the likelihood of engaging with them and converting them into customers. Use data to segment your prospects, personalise your messages, focus on benefits, share relevant content, ask for feedback, and use a drip campaign.

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How can I automate my follow-up sequence?

Automating your follow-up sequence can help you save time and ensure that your prospects receive timely and consistent messages. Here are some tips on how to automate your follow-up sequence:

1. Use a CRM tool: A customer relationship management (CRM) tool, like GrowthEngine, can help you automate your follow-up sequence by creating automated email campaigns triggered by specific actions, such as a prospect signing up for a consultation.
2. Create a drip campaign: As mentioned earlier, a drip campaign is a series of automated follow-up messages sent to your prospects over time. Use a drip campaign to automate your follow-up sequence and ensure your prospects receive consistent and relevant messages.
3. Use chatbots: Chatbots are automated chat programs that can interact with your prospects and answer their questions. Use chatbots to automate your follow-up sequence by providing prospects with relevant information and answering their questions in real-time.
4. Use templates: Use email and message templates to create a standardised follow-up sequence that can be easily automated. This can help ensure that your messages are consistent and on-brand.
5. Personalise your messages: Even though you're automating your follow-up sequence, it's essential to personalise your messages to make them more relevant and engaging. Use the prospect's name and reference specific details from your previous interactions to make your messages more personal.
6. Test and adjust: As with any marketing strategy, it's essential to test and adapt your automated follow-up sequence to ensure that it's effective. Monitor open, response, and conversion rates, and adjust your strategy as needed.

Automating your follow-up sequence saves time and ensures that your prospects receive timely and consistent messages. Use a CRM tool like GrowthEngine, create a drip campaign, use chatbots, and templates, personalise your messages, and test and adjust your strategy to optimise your automated follow-up sequence.

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How can I ensure my follow-up messages are GDPR compliant?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that govern the collection, processing, and storage of personal data of individuals within the European Union. If your dental practice operates within the EU or collects personal data from individuals within the EU, ensuring that your follow-up messages are GDPR compliant is crucial. Here are some tips on how to ensure your follow-up messages are GDPR-compliant:

1. Obtain consent: Before adding a prospect to your email list or contacting them with follow-up messages, ensure you have obtained their permission. This can be done through a clear and concise opt-in process that explains what personal data will be collected, how it will be used, and how the prospect can opt-out.
2. Provide a privacy policy: Provide a privacy policy that explains how you will collect, process, and store personal data and how individuals can exercise their rights under GDPR.
3. Use a reputable email marketing platform: Use a reputable email marketing platform, like GrowthEngine, that is GDPR compliant and provides tools to help you manage your email list and ensure compliance.
4. Keep personal data secure: Ensure that personal data is stored securely and only accessible by authorised personnel. Use encryption and other security measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access or disclosure.
5. Provide opt-out options: Provide clear and easy-to-use opt-out options in all of your follow-up messages. This can include an unsubscribe link or instructions on how to opt-out.
6. Monitor compliance: Monitor compliance with GDPR and ensure that your follow-up messages and email marketing practices are consistent with the regulation. This can involve regular audits, team training, and keeping up-to-date with changes to GDPR.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your follow-up messages are GDPR-compliant and avoid penalties for non-compliance. For example, obtain consent, provide a privacy policy, use a reputable email marketing platform, keep personal data secure, provide opt-out options, and monitor compliance with GDPR.

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How often should I send follow-up messages to prospects?

Sending follow-up messages to prospects is an essential part of the sales process. However, it's vital to balance staying top-of-mind and not overwhelming your prospects with too many messages. Here are some tips on how often to send follow-up messages to prospects:

1. Set a schedule: Establish a schedule for your follow-up messages and stick to it. This can help ensure that your messages are consistent and not too frequent.
2. Vary the frequency: Vary the frequency of your messages based on the stage of the sales process and the prospect's level of engagement. For example, send more frequent messages to prospects who have expressed a high level of interest and less frequent messages to those who have not yet engaged.
3. Consider the prospect's preferences: Consider your prospects' preferences when deciding how often to send follow-up messages. Some prospects may prefer more frequent communication, while others may prefer less.
4. Avoid spamming: Avoid sending too many messages quickly, as this can come across as spammy and may turn off your prospects.
5. Monitor response rates: Monitor response rates to your follow-up messages and adjust your frequency as needed. If you need a better response, you may need to increase or decrease the frequency of your messages.
6. Be strategic: Be strategic in your follow-up messages and avoid sending messages just to stay top-of-mind. Ensure each message provides value and moves the prospect closer to a sale.

By setting a schedule, varying the frequency, considering the prospect's preferences, avoiding spamming, monitoring response rates, and being strategic, you can strike the right balance in your follow-up messages and increase your chances of converting prospects into customers.

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Key Takeaways

Creating a successful follow-up sequence for a private dental practice requires careful planning, personalisation, relevance, and compliance with GDPR. 

Setting clear goals, using a CRM tool, analysing data, testing and adjusting, and monitoring ROI is essential to create the best sales follow-up sequence. It is also important to avoid triggering spam filters by obtaining permission, using a recognisable sender name, personalising messages, avoiding trigger words, and including an unsubscribe option. 

To ensure that follow-up messages are relevant to each prospect, it is crucial to segment prospects based on their needs and interests, personalise messages, focus on benefits, share relevant content, and ask for feedback. 

Automating the follow-up sequence saves time and ensures consistent messaging. However, it is important to obtain consent, provide a privacy policy, use reputable email marketing platforms, keep personal data secure, provide opt-out options, and monitor compliance with GDPR. 

Finally, it is essential to balance staying top-of-mind and not overwhelming prospects with too many messages by setting a schedule, varying the frequency, considering the prospect's preferences, avoiding spamming, monitoring response rates, and being strategic. By following these tips, private dental practices can create a successful follow-up sequence that engages prospects and increases the chances of converting them into customers.

If you're a private dental practice looking to create a successful follow-up sequence, we hope our suggestions have been helpful. Our team of marketing strategists is here to help you implement these strategies and create a customised plan that fits your unique needs. Whether you need help with personalisation, relevance, automation, GDPR compliance, or frequency, we're here to support you. So don't hesitate to book a call with our team to learn how we can help you optimise your follow-up sequence and drive more conversions for your dental practice.

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Husband. Father. Founder of Mediatasks. Likes Rugby. And Beer. And Business. 😀

James Thomson