Special tips for working with new patients.

The new patient's experience of your practice from th very first time he or she calls your office can influence the kind of relationship you will have as well as the patient's satisfaction and loyalty. This article suggests specific techniques hat turn new patients into loyal, established ones. It provides how-to-guidance about scheduling appointments for new patients, pronouncing and spelling new patients' names properly, screening new patients' phone calls for vital information, establishing the authority of the doctor, telling new patients what to expect, ending the first contact with new patients enthusiastically, and rolling out the red carpet at the first appointment. This article also offers strategies for following up with new patients and provides sample text for letters to send to new patients and for developing a new-patient get-acquainted checklist. Finally, this article includes strategies for turning new patients into strong referral sources.