Go from niche to empire: 10 tips to drive sales for your aligner business – Part 1

Building a successful business takes a multi-pronged approach and your estimation of that success is all in the numbers – more sales! As the demand for aligners becomes desperate by the hour, navigating this competitive landscape will take skill and wit.

With the call for higher sales, your focus will always be divided into attracting new patients to your business and retaining the ones you already have. This, of course, takes a lot of effort and tons of market research. Sounds exhausting enough?

What if we tell you that getting more sales and scaling your business through the ranks does not require you to jump through flaming hoops? Here are tips for you to get more sales for your aligner business.

1. Focus your attention on your patients

The first thing to remember to build any brand is to listen to your audience. When you listen to your patients, you learn about their concerns and needs. This helps you gather effective data for shaping your business around your patient. Once you are highly responsive to your patient’s objectives, you can then strengthen your communication and relationship with them. Patients will respond the most effectively when their desires and expectations are considered.

Another benefit of listening to your customers is to ensure that they are fairly satisfied with their treatment plan. Pricing your aligners reasonably and providing exceptional care throughout will contribute to guaranteeing patient satisfaction. Satisfied patients will talk to their family and friends and refer them, in turn expanding the patient base solely through word-of-mouth.

2. Educate your patients

You’d only recommend the best to your patients, whether that comes in the form of services or appliances like clear aligners. But do your patients know that these recommendations are in fact for the best? Most patients do not know the benefits of one treatment plan over the other or why their dentist would rather recommend a specific brand of clear aligners.

Because many people are still wary of the idea of clear aligners, it becomes your responsibility to educate them during their consultation sessions with you. You can highlight clear aligners as a suitable treatment option for them while addressing their concerns. Recommend the most reliable clear aligner brands to your patients like PlusSmile®, one of Europe’s leading clear aligner brands. You can also provide brochures and hang posters around your office showcasing the various benefits of clear aligners compared to traditional metal braces.

3. Sell the benefits like a mighty sales rep

If you want to make more clear aligner sales, why not also become a salesman? Emphasize the benefits of clear aligners and why that would be the best option for your patient. However, note that not every patient is an ideal candidate for a clear aligner, and therefore, should be managed accordingly. Instead of using fancy words, make sure you talk to your patients most simply. Articulate the various benefits of clear aligners and allow them to decide if they are ready for treatment.

You can also create digital or physical albums of before and after photos to outline successful clear aligner treatments done by your practice. Keep them in your reception area or create videos to run in your waiting room to encourage waiting patients to learn as well as ask you more about getting a clear aligner. Success stories in the form of testimonial videos of patients may also help turn indifferent patients into curious ones.

4. Marketing and advertising

Before you throttle into financial accretion for your business, you should define your unique value proposition. How is your practice better or different from others in the area? Are you offering cheaper options or do you have a team of experienced specialists? Decide on a brand message that best describes your practice and then define your target demographic.

Marketing is a crucial component of your business’s inevitable success or downfall. Amplify your reach with targeted online and offline marketing campaigns. Think search engine optimization (SEO), local listings, partnerships with local stars or influencers, or strategic collaborations with other healthcare providers.

You can also go the old-school route by promoting your business through local TV or radio advertisements. These strategies can elevate your practice’s visibility and credibility. You can broaden your audience through marketing and attract prospective patients seeking reliable orthodontic care.

5. Retain your existing patients

Most of the patients you acquire are from your existing lot. In order to retain your current patients, focus on delivering high-quality aligner treatment with satisfactory outcomes. As with any patient, you must maintain an open channel of communication, wherein you address their concerns and meet their realistic expectations.

Offer retainer programs with long-term monitoring for your current patients, so that they know that they are taken care of even after their clear aligner treatment is complete. Organize events, local gatherings, or contests to foster a positive sense of community. This also helps boost your business.

Stay tuned for the second part of our Top 10 tips to level up your business and enter the big leagues.