The Problem With Sending Post-Consult Letters Home

A sales-related problem inherent to the orthodontic profession is the fact that, in many cases, not all parties are present for the consultation, and so what goes home to the family post-visit becomes very important to the decision process.

In addition to the take-home packet of information that leaves with the patient, many of you also send a letter to the family that summarizes your findings. A second letter is often sent to a referring dentist.

The letter to your referring dentist is for information purposes only, and so the structure in terms of readability is not important. However, the letter home to your prospective patient family is a persuasion document, and for this reason, how it is designed is of paramount importance.

Assuming that you want the letter to be read, the first thing to remember about written communication is that most people, including myself, are turned off by large amounts of text. In fact, when I receive a wordy page of information, I will take just enough time to see if I can glean anything to make it worth further attention. This makes it unlikely that your letter will have the perceived value and impact that you would like it to have with the recipient, who, as you know, is often responsible for releasing the funds for treatment..

The solution is to communicate the information in a way that grabs the readers attention and makes it interesting. To do so, you and your team need to redesign the format that you are using to include:

• Pictures
• Bullet Points
• Color
• Broken-up text
• Most importantly, a length limit of no more than one page

There is sample of this basic format in my book No To Lost Cases that, while intended for the take-home jacket, can be used as a model for re-designing your letter home.

Lastly, there is no reason why you cannot also use this upgraded document as an improvement to what you send your referring dentists; after all, they are as busy as you are and would appreciate the easier-to-read format that I am describing just like your patients will.