ARTICLES and VIDEOS
Orthodontic Business Strategy. Conversion Optimization. Modern Patient Experiences.
Your Patients Won't Remember Your Treatment Plan
Your patients won't remember your treatment plan. They'll remember how you made them feel about it.
That's not opinion. That's neuroscience.
Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman discovered something that changes everything about how we should approach orthodontic consultations. In his research on the peak-end rule, he found that patients judge their entire experience based on just two moments: the most intense point and how it ends.
Here's where it gets interesting.
What 85% Case Acceptance Really Depends On
Your TC rattles off treatment options like a pro. Financing? Covered. Timeline? Crystal clear.
But here's what she missed: Maria Garcia's “name”.
Most orthodontic consultations nail (or over-nail) the clinical details. They bomb at making patients feel heard and seen. And that gap costs you A LOT of conversions.
The Trust Gap Nobody Talks About:
Roughly 85% of case acceptance stems from an orthodontist's ability to relate to patients. Only 15% comes from technical proficiency.
Simplicity Is Your Superpower: Why Too Many Choices Kill Confidence (and Conversion)
I recently saw a mattress commercial that stopped me in my tracks. The brand’s message? “So many choices.” It showed a person standing in a warehouse surrounded by endless mattresses — all slightly different, all claiming to be “the one.”
Then came the punchline: more options isn’t better. It’s exhausting.
Their promise was simple but brilliant — to personally guide you toward the right fit, so you can make a confident decision and rest easy.
AI Just Made Your People Skills Worth Millions
Your patients walked into your consultation already armed with AI-generated research. They've asked ChatGPT about Invisalign. They've googled treatment timelines. They've compared your practice to three others online.
But here's what they can't get from AI: someone who actually cares about their specific fears, goals, and concerns.
I'm watching orthodontic practices split into two camps. Those embracing AI as a partner are seeing conversion rates soar. Those fighting it are getting left behind.
The gap between successful and struggling practices is about to get much wider.
Reverse-Engineer the Follow-Up Problem
Front-load decision-making. Don’t back-load touchpoints.
You can’t out-follow-up poor in-the-moment case acceptance. No amount of emails, texts, or clever wording will close the gap left by weak same-day conversion. And that gap is exactly why so many practices feel overworked, stressed, and stuck at average.
Too many practices are incorrectly hyper-focused on improving follow-up systems—desperate for better wording and strategy to boost post-consult conversion. But here’s the reality: without a strong upfront strategy and a confident TC guiding the conversation, do you even know how to follow up effectively? Or more importantly, why the patient didn’t say yes in the moment?
Let’s reverse-engineer what most people call a follow-up problem.
Starbucks Just Revealed The Premium Service Secret
Starbucks just proved something powerful about premium pricing.
Their CEO Brian Niccol announced customers will keep paying $6-7 for lattes because of "world-class customer service" combined with quality. Customer value perceptions hit a two-year high, especially among younger customers.
Here's what caught my attention. Those Starbucks prices aren't far from your consultation room reality.
Average orthodontic fees reached $6,121 for traditional braces and $6,373 for clear aligners in 2024. Your patients are already comfortable with premium pricing when the experience justifies it.
The question becomes: Does your service delivery match your fee structure?
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