We’re entering stormy times. With a cost of living crisis upon us, inflation raging and recession biting at our heels, offering your patients alternative ways to pay for their treatment is now more important than it’s ever been. One crucial service that patients want – and your business needs to offer – right now, is the opportunity to spread the cost of treatments. This has the potential to increase your sales which could help you to weather the storm ahead.
Keep your eye on cashflow
You’ll know from your own experience but, according to the Federation of Small Businesses, the average annual energy bills for a small business are now over £21k for electricity and £7k for gas – more than four times what they were in February 2021. With energy use at the high end for dentists and medical clinics, the next 12 months is all about driving sales so that your cashflow is maintained and you can ensure patients continue to get the treatments they need.
Cashflow is the most important factor for now; keeping your sales up and the money coming in so that those outrageous outgoings are covered. For your practice, one simple step (and we make it very simple for you and your patients) is to offer payment options if you don’t already do so. It allows your patients to spread the cost of their treatment over time rather than using up their savings in a time of uncertainty. And it means that you keep money coming into your business as your outgoings rise. By offering your patients this choice, it opens your doors to more treatments and more patients.
Why patient payment options work for your business
Cashflow and increased sales are big wins for you as a clinic when you offer payment options to your patients.
You have a price for a treatment, say £600, and you offer the patient the opportunity to pay in monthly instalments, subject to application. The key thing to note is that you receive the full funds upon commencement of the treatment. The payment comes from Chrysalis to you. Their finance agreement is with us and not with you.
Your cashflow is preserved and you can provide treatments knowing that the payment is guaranteed. And that’s the other great benefit of providing payment options through a trusted partner like Chrysalis: you can offer finance without taking any of the financial risk. For you, it’s a straightforward transaction: you provide a treatment and you are paid for providing it. With your cashflow secured, you can continue to pay your bills. This means you can confidently offer and carry out more treatments for more patients and see this crisis through.
Why monthly payment options work for your patients
In the same way that cashflow is crucial for your business, monthly budgeting is key for your patients. Even if they can afford one-off payments, they may prefer to hold onto their rainy day funds for the uncertain times ahead. A means of applying to pay monthly allows them to build the cost into their budget and to maintain control over their finances – this is almost as important psychologically as it is practically, giving a feeling of control as the price for almost everything increases. What’s more, in the face of rising interest rates, you can offer them interest-free finance with fixed payments spread out over up to a year.
When finances are under pressure, medical or dental procedures can sometimes be placed on the pile marked ‘luxury’ and temporarily shelved. However, many patients would prefer not to make this distinction when it comes to their health and wellbeing. Having access to apply for a monthly payment plan allows them to put their health firmly back into the ‘essentials’ pile and to get the treatment that will make a difference to them while spreading the cost in a way that suits them.
When you partner with Chrysalis, you are also providing your patients with the reassurance that their finance agreement is with the No. 1 finance provider in the dental and healthcare market, with a Patient Promise that puts their interests at the heart of things.
Ultimately, some patients will prefer to wait until sunnier times for their treatments, others will prefer to pay in one go and many will prefer to spread the cost, accounting for it in their monthly budget. The key is to be able to offer alternatives. If you don’t offer payment options, those patients that would prefer them may well go away and find a provider who does.
Helping you and your patients through the crisis
Times are undoubtedly tough at the moment and there are lots of pressures on clinics and patients alike. Now, more than ever, is the moment to make sure payment options are in your armoury.
For you, offering payment options means:
- Better cashflow and increased sales
- Financial risk removed for you
- More treatments, higher patient retention and even new patients
For your patients, access to payment options mean:
- Immediate treatment (subject to status); paid for in monthly instalments
- Fixed, interest free payments to aid budgeting
- A trusted finance provider in uncertain times
If you’re already a Chrysalis partner but not marketing your payment options, or if you would like to talk about becoming a partner, get in touch with us today and let’s weather this storm together, increasing your sales and looking after your patients.
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