Systems That Scale by CEO929.com
Systems That Scale is a business podcast for operators, founders, and consultants who are done guessing and ready to build repeatable, scalable systems.
Hosted by CEO929, this show breaks down the exact systems behind growth—sales, operations, marketing, automation, delegation, and execution—used by real businesses in the trenches. No hype. No theory. No “guru talk.”
Each episode delivers practical frameworks, breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes insights pulled directly from real-world implementation across service businesses, local brands, digital companies, and consulting operations.
If you’re building a business that needs structure, leverage, and scale—not motivation—this is your room.
Systems That Scale by CEO929.com
Dental Patient Retention: Automation That Works | Systems That Scale
Welcome to Systems That Scale, the podcast from CEO 929. Each week, we break down the frameworks, automations, and revenue systems that help service businesses scale without the chaos. I'm your host, and today we're diving into how dental practices can leverage automation for patient retention. Let's get into it. Antoine Campbell and the CEO 929 team have sat in countless dental practices over the years, from bustling multi-location clinics to single owner shops, and the conversation almost always starts the same way. We need more new patients. Practices are spending a fortune on Google ads, social media campaigns, and even traditional mailers chasing after that elusive first appointment. Here's the kicker. Most of these practices already have an untapped gold mine sitting right under their nose, their existing patients. Does this sound familiar in your business? The cost of acquiring a new patient is astronomically higher than retaining an existing one. We're talking five to twenty five more expensive. If you're spending$300 to get a new patient and only$30 to keep one, where should your strategic focus really be? For a dental practice, client retention strategies aren't just about preventing churn, they're about creating predictable, recurring revenue. It's about ensuring those hygiene appointments are booked consistently, that follow-up treatments aren't forgotten, and that patients feel valued enough to refer their friends and family. The CEO 929 team worked with a practice in Arizona last year that saw an 8% increase in patient lifetime value simply by implementing a more robust recall system. 8% might not sound like much on paper, but for a practice doing 1.8 maize annually, that's an extra$144,000 in revenue year over year, without spending an extra dime on lead generation. The real issue is that most dental practices treat patient communication as an afterthought, or worse, as a manual chore. And that's exactly where automation comes in. Now, you might remember those generic postcards reminding you to book your six-month cleaning. They were groundbreaking once. Now, they're barely effective. The modern patient expects more. They expect convenience, personalization, and communication on their terms. This isn't just about being nice, it's about being relevant in a noisy world. Your dental patient retention systems need to evolve beyond simple reminders and embrace a multi-channel, automated approach that feels personal. When Antoine Campbell talks about automation, he's not just talking about firing off an email. The CEO 929 team means a symphony of touch points, SMS, email, sometimes even a personalized video message, all triggered by specific patient actions or milestones. For instance, consider a patient who just had a crown placed. A week later, an automated SMS checks in on their comfort. Two weeks later, an email offers post-procedure care tips. Six months later, a sequence begins to prompt their next hygiene appointment, offering online booking as the preferred option. This isn't spam, this is proactive care and thoughtful engagement. It builds trust. What the data shows is that proactive engagement directly correlates with customer longevity and satisfaction across industries. Most dental practices are still stuck in reactive mode. A patient misses an appointment, so they call. A patient needs a recall, so they send a basic postcard. This isn't a system, it's a set of disjointed tasks. Building a true retention system requires mapping out every patient journey touch point and identifying where automation can add value, streamline operations, and enhance the patient experience. It's about thinking ahead, anticipating needs, and making it impossibly easy for patients to stay connected and come back. Quick reminder: if you're getting value from this episode, you can apply for a free revenue system audit at ceo929.com.audit. The CEO929 team will analyze your business and show you exactly where you're leaving money on the table. Now, back to the episode. So, how can you start automating patient retention? Here's what you can do today. 1. Map your patient journey. Literally draw out every single touch point a patient has with your practice from the first call to a long-term recall. Identify where communication occurs. 2. Implement multi-channel reminders. Upgrade beyond single text reminders. Use a sequence of email, SMS, and even pre-call automation for appointment confirmations and last-minute reminders. The CEO 929 team has seen practices cut no-show rates by over 50% with this approach. 3. Automate post-appointment check-ins. For routine cleaning, send a simple how was your visit survey. For more complex procedures, automate a more thorough check-in sequence with aftercare instructions and an open line for concerns. 4. Create a reactivation. Recall sequence. Don't let patients fall off the map. Set up an automated sequence that triggers when a patient is due for a checkup, offering direct links to online scheduling. 5. Automate feedback. Collection. After every appointment, send an automated email, JOH SMS, requesting feedback. Crucially, direct positive feedback to public review sites and negative feedback to a private form for internal resolution. This builds your reputation and catches problems early. That's a wrap on this episode of Systems That Scale. For more insights on building predictable revenue, visit CEO929.com blog. And when you're ready to install real systems in your business, apply for your free audit at ceo929.com audit. Until next time, keep building those systems.