How to Convert Patient Enquiries into Bookings

Every dental practice loses patients between the enquiry and the booking. A potential patient calls, emails or submits a web form — and then disappears. No booking, no follow-up, no second chance.

The average dental practice converts only 30–40% of enquiries into booked appointments. Top-performing practices achieve 60–75%. That gap represents significant lost revenue — and it's usually fixable with better systems, not more marketing spend.

This guide covers the entire enquiry-to-booking journey and shows you where patients are lost, why, and how to fix each drop-off point.

Why enquiries don't convert

Before diving into solutions, understand the common reasons patients don't book after making an initial enquiry:

1. Slow response — the practice didn't respond quickly enough and the patient contacted a competitor
2. Poor phone experience — the call wasn't answered, was rushed, or the patient felt unwelcome
3. Price shock — the cost was higher than expected and no value was communicated
4. No follow-up — the patient was interested but needed time to decide, and nobody followed up
5. Friction — the booking process was too complicated or inconvenient
6. Unaddressed concerns — the patient had anxiety or questions that weren't resolved
7. No urgency — the patient decided to "think about it" and never came back

Each of these is solvable with the right approach.

Stage 1: First contact response

Speed is everything

Research consistently shows that the faster you respond to an enquiry, the more likely it converts:

• Responding within 5 minutes is 21x more likely to result in a booking than responding after 30 minutes
• After 1 hour, the chance of conversion drops dramatically
• After 24 hours, most enquiries have contacted another practice

Action: Set a response time target of under 15 minutes for all enquiry types during business hours.

Phone calls

Phone calls are still the most common enquiry channel for dental practices, and they're your highest-converting opportunity.

The ideal phone experience:

1. Answer within 3 rings — every missed call is a potential lost patient
2. Warm greeting — "Good morning, thank you for calling [Practice Name], this is [Name] speaking. How can I help you?"
3. Listen first — let the patient explain what they're looking for before jumping into scheduling
4. Show empathy — "I completely understand, lots of people feel nervous about [treatment]. You're in the right place"
5. Provide information — answer questions about treatment, pricing and process confidently
6. Offer the booking — "We have availability this Thursday at 10am or next Monday at 2pm — which works better for you?"
7. Confirm clearly — repeat the date, time and any preparation needed

Common mistakes:

• Rushing the call because the reception is busy
• Saying "I'll need to check and call you back" without actually calling back
• Answering pricing questions with "It depends" without giving any indication
• Not having access to the schedule while on the phone

Web form and email enquiries

For enquiries received via your website or email:

• Acknowledge immediately — an automated response confirms their message was received
• Personal response within 15 minutes — during business hours, reply with answers to their questions and available appointment times
• Call if possible — a phone call converts better than an email reply. "Hi [Name], I received your enquiry about [treatment] and wanted to call to answer any questions you might have"

Social media messages

Patients increasingly message practices via Instagram DM or Facebook Messenger:

• Enable notifications — don't let messages sit unread for hours
• Reply conversationally — match the informal tone of the platform
• Move to booking quickly — "That's a great question! We'd love to help. Shall I book you in for a consultation? We have [availability]"

Stage 2: The initial conversation

Whether on the phone or in person, the initial conversation determines whether the patient proceeds.

Understand their motivation

Before discussing logistics, understand what the patient actually wants:

• "What prompted you to get in touch today?" — reveals their motivation and urgency
• "What would you like to achieve?" — focuses on their desired outcome
• "Have you looked into this before?" — tells you their research level and any past experiences
• "Is there anything that concerns you?" — surfaces anxiety or objections early

Address anxiety proactively

Many patients delay booking because of dental anxiety, not cost:

• Normalise their concern: "Many of our patients feel the same way when they first call"
• Explain your approach: "We take a gentle, step-by-step approach and you're always in control"
• Mention sedation options if available
• Offer a "meet the dentist" consultation with no commitment to treatment

Handle pricing conversations

Price is the most common conversation patients have before booking. How you handle it matters:

Do:

• Give clear starting-from prices: "A single dental implant starts from £2,000"
• Explain what's included: "That includes the implant, abutment and crown, plus all follow-up appointments"
• Mention finance options early: "We offer 0% finance over 12 months, so that works out at about £167 per month"
• Provide context: "The cost varies depending on [factors], which is why we start with a consultation to give you an accurate quote"

Don't:

• Refuse to give any price indication: "I can't tell you until you've had a consultation"
• Apologise for pricing: "I know it's expensive but..."
• Only give the highest price: "Implants are £5,000" (without context)
• Skip the value: always connect cost to outcome

Stage 3: Booking and pre-appointment

Remove booking friction

Make it as easy as possible to commit:

• Offer multiple booking channels — phone, online form, email, in-person
• Provide availability immediately — "We have appointments on Thursday or Monday"
• Keep the gap short — the longer between enquiry and appointment, the higher the cancellation rate. Aim for appointments within 1–2 weeks
• Confirm immediately — send a confirmation text/email within minutes of booking

Pre-appointment communication

Between booking and attendance, stay in touch:

• Booking confirmation — immediate text/email with date, time, location, what to bring
• Reminder (48 hours before) — text and/or email reminding them of the appointment
• Reminder (2 hours before) — optional SMS for high-value consultations
• What to expect — send a brief guide about the consultation process, especially for nervous patients

These touchpoints reduce no-shows and build trust before the patient walks through the door.

Stage 4: The consultation

The consultation is your highest-leverage moment. A good consultation converts; a poor one loses the patient forever.

The first 5 minutes

First impressions are formed fast:

• Greet by name at reception
• Minimal wait time — if there's a delay, communicate it
• A welcoming environment — clean, calm, modern reception area
• The clinician introduces themselves — eye contact, handshake, friendly tone

Listen before you diagnose

Spend the first 5–10 minutes understanding the patient's concerns, goals and expectations. This isn't wasted time — it's the foundation of a successful consultation.

Use open questions:

• "Tell me what brought you in today"
• "What would be your ideal outcome?"
• "What's most important to you in your treatment?"

Present treatment clearly

When presenting options:

1. Start with the patient's goal — "Based on what you've told me, here's how we can help"
2. Explain options clearly — use plain language, not clinical jargon
3. Visual aids — show photos, diagrams or digital simulations
4. Address concerns directly — pain, time, recovery, cost
5. Present pricing with finance — "The total is £3,500, which on our 0% plan is £146 per month"
6. Give them space — "Do you have any questions? Take all the time you need"

Ask for the commitment

Many clinicians present beautifully but never actually ask the patient to proceed. This is the most common conversion gap:

• Direct close: "Shall we get you booked in to start?"
• Choice close: "Would you like to begin next week or the week after?"
• Next step close: "The next step is [X]. Shall I get that arranged?"

If they need time to decide, that's fine — but always agree on a follow-up plan.

Stage 5: Follow-up

Patients who don't book immediately aren't lost — they're undecided. A systematic follow-up process recovers a significant percentage:

Follow-up timeline

What to say in follow-ups

• Be helpful, not pushy — you're checking in, not selling
• Add value — share relevant information, answer questions they may have thought of
• Remove barriers — "If cost is a concern, we have flexible finance options we can discuss"
• Maintain the relationship — even if they don't book now, they may come back later

Measuring your conversion rate

Track these metrics to identify where patients are dropping off:

• Enquiry-to-booking rate — percentage of enquiries that become appointments
• Booking-to-attendance rate — percentage of bookings that show up (target: 90%+)
• Consultation-to-treatment rate — percentage of consultations that result in treatment acceptance
• Average response time — how quickly you respond to enquiries
• Source conversion rates — which channels (phone, web, social) convert best

Most practice management systems can generate these reports. If yours can't, a simple spreadsheet tracking enquiry source, date, and outcome is a good starting point.

Quick wins to implement this month

1. Measure your current conversion rate — you can't improve what you don't measure
2. Set a 15-minute response time target — brief your team
3. Create a phone script for your 3 most common enquiry types
4. Set up automated appointment confirmations and reminders
5. Implement a 3-touch follow-up for patients who don't book after consultation
6. Add starting-from prices to your website and phone scripts

The gap between a 35% conversion rate and a 65% conversion rate is rarely about marketing spend — it's about systems, training and consistent follow-through.

Pearlie sends dental practices pre-qualified patient enquiries with clarified needs and expectations, helping improve consultation conversion rates. Learn about joining Pearlie's clinic network.