What is a very-low-cost consultation and why does it outperform a fully paid diagnostic at the first step?
It is a consultation that is either free or carries a token fee, typically capped well under fifty dollars, designed to lower the barrier for a prospective patient to commit to coming in for the first time. Behavioral science consistently shows that the largest psychological hurdle in any service-buying decision is the first commitment. Removing or minimizing the cost of that first step lifts conversion rates substantially. The practice gives up a small piece of revenue at the front end and earns it back many times over through higher case-acceptance rates on the actual treatment that follows. The very-low-cost consultation is time-bounded to fifteen minutes with the doctor, with team members handling the rest of the visit. The doctor’s hourly time is not given away wholesale. The consultation also creates the reciprocity dynamic that increases the patient’s pull toward booking treatment. Old-school advice to charge for everything at step one is wrong on the math.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.