#153: How AI Helps Clinics Convert More Patients Without Spending More on Ads

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Most clinics think the only way to grow is to spend more on ads. But here’s the truth: there are actually two ways to generate more business.

The first way is the obvious one — pay for more leads. Increase your advertising budget, get more enquiries, and try to convert them.
It works… but it’s expensive.

The smarter way? Convert more of the leads you already have.

If you can take the exact same number of enquiries you’re getting today — without spending a cent more on ads — and double your conversion rate, you’ve just doubled your business. That’s the real opportunity.

And that’s exactly what AI is designed to help us do.

“There are really only two ways a clinic can grow:

1. Spend more on advertising to get more leads.
2. Convert more of the leads you already have into actual appointments.

Now, option one—spending more—comes with higher costs and lower returns over time. But option two is where the magic happens. If you double your conversion rate, you double your patients, without spending an extra cent on ads.

And that’s exactly what AI makes possible.”

“Let’s look at the challenge most clinics face. They’re generating leads through Google or Facebook ads, maybe 100 leads in a month. But only a fraction of those leads actually turn into bookings. Why?

• Delayed follow-up.
• Not enough follow-up.
• Leads getting lost.
• Patients distracted or going to competitors.

The truth is, clinics are leaving thousands of dollars on the table every month because they don’t have the systems to capture and convert leads effectively.

This is exactly where AI steps in. AI can dramatically improve conversion without increasing ad spend by fixing three critical problems in the lead-to-patient journey.

1. Improving Conversion of Existing Leads

So today, I want to show you how clinics can convert more enquiries into actual booked appointments using AI.

There are three big ways to do this:

1. Speed to lead — how fast you respond.
2. Aggressive follow-up — how persistent you are.
3. Long-term nurturing — keeping the conversation alive.

Let’s break these down.

Part 1: Speed to Lead

“One of the biggest factors in conversion is how fast you follow up. Industry research shows that if you follow up within the first minute of an enquiry, you’re 390% more likely to convert that lead.

Within two minutes, that drops to 160%. At three minutes, it’s under 100%. And the longer you wait, the lower your chances get.

Think about it — patients don’t sit around waiting for you. They fill out multiple forms, contact multiple clinics, and whoever responds first usually wins.

But here’s the problem: most clinics don’t follow up that fast. They’re busy. The receptionist is on the phone, the nurse is helping patients, or it’s after hours. By the time the clinic calls back, it’s too late—the patient has already moved on or booked somewhere else.

That’s why instant response matters. And that’s where AI is a game-changer. With tools like OMD.ai, every enquiry gets an immediate response — whether it comes from your website, Instagram, Facebook, or SMS.

No delay. No lost leads.

With AI-powered SMS and chatbots, you can follow up instantly, 24/7. A patient submits an enquiry online, and within seconds they get a personalised message that feels like it’s coming directly from your practice manager. The AI thanks them, acknowledges their request, and offers appointment times—all before your human staff has even seen the lead.

Part 2: Persistent Follow-Ups

The second way to improve conversions is through aggressive follow-ups.

Here’s the reality: people are busy. They enquire, then forget. They’re at work, they’re with their kids, they’re distracted. If you only call once or twice, you’re leaving money on the table.

Most clinics give up after 1–2 attempts. But the research says otherwise.

• With one follow-up attempt, you have just a 39% chance of converting.
• With two attempts, that jumps to 72%.
• By the sixth attempt, you have a 93% chance of converting that lead.

In other words — six follow-ups can give you five times the conversion rate of just one follow-up.

The problem? Humans don’t like doing it. Staff naturally move on to “fresh” leads instead of chasing the same ones. That’s where AI steps in.

With AI-driven SMS and chat follow-ups, every lead gets the consistent persistence they need — without your team burning out.

The problem is, human staff don’t have the time or patience to chase every lead six times. But AI does.

With an AI follow-up sequence, you can send friendly, non-intrusive reminders spread over days or weeks. It could be SMS, email, or even voice AI calls. Each touchpoint increases the chance that the patient finally replies with ‘Yes, book me in.

And the best part? Patients don’t feel annoyed. They feel cared for—because the AI messages are personalised, relevant, and conversational.”

For example, you can run a schedule like this:

• Day 1: 2 attempts
• Day 3: another attempt
• Day 4: another attempt
• Day 11 and 12: final 2 attempts

That’s six follow-ups across 12 days — all fully automated by AI.

Part 3: Nurturing and Objection Handling

Now let’s look at the third method: long-term nurturing.

Some leads won’t book right away. Maybe they’re still researching, maybe they’re not financially ready, or maybe they’re just hesitant.

Traditionally, you might send a few emails — but AI takes it much further.

AI can keep engaging patients over weeks or even months, checking in, answering FAQs, sending educational content, reminding them of special offers, and keeping your clinic at the top of their mind.

AI can be trained on your clinic’s FAQs, pricing options, and treatment details. It can handle common objections like:

• ‘It’s too expensive.’
  
• ‘I need to think about it.’
  
• ‘Do you have financing options?’
  

Instead of losing the lead, the AI provides supportive, concise responses that guide the patient towards booking a consultation. It acts like a patient concierge, always available, always consistent, and always moving the conversation towards an appointment.

When they’re finally ready, guess who they’ll book with? The clinic that stayed in touch the whole time.

Part 4: Real-World Example

Here’s how this looks in practice.

For one of our clients in the UK, British Face Clinic, we set up an AI-powered workflow using GoHighLevel. When a Facebook lead comes in, the system instantly sends a personalised SMS — written as if it’s from their practice manager, Holly.

The message thanks them for their enquiry, references the specific procedure they asked about, and offers a quick call to go over next steps.

Once the patient replies, the AI bot takes over and continues the conversation in real time — guiding them towards booking.

It feels human. It’s personalised. But it’s fully automated.

And the result? More bookings, less wasted leads, and a more consistent process.

Let me give you another example. One of our clients was getting around 100 leads a month from Facebook. But only 10 of those turned into booked calls.

After introducing an AI follow-up system, here’s what happened:

• Out of 59 leads, 24 replied to the AI sequence.
• 12 booked a consultation call within 10 days.

That’s double the conversion rate—without spending a single extra dollar on ads.

Imagine what that could mean for your clinic.

Part 5: Additional AI Use Cases for Clinics

But it doesn’t stop there. Once you have AI in place, it can help at every touchpoint in the patient journey:

• After-Hours Calls: If a patient calls at 7 pm, AI answers, collects their details, and even books them into the calendar. No more missed opportunities.
• Social Media Messages: Patients often DM clinics on Instagram or Facebook. AI can instantly respond, answer their questions, and move them towards booking.
• Ad Comment Responses: Many people comment on ads without filling out a form. AI can reply to those comments, then take the conversation into Messenger or SMS—turning casual interest into a booking.”

6. Why This Matters

When you put these systems together — instant speed to lead, persistent follow-ups, and long-term nurturing — you transform your clinic’s conversion rate.

You’re no longer relying on your staff to chase every enquiry manually. You’re not losing business just because someone was too busy to answer the phone.

AI ensures that every lead gets a response, every lead gets followed up, and every lead gets nurtured until they’re ready to book.

The result? More patients, without spending more on ads.

Results and Proof

“Clinics using AI aren’t just getting leads—they’re getting appointments directly into their calendar. Imagine opening your week and seeing 10, 15, even 20 patient calls booked—without your staff having to chase them.

And because the AI handles the routine conversations, your team can focus on what they do best: building real relationships with patients during consultations.

“So let’s go back to the original question: how do you get more patients without spending more on ads?

The answer is simple:

• Respond faster.
• Follow up longer.
• Nurture smarter.

And AI makes all three possible.

AI gives you the power to respond instantly, follow up aggressively, and nurture patients long-term — all without extra strain on your staff.

And that’s how clinics are doubling their bookings, not by doubling their ad spend, but by finally converting the leads they already have.

This isn’t about replacing your team—it’s about empowering them. AI handles the repetitive tasks, so your staff can focus on care. It helps you convert more patients, generate more revenue, and grow sustainably—without burning more money on ads.”

If you’re ready to see how AI can help your clinic convert more patients, let’s have a chat and book a discovery call with our team. We’ll show you real examples, real numbers, and set up a system tailored to your practice.

Because the future of patient growth isn’t about spending more—it’s about converting smarter.:
So if you’re serious about growing your clinic without burning out your team or blowing your budget —
OMD AI is your game-changer.

Want to see how it works?
👉 Book a free demo today at www.onlinemarketingfordoctors.com/discovery-call-booking

Let your clinic run smarter, not harder.

Talk to you soon!