The Goal: Financing should be woven throughout the entire patient experience, not mentioned only at the end when discussing price.

Patient Journey Map with Financing Touchpoints

Making Financing Feel Standard, Not Optional

Language matters:

Troubleshooting Common Challenges

Challenge 1: Staff Forgets to Mention Financing

Solutions:

Create Visual Reminders:

• Post-it notes on calculators: “Mention financing!”
• Screensaver/wallpaper reminders
• Checklist on consultation room wall

Accountability System:

• Track financing mentions per staff member
• Weekly report: “Sarah mentioned financing to 10/12 patients this week”
• Celebrate high performers
• One-on-one coaching for low performers

Make It Impossible to Forget:

• Add financing to consultation checklist
• Required field in CRM: “Financing offered? Y/N”
• Manager spot-checks during consultations

Reality Check: It takes 2-3 weeks of conscious effort before it becomes automatic.

Challenge 2: Patient Says “I’ll Just Use My Credit Card”

Why this happens: Patient doesn’t understand the benefits of financing over credit cards

Response Script:

"That's totally fine! Just so you know, our financing 
often has better rates than most credit cards, and it 
keeps your credit card available for other expenses. 
But either way works for us!"

Follow-up if they seem interested:

"Would you like me to show you the rates real quick? 
It takes 30 seconds, and there's no commitment to 
apply. You can decide which is better for you."

Why this works:

• Respects their choice
• Educates without being pushy
• Opens door for them to reconsider
• Positions you as helpful, not salesy

Challenge 3: Low Financing Approval Rates

Why this happens:

• Using only one financing platform
• Not offering Stripe options for smaller purchases
• Demographic mismatch with platform

Solutions:

Use All Three Tiers:

• Stripe for instant approval on smaller amounts
• Cherry for broader approval criteria
• PatientFi for higher limits

Tier Down Strategy: If PatientFi denies:

1. Try Cherry (higher approval rate)
2. If Cherry denies, offer Stripe 4-pay for smaller amount
3. If all deny, offer payment plan directly through clinic

Reality Check: With all three options, you should see 75-85% of patients get approved for something.

Challenge 4: Patients Don’t Follow Through on Applications

Why this happens:

• Application process feels complicated
• Patient gets distracted and forgets
• Unclear on next steps

Solutions:

Apply During Consultation:

"Let's get you approved right now while you're here. 
It only takes 60 seconds, and then you'll know exactly 
what you qualify for."

Offer Assistance:

"I can help you with the application if you'd like. 
I'll hand you my tablet and walk you through each step."

For Stripe/Afterpay: No application needed, instant at checkout, removes friction entirely.

Send Follow-Up: If patient leaves without applying:

• Text within 2 hours: “Here’s the link to apply for financing: [LINK]”
• Email same day with clear next steps
• Call next day if no response

Challenge 5: Staff Uncomfortable Discussing Money

Why this happens: Medical professionals aren’t trained in sales, cultural discomfort around money discussions

Solutions:

Reframe the Conversation:

"We're not selling them something they don't want. 
We're removing a barrier to something they've already 
told us they want. That's service, not sales."

Practice Until Comfortable:

• Role-play 10+ times
• Record yourself saying the script
• Practice with team members
• Start with friendly patients first

Provide Exact Scripts:

• Staff doesn’t have to “figure out what to say”
• Can read from script until it becomes natural
• Remove the creative burden

Celebrate Small Wins:

"Sarah mentioned financing to her first patient today! 
Even though they didn't use it, the fact that she 
offered it is huge progress. Let's celebrate that!"

Reality Check: Discomfort decreases 80% after the first 5 financing conversations.