Focus On the Relationship And The Money Will Take Care Of Itself
I promise you that if you focus on building the relationship, you will begin to see the results in all other aspects of your business–treatment acceptance, new patient flow, re-appointment percentage, and so on. HOW?
Because patient’s don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
They must trust you before they will proceed with your treatment plan, do repeat business with your or refer to you a friend or family member
The good news is that the very fact they are in your office is a big step in the right direction. They believe you are a dentist and qualified to treat them…..but don’t make the mistake of thinking that is enough to get them to accept the treatment you have presented…..this minimal trust they have coming in can be stripped away in a heartbeat…
So many factors determine whether they add or take away from the base line trust they have….cleanliness of the office, how you and your team interact, your non-verbal communication, the confidence with which you speak and so on and so forth…….
Here are some things you can do to maximize the chances the patient will make deposits in their trust account:
- A.Walk into the operatory or first patient encounter with your shoulders back, head up and a smile on your face. People decide whether they trust you within the first few seconds of seeing you. Doing this will greatly increase the chances that this patient will perceive you as a kind, confident and trustworthy person.
- Treat people well. (Be kind, non-judgmental, excited to see them and thank them for being there.)
- Let them get to know you. (Open up and tell them about yourself. Share stories about your family and your hobbies, and discover common interests.)
- Get to know them. (Use the Dale Carnegie Conversation Stack if you need a place to start. I suggest not being so formal. Talk to them like a friend and take a genuine interest in them.)
- Don’t be pushy. (Pushy feels like sales. The art of treatment presentation will be discussed briefly later in the book.)
- Deliver value through education (but be careful of TMI).
- Be consistent in your actions. (Consistency in the experience builds trust.)
- Communicate transparently and don’t speak “over their heads” (technical jargon etc.).
- Don’t forget about them after the transaction (do post-op calls).