The Most Powerful Way To Win Over Your Patients

If I had to boil everything down into one powerful strategy to help you help more patients, it would be this one.  I ought to write an entire book on just this one single concept – but it would be over in three words…

Tell The Truth.

I know it seems so simple, but the power of truth is that, first and foremost.  It is the easiest thing to do and it happens to be the most authentic.  There are no tricks or gimmicks or polished tactics or anything else that work as well as being honest.

Now, of course, I know you have integrity and consider yourself a “good person.”  I have no doubt about that, but that isn’t exactly the context that I mean when I’m talking about “truth-telling” in dentistry.

Here’s what I am telling you…

Tell the truth about the problems in the patients’ mouths.

Tell the truth about the reality of insurance.

Tell the truth about the patients’ responsibilities.

Tell the truth about the possibilities and what you can do to help them.

Truth can be tough and it can be touching.  It is often both.

Patients really just need to hear it.  It is what removes the feeling of “being sold” and allows the patients to accept their relationships with you for what it really should be – guidance and direction on what is in their best interests.

So often, we see selling as manipulation of someone else’s mind to get them to do something they don’t want to do – which is the complete opposite of what it means to tell the truth.  Done right, you should be influencing patients to do something in their best interests in order to get an outcome that they do in fact want.

Over the past few weeks, I have given you the concepts and strategies to improve patient outcomes, follow-through, compliance and case acceptance.  Every single one of those works even better when you just put the truth behind it.

My favorite statement is, “Just tell your patients the truth.”

…about anything they ask and about everything they need to hear.

Team Members and Doctors alike shy away from the truth often unintentionally because they are afraid of what a patient will think or because they think it will deter them from accepting treatment.  When actually, 100% of the time, the opposite is true.

Bold, raw, real honesty always wins because it is the thing that builds the trust the fastest and the strongest.  It is what will solidify your patients’ relationships with you.

Think deeply in your practice (both individually and as a whole), where do you NOT use “truth” enough and how you could effectively improve outcomes with patients by being more transparent about the reality.

Why this matters so much (other than it being the right way to take care of people, do business and build relationships), is because when you do the opposite it actually comes across like you are hiding something or you aren’t fully disclosing all the details.

Of course, we know you aren’t going to lie about anything – and people have a false impression that to NOT tell the truth is to LIE – but life isn’t so black and white.  There is a whole lot of grey; especially with patients’ understanding of dentistry.

So, if they ask “is my insurance going to cover it?”  When we beat around the bush, it makes the patient doubt everything else instead of just saying “not a chance, because it isn’t supposed to.”

You know that expression “if you see something, say something;” that is how you must approach dentistry.  If you see a problem or an opportunity for improved health, then tell them about it.

That is what I mean about telling the truth, always.  That way, you don’t have to worry about missing anything or forgetting anything and your patients will reward you with great appreciation.

Here is one final tip to throw you into your discussion and deliberation on ways you can improve your conversations with patients using this principle – being honest with patients saves you time!  And everyone wins when you’re more efficient.

Go through your patient engagements where you come up short and avoid things that need to be said to patients.  Remember, patients only know the things we tell them, show them and help them experience.

Add this to what we worked on last month and you are going to see dramatic increases in your patient success.