The Power of Appreciation – Part 1

This is something we have surely talked about before and given the month I thought it’s a great time to bring it up again.

I believe there is no more powerful force for good than the expression of appreciation and gratitude.

More than just being polite or saying thank you, the deliberate act of letting someone know how much you appreciate them creates an undeniable positive energy.

You take care of people all day and your patients should be thanking you.  Of course, many probably do, but others maybe not so much.

However, that’s the wrong way to think about it.  Reviews are nice and getting great feedback always feels good, even if you have to elicit that comment from the patient.

Here’s the real secret to creating positivity and inspiration in your practice…

Patient Appreciation.

You expressing gratitude to them on a daily, habitual, basis.

You are people of gratitude.  I know that about you.  You’ve experienced first-hand the power of sharing genuine appreciation.

Taking that pause to look the patient in the eyes and say, “You know, I just want to tell you how much all of us here really appreciate you as a patient and giving us the privilege to take care of you.”

The more spontaneous, the better.  There are natural places in your patient process… at the end of a new patient phone call, in hygiene right after getting the clinical yes, doctors just before getting up to leave, assistants after cleaning up the patient before they get out of the chair, right when you make the hand-off to do any Triangle of Trust and especially if, or when a patient is exited to the front.

There are a number of scenarios where it can fit, but more importantly, just be yourself.  This is not a scripted moment.  If it is sincere, it will feel very special to your patients.

Now, we do this because THEY NEED TO HEAR IT.  Gratitude is a sign of trust, compassion and confidence.  It will help more patients get healthy because people listen to others who are appreciative.

Our goal is to help more patients.  Imagine that you get to be yourself and do something that makes someone feel great.  Then as a result the patients will stay, refer and say yes more easily.

Here’s the deal: people don’t hear often enough how important they are to someone else, how special they are, that they are appreciated – not just their business but their time, their money, their trust, their support and their loyalty.

It’s a inspiring thing when the person doing the work thanks the one getting the benefits from it – first.

I have no doubt you do this to a certain extent now.  Though, I wonder how deliberate you are about it.  I wonder how often it happens considering you are busy and the day goes fast as the minutes (and the patients) run together.

This is even more of a reason to make this a priority.  Not just a ‘thank you’ that’s easy, they expect that.  With sincere, truthful statements of appreciation to your patients, you’ll see the magic of reciprocity as a result.  All because you don’t expect anything in return and are just being you.

By the way… there’s a real case acceptance secret here to overcoming objections.  You are going to love it and we’ll tackle it next week.  Seriously, maybe the most important Huddle all year.

Inside of your Practice please adopt, embrace and live out an Attitude of Gratitude everyday to those all around you (which of course means EACH OTHER as well)!