As promised, today we are doing something very different. This Weekly Report is going to be singularly focused on one thing: how to talk to your patients in a way that builds value and drives decisions – faster.
Yes, I know we talk about communication and verbiage all the time. We have to because that’s what it is all about, connecting with people. But this is different. I’m going to give specific ways that you and your team usually sabotage yourselves, and therefore the patients, and exactly how to flip it around in order to use it to your advantage every single time.
Here’s a fact… most communication, in general but specifically to what happens inside of your business (don’t forget that is what it is), is defensive language. Meaning it’s trying to solve a problem reactively, overcome an objection after it has happened, or even worse carry a negative, critical tone.
Our goal here and your goal every single day should be to speak nothing but positive language – for the patient’s benefit. By the way, you can say something that seems like a negative statement as long as it is intended to move the patient in a positive direction.
Here’s an example: you would never say you do “cheap” dentistry and you would never say you do “expensive” dentistry – both would come across the wrong way to the patient.
However, you could say, “The solutions to your health challenges are never going to be cheaper than they are right now, so if you are wanting the most affordable approach that doesn’t compromise quality and outcome, then this is it and now is the time to make it happen.”
You could also say, “What we have found, Patient, is that when people further delay their health, instead of being proactive, and wait for bigger problems to occur before they take action, always results in a more expensive fix to a problem that could have been resolved much earlier for less money.”
You see what I mean. It’s all about the positioning and how the words are used.
There is so much to talk about here and no doubt we are going to require a few weeks to do this justice. I could have included these lessons in our Monday Morning Huddle’s but it’s too advanced and deserves a longer discussion so I’m leaving it in your capable hands to study and then share with your team so everyone can take advantage of these nuances of language.
When you grasp the significance that every word you say is either moving someone closer to or farther away from the objectives you have for them, you will pay much closer attention and take your speech very seriously.
By the way, it’s no coincidence that our very best and consistently high performing practices are the ones that the doctors lead by example and put themselves first in terms of personal development and responsibility. They are also the ones that study and apply what I say meticulously and always commit to the Dental Success Today System with Practice Focus meetings monthly and weekly conversations with your team.
Let’s dive in with some easy examples and remember the goal is to spin everything to the positive for the patient. Here’s the places where people make mistakes and miss opportunities…
First, on the phone where people default to cleanings, emergencies, or limited exams (and for our specialists doing specific procedures to consults), instead of doing the work necessary to pre-sell the idea around and the value in a Comprehensive Exam with the doctor.
“It’s a personalized visit with our Doctor so they can get to know you and you can get to know them. Of course, the most important decision you will ever make about your health is not what you do but who will do it, who will be providing you the care, advice, and guidance for your long-term health. This is why we always put a priority on relationships and why your first visit begins with you having a comprehensive exam with our Doctor.”
It is very important that you focus on the positives of the experience and why you do things the way you do them. It’s about the relationship; not the length of the visit, insurance, all the specifics around the diagnostics, or anything else.
How else would you establish a relationship between the doctor and the patient in order to get to know them? Why would a patient want to go to a practice where they are just a number, anyways?
Next up… insurance. Never ever say the words “out of network” as if it is some badge of honor. No patient cares. And if they do, they care about that in a negative way, not a positive way. You have to flip that upside down.
How you decide to handle insurance and get paid is your problem, not the patients. All you do is run off good patients.
Of course, I love full fee for service. If you are in network you have no issues with any question but if you are in fact not in the network (or the Preferred Provider list which is all nonsense in the first place), then you have to make it a good thing.
It’s very simple, you explain the value and benefits of not having signed a contract with the insurance company and why that is to the patient’s advantage.
First of all, no one likes contracts, so that becomes a common bond and second no one likes a nameless, faceless, greedy corporation whose primary goal is to keep the patient’s money in their pocket instead of investing in their health which was the point of having the insurance in the first place.
Now, there are other things to do with the insurance “in the office” regarding health and maintenance. I could keep going, but hey, it’s a Weekly Report not a customized insurance training specifically for you.
So, generally speaking get rid of the negative words and think about how things sound to patients. It’s all really common sense. Put yourself in their shoes and figure out a better way to communicate. And remember, you are all on the same team with the same goal of getting patients healthy.
Now, when it comes to treatment and dentistry itself, we have a very easy fix. You know this already, if you haven’t been in hiding, as I talk about it every single week. We call it the patient’s pathway to health. Anything that needs to be done in their mouths is because we are on a journey to get them healthy.
Remember, they do not need treatment, they need health – they do not want dentistry, they want health. There is way too much focus on the “dentistry” instead of the “outcome” of the dentistry.
The more specific you are about what the healthy outcome is and the more personal you can make it for the patient, the easier case acceptance will be. You start this earlier in the process by helping the patients define what health is and anchor that to the personal impact on their lives.
On that note, let’s move on case acceptance. You already know it’s not money, it’s not price, it’s not anything more or less than an investment.
Everything is an investment in yourself, everything. When you go out to eat, when you buy a car, when you spend time reading this email – you are always investing in yourself.
Please get this right with your patients. They are not giving you money, they are investing in an improvement of their health.
This shouldn’t be difficult to convey to patients. They have one mouth… take care of it, it’s yours, you must invest in it in order to keep it healthy and functioning – just like everything else.
Don’t shy away from this – if anything – this is the part you should be most proud of and celebrate often. Every time there is an investment a patient is getting their health back on track. What could be more amazing than that?
The more you get over the fixing things and just pointing out problems, the more you will really create life changing dentistry for your patients and these are the things that people get excited about.
Your challenge is to think of and make a list of all the verbiage mistakes, the sabotaging phrases, and how what you say determines the patients’ perception.
I’m going to pick up here and go more in depth on psychology next week as we start to expand on some key examples. I will add in proactive experiential measures that build value and give you more power to influence people with the way you communicate.
There’s a lot to do here and not just with the words I’ve given you and the examples that have been laid out. Go beneath the surface and follow your patients from phone call all the way through the case acceptance and see where your words get in the way.
By the way, this all comes back down to consistency in message and making sure there are no gaps in your process. One of the first gaps that exists is in the initial point of contact with a patient. That has mostly moved to website, email, and texting. The intake isn’t even the phone ringing anymore and that’s a whole different game which requires an entirely different set of tools and strategy.
Here’s the very best approach I’ve ever seen. I wanted to share it with you and it’s certainly worth watching. This is how you and your team can get more patients into appointments…
You Can Watch The Video Here …
Next week, we’ll continue working on ways you can help patients get healthy by communicating with more intention and purpose. Stay tuned…
