Let me ask you something:
What do you do with the first segment of time you spend with a patient?
Most people waste these crucial moments. They assume, because you’ll have an hour with the patient, these first few minutes don’t matter.
When they walk down the hallway or sit down in your chair… What’s going through your mind? What’s the objective you need to accomplish? What are the first words out of your mouth?
This moment matters, in fact, it’s the most important time in the entire appointment.
Why?
Because you’re setting the tone. You’re establishing the outcome before the visit even begins.
This is where influence begins. This is where value gets anchored. This is where treatment materializes. This is where case acceptances shows up or walks out the door.
Let me show you how to turn those first two to three minutes into the most health-impacting, practicing-altering, difference-making part of your entire day.
Rule #1: Always Praise and Appreciate First
Don’t just jump into x-rays and bibs and “open wide.”
Start with what matters most: gratitude.
“We are so happy to see you today. Thank you for coming in. You’re doing great things for your health, and we’re honored to have the privilege of taking care of you.”
Say it your way, say it using your words, but say it every time. This is your moment to reaffirm good behavior, to validate the patient, to remind them why they’re here, and reiterate what it says about them.
This isn’t just etiquette, it’s positioning. You’re placing them in the driver’s seat of their own health journey.
Yes, you can still talk hobbies, kids, and vacations, but save that for the hallway. The real moment begins when the patient is in the chair. That’s your transition point from small talk to serious purpose.
Praise first. Always. It opens the door for what’s next…
Rule #2: Set the Game Plan And Make It Clear
You want the patient engaged? Start with what’s about to happen.
Pretend as if the patient says, “So, what are we gonna do here today?”
This is your closed circle of the visit. A little hygiene, yes, but also an assessment. Maybe some x-rays. Updated photos. Fresh comparisons.
You’re not doing a “cleaning,” you’re initiating a proactive evaluation of their current status and their forward trajectory. You’re the guide with the map and it’s your job to explain the path they are on.
This isn’t “routine maintenance,” this is a strategic health alignment.
Rule #3: Begin With the End in Mind
Here’s the third piece… if you want patients to say yes at the end, they have to see the end from the beginning.
You can start by saying, “Before you leave today, we’re going to revisit a couple things we didn’t get scheduled last time.”
You’re pre-framing the visit. You’re anchoring the importance of next steps before the doctor walks in.
That way, when the doctor arrives, it’s not a surprise. It’s not, “Uh-oh, what’s wrong?” Instead, we already told them and they are expecting this.
That one phrase – we already told them – eliminates objections before they arise. It prevents your doctor from becoming “the bad guy” with the bad news.
This is how you set the tone and set the standard… “If there is disease in your mouth, it’s not acceptable to leave it unaddressed. Our standard of care is greater than this.”
This is about clarity, confidence, clinical philosophy, and professional responsibility. Trust me, if your standard of care is non-negotiable, the patient will rise to it.
Rule #4: Pre-Frame for Completion, Not Convenience
Never forget that the specific language you use matters.
“Now as you know, we’re not finished.”
Not “you could,” not “you might,” not “if you want to.”
Instead, you say: “We actually have two more things in order to complete your pathway to health.”
No one likes feeling incomplete. People feel like unsettled when they leave things undone. (Ever had one item left on your to-do list?)
So use the word: complete. It’s powerful as it implies purpose and signals progress.
This all happens in the first two to three minutes while you’re setting up. It doesn’t take extra time. But it changes everything. It’s the verbal version of setting up the finish line and putting their name on the trophy.
Rule #5: Opportunity + Strategy = Outcome
Your ability to be influential is because you set the tone and you pre-determined the outcome.
However, in order to do that, you have to know the outcome.
That’s what the morning huddle is really for. It’s not just schedules and breakdowns. It’s to visualize the end of each visit before it starts.
“Opportunity plus strategy equals desired outcome.”
And what’s the opportunity? Twofold:
1. Resurrect Old Treatment
Yesterday’s treatment plan is old news in a patient’s mind. So how do we make it new again?
New pictures on old treatment equals new treatment.
You refresh their perspective. You reconnect them with what matters now.
2. Discover New Opportunities to Help
This is your purpose and the reason the patient is here today.
Destroy the misconception that “There’s nothing to do” is a victory.
If the patient leaves the visit without you helping them get healthier, move forward, or take a step closer to their goals, that’s not good news. That’s a missed opportunity and a missed responsibility.
We celebrate when we find ways to help. We don’t celebrate nothing to do.
This Is the Front End of the Visit
In total, we’re talking at most about 90 seconds to three minutes. It seems insignificant but it holds the weight of the entire appointment. It’s where you:
- Set the tone.
- Declare the outcome.
- Frame the conversation.
- Prepare the patient for action.
This is how you visualize, you influence, and you lead. When you do that, you don’t just increase case acceptance… you create alignment, you build trust, and you deliver life-changing care. All during this front end of the visit.
