How To Ask Patients For Money… Where The Magic Happens

Welcome back my friends! Next week is the big week…when I finally unveil my High Fee Large Case “Sell more Dentistry” Accelerator System. 100% no cost to you, this live webcast training is going to be a powerful punch in the face or kick in the rear that you need to propel you to the next level and help you reach your full potential when it comes to creating, diagnosis, presenting, and getting acceptance on bigger cases in your Practice.

There is no other faster route to making more money, helping patients more completely, than mastering this!

Of course it does and always comes down to “asking for the money.”

The one thing that most Dentists avoid like the plague and always seem unnecessarily proud over the fact that they “Never discuss fees…”

And if that is so, that’s just fine, to each their own and I’m not here to try to change you nor do I even need to. Nope. That’s my promise, just be who you are, true to yourself, and build a Practice around you that matches what you want and you will find all the prosperity you can imagine.

None the less, someone is going to have to inevitably collect.

Today I thought I would share with you a few rules of engagement when it comes to asking for Money from your patients.

First. Did you know that more than 80%, seriously, of all Practices do not ‘formally’ present and ask for treatment purchases, they allow patients to check out at the front desk in front of everyone like they are ordering something at a fast food restaurant.

Let me ask you…

How many big cases, $20,000+, $40,000+, $60,000+ have you checked out by exiting a patient in that way. Doubt it’s many, if any at all.

Some Dentists would think they haven’t sold large cases because their patients don’t have any money, they would be wrong. It’s always because of the way the money was presented and the method, environment in which the patient experienced it.

If they are not comfortable they will find the fastest way to exit.

Remember…

Rule #1 – just because the patient says they can’t afford it, doesn’t mean they don’t want it…usually it’s the fastest thing they can say to avoid a further discussion.

We are trained to think like this. Saying “I can’t afford it” usually gets you out of anything and everything when it’s uncomfortable in any way.

Rule #2 – never ever attached money to health, make a treatment decision first, then a money decision second.

This is critical, of course if you say to get healthy it’s going to be $50,000 or $5,000 most aren’t going to want to do it, if you say do you want to get healthy, do you understand how important this is, do you realize and agree the implications long term on both your health and your finances if you are not proactive about this right now today… (Read that paragraph again.)

Then they have emotionally BOUGHT into the Treatment.
Which is the first key step in the MONEY Process.

Rule #3 – always present the full fee, as this is what we agreed to

Rule #4 – never diminish treatment first, always move to “When you say you can’t afford it, let me ask you, what do you mean by that…today, tomorrow, next week, ever in the future…”

Ask them to restate whether or not this is something they want to do and are committed to.

Rule #5 – ask for a deposit, layaway the treatment, or create an installment plan to phase it in. Or use your credit or financing options as you see fit.

If none of these work, nothing at all, then you can use a “step 1” phasing approach.

But… The key is not let them break down the treatment, instead break down the money, in this worst case scenario.

If you take all of the things I have presented to you in the past several weeks you will find a complete process that will dramatically increase your case acceptance and your cash collections.

There are of course 4 things to watch out for, 4 giant holes in every Practice Bucket to close-up and mistakes to avoid.

1st – it’s itemization of treatment, putting dollars next to scientific label industry jargon of dental supplies or procedures no one understands.

I prefer simple treatment plans, this is what your problem is, this is what we are doing about it, this will be your outcome, this is your treatment plan and this is the fee.

Worst case you go layer by layer or what I call the ‘continuum of dentistry’. BUT you do not ever go item by item.

Software and other BS in the industry is built for the practice not for the patient, never forget that.

2nd – there is literally no one following the money, whether a patient says yes, no or maybe so, there needs to be acknowledgement and follow-up.

I will talk a lot about this next week and I have literally beat you over the head with the concept of SOMEONE being responsible for the patient life cycle, the treatment sales cycle, and the flow of money in your practice, proactively patient by patient.

It’s a simple and foundational business principle.

3rd – most practices treat every “treatment” equally, whether it’s a few fillings or an all on fours, we tell the patient as if it’s no big deal and then whatever happens happens, instead of really taking time with the patient, if you are presenting more than $10,000 and some times more than $5,000 depending on your experience level, the patient is going to need some additional attention.

That’s the concept of the Treatment Conference, or at least a consult room.

I say, better safe that sorry, better more personal and professional than haphazard.

Exit every patient through a consult room if it’s treatment that requires explanation and/or investment out of pocket, from Hygiene, New Patients, or Restorative just get in the habit of making sure your patients fully understand and be certain to follow my protocols laid out in the Report I created about Treatment Diagnosis.

And finally, at least, but not last you should be aware of the obvious…

The biggest mistakes people make is that they DO NOT ASK for the money at all, and they give no incentive for a patient to pay BEFORE THEY LEAVE.

You will always have difficulty securing payment and scheduling treatment if you let the patient walk out the door.

It’s not good for them and it’s not good for you.

Integrity in Dentistry is what you diagnosis, present, and suggest to the Patient is a healthcare prescription of treatment that should be taken seriously, should be adhered to, should not be optional, and that needs to be congruent with the patients experience in the practice from start to finish and all the way through the presentation of fees, money, their investment, and financial plan.

Watch, listen, record, video, practice, role play with the people in your Practice who ask for and handle the money and deal with all treatment planning issues for patients and make sure you are following these guidelines.

What you will discover is enough money falling through the cracks on a daily basis to double your retirement investments in a year, possibly double your entire income, and maybe even double your production scheduled in your practice.

This is big. Your leaky faucet of money being left on the table is more like a firehose and you just don’t know it.

Trust me. It’s worth your inspect, attention, and fixing.

I am confident you will see a giant change in your cashflow from these simple steps right here. Next week, we’ll bring this altogether on my webcast.

This is the Main Event of Main Events, the most featured and valuable presentation I have ever put together and you simply do not want to miss it.

Now just in case you forget or for some reason haven’t yet downloaded, read, and studying my special Report…

“The 8 Sure-Fire Steps to Diagnosing More Treatment” – it walks you through the Blueprint for crafting and orchestrating an experience that will guide your Patients through your Practice to accepting all the dentistry they need – at once.

(Plus, when you grab your copy, you’ll also save your spot at next week’s LIVE training on achieving lightning-speed practice growth taking place Thursday, June 25th at 7pm ET!)

If you haven’t gotten your complimentary copy of this ridiculously comprehensive (and so good I can’t believe I’m giving it away) Report you better get it now.

Click Here to Sign Up and Get The Report >>>

Seats for the training have been going like crazy, and once it fills up, we’ll have to shut things down – and that includes this report. So sign up now and get it while you can.