It’s fair to say that the most controversial debate between dentists is their approach and philosophy to proactive, preventative care and what their (your) role is in actually moving patients forward with their health.
There are those who believe you present all treatment and those who believe you only provide acute emergency dental crisis management. Then you have whole body health, systemic dentistry or cosmetic smiles makeover practice cultures.
And of course, the water cooler conversation when dentists discuss their philosophy on the occlusion and functionality of the mouth. Regardless of where you are on any of these beliefs and principles over the care you provide your patients, you know where I stand. The only way we support our Doctors is in their responsibility over the healthcare of patients and the only way to have integrity with your patients is through comprehensive care and patient education.
No matter what your goals are, you will always be at the mercy of your patients’ mindsets and beliefs about how oral care impacts their lives. Most dentists, team members, and their practices throw their hands up in the air and they simply practice a method of victimization called ‘take what you can get dentistry.’
I call it negligence.
Usually this comes in the form of some excuse or statement that says you let patients decide on their own health… which is a much easier pill to swallow than you taking responsibility over the amount of dentistry you actually produce.
If you are up for the challenge, allow me to enlighten and empower you and your team on the way to facilitate your patients’ beliefs in dentistry and to increase their buying temperature naturally without having to cross the line of ethical selling while still exerting control and guidance that your patients absolutely need.
I call it the “3 Stages of Psychological Patient Buying” which allows you to move patients from skeptic to believer to investor in their health and in your dental services.
Stage 1 is: Need
This is done through surveys, technology, conversations, and above all else visual representation of the reality of a Patient’s current state of oral health that allows your patients to acknowledge their personal and individual need for the diagnosis and treatment recommendations you are going to provide.
The most important part of this is to establish need in the patient’s mind BEFORE you ever diagnose anything.
Stage 2 is: Want
Simply put, no person buys anything they do not want. They will talk about it, think about it, ask questions about it, they will do many things and they might even say yes to a little bit of it but they will never fully invest until they actually want it.
You are no different in the things you make buying decisions with or any of your team members. You have to get patients to want what they need. This above all else is a professional healthcare provider’s responsibility.
We too often leave up to the patients the idea that they should automatically want what they need, instead of taking it upon ourselves to convey the significance and benefits to the Patients about being proactive and “living in the future” of why wanting to move forward with health TODAY is their best solution and the right thing to do.
This is the secret to transitioning beyond “need” based dentistry. We do this to ourselves, I’m telling you, you stop at ‘need’ not because that’s what the patient wants rather because you find it easy to take what you get instead of cultivate what’s best for the patient.
Your ‘power tool’ for helping patients make this leap is to engage them with questions such as ‘what is most important to you’ ‘do you see the benefit of doing something about this’ ‘do you value your appearance’ ‘do you want to prevent problems in the future’ ‘what would you like to see happen about this’ ‘if there were no restrictions and you could do anything, anything at all to your smile or your mouth what would it be?’
And these are of course just random general questions. Before you start dictating the treatment, you want to get the patient’s desire for the outcome increased and that is going to happen by asking more questions.
Stage 3 is: Deserve
And boy oh boy this is where the magic happens. This is where life changing dentistry is created and where big cases are born. And it happens to be the place that nearly everyone misses.
And it’s missed for three reasons and three reasons only –
1 – not listening to patients’ buying signals and paying attention to their verbal and non-verbal language
2 – rushing treatment presentations, going to treatment plans and money to early
3 – simple lack of understanding by all team members what the ‘deserve’ even means when it comes to patients and what makes money actually move from one person to another
These are 3 very big things. Next week I will be your guide through them. And it will be one of the most important “team training” sessions you’ll ever have and you are getting it right here next week…just another reason why you are smart to be here and you should always be alert and never take for granted the things I deliver.
Your homework is to take each of these stages, need, want, deserve – and walk through your new patient experience from phone call through completion of treatment and take notes of where you are not fully cultivating need to want to deserve.
Make a list of what you can do better and involve your team in this discussion and apply it to EVERY patient visit.
Whoa…I almost forgot it is HALLOWEEN Eve – what are you dressing up as??? Hey most would say you are scary enough as dentist, business owner, entrepreneur…okay, so I’m just kidding but seriously – you can be whatever you want to be tomorrow for Halloween but guess what you can do the exact same thing for your life and your practice.
I say why not become a Super Hero Dentist. I wrote a book and put together your exact Dental Super Powers Plan of Action and you’re plain crazy if you haven’t picked up your copy yet; consider it my trick or treat gift to you.
Now don’t mistake the importance of what we have discussed today. While some bashful, immature, excuse-ridden, poverty-minded, loser dentists will write it off as tricks…the real champions who want to win, who believe doing what’s best for the patient is doing dentistry that matters – you will realize these ‘3 stages’ aren’t tricks at all rather very specific very deliberate very necessary ways to help your patients get healthy and receive the ‘treats’ of life that dentistry has to offer.
Best of all if you follow my approach here to really integrate these ideas, strategies and philosophies into your patient experience and culture you will never again scare patients with either the dentistry they need or the fee that will be required to get the outcomes they deserve.
Let’s get to work and get ready for next week. And while you are at it, have an amazing and fun Halloween.
