Over the past few weeks, we\u2019ve talked about the conversations that you have with your patients in order to help educate, influence, motivate, and compel them to decide (and invest) to get healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether that is to get out of pain, to improve their smile, to have better function, or be able to breathe properly, it all begins with a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve impressed upon you that it must begin in your mind first with your own beliefs and expectations. If you aren\u2019t fully convinced and whole-heartedly believe that the treatment you are presenting is so life-changingly important that it\u2019s worth the patient investing their hard-earned dollars \u2013 how will they ever get there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reminds me think of a book that I have on my shelf that says, \u201cChange is good, you go first\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And with your patients that is really the way it happens \u2013 you first, in every way. Then they will follow. The more you value the treatment, the more excited you are about their future, the more positive you are about the experience, and most of all the more confident you are about the benefits they will receive, the more they will be too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From there, you transfer your knowledge and enthusiasm to your patients by the way you talk with them \u2013 through the conversations you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key to this is being authentic and genuine by really connecting with your patients. Then doing what should be the easiest thing on the earth to do and it\u2019s the secret that isn\u2019t so much of a secret\u2026 it\u2019s called telling them the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do believe it is really that simple. You tell your patients the truth about their mouth, about the state of their health, and above all else about how you can help them achieve their goals and improve their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this simple, honest approach you will win because you will help your patients win by making an informed and positive decision for themselves and their health. Why should it be any more complicated than that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, to make it even easier, you are not alone on this mission. You have your entire team and the patient experience contributing to the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of the day, you don\u2019t just have to rely on convincing your patients and in fact I believe that is the opposite of what you want to be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you really want to think about is helping your patients take ownership and responsibility for their own health and move them to want what you know is in their best interest by being up front with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few techniques that you should work on and be more consistent with during the conversations for your patients\u2019 advantage\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can never do too much personal engagement and building rapport. Focus on being more human and less clinical to establish trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Engage with pictures, ask questions, and it make it personal. This is not a rehearsed script or lecture \u2013 so involve the patient and bring them along the discovery path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of my favorites is tapping into their vision of the future (I call it \u201clooking into the Crystal Ball\u201d), by using phrases like \u201cWhat if,\u201d \u201cImagine,\u201d \u201cYou deserve,\u201d \u201cLet\u2019s talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever necessary (or really as often as possible), you should always think about making comparisons and telling stories to help the patient understand. They aren\u2019t doctors and likely have little interest in the anatomy of the tooth, except for how it relates to their well-being \u2013 focus on that and you\u2019ll win over every patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last but certainly not least (of this obviously not exhaustive list), you always have the simple truth of reminding them that they have but one mouth and there are benefits and consequences to their action (or inaction).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more you bring them back to reality, not so much so of the moment but of the future, the more you can help the patient focus on the optimal state of their mouths. This moves patients from reactive to proactive and from getting by to getting healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more complicated you make it and the more you give yourself to do, the less you accomplish and the less effective it becomes. These techniques make the conversations real and bring more patients along their pathway to health. You\u2019ll see, simple is all you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"