'WORDS' THAT RUIN CASE ACCEPTANCE
Dan Blair
'WORDS' THAT RUIN CASE ACCEPTANCE
Are you getting the case acceptance from your patients that you want? Do you hear your patients saying, "I'll check my schedule and call you back," or "Let me talk with my spouse and I'll let you know . . ."
We found the average case acceptance rate to be just 25% when surveying our consulting customers when they first employed us. How would you like it to be 75% or 85%?
For your patients, there are many keys to good communication that will motivate them to want the dentistry they deserve. One of those keys is not to say those terms and phrases that will ruin your case acceptance rate.
It is critical that you engage with your patients in ways that express the urgency and relevance of the dentistry they need. When I listen to new-patient exams, I generally hear them use " words" that undermine the value of dentistry.
These are some of those terms and phrases that ruin your case acceptance rate.
"I recommend"
"Mr. Smith, I recommend that you get a crown on that tooth." The assumption here is that anything new may be suggested by another dentist. This also causes patients to believe that because it is just a "recommendation" and not necessarily a need, they should get a second opinion or just wait for the crown.
"Possibly," "Probably," "I think," and "Think about."
"Mr. Smith, you possibly need a crown on that tooth." "Mr. Smith, I think you might need a crown on that tooth." "Mr. Smith, you should probably think about getting a crown on that tooth." All these words absolutely diminish the need for treatment. They say that dentistry is not that necessary and that it is optional.
"Watch it"
"Mr. Smith, I see a crack in your tooth. Let us just watch it for now." What are you going to watch it do? In dentistry nothing gets better over time. Wouldn’t it be better to fix it now or wait for a chunk of the tooth to break off and possibly need a root canal.
"Small" and "Little"
"Mr. Smith, you have a small crack in your tooth." "Mr. Smith, you have a little cavity." This gives the impression that there is no need to bother with doing something right now, whether it is small or little. Why not just wait for it to be a real issue and resolve it then?
"Consider"
"Mr. Smith, you should consider getting a crown on that tooth." This means that he should consider not having a crown on that tooth as well. This causes patients to believe that since the dentist just asks them to consider getting it done, the treatment may not be really important.
"Might" and "Maybe"
"Mr. Smith, we might be able to do a root canal and post on that tooth, or maybe an implant would be better." As you well know, when planning a case for treatment, there are a lot of clinical parameters to remember. This is what most patients do not understand. They think it is just "black and white," so you can communicate in a manner that fits their values.
The treatment plan you are contemplating in your mind may sound indecisive if you "think out loud," As you sound unsure of yourself, this also leaves patients uncertain whether they should continue with the treatment.
Teaching dentistry
"Mr. Jones, see those dark spots between your teeth on the radiograph? We call that interproximal caries. We restore this with a dental material called composite that is bonded chemically and mechanically to the tooth structure." Do you think Mr. Smith really cares about what you call the cavity or how the filling material fits between his teeth? Do you think he will remember what you taught him five minutes ago?
Try this, "You have some cavities between your teeth that need fillings." If you confuse your patients by attempting to teach them dentistry, they will always make no decision. In sales, there is an old saying: "Confused people don't buy."
One of the quickest methods of rising practice production is enhancing case presentation. Such terms and phrases to avoid can help practices reshape their method of case presentation. The more successful the case presentation, the better the outcomes would be.
Share
The most important vehicle you have as an owner doctor of ensuring your long-term success in your practice is simply coaching your associates. We polled over 30 owner doctors and over 80 patients to provide valuable feedback on building associate doctor confidence.
Adding an associate to your practice is a big decision. If it is successful, it can bring tremendous benefits to the practice, but it can add tension and potentially harm the practice if it is not successful.