Give Them a Reason to Say 'YES'

Patients don’t buy a root canal, a crown, or an indirect pulp cap. Instead, they buy dentistry that ensures they’re not waking up with a toothache, or they want to look better or have better self-esteem. People buy things that they want. With dentistry, you’re competing with all of the other things they view as discretionary spending in their life. You have to help patients see why it’s important that they invest in their dental health.

I have found that how you present your recommendations makes the difference between patients who are ready to hear and act on the necessary treatment, and those who can’t wait to get out of the chair so they can get on with their day.

I have a simple but powerful three-step formula that allows more patients to leave your chair saying “When can we get started?”

Step 1 - CREATE AN AWARENESS. You can easily do this through the tools that I know all of you have in your office that allow the patient to see what you’re seeing in their mouth - things like an intra-oral camera or even hand mirrors. During this awareness phase you want to use phrases such as: Do you notice?. Do you see? OR Does this bother you? - as you’re looking at the condition together.

Step 2 - OUTCOME IF LEFT UNTREATED. Tell the patient the risks if they delay treatment. Make sure you take a pause during this phase to give the patient time to respond.

Step 3 – PRESENTING THE SOLUTION. Don’t be surprised if before you get to this step the patient is already asking you – “What do we do about this?” or “How do we fix it?” If your patient is asking those questions then you know that it’s time for the final step of making your treatment recommendations.