Have a system in place
Who is in charge of what? Do you do all the initial examinations? Your associate’s do that? Where is the treatment plan registered? Can it be easily accessed by other dentists in the practice? Will the assistant have any doubt regarding payment timelines? How will the patient be informed of the due payments for the […]
Be a Real Expert
Dentistry is Art & Science. To be a good Dentist you need to be technically prepared to do a good job. You may hear that “if you are skilled dealing with persons you can even be a bad dentist and you will succeed”. This is simply not true. You cannot have a consistent career and […]
Learn to deal with financial constraints
Financial constraints are seen as the major limitation for treatment acceptance. Although this is not entirely true, it obviously is a main issue that frustrates dentists. If you focus on item Always Present Stages and Alternatives. Never “all or nothing” you will massively lower this problem. Almost always there is an alternative solution for the […]
Approach Money and Payment issues with clarity
How many times do you think about a price quote but what comes out of your mouth is lower? Happens to all dentists. That is why you should practice the capacity of talking about money easily. Money should not be overemphasized. It´s what happens, for example, when dentists assume a patient can or cannot afford […]
Anticipate failures and additional procedures
When planning costs make sure you are actually earning the money you deserve. A treatment cost is a combination of materials, time and your expertise costs. Dentists often forget this. Make sure you calculate what a veneer actually costs you in terms of clinical materials, lab costs and especially the cost of your time. By the […]
Expect & solve questions, criticism and confusion
Be prepared with simple answers for tricky questions. Examples: Q. “Will it last forever?” A. “Your teeth, the most perfect material didn´t last. They may last a long time if you follow our recommendations for maintenance.” And have the warranty policy written down on the treatment plan document! Q. “Will they look good?” A. “We […]
Be unattached to the outcome and learn to master the process
Expect nothing else than doing your best to provide a good treatment plan presentation. Do not expect acceptance. Do not expect the return. Focus on the process. The goal is just a result. It means that initially you need to present ten comprehensive full mouth treatment plans to have only one patient to accept it. […]
Be Clear, Objective and use Metaphors.
Use simple language. Show brief video animations when possible. Never over-complicate what can be said in fewer words. When talking about basic and then esthetic treatments I sometimes use this metaphor: “Your mouth is a house on fire at the moment. We first need to extinguish the fire. (Basic Treatments) Only after that can we […]
Don’t pressure. Inform.
The minute patients feel your financial interests are above their own interests you are done. Not only will the patient be likely to refuse the treatment but you loose the chances of referrals. The goal of treatment presentation is INFORMATION. Be up-front about this. I often say… ”The goal here is to have you completely […]
Make 3 to 5 points to explain something
Our attention is limited, when you want to explain what a specific treatment is do not bring up too much noise to the conversation. An implant can be explained in 3 to 5 simple steps for example. If you want to explain the difference between alternative treatments like Ceramic versus Composites you can use something […]