If you are anything like me, you strive to provide the best patient experience possible. We all know that the patient experience is one of the most critical factors influencing patient retention and practice growth. Over the course of my career, I have identified the two most powerful ways to create a top-tier patient experience. Neither of these techniques is sophisticated; however, they do require intention and leadership.
My number one method to foster a great patient experience is by making new patient phone calls. Each afternoon, my admin team delivers a list of all new patients that we will meet tomorrow along with their phone numbers. My associates and I work together to call each of these patients before we leave work. This is not hard or time consuming. When a new patient schedules their first appointment, they receive multiple text messages from our CRM. The first confirms their appointment time, and the second is a link to our webpage that has biographies of our doctors and professional headshots. The dialogue of the text also points out that one of our doctors will be calling to introduce themselves. This alerts the patient to the future call. We simply call, introduce ourselves, and welcome them to our practice. Next, we religiously provide a secondary compliment to our team. This may sound like, “All of our team members are friendly, gentle, and smart, and you are going to have a great first visit.” Or it may sound like, “Your hygienist tomorrow is Stephanie. Stephanie only gets five-star reviews, she is super sweet and gentle, and you will love her.”
If you want to maximize your return on energy, you could begin to ask the patient questions like, “Is anything hurting you, bothering you, or concerning you?” “Why are you looking for a new dentist?” “What is most important to you when choosing a new dentist?” “What is your number one priority tomorrow?”
Now, be an active listener. Any information you can garner on this call is like gold for your team. Pass along the pertinent information to your team using your PMS so anyone on the team can leverage this valuable insight. Imagine going to a new provider, and everyone that comes into contact with you verbalizes that they know the reason for your visit and gives a compliment to the next provider in the chain. Or knowing that the patient is concerned with cosmetics or that they chose you because of your monthly payment options.
Patients are always very impressed with the extra effort of making that phone call, and often, they share with me that they knew they were going to pursue treatment with me as soon as they hung up the phone.
My second technique to become every patient’s favorite dentist is simply leveraging the power of asking questions more. When meeting a new patient, I always ask several questions before gloving up, and I always use the patient’s answers when presenting treatment options. For instance, I will typically ask these questions:
- What is most important to you when looking for a new dentist?
- What is your number one priority?
- Have you done any research or are you interested in any treatment solutions?
- Would sedation make your life better?
- Do you like to complete treatment in as few appointments as possible or break treatment up over time?
- Do you prefer to be proactive or reactive and wait until something is hurt or broken?
Now, consider the patient’s answers when treatment planning and presenting treatment. Treatment presentation should always be done in a manner that reflects the patient’s desires. For example, “Like you said, avoiding pain is your goal, and this treatment option will greatly reduce the risk of painful situations in the future.” Or, “Patients like you who choose to be proactive would choose to take advantage of the benefits of this treatment.” Maybe it sounds like, “Is it fair to say that you want to focus on maximizing your insurance benefits and keeping your investment here as low as possible? This option will save you lots of money in the future.”
If I were to distill all that I do to one magic bullet regarding patient experience, treatment planning, and case acceptance, it would be to focus on developing the skill of question asking and active listening and train your team incessantly to develop the same skills. You will find that your team will begin to share golden nuggets with you, and your patients will feel safe, seen, and heard.
If you want more advice on how to be your patient’s favorite doctor, join us on August 8th at 12PM MDT for an exclusive webinar hosted by myself: “How to be Every Patient’s Favorite Dentist.” I will cover:
- Proven strategies to create an exceptional patient experience!
- Tips to improve patient communication and trust!
- Techniques to enhance your dental practice’s reputation!
- And, ways to increase patient retention and satisfaction!
Until next time,
Dr. Ben Kacos
Dental Success Blackbelt Coach
Owner, Peak Dental Resources
P.S. Interested in more insights and collaborators to further your dental career? Consider joining Dental Success Network! DSN provides access to a community of like-minded professionals, exclusive educational resources, and much more to help you excel in your practice. Join us today and be a part of a network that empowers dental professionals to succeed.
