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The
Gap Between Patient Reality & Case Recommendations
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The Gap Between Patient Reality & Case Recommendations Just because someone wants a new smile doesn't mean they are prepared to accept your recommendations or your fees. The concept has to be relevant to the individual. This relevance is not determined by your ability to solve their problems but in how they rationalize their needs. Few people that come in and ask about your services are not able to pay for them (prioritization is usually their only problem). Creating relevance, therefore, is vital if you want to give more patients the "ability" to say yes. Without understanding their motives or decision-making tendencies, it is unlikely that they will accept a perspective about their needs, which is counter to what they initially expected. This gap between consumer expectations and comprehensive case recommendations creates serious discord. Closing this gap and mollifying this case-busting dissonance is only partially achieved by better diagnostic equipment and perfect case photos. Determining how and why the patient makes their decisions can have much more impact on your bottom line. The following personality concepts aren't meant to subvert every personality strategy you have been introduced to. They are strategies and insights that can help you develop your dexterity in fostering the ethics of comprehensive solutions and ultimately "selling" this concept to them.
Personality Insights & Strategies Here are some general concepts about personality types to help illustrate the value of case presentation individualization. Forceful
Personalities • Avoid presenting too much information - 10 to 15 minutes in length max • Ask them what they want; determine quickly if you can achieve it • Money: be concise, give the price to them straight/fast (estimate high), don't back down • They know exactly what they want/need - you need to be as exact • Focus on the power issues associated with this type of dentistry: improves presentation dynamic, enhances presence in one-on-one conversations. Business and personal: helps make other people comfortable and increases confidence • Comfort: they can be fearful too, summarize your comfort components; let them ask further questions What to Expect They want it to happen quickly. Sometimes getting these people in promptly is the only way to sell the case. However, you need to be a worthy adversary, not a cave in specialist. They want to talk to an authority figure. This could be the doctor or it may be the office manager/patient coordinator, but it better not be someone who can't forcefully "guarantee" what is being, or has been, discussed. The Close If scheduling is the issue, tell them nose to nose that you can open a spot in the evening next week or even on a Saturday, but that they will need to pay now (maybe 20 to 33 percent) so you can reserve this special time for them. The close might need to be done over the phone with this type of personality. If they are flexible for scheduling, tell them exactly what you expect from them: fees, appointments and other commitments. Then quickly detail what they can expect from you. End with: "Please understand that this plan will give you what you want. Anything less would make us both look bad." Let them leave and find out no one else offers what you do. They are the type you don't want to work with unless you get what you want up front (financial and relationship).
Flamboyant Personalities • Go with your best multimedia smile transformation presentation • No need to explain types of procedures, only when they ask • Talk about how much people enjoy their new smiles - health is less important • Appearance issues will be more important, not as much vain as appearance gives them reason to be more expressive • Get personal about other people like them who have had this done; a couple testimonials that match their personality • Money: quickly go over this, don't belabor it, don't read them the insurance policy rulebook • Comfort: Their excitement might cover up their fear. Don't confront them with their fear, just give them a seemingly standard (but somewhat comprehensive) map of what you do to make it better What to Expect They will be more than ready to accept your expertise and artistic skills. Unfortunately, this alone doesn't mean they will proceed. They want to hear positive appearance and personality benefits. You need to present good reasons for them to accept your recommendations. These are their good reasons not your clinical reasons. With this input, they will persuade themselves. The Close Have your best case ready to show of a person with their similar personality. Explain why they are just like this person and why it mattered so much to them. They won't be rushed into care (they don't want it fast like forceful personalities). Actually pushing them out the door with a reverse psychology strategy might work best. Something like: "Betty (or Bob), I know this is something that would really make your day, but I want you to take some time to mull it over. Don't make a hasty decision. Talk to your husband (or wife) or just drive around a while and think about how much it could do for you, then call us and set up an appointment." Then stop and say, "Or, is this something you need to get started on right away? If you're ready, we're ready to start, too."
Friendly
Personalities • Develop an informal rapport; make getting to know them more important than the dentistry • Visual presentation is subtle; place photos on table or casually change slides, don't need to talk about photos much • Get to know their family, relatives, hobbies, skills and idiosyncrasies through conversation • Bring up and explain health needs as part of conversation, don't "stage" a presentation • Money: this comes much later in the relationship; it will be just one element in a long-term conversation • Don't confront them about their specific needs; keep talking to them until they bring up issues • Comfort: develop an understanding for their needs - keep explaining how things have changed for the better What to Expect They don't want to address their health or their appearance needs any time soon. You are their friend, someone they want to talk to, not a professional trying to help them or sell them something. They will avoid most confrontations - meaning - trying to pin them down is almost fruitless. They want to help you as best they can so it seems like you have someone in your corner and very near a closing point. However, they are just being friendly and helpful not necessarily ready to commit. They want to please you so pushing too hard for a commitment is not recommended - new patients might leave and never come back. The Close There really isn't a close. They are a long-term project. They require a team effort. Most likely the clinician driven solution is hopeless. They need to get very close to someone and as long as a trust has been built and they are always open to trying something new. Scheduling a comprehensive assessment is not required early in this relationship. In the first consultation, prepare them for a close. Discuss with them what they would like generally. Offering procedural choices in this interview won't be very helpful. While overall they want to please you, they also want to make sure you are a real friend first before they make a big commitment. They are your good, long-term hygiene patients who seem to be ready all the time, but never commit. They should be on a regular regimen of practice updates/mailings. During regular visits, keep asking about their current desires. Schedule the complete assessment/presentation of case possibilities after their second or third hygiene appointment. During hygiene appointments, give them "hints" about their overall needs, dropping a big case in their lap early in the relationship is wasted time.
Functional
Personalities • Provide them with as many resources as you can pass along, even an informative clinical article • Continually direct them back to your Web site for the latest news • They are emotionally disconnected from the normal visual presentation/relationship building interactions • Value is important but not first on the list; making sure they have all the data is more vital • Relationship building is mostly ineffective here; they only need to solve the problem you have set before them • Cost is only an issue when the solution doesn't fit their parameters of usefulness • Money: they might understand this issue already. Give them all the information about financial choices and give them the "insurance rulebook" as soon as they ask about it and they will. • Discussing it with the doctor or a very analytical team member helps build credibility, which has high importance • Prove to them it’s the only way to get everything they expect from modern care • Don't be wishy-washy on your recommendations; they are looking for fallacies in your assessment of their needs • Comfort: make sure information is available. This might be a big thing for them, but there will be many big things. What to Expect They will not be convinced in one, or two or three sittings. They need to have (or have had) access to all the right information for quite some time, usually a year or more, to gather the facts their decision requires. There is a relationship required here, but it isn't a friend-to-friend relationship. They want an "equal source" to "develop the value" of your recommendations. If they come in with significant research under their belt or have considered your recommendations for a while, they might even disagree or challenge your diagnosis. The Close You won't close on them. They will close on themselves. This type of person requires pre-consultation information. Since you don't want to send everyone a ton of information before their visit, it is important to try "find this personality" on their first call. Schedule a short consultation and send them home with materials that focus on what you (initially) determine as their needs with overall research including evidence of your expertise. Tell them you would like them to review everything, and when they are ready to proceed, you will schedule an overall assessment - unless they want to become (or you want them as) a hygiene patient. Call them in a few months or more if they haven't gotten back to you and then try to schedule their assessment. Keep them on a "high-profile, prospective-patient" mailing list during their "research period" and send them regular info so they know you are still concerned about their needs.
Collecting Personality Data (It’s a team effort) Receptionist/Main phone answerer This is your front line data gatherer and gatekeeper. In a practice focused on comprehensive solutions, this person should understand that the caller has little interest in your services per se; they want their concerns addressed, appreciated and/or understood. Therefore, the phone answerer isn't scheduling appointments, but rather deciding how best to help the caller reach or determine their goals. What the phone answerer should do: • Does the caller: • Get a read on their
current need perceptions • Ask them about your
Web site • If they want more info (or you don't have a Web site), ask them if you could send something out to them. • Get their email address so you can update them on things you are doing in the future. • If they don't want more info, ask them how soon they are able to come in. • If they just want a hygiene appointment, still get their email address, but find out about their insurance IQ. Otherwise, I would suggest not using insurance in the conversation unless they bring it up. Let other aspects of your image (and your Web site) speak to your non-insurance focus. Don't reinforce insurance by bringing it up in your conversations with new patients (at least wait until the initial interview).
Patient/Client Coordinator This is the person who should "intercept" the patient before they see the doctor. Without a person to direct the patient, the motivating factors that guide decision-making are usually passed over. This is because there is often an overriding perception that getting to the recommendations portion is more important since that is where you have usually made the sale. In addition, few people realize to what extent they "need" your expertise. Heart surgeons have the luxury of patients being referred or sent to them via ambulance. Possible death is a powerful motivator to accept care recommendations. As a previous dentist client once said, "Even my parents have dentures, so obviously no one really needs our services." Therefore, he and you need to find a way to motivate people to get the care they deserve (rather than clinically need). Using the doctor's time to develop the motivation is often fruitless in the beginning. The Client Coordinator needs to help the patient navigate through this decision making process before they are "confronted" with their ultimate care needs. • Follow up on any questions not fully answered by the initial phone call interviewer • Fill in the blanks of their personality by taking stock of their subliminal, visually expressed and relational traits (see below to develop this info)
What to Look for in Each Personality • Forceful Personalities: • Friendly Personalities:
• Flamboyant Personalities: • Functional Personalities:
Doctor The doctor should only be involved at the point where most of the personality information has been gathered. Until ONLY patients with high dental IQs are being attracted, it is a waste of time for the doctor to insert his/her expertise into the process without understanding the motivations of the patient. It is much like offering an advanced dental course to a random class of first year undergraduates; you might luck out and get a few pre-dental students in the group, but most likely, the expert's time has been wasted.
Developing Profiles of New Patients • Begin with the first phone call • Tally up their wants, perceptions, attitude, demands, concerns, voice volume and length of uninterrupted talking. • Initial visit or consultation: affirm info above; get hair and clothes demeanor, type of vehicle, jewelry, etc. • Every team member should contribute to the profile - this info should guide how you proceed with the case presentation, what kind of information you send home with him or her and how you proceed to the next decision-making step.
Developing Profiles of Current Patients Generate a list of your top 50 or 100 clients who haven't committed to comprehensive solution. Use the info above to profile them and then plan accordingly to get them on track to make their decision. • Forceful: •
Friendly: • Functional:
•
Flamboyant:
CONCLUSION Many dental teams have taken personality tests and understand how personality drives decision-making. Some have even tried to implement personality profiling into their patient assessments. Yet, it requires a lot of effort to translate this understanding into results and often other things seem to get in the way. These other things can be performing comprehensive assessments and case presentations before the patient is ready to accept the recommendations developed and working with a myriad of patients who haven't been effectively screened in the first place. Routing everyone through the smile imaging process is another example of a poor use of time. It can increase case acceptance, but it is also time intensive when only a few people will respond to it initially if at all. No tool will ever make case acceptance perfect. Unfortunately, most every tool put in a closet because of ineffectiveness has usually been miscast as a "complete practice builder". Dentists who build their practice without understanding personality are working overtime on many patients who aren't ready or won’t commit. Pulling your personality awareness builder out of the closet helps. Recognizing when it is futile to present evidence or confront the patient with demands helps create the right environment for the "practice-building tool" to do its work. Practices still working through their Yellow Pages, or insurance-focused or insurance-refugee patients, and the patients with a low dental IQs, need to work harder at understanding personality decision-making differences. Those practices pursuing a higher-level patient through proactive external marketing will see more people who are closer to commitment. However, it will still be difficult to move most patients from the four or six tooth solution to the full mouth concept without concentrating some effort on getting the patient ready for acceptance. Use the tips in this article to jumpstart your personality awareness skills. They are "guaranteed to work more than 25 percent of the time" once you make them your own.
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