Supplement to Section 1: Maximizing Treatment Plan Case Acceptance
Posted October 1, 2015 by David Hough, Principal, Dentistry Simplified
Many times dental owners will see their patient advocate and patient engaging in what seems meaningless gossip. They might be laughing, joking, and talking about everything except dentistry.
This is ok.
In fact, it’s great and right on point!
This is how people begin a professional relationship for the long term: it all starts with a personal relationship. And it makes sense. It’s easier to work with someone you like and have begun to know. It “humanizes” the experience of visiting a dental practice. That is our goal—to remove the scary aspects of the visit and make it comfortable.
The most successful practices, and those getting the best-case acceptance, are ones the nurture these personal relationships with their patient. Your advocate can orchestrate the periodic contacts for birthdays, special occasion and other follow-up activities with patients. This gives them the welcome to contact the patient for more dental-oriented issues. Review the chapters on The Advocates Role: Stage One, in Section 1 to see how this ties in.
When patients begin asking for your advocate, or any team member by name, you know this type of relationship has begun.
Then let there be laughter and smiles.