Every dentist wants to deliver the best treatment plan presentation possible. Not just once but every time, and packing all the information from the extensive exam into the treatment plan should be sufficient to make it a success.
However, it’s not what the dentist believes. It’s whether the presentation convinces the patient. Only if the patient truly feels the need to start the treatment from a medical and emotional perspective will the patient accept the treatment plan. That does not mean they can afford it at that point, but without even getting to the emotional and logical acceptance, you will never close the “deal,” no matter how good a dentist you are. (I will show how to create affordability in one of the subsequent newsletters)
Your state of mind when you present will make the difference in getting a YES or a NO from the patient.
As I said, the best presentation is meaningless if the patient does not buy into it. That means dentists have to borrow a little from the skill sets of communication professionals. I find it astonishing that many dentists are sabotaging their presentations, and they do it because they negatively programmed their attitude and frame of mind before the presentation even starts.
Dentists regularly create homemade obstacles for themselves.
They already think about possible patient objections, what patients will say about the treatment cost their insurance plan covers, and how much they need to pay themselves. Dentists regularly become insecure and doubt the patient will go ahead with the treatment plan because they start convincing themselves that the patient can’t afford it.
Don’t chop or change
Those types of thought are dangerous. It is pointless to “guess” what the patients might say, think or accept. Because what patients will or won’t accept has nothing to do with what patients need. Do not start modifying and changing the treatment plan you put together. Do not make changes as an afterthought based on what you “think” a patient might agree to or what you think they can afford to pay. Do not cut corners. You made your diagnosis, and you should present based on needs.
Prejudging will cost you dearly. It will often lose you the “deal” and possibly the lifetime value of that patient.
Some patients require only a little treatment, while others need much more. The more your presentation skills improve, the higher your conversion rate will be. But even then, there is no such thing as a forever 100% acceptance rate. And that’s OK because it’s normal. I am not a dentist; I am a sales and marketing person. So allow me to say something which comes right out of the sales playbook. Make sure that money or insurance issues do not enter your thoughts. As a clinician, there should never be a single moment that you think about what a patient might or might not be able to afford. The most significant mistake dentists can make when being in a presentation/selling situation is to prejudge. Prejudging will cost you dearly. I will often lose you the “deal” and possibly the lifetime value of that patient. We are talking about a lot of money here.
In next week’s newsletter, I will discuss the importance time plays when dealing with objections and why many dentists lose the “case.” at the end.
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