Are you a Clingy Dentist?
One way some dentists keep their practices small is to overly concern themselves with getting patients to like them. This is often motivated by two unhelpful beliefs:
1. If patients like me they will more likely follow my recommendations.
2. If patients like me, I can influence them without taking an uncomfortable or unpopular stand.
Don’t fall for it!
Showing up as a chameleon, anxious to please others and avoid confrontation, is hard work. Changing colors with every patient, carefully editing every word, diagnosing only what you think the patient will accept so not to ruffle any feathers is practicing Cowardly Dentistry.
You know the truth. Be bold! Walk in confidence! To be respected you must risk rejection. To attract you must repel. To lead patients you must use your compass, not theirs.
Absolutely be friendly. But be careful that you don’t cross the line between being friendly and being friends.
Continues Success
Art Deden
www.vista-practice.com
Communicating Effectively with your Dental Patients
The “health” of your dental practice – no, it’s long-term success – depends on the quality of communication between the practice and its patients. In the most successful practices, the team is valued by patients in three ways:
- the business and clinical skills used to perform their duties
- the attitudes of the team to help patients and grow the practice
- their ability to communicate effectively with patients and other teammates which enhances trust and increases case acceptance
What is the “quality” of your communications? Do your office guidelines and policies send a message about who you are and how you practice? Does the appearance of your team (uniforms, name tags, etc) communicate the neatness and professionalism of the practice? Do you demand patients arrive on-time while you normally keep patients waiting ten/fifteen minutes past their scheduled appointment time?
If I had to sum-up the purpose of this blog on communications, it would be this: every moment of every day, verbally and non-verbally, you have an opportunity to use communication as a practice-building tool.
Are you taking full advantage of this?
Tags: dental practice management, improving your dental practice, practice development & growth, practice growth
