Pride InstitutePride InstitutePractice ManagementPractice Management

The Art ofThe Art ofMeaningful ConversationMeaningful Conversation

Getting PatientsGetting PatientsTo Value TreatmentTo Value Treatment

A Skills-Building Webinar with

Wayne D Pernell, PhD

In The Beginning...In The Beginning...The Patient’s ExperienceThe Patient’s Experience

• WhatWhat do do youyou really really valuevalue on the patient’s on the patient’s behalfbehalf??– ??– ??

• HowHow do you convey that to do you convey that to eacheach patient? patient?– ??– ??

Getting to “Yes” comes Getting to “Yes” comes from...from...

• Feeling SafeFeeling Safe

• A Sense of TrustA Sense of Trust

• Understanding the (logic of) the Understanding the (logic of) the planplan

First come feelings, then comes the logical

Do you know the differenceDo you know the difference

...between ...between I willI will

andand

I want?I want?

The goal of the dental team is to move patients to a place of wanting what they need

You’re in the right place!You’re in the right place!

Think of your favorite restaurant - Think of your favorite restaurant -

How do you feelHow do you feel when you go? when you go?

Is the food really Is the food really thatthat great great or is it or is it something you something you experience while experience while you’re there?you’re there?

Patients And Their GutsPatients And Their Guts

Patients don’t know what kind of Patients don’t know what kind of treatment you’re offering. They have treatment you’re offering. They have to assume that you’re at least to assume that you’re at least technically good or better.technically good or better.

Patients And Their GutsPatients And Their Guts Patients Patients DODO know how they feel when know how they feel when

they get to your office. They need to they get to your office. They need to feelfeel welcomed and comforted welcomed and comforted by by being expected. being expected.

They also need to be told what they They also need to be told what they can expect.can expect.

Remember the restaurant? Remember the restaurant?

The First ContactThe First Contact- Each Contact!- Each Contact!

Whether by phone or walking up, first Whether by phone or walking up, first impressions make all the difference.impressions make all the difference.

How do you say, How do you say, “You’re in the right “You’re in the right place?”place?”

Who is your patient?Who is your patient?

What do you What do you reallyreally know about him or her? know about him or her?

How might you find out?

ASK!!!

Open Ended QuestionsOpen Ended Questions

Open Ended Questions cannot be answered Open Ended Questions cannot be answered by a Yes, No, or gruntby a Yes, No, or grunt

In contrast, open-ended questions In contrast, open-ended questions serveserve

to inspire to inspire moremore conversation conversation

Why is that important?

Open Ended QuestionsOpen Ended Questions

Begin withBegin with

WhatWhat

oror

HowHow

Open Ended QuestionsOpen Ended Questions

What would make you feel like this What would make you feel like this was a successful visit?was a successful visit?

How are you feeling about your smile?How are you feeling about your smile?

What are you hoping I will or won’t do What are you hoping I will or won’t do today?today?

Impact Oriented QuestionsImpact Oriented Questions

So you know a little about why they came So you know a little about why they came

You might have even heard You might have even heard about why they’ve come at this about why they’ve come at this

pointpointBut you don’t know much about them,

personally

Ask...Ask...

How has that affected your life?How has that affected your life?

What do you think might be What do you think might be different for you when we get that different for you when we get that fixed?fixed?

Then...

Listen

From Questions To ClarityFrom Questions To Clarity

Open Ended QuestionsOpen Ended Questions

Impact oriented QuestionsImpact oriented Questions

Active ListeningActive Listening

Hand-OffsHand-Offs

Active Listening - Active Listening -

One of the most powerful things One of the most powerful things that one human can do for that one human can do for another is simply to listenanother is simply to listen

Demonstrate that you’re listening by using this formula:

Lead In +

Emotion + Content

+ Pause

Active ListeningActive Listening

Does two essential things:Does two essential things:

1) It builds trust1) It builds trust

2) It helps to clarify key 2) It helps to clarify key motivatorsmotivators

Active Listening - Active Listening - THE FORMULA: THE FORMULA:

Lead In +

Emotion + Content

+ Pause

You’ve Listened…You’ve Listened…

Now what?Now what?

You’ve got to be able to pass the You’ve got to be able to pass the information along! information along!

You’ve also got to be able to let the You’ve also got to be able to let the patient know he/she has been heard.patient know he/she has been heard.

Think of poor flow in a medical office - the forms,

check in, nurse, dr…

A call to actionA call to actionWhile While youyou can see what needs can see what needs

doing, patients aren’t looking doing, patients aren’t looking in their own mouths. They in their own mouths. They miss the true value of the miss the true value of the dentistry and they won’t say dentistry and they won’t say “yes” unless they feel heard “yes” unless they feel heard and understood. They also and understood. They also need a good reason to say need a good reason to say yes.yes.

The trick is not to “go all dental” on them. Tell them why it’s important to them and then guide them to action.

Sure, so WIIFM??Sure, so WIIFM??

• Every statement you make should Every statement you make should answer the question answer the question What’s In It For What’s In It For Me?Me? from the patient’s perspective from the patient’s perspective

• If you’ve gotten clarity about the If you’ve gotten clarity about the patient’s true motivators, guide the patient’s true motivators, guide the patient to treatment using the path patient to treatment using the path they’ve paved...they’ve paved...

Operatory Script –Operatory Script –The Hallway HandoffThe Hallway Handoff

““Dr, Mrs. Jones was just saying that her Dr, Mrs. Jones was just saying that her boys are coming home from college and boys are coming home from college and that she’s planning a big family Bar-B-that she’s planning a big family Bar-B-Que in the park. Because she doesn’t Que in the park. Because she doesn’t want that back lower left side to hurt, I want that back lower left side to hurt, I told her you’d look at it (#19, doc) and told her you’d look at it (#19, doc) and let her know how a crown would allow let her know how a crown would allow her to enjoy her special family her to enjoy her special family gathering.”gathering.”

Operatory Script –Operatory Script –The Hygiene HandoffThe Hygiene Handoff

““Dr, Mrs. Jones was just saying that her Dr, Mrs. Jones was just saying that her boys are coming home from college boys are coming home from college and that she’s planning a big family and that she’s planning a big family Bar-B-Que in the park. I took a picture Bar-B-Que in the park. I took a picture of what looks like a crack on 19 – that’s of what looks like a crack on 19 – that’s the lower left side, Ms. Jones, and let the lower left side, Ms. Jones, and let her know how a crown would allow her her know how a crown would allow her to enjoy her special family gathering.”to enjoy her special family gathering.”

Dr’s response - Dr’s response - Great call! You’ve been in such great Great call! You’ve been in such great

hands, Ms. Jones! What do you think hands, Ms. Jones! What do you think about this picture that she shot of that about this picture that she shot of that back tooth? back tooth?

Yep, you can see the crack there and those Yep, you can see the crack there and those things do not get better on their own. I things do not get better on their own. I know that from our meeting this morning know that from our meeting this morning we have Thursday at 10am available for we have Thursday at 10am available for this type of appointment. Shall I see if I this type of appointment. Shall I see if I can reserve that time for you?can reserve that time for you?

The DE-BRIEFThe DE-BRIEFAt the end of the appointment – At the end of the appointment – • Pull up eye-to-eye and knee-to-kneePull up eye-to-eye and knee-to-knee• Let the patient know about six key points of what Let the patient know about six key points of what

happened during the appointment and why they happened during the appointment and why they were necessary (building value for THIS were necessary (building value for THIS appointment)appointment)

• Let the patient know why coming back at the Let the patient know why coming back at the scheduled time is so important – (building value scheduled time is so important – (building value for the for the nextnext appointment) appointment) – Phrase it all in terms of WIIFM from the patient’s Phrase it all in terms of WIIFM from the patient’s

perspectiveperspective

Hand-Off at the Front DeskHand-Off at the Front Desk

• While the patient may have heard While the patient may have heard about treatment in the back, hearing about treatment in the back, hearing it again up front seems to “seal the it again up front seems to “seal the deal”deal”– They’re upright and listening differentlyThey’re upright and listening differently– They’re not held hostage in the OpThey’re not held hostage in the Op

•They’re back in controlThey’re back in control

Front Desk Script –Front Desk Script –Remember The Hallway Remember The Hallway

Handoff??Handoff??““Mrs. Jones was just saying that her boys are Mrs. Jones was just saying that her boys are

coming home from college and that she’s coming home from college and that she’s planning a big family Bar-B-Que in the planning a big family Bar-B-Que in the park. Because she doesn’t want that back park. Because she doesn’t want that back lower left side to hurt, we talked about lower left side to hurt, we talked about getting #19 fixed with a PFM – remember getting #19 fixed with a PFM – remember Ms. Jones, that’s a crown that will make Ms. Jones, that’s a crown that will make that broken tooth strong again so that you that broken tooth strong again so that you can enjoy your special family gathering.”can enjoy your special family gathering.”

Review - Review -

• Ask questionsAsk questions

• ListenListen

• Respond and Clarify using Active Respond and Clarify using Active Listening to get to the motivatorListening to get to the motivator

• Answer EVERYTHING in terms of Answer EVERYTHING in terms of WIIFM from the patient’s perspectiveWIIFM from the patient’s perspective

• Hand-Off while Adding Value!!Hand-Off while Adding Value!!

What Questions Do You Have??What Questions Do You Have??

Thanks For JoiThanks For Joining Me On This Journey ning Me On This Journey OfOf

The Art ofThe Art ofMeaningful ConversationMeaningful Conversation

Getting PatientsGetting PatientsTo Value Their TreatmentTo Value Their Treatment

Wayne D Pernell, PhDFind me on FaceBook

AND…

Pride Institute – Dental Practice Management (page)

Shift your thinking a Shift your thinking a minute…minute…

In the time we In the time we have left, let’s have left, let’s look at some look at some

numbers and talk numbers and talk about about whywhy they they

matter…matter…

That’s a Start – That’s a Start – In the Future, We’ll Go In the Future, We’ll Go Through:Through:• B + PB + P

• Objection HandlingObjection Handling

• DebriefDebrief

• Hand-OffHand-Off

• Follow-UpFollow-Up