Rapport Toolbox

Transcript Performed by A.I. Please Excuse Any Typos.

00:00
This is Dental All-Stars, where we bring you the best in dentistry on marketing, management and training.

00:15
to be like a forced smile or look disingenuous. But when we smile, it’s the fastest way to make that. It triggers charisma, it triggers warmth. And so a lot of people will say, well, if I’m on the phone with somebody, they don’t see me smiling. But really, a lot of studies and research have shown that if you smile, it comes across in your voice. So like you might not be able to see the other person.

00:41
but they can hear that you’re smiling or they hear that warmth and that charisma. Welcome to Dental All-Stars. I’m Alex Nottingham, founder and CEO of All-Stra Dental Academy. And with me is Heather Nottingham, co-founder and VP of Training. And our topic is the Rapport Toolbox. Please welcome Heather Nottingham. Thank you, Alex. Hi everybody. Yay. Yay. My favorite topic. Yes. So we’re talking about rapport and the Rapport Toolbox.

01:11
And you always come up with these great concepts that are just fun to hear and fun to talk about. So, okay, what is this rapport toolbox? I assume it has to do with rapport, something with rapport? Yes, well, mean, rapport is so important to the practice and just in life in general. mean, you know, anything, interactions that you have with people involve rapport. And the more that…

01:39
you’re likable and that you can be relatable and friendly and make the other person feel special and important, the more they’re going to want to do things with you, be your friend, do business, whatever it is. So it’s not just beneficial in the practice, but in life as well. And you’re really good at it. I feel like I do a good job of it. And I think looking at from the practice perspective, we…

02:06
You know, we’re in the business, we want to grow the practice, assuming most practices want to grow. And there are some programs out there that it’s like, just get the patient in, get them on the schedule, close them. And we’re not like that. We’re not about that. We want a patient for life. We don’t want just a patient for that one appointment. We want them.

02:31
for all of their appointments and not just their appointments. We want them to refer friends and family and we want them to send their kids eventually and have all the generations of the family going to the practice. And so the best way to do that, to start things off on the right foot and any business in any place that you deal with, having that rapport is so important. So that’s what we’re gonna talk about today in the toolbox is…

02:59
some of the different elements. mean, there’s so much we can go into on rapport and the different elements, but we’re going to talk about some of the most important things from the toolbox. remember we were interviewing a coach recently and she was talking about, only spend three minutes with a patient and you literally almost fell off your chair. Like that ain’t going to work. Where did you learn that from? Oh, okay. So we know

03:26
Certainly, you’re the defender of good customer service and the pinnacle that is Rapport. So you built a toolbox for us. Yes. So there’s some different elements that go into it. Again, there’s a whole bunch of different things we could talk about. Well, actually, before you begin. Yes. Good. I stopped you here. So before you begin, Rapport is the cornerstone of

03:54
our most famous formula that we teach. And that’s the great call process, what you created, what you teach in the phone skills course of our online program. And it’s GREAT, greeting, rapport, uh engage, Ask for the appointment, take information. And you spend a lot of time in the program, in the course, talking about rapport. And when people are like, well, I don’t…

04:24
think phone skills applies to me, I’m a hygienist, we’re like, our program are skill-based. So by learning, by you learning the Great Call process, most of it’s focused on rapport, it builds on each other, and that can be applied to anything. And quite frankly, the Great Call process can be extrapolated and applied to case acceptance on whatever area you wanna be, even though we have systems for that.

04:49
you begin building a solid foundation. So that’s where it begins. And our whole program is uh fundamentally on rapport. So I just want to give a context of this word. And I think it’s just fun to find other ways to kind of build on it. So if we’re going to kind of dive into the rapport, so now we have a toolbox of the powerhouse of what we teach at All-Star. So tell us about the toolbox. Yeah. And I mean, we’re in the dental business, the dental industry.

05:17
which is teeth, but it’s really, everything is really people is what it boils down to. And you see sometimes the best dentists clinically are not the ones that get the most patients because if they don’t know how to properly build rapport, if their team doesn’t know how to build rapport, the clinical skills don’t always translate to having the most successful practice or the best business. And sometimes you see a dentist that has great rapport.

05:45
but they’re not as good on their clinical skills, but they do well. And then sometimes you get the unicorns that are amazing on customer service and rapport and their clinical skills, which is a lot of our all-star clients where we want everybody to be. So the first thing, and again, this can be applicable to on the phone because we deal a lot, you know, the first impression, oftentimes where talking to a new potential patient is on the phone, but

06:14
Sometimes it’s the, you know, we’re meeting somebody in person or whatever it is. So it can definitely apply across the board. And the number one thing is, especially in dentistry, to make sure that we smile. When we’re smiling and you you don’t want it to be like a, like a forced smile or, you know, look disingenuous, but when we smile, it’s the fastest way to make that it triggers charisma, it triggers warmth and

06:44
So a lot of people will say, if I’m on the phone with somebody, they don’t see me smiling. But really, a lot of studies and research have shown that if you smile, it comes across in your voice. you might not be able to see the other person, but they can hear that you’re smiling, or they hear that warmth and that charisma. that would come And also, as curmudgeon as I can be, I know you love photography. don’t. But just me smiling or fake smiling, I felt good.

07:13
Like having the muscles go up like that, like it felt, I felt like calmer. I think it releases like oxytocin or serotonin. Like, so there’s a chemical reaction by smiling. It triggers the trust sensors in other people. And it depends how you do it again, if it’s forced or fake, it’s not gonna work. But I did read something or this research that said if you’re in person with somebody, if you tilt your head a little bit to the side, smile.

07:42
and raise your eyebrows when you initially meet somebody, that’s like the ultimate, like you can trust me type thing. That’s what our dog does all the time. The dogs are very good at it. So that would be the first thing is smile. The next thing is make people feel important. So, you know, this goes without saying, but sometimes we were not doing that. We’re focused on what we need to get done instead of focusing on how can we help.

08:12
the person that’s in front of us. So I have this thing called SHR method. And so S stands for making sure they feel seen. So we wanna make sure they feel seen. So making eye contact. Obviously that’s easier to do if we’re in person with them than if we’re on the phone. But making eye contact, the H is heard. So asking thoughtful questions, showing interest.

08:39
And then finally R is remembered. So remembered is we’re able to recall facts, things that they’re telling us, practicing active listening. So SHR, seen, heard, remembered. And that’s a big way of making people feel important. Then third is being a good listener, right? So there’s that expression that if you want people to like you, be a good listener.

09:07
There is a reason that we have one mouth and two ears. What’s that? Yes. We have one mouth and two ears because we are supposed to listen more than we talk. That’s hard for me because I like to talk, but it is true. And especially with a new potential patient, we want to be asking a lot of questions and then zipping it and listening to them.

09:36
and actively listening, not just sitting there and being completely silent, but nodding. You’re listening, you’re understanding, you’re asking more follow-up questions, you’re actively engaged. So being a good listener is the third. Number four, and we talk about this all the time when it comes to rapport, and a lot of this is from Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, is what’s the most important?

10:04
And sweetest sound, any language, your name, right? Whoever the person is, it’s their name is the most important. And so remembering their name, asking, you know, writing it down. If you have a tendency to forget or using it a conversation, repeating it, using it often. What is the sweetest word they’re ever going to hear is their name. Right. And definitely if we forget the name or if we say it wrong.

10:31
Now, some people have really complicated names and you don’t want to mispronounce it. So, I heard a really nice way to ask if somebody has a name that you’re not sure how to pronounce, rather than guessing and trying to figure it out, you can say, oh, you have a really beautiful last name or you have a really beautiful name. How do I pronounce that properly? Or what’s the best way to pronounce your beautiful name?

10:55
And they’re going to be so flattered if you say it like that versus like, what is your name or how do you say What’s your name? Yeah. What’s your name? Tony. Yeah. So remember their name and number five, body language. Body language. Body language as Ursula said. Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. In case anybody doesn’t. Eric will get the reference. He’s a visiting guy. Yeah. 55 % of.

11:25
what people pick up from us comes from our body language. So if we’re, you know, with our arms folded when we meet a new patient or, you know, if our hands are in our pocket or if we’re kind of like closed off, they’re going to feel, oh, this is, I don’t know if I trust this person or if we’re not making eye contact or if we kind of turn away from the person. So body language is 55 % and it’s all…

11:52
kind of subconscious stuff that’s going on. And then on the phone, obviously we can’t use body language, but like we said, when we smile, even though they don’t see us, they can hear it in our voice. 38 % is our tone. So 38 % of the interaction and rapport building comes from our tone. And then only 7 % are the actual words. So it’s funny because in your dad’s practice, my father-in-law,

12:22
I could say the exact same words as another team member over the phone, and it would sound like two different conversations. I would sound like I was really interested and I was inquiring and like just interested in the person. Tell me more about this. Whereas the other person would say the same sort of words, but with a totally different tone. And it sounded like she was doing like a police interrogation. Like, oh, I need to, I need to get this information from you so I can assist you.

12:52
where I’d say, oh, I’d love to get some more information from you so I can better assist you. You hear it’s like the same kind of words, but the tone totally changes the dynamic of the conversation. So making sure that we’re doing all of that. Number six is pause before we speak. So taking a pause, really listening, making sure that we know what we’re going to say before we say it. And then number seven is use humor.

13:22
Now I say this, That’s our son, he’s funny. Humor is all about timing and having the rapport with the person. If you feel like you can kind of read them, what type of humor they like or how they’re interacting with you. If somebody doesn’t seem like the type of person that’s going to, or if you kind of make a little joke and they don’t laugh, don’t keep doing, don’t keep doing the humor.

13:49
So it’s kind of you have to leave the room. But most people, it’s like if you make things lighthearted, like there was a story about a woman and, or I’m sorry, it was a man flying on an airplane and he was upset about his sandwich and he was buzzing for the flight attendant to come over and she comes over and he’s like, I’m very upset. This sandwich is so bad. I can’t even believe it. And she looks at him and she goes,

14:20
Bad sandwich, bad sandwich. And he immediately changed his like complete, you know, outlook and he started laughing and it was funny. Now that could have gone different ways depending on, but it kind of snapped him out of it and it made him see the situation as more light and humorous. So rapport, make things funny. Those are just, I mean, there’s so many more things that we could add to the toolbox in terms of like, you know, specific questions that, know,

14:49
open-ended questions versus closed-ended questions. and what’s nice is, I think what I hear you providing invitation that this isn’t the end of the toolbox. You can keep adding to it. And like, you know, that’s why in the program you spend, I believe literally three hours, maybe it’s more, on just rapport and going over, gosh, everything that’s out there. There’s so many things. There’s and tonality. There’s temperament. Mirroring, matching. It’s only the tip of the iceberg.

15:18
What you’re gonna look, I say this over and over again, repetition is a mother of skill. You hear throughout the podcasts, we hope we repeat ourselves in our, we change the topics, but the messaging is the same that you gotta keep doing it. Consistency over intensity, you have to keep practicing it. And the most successful clients, the ones that keep an open mind, they aren’t know-it-alls, and they’re just going back to basics. They’re simple, they’re humble.

15:47
And these are the qualities that could be a good podcast to like the elements of a great uh dentist or owner or, or team member. And I think we do talk about this in our program as well to remind what are the qualities we want to cultivate with respect to it. So, okay, let me ask you this. So we, started the beginning of, you gave them like a little gift that basket. This is the beginning of your toolbox and you keep adding more into it. what are my next steps? I, uh, and I want to share with you as I was talking to Shelley about this, like,

16:17
I want to give people, and I want your feedback if you like this, I want to give two calls to action for everybody, right? So there’s kind of like, I’m just kind of dabbling kind of action. And then I’m serious and I really want to type action. And I think there’s nothing wrong with each one. We want to meet people where they’re at, right? So I think like for, so the, so the ones are like, Hey, I’m going to know you. This is rapport. I just want the free stuff. want to get a taste. And so

16:44
What I would say is go to our website, allstradenolacademy.com. Click on the red button that says free webinar webinar and see it. If you haven’t seen it for a while, watch it again. There’s a lot of good tips. talk about rapport some more in there as well. And that’s a good way to start building those skillsets, have your team watch it. Uh, we also provide tons of free eBooks. like a new eBook a month that we’re giving away for free if you get on our list. So

17:11
Like that’s a really good path and just kind of pick and choose what you want. It’s not going to be life changing, but it will provide you, well, it could be for some. I mean, it gives you a perspective and there’s some things you can work on. It’s kind of topical level. And I think that’s better than nothing. And it starts the adventure. Many dentists, we’ve been doing this for a long time, 15 years or so. We have dentists that follow us a long, long time. They follow your podcast, they follow your things and like, now I’m ready. So I want to speak to all of you.

17:38
that are gonna be clients of ours five, 10 years from now, right? So it’s like just kind of getting, that’s your next step, just to build on rapport, build on what is, look, we have team members that listen and they’re like, I haven’t followed you for a long time and like, now I’m in a dental office or now I own my practice and now I want us are doing something, right, with that. So I would think that would be level one. Level two, the webinar is still a great place as well. I would do that.

18:06
And I would look at our website, consider our online program, consider coaching, consider coming to events. If you’re having trouble hiring, if a hiring service, these are other ways to engage, right? There’s a fee now, but there’s also value. We’re going further in it. But what my hope for all of you is, is that you’re taking what we’re listening, you’re applying it, and then you’re taking action and getting the support that you need to be able to start creating massive changes. um

18:35
Massive or significant things that are really measurable like return on investment return on time return on energy, right? uh Motivating your team so like you’re hearing the report toolbox as an end here You’re here report happening all over your office. It becomes part of your culture I mean just imagine that’s why I think about as a visionary imagine your whole culture like this having the verbiage that Heather talks about I mean, that’s

19:03
I mean, we get so excited, that’s life changing, but not everybody wants life change and everybody wants that type of improvement. But I want to give two kind of directions to go. But for all of you, it’s always the webinar, man. That’s our specialty. It’s a great free webinar because you learn what we do. You learn some of our major systems. It’s not salesy.

19:29
You know, we’re not about sales. We’re about to just, listen, I’m going to give you as much information as you can, whether it’s our podcast, whether it’s our YouTube, whether it’s the eBooks, like that’s what we’re all about. And that’s what we have our, our co-founder and our, and our co-founders, one that teaches the phone skills. And I don’t know, you know, that’s why I want you to go to the webinar, but Heather and I aren’t from dental. I my dad’s a dentist, right?

19:53
Well, yeah, we worked for his practice. Well, that was the thing. But you came from retail. Retail, right? High end retail. High end retail. And then I was a Tony Robbins coach and we had no interest in dentistry. But my father’s practice was in trouble. We came together. Outsiders, outsiders didn’t know any of this and brought what we learned in in like for you Bloomingdale’s what I learned for Tony Robbins and my law degree MBA, all that. Put that together.

20:21
And we were able to more than double a $1 million business to 2.4 million 18 months. And that’s with no background of experience, experience in other industries. And that was the birth of these programs of, of, I’ll tell you this, and I’m going to keep repeating myself is we are a personal and business development company. And we are every time we’re continue to work at it, continue to get better. And I’ll tell you this too. I want some self-disclosure. We talk about rapport. Heather and I were upset about something. Um, we get fired up about different things that happened.

20:52
And was right before the podcast. And she gets me fired up and I’m fired up and all that stuff. And we’re like, we’re to do a podcast. I’m like, babe, I don’t think, by the way, we’re married if you didn’t get it, but we’re like, um, you know, all my employees, call babe, whatever. So, so we’re like, you know, I think it’s, I think let’s, let’s give it a rest. Let’s come back. We’ll leave the lights on for our podcast studio. We’ll come back later when we’re in state, when we’re better, when we’re kind of like, and that’s the same thing with the, with the report toolbox.

21:19
It’s where you’re coming from. We can give you all the tools, but if you’re not coming from the right place, if you’ll feel contraction, if you’re afraid, if you’re upset, it’s not going to come out well. And so get yourself in the right state of mind and then engage. And, um, and yeah, so that was just a little self-disclosure there. So Heather, thank you so much for sharing. You’re so creative. You’re such a good speaker. You speak so well. And it’s so great to have you on the co-founder and, uh,

21:49
I joke, I mean, she’s so beautiful and it takes a whole production to be at the level for Heather and this isn’t right and this isn’t the right direction, but you need someone like that that’s so detailed and knows quality that it’s gotta be perfect in your practice. So watch and learn. So remember to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, leave comments, share with your friends, go on your friend’s phone, hit all the like buttons and subscribe buttons, it helps us out.

22:18
and just keep learning and let us know what you think. Keep engaging with us. Like I said, I really mean it. Whether it’s as a client, whether it’s just on our email list and just a friend of All Star, we love it. It’s just, we’re on this road together just to uplift people, have a great time, bring a little light in this world. So thank you so much Heather for being with us. And until next time, go out there and be an All Star.

22:52
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Dental All-Stars. Visit us online at AllStarDentalAcademy.com