Training mistakes to avoid include a reliance on the two “S Words.” The first word is “selling.” Selling mean to impose on someone to have them to do something you want.
Good at business?
A focus on manipulating a patient is a losing proposition. Yes, as a dentist you have to be good at business to make a fantastic living. And that includes encouraging patients to visit your office and accept treatment.
But remember that you are a healer first. Being “sales first” is a poor strategy.
Watch Alex Nottingham JD MBA, Founder and CEO of All-Star, discuss the “S Words.”
If you follow our scheduling blueprint where the focus is on building rapport with the patient and meeting their needs you will have more success with case presentations, happier patients, and be more profitable in the long run.
Reliance on Scripts
The second mistake to avoid is dependence on scripts.
The problem with scripts is that they are scripts. No one sounds authentic when reading off a script, even when memorized. Studies have shown that when working with people the critical component of communicating effectively lies not in what you say but how you say it. Scripts totally ignore that.
Instead of forcing your staff to be robotic and recite from inflexible scripts, focus on phone verbiage training. Which is the art of using language and tone to connect with another person.
Just as there are no two patients alike, there is no script that works for every call. Each staff member must find their own voice that help them relate to patients. Verbiage training is like learning a language. Memorizing phrases wont work. Effective communicators need to know how to convey the appropriate information in the right way. This requires developing skills from many verbiage examples and lots of training and practice.
You’ll notice that your team members often push back against sales-first approach and using scripts. Typically, this is not because they are being stubborn, but rather it is a question of integrity. Your staff knows that a “sales at any cost” approach hurts patients and your practice.
You are invited to attend a no-cost online training event, Dental Practice Excellence, where we examine some of the weaknesses in the way dental practices are run, and how to overcome them. And you can always give us a call at 954 323 2220 to talk about how we can specifically help your practice achieve its full potential.
