Nobody Likes Surprises
Among the most common complaints that I hear from client teams regarding adult patients is that they are difficult to persuade to start treatment, and once they do, they are high-maintenance. Both of those observations are correct, and it’s easy to understand why: when it is your own teeth that are being treated, the interest level in […]
How to Stay on Schedule with NP Consultations
A question that I frequently get from doctors is the appropriate length of time that the doctor should be in the room for an initial, new-patient consultation. From observing numerous client recordings, for a garden-variety case my answer is ten to twelve minutes. (This, of course, does not apply to more complex cases). I can also say from personal […]
Doctors, Ask for Feedback or Pay the Price
As I get more and more involved in helping doctors to improve their consultation skills, I continue to see things that have the potential to derail the start of an otherwise good patient start. An example of this occurred this past week, when reviewing a videotaped exam from one of my doctor clients. During the consultation, […]
Dealing With Divorce Cases
What should you do when a divorced family wants you to split the financial arrangements independently between the two parties? This is a question that I get asked frequently by TCs, including those at two different practices this past week. What follows is my opinion. As a TC, the first thing to remember is to NEVER […]
The Problem With Sending Post-Consult Letters Home
A sales-related problem inherent to the orthodontic profession is the fact that, in many cases, not all parties are present for the consultation, and so what goes home to the family post-visit becomes very important to the decision process. In addition to the take-home packet of information that leaves with the patient, many of you also […]
The Importance of “Why”
If you are a follower of my weekly column, you know that I am currently “on the warpath” with regard to the need for improvement in doctor communication skills during the initial consultation. Today’s post focuses on one specific shortfall that has been present, to varying degrees, with every doctor that I am currently working with […]
The Fundamental Difference Between Child and Adult Patients
Most doctors and staff that I interact with say that, once started, adult patients are ‘high maintenance’ when compared to parent/child cases. They also tell me that adult patients are harder to persuade to start treatment. I agree with the first point – after all, it is their mouth, not a family member’s – and there isn’t anything your practice […]
Texting as a Decision Tool
In both my books and in past Tip of the Week posts I have provided a number of ways to enhance your practice’s ability to deal with the fact that you frequently do not have both decision-makers present for your initial consultation. While I do not necessarily agree that job responsibilities preclude this from happening, finding the time to […]
How to Manage Follow-Up with Pending Cases
When it comes to following up with visitors who left your practice without making an on-the-spot decision to start, having an organized, consistent system of ensuring timely follow-up with those visitors is a requirement to avoid losing cases. Space precludes me from going into a lot of detail here, but my recommended method of quickly getting […]
Why Visitors Ghost You After the Consultation
If you are a Treatment Coordinator, you have had this happen: at the end of a new-patient consult, the visitor/decision-maker gives every indication that they want to move forward, but they need to “discuss it with their spouse.” You agree on a follow-up date, and they leave the practice. Everything indicates that this is a […]