By Roger P. Levin, DDS
At my Total Practice Success™ seminars, I often discuss case presentation. Typically, the emphasis is on educating and motivating patients. While both are extremely important, other aspects must also be addressed. Although basic, they matter.
To help you and your team create the best case presentation experience, here are five Levin Group action steps that will accelerate case acceptance:
Step #1 -- Start on time. When consultations start late, dentists have a tendency to rush the presentation. That’s not good. Rushing through case presentation is viewed negatively and decreases the level of case acceptance. In addition, if the consult runs late, patients may be anxious to leave — hardly the best environment for case acceptance.
Step #2 -- Allow no interruptions. Stick to this rule except in the case of true emergencies. Momentum builds as the case presentation progresses. Any interruption will cause that momentum to grind to a halt. Any patient motivation that has been built will be lost if there is an interruption.
Step #3 -- Be prepared for questions and objections. Questions and objections should be anticipated, calmly answered, and thoroughly explained to help patients become comfortable. Many patients will have similar questions. Levin Group’s PowerScripting™, for example, enables dentists and their teams to have well-prepared answers to the most common inquiries.
Step #4 -- Always follow up. Any patient who has been presented a case and does not schedule for treatment should receive a follow-up phone call from the front desk staff the next morning. Many patients are extremely interested in having treatment and just need a slight additional prompt to schedule. With this step, you have a much greater chance that the patient will follow through on treatment.
Step #5 -- Reschedule when necessary at no charge. It is always best to complete a consultation that has been started. However, if the doctor does not have time to fully discuss a potential case after an examination; the patient should be rescheduled at no charge. It’s better to reschedule for a 20- or 30-minute uninterrupted appointment than proceed with a hurried one or one plagued with interruptions. When rescheduled appointments are handled correctly, most patients will accept treatment, and practice production will increase.
Conclusion
Successful case presentation is critical to the future of your practice. Even if all other systems are in place and operating efficiently, anything less than superior case presentation skills will hinder practice growth.
Dental Economics readers are entitled to receive a 50% courtesy on a Levin Group Total Success Practice Potential Analysis™, an in-office analysis and report of your unique situation conducted by a Levin Practice Development Specialist. To schedule the next available appointment, call (888) 973-0000 and mention Dental Economics or e-mail [email protected] with Dental Economics in the subject line. For more information on Levin Group programs and seminars, go to www.levingroupgp.com.
