How close have you been to begging a patient to just…shut…up?
Me too!!
🔶 1. Orient your patient at the beginning of their appointment with a win for them! Share this: Hey, David, we know how busy you are so we’re going to stay on task today for your 60-minute appointment.
🔶 2. Turn to your assistant and say: Will you let me know when we get to 45 minutes? I want to make sure we get David out on time. That will give your patient time to share any thoughts and concerns he may have. (P.S. That’s called overhear—patients listen more to what they overhear you say than what you say directly to them.)
🔶 3. Lean on your team. At 45 minutes because you’ve teed it up, your assistant can now share that you’re at the 45-minute mark. That’s a cue to you (in case you’re lost in the convo…or drowning in it). It’s also a cue to your patient to get ready to wrap it up.
Your bail-out:
🔶 Play out the urgency emergency. Yep, this is your bail-out. When you’re one minute over on the time and your patient still won’t stop the madness, a different team member approaches your tx room and out loud shares that they need you now.
Join Dr. David Rice, chief editor of DentistryIQ, in the Monday Huddle and learn how to be a more successful you.
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Editor’s note: This video first appeared in Through the Loupes newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles and subscribe to Through the Loupes.
