By Roger P. Levin, DDS
Training your team to be more effective communicators through scripting will result in more patients saying yes to recommended treatment. The more patients accept treatment, the more satisfied they will become and the more financially successful your practice will become. Enhancing your team’s verbal skills can pay big dividends in terms of boosting case acceptance and improving customer service.
In our One-Day Case Presentation™ Training Course, Levin Group uses scripting to enhance the communication skills of team members. Here are some specific ways scripting can benefit your practice:
Educate and motivate patients. You should not wait for patients to ask about treatment. Make services known by promoting them to your patients. With proper scripting, your staff members can effectively educate patients about all elective and cosmetic treatments.
Knowledgeable and enthusiastic team members can best communicate the benefits of treatment to patients. Make sure every team member has a solid understanding of all procedures offered. Scripting will take care of the rest!
Gain patient trust. Patients are more likely to accept treatment if they have developed a level of trust between the practice and staff. Therefore, your entire staff should work on building relationships with all patients. Every time the dentist recommends a treatment plan, patients will almost always ask someone else in the office, such as the hygienist or scheduling coordinator, their opinion.
Scripting helps all team members successfully reinforce the benefits and encourage patients to move forward with recommended treatment. Developing a trusting relationship with patients helps ensure that they will not shop around. Make sure everyone on your team is giving the correct message to every patient.
Talk to patients and staff about elective treatment. All team members should rely on scripting to focus on treatment benefits — not just the features of the procedure. Highlight the emotional benefits, such as a beautiful smile, a more attractive appearance, or a better quality of life. Avoid talking at length about clinical details of the treatment. Doctors often lose patients’ attention when they do that.
Some examples of successful benefit statements include:
“This procedure will make your smile beautiful.”
“You’ll feel and look years younger with your new smile.”
“Dr. X has performed this procedure many times and the outcome is always outstanding!”
Conclusion
Outstanding case acceptance, especially in today’s economy, requires your team to have exceptional verbal skills. Effective communication, building trust, and positive benefit statements can all be achieved with proper scripting.
Roger P. Levin, DDS, is founder and CEO of Levin Group Inc., one of the leading dental practice management firms. Levin Group provides Total Practice Success, a comprehensive consulting solution for lifetime success. Levin Group may be reached at (888) 973–0000, or www.levingroup.com.
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