I’m a firm believer in the power of scripting, and I’ve seen many practices’ daily operations transformed by it. But most people don’t understand the origin of scripting and the source of its power. In fact, many people think of scripting as a series of words to say in specific situations. However, it’s much more than that.
All dental practices have the same general messages for their patients. But depending on the actual words used, these messages can either alienate listeners or bond them with you. Scripting is about selecting and combining words to strategically influence patient behavior and get the results that draw them to your practice.
Beneficial results
- A new patient who calls and then makes an appointment
- A patient who chronically misses appointments but is taught to understand the value of keeping them
- A patient accepting treatment the person might not otherwise have taken seriously or paid attention to
- A patient selecting a financial option and making all of his or her payments
To get these results immediately, fill your scripts with these three things.
1. Benefits statements. Benefits statements give people reasons to follow through with the recommendations that the practice makes. For example, you might say, “Mrs. Jones, if we do this procedure versus the other one, you are much more likely to keep your teeth for a lifetime,” or, “Mrs. Jones, if we do this now your insurance company will contribute $400 toward this procedure.”
2. Power words. Power words are words that create energy, which is a major factor in creating trust. Power words include wonderful, great, terrific, fantastic, delighted, beautiful, love, like, and happy.
3. Command statements. A command statement tells patients what to do without them recognizing it. Keep in mind that you don’t start a command statement without building up to it with information, education, and value in the mind of the patients. Once you’ve done that, you can then use a command statement to let them know that you’re telling them the best thing to do. For example, you might say, “Mrs. Smith you really need to have this procedure done right now.”
If you’re serious about getting great results and increasing practice production, then you need to be serious about scripting. The three recommendations listed above will help any team member communicate better and be more effective in achieving patient results.
Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with over 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, he has written 67 books and more than 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the US and around the world. To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit levingroup.com or email [email protected].
