Dentaltown February 2022 - 44

Most dentists don't have a goal for their
daily production and collections. Without
a goal, you're not aiming at anything and
you're less likely to push yourself.
How do you set a goal? First, don't get
hung up on comparing yourself to others.
Start by finding your average daily production
and add 10%. If you're currently averaging
$5,000 per day, make your goal $5,500.
When you start hitting your goal, increase
it by another 10% and do it again! Growing
by 10% is achievable by taking the steps I'll
outline in this article.
2. Properly diagnose patients
and improve case acceptance.
DIAGNOSIS
Other than getting patients into your
chairs, diagnosis will always be the first
step toward case acceptance; you can't
perform dentistry on something you haven't
diagnosed. Over the years I've worked with,
and consistently see, dentists who don't
diagnose what they see when examining
patients. It's understandable-we've all
heard horror stories from patients who were
told they needed $20,000 worth of work
and thought that sounded crazy. However,
it is our job to diagnose what we see and
provide options.
Too many dentists fear patients' reactions.
Thoughts circle around in our heads like:
* " Will they think it's too expensive? "
* " Will they think I'm just trying to
sell them treatment they don't need? "
* " Will they get upset and leave? "
Although it can be difficult, it is completely
possible to be upfront and honest
while not coming off as a high-pressure
salesman. When discussing treatment with
patients, I normally say something like:
" It's totally up to you what you want to do.
These are your teeth, not mine. My goal is
to show you what I'm seeing, let you know
what your options are and help you make
the best decision for yourself. "
44 FEBRUARY 2022 // dentaltown.com
" Most dentists don't have a goal
for their daily production and
collections. Without a goal,
you're not aiming at anything and
you're less likely to push yourself. "
When you can communicate that you're
their ally and working with them to find
the best solution, it relieves the pressure
patients can feel and they will more readily
communicate with you by sharing their
concerns and asking questions.
Here's another phrase I use: " We can
work through this however you want to. We
can get it all done at once, or we can create a
plan to just work on the most urgent things
first. " This helps patients decide if they're
ready for comprehensive work or if they'd like
to approach their treatment plan in phases.
Some patients want to complete everything
at once! Don't assume that all patients
want to do only a small amount of treatment.
Give them the option and let them choose.
I had a patient just last week who I assumed,
just by looking at her, couldn't afford much
and would opt for a small amount of work.
But I went through my routine, gave her
the options, and she opted to get started
that day and complete all the work that we
presented to her! If I had followed my initial
instinct, thinking that she could only do
a little, I would have presented treatment
differently and recommended she start with
just a thing or two-and I'm guessing she
would have followed my recommendation.
Patients who are overwhelmed when
presented with large amounts of work will
feel relieved knowing that they can pursue
their treatment plans one step at time. This
will help them commit and begin treatment.
CASE ACCEPTANCE
Do you have commonly used phrases?
Have you written them down? Have you
practiced them in the mirror or with a
family member or friend? Have you asked
for feedback from your staff?
Doing this can be difficult and slightly
uncomfortable, but only those who are
willing to go out of their comfort zones can
reach new levels of success in their practice.
So get out of your comfort zone! Write
down, word for word, how you present
treatment. Write down your responses to
http://www.dentaltown.com
Dentaltown February 2022

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