Knowing how to be convincing to your patients
As a dental assistant or dentist, it is necessary to know how to deal with your patients. It is important to be careful not to be too insistent, in order to preserve your good image and credibility.
How to convince a patient without appearing insistent?
- Analyze the type of patient you are dealing with: it is said that there are often 4 types of patients: non-conformists, hedonists, healthy patients and experts. According to each profile, the challenge will be to adapt and choose carefully your way of bringing things.
- Put yourself in the other person’s shoes: the patient will, above all, be looking for understanding from the professional he or she is consulting. During exchanges, avoid moments of absence and show empathy. In spite of the many round trips over the long term, it is essential to really take the time to listen to your patients during consultations.
- Be careful about being too spontaneous: it seems obvious, but it is important to think about your answers before you say them out loud. Each patient requires a specific response, tailored to their medical history. Silence is not always a bad thing, especially when it comes to understanding the state of mind of the person in front of you.
- Seize the opportunity: once you have been observant, you have the power to guide and facilitate the conversation as you wish. Emphasize the key points of the estimate or the work to be done. The one who needs to ask questions is not necessarily the patient. Questions can sometimes overcome certain objections.
The ability to convince will depend on many things: gestures, tone of voice, listening… This is learned over time, but the way of communicating is important. It is important to take into account all the elements that will influence the patient in order to propose the best possible offer.
