{"id":1048,"date":"2023-01-01T06:27:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-01T06:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicesolutionsinc.net\/blog\/?p=1048"},"modified":"2023-01-01T15:14:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-01T15:14:57","slug":"its-all-in-the-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicesolutionsinc.net\/blog\/2023\/01\/its-all-in-the-close\/","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s All In The Close!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s All In The Close!<\/p>\n<p>The success of a dental practice relies heavily on the close!\u00a0 The patient and the practice both lose if case acceptance is low.\u00a0 The patient experience can be perfect up to the close and yet everything comes to a halt if the financial close is awkward and uncomfortable. Practices invest heavily in marketing, branding, technology, practice management software, and clinical training.\u00a0 However, many often miss focusing on the close to achieve success.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xjrqWW5xdM4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The ability to proficiently present treatment and fees resulting in case acceptance is critical to the success of a practice. The more patients understand their dental needs and the fees associated with treatment, the more likely they are to accept recommendations. We want the patient to understand exactly what they need, why they need it, and the importance of getting it done now.<\/p>\n<p>Most people dislike surprises when it comes to dental care and costs. Real understanding on the part of the patient leads to case acceptance. Use stories and analogies focused on real life benefits for the patient. For example, eating corn on the cob or steak or even just being able to smile.<\/p>\n<p>It is vital that the team member (presenter) presenting treatment and fees is confident and comfortable with this role. Seventy percent of case acceptance breaks down because of the way the fees were handled. The presenter must understand dentistry and absolutely believe in the value and the quality of dentistry delivered in the practice.<\/p>\n<p>Teach all team members the procedures that are being performed in the office. Together as a team create and practice consistent treatment verbiage. Utilize the same verbiage the doctor uses to avoid any confusion and keep everyone in the practice on the same page.<\/p>\n<p>It is critical that the presenter discuss the treatment and fees with enthusiasm. Listen to the patient\u2019s financial concerns, enthusiastically promote the payment options, and clearly communicate the financial protocol. Our patients\u2019 perception is based on only 7% of our words, 38% our tone of voice, and 55% our body language.<\/p>\n<p>Consistent fees and payment protocols are vital to build the presenters confidence and proficiency. A dental practice is not a bank or a charity and deserves to get paid for services rendered. Never be uncomfortable about charging appropriate fees or pre-judge a patient\u2019s ability to pay.<\/p>\n<p>It is a lesson I learned well over 30 years ago. I can clearly remember misjudging a patient\u2019s ability to pay only to find out later they were extremely wealthy. The patient arrived for their appointment disheveled and dressed in a dated threadbare running suit. I later learned the patient had just come from working on a home project. The phrase &#8220;don&#8217;t judge a book by its cover&#8221; is a great metaphorical reminder that means one shouldn&#8217;t prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone.<\/p>\n<p>The following approach will enable the presenter improve case acceptance.<\/p>\n<p>Mindset<\/p>\n<p>The goal of the practice is to make it as comfortable as possible for the patient to have the very best dentistry available. Adopt a mindset of being an advocate to help the patient get the treatment they need and desire. Present treatment with care and concern not assumptions, judgement, or criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Informed Consent<\/p>\n<p>A successful treatment presentation results in informed consent not just scheduling treatment. Verify the following information with every patient.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sequence<\/li>\n<li>Time<\/li>\n<li>Compliance<\/li>\n<li>Investment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Handling Objections<\/p>\n<p>It is essential for the presenter to actively listen to the patient\u2019s concerns and comments. Their responses focused on What\u2019s in It for The Patient (WIIFTP). Use patient focused benefits verbiage. Speak in \u201clayman\u2019s\u201d terms so the patient clearly understands what is being said.<\/p>\n<p>I have found the Feel, Felt, Found Method to show empathy works extremely well.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I can understand why you might feel this way. It tells the patient you heard them and empathize with them.<\/li>\n<li>Other patients had initially felt that as well. It tells the patient they are not alone, and things can change.<\/li>\n<li>What they have found was\u2026. It tells the patient what another person found when they followed through, they got the results they wanted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>W.O.W. Process \u2013 Work, Options, When<\/p>\n<p>It is important that there is consistency in treatment presentations amongst team members as well as clear documentation of all patient conversations. Utilize the W.O.W. Process to deliver consistent and effective treatment presentations. This is a second acronym for W.O.W. which is work, options and when. The W.O.W. Process is a simple three step process.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Work &#8211; Review treatment and fees with patient.<\/li>\n<li>Options &#8211; Offer options, finalize, and sign payment arrangements.<\/li>\n<li>When &#8211; Offer two available appointments and schedule an appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Getting case acceptance is a win for the patient and the practice, resulting in a healthy smile for the patient and healthy bottom line for the practice. Email judykay@practicesolutionsinc.net to receive your white page on Delivering W.O.W. Treatment Presentations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s All In The Close! The success of a dental practice relies heavily on the close!\u00a0 The patient and the practice both lose if case acceptance is low.\u00a0 The patient experience can be perfect up to the close and yet everything comes to a halt if the financial close is awkward and uncomfortable. Practices invest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6,7,9,10,13,18,19,22,24,25,27,204,191,34,35,37,38,39,192,56,44,46,49,50,51,52,53,1,55],"tags":[68,70,73,84,88,89,121,138,140,146,149,153,160,170,178,179,182],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>It&#039;s All In The Close! - Practice Solutions Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.practicesolutionsinc.net\/blog\/2023\/01\/its-all-in-the-close\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"It&#039;s All In The Close! - Practice Solutions Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It&#8217;s All In The Close! The success of a dental practice relies heavily on the close!\u00a0 The patient and the practice both lose if case acceptance is low.\u00a0 The patient experience can be perfect up to the close and yet everything comes to a halt if the financial close is awkward and uncomfortable. 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