In a purely commercial sense people “buy” dentistry. However, as a health care provider, you want to be trusted. You don’t want to be seen as a salesperson. Patients should never perceive that you have a barrow to push. If they do, it’s bad for your credibility and long term relationship with the patient.
Therefore, I avoid sales techniques. They are crass and unnecessary in the dental environment. Here are some examples.
When quoting a fee I would never say to a patient,
“Your investment will be...”.
If a patient asked me whether they could get their work done by Christmas I would never reply,
“If we can get it done by Christmas would you like to proceed?”
If a patient said they needed time to think, I would never reply,
“What would you need to know to make a decision today?”
If a patient expressed concern about the cost, I would never ask,
“If we could make the payments affordable, would you be ready to start?”
If a patient declined treatment, I would never say,
“Just to clarify my thinking, what’s stopping you from going ahead today?”
Sophisticated patients (and even unsophisticated ones) will recognise those as sales techniques and will question your integrity. Patients should perceive you as their trusted dental advisor, never as a salesperson.
