One of the best books I have ever read is Dale Carnegie’s, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I have a well-worn copy of this book in my library that I reread at least every six months. If you have never read this classic on human behavior, run don’t walk and read it now.
In this blog post, I will adapt the tips in the book to the dental profession. There are so many powerful tips that I had trouble selecting the best. Here’s a few:
Give honest sincere appreciation
Look for opportunities to recognize your team members. Catch them doing good things and praise them. The best form of recognition is specific.
Become genuinely interested in other people
This is a powerful case acceptance tip. Remember that everyone’s favorite topic is themselves! The Dentist and Team Members need to make an effort to really get to know your patients. Genuine interest in your Team Members is also a key to having a exceptional practice.
Arouse in the other person an eager want
Help your patients understand the wonderful benefits of great oral health. Talk benefits in terms that they can understand (Look good, feel good, strong teeth and gums, keep your own teeth for a lifetime, able to eat anything they like).
Remember that a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
I sometimes hear Dentists tell me that they have a bad memory and can’t remember their patient’s names. Not acceptable……..at least not acceptable if you want an exceptional practice!
Be a good listener. Encourage people to talk about themselves.
Listening is becoming a lost art. Work on developing your listening skills so that you can really ‘hear’ your patient’s wants in terms of their oral health. Learn to ask questions so that your patients speak.
Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.
Everyone wants to feel important. Figure out how you can do that with each and every patient you see today. It is a sure fire practice-builder.
It takes Mastery of three realms to have an exceptional dental practice. These three realms are; Clinical Excellence, Business Acumen, and Behavioral Brilliance. Dale Carnegie wrote the definitive text on Behavioral Brilliance when he wrote How to Win Friends And Influence People. I encourage you to work on the behavioral side of your practice and hopefully the tips in this blog post will stimulate your journey. Here’s to your success. Keep Smiling!
