“I'd like a Big Mac, large fries, and medium Coke, please.”

“Okay ... a Big Mac ... would you like fries with that?”

“Yes, large fries.”

“Okay ... large fries … what about a drink?”

“Yes, a Coke.”

“What size?”

I don't mean to pick on McDonald's, because we've all experienced this kind of thing in so many places. These days employees are so trained to follow a script and gather information in a certain order, they don't even notice when you've given them a lot of information already.

This is why, for someone calling the practice for the first time, just having your staff listen attentively is your first value point. It puts you at a higher level right away.

Naturally you want to get the patient appointed, but this is a chance to demonstrate that you are not just focused on that, and that you are genuinely interested in them. It also gives you an opportunity to find out more about them and establish some important value standards.

They just need a cleaning? “I understand. When was the last time you had a hygiene appointment?” By asking that question, you are not rushing to appoint, and you're not accepting their self-diagnosis – you're gathering information. It's been a couple of years. That leads to more questions, and more opportunities to go deeper. I know what you're saying – there isn't time to get into that kind of detail on a first call. That's a point I'll address in a future post.


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