If you feel like the dental industry has become more competitive, it’s not your imagination. According to Dental Economics, the last five years have seen a significant increase in competition1. This means you have to do more than ever to stand out from the competition.
While being the best at what you do and having the latest technology is a good start, thriving dental practices have mastered the art of communication.
Want to take your dental practice to the next level? These 5 communication tips for dental professionals can help.
1. Engage in Active Listening
This tip might seem obvious, but it’s often the most difficult for people to master. When you actively listen to patients, you aren’t merely hearing their words. Instead, you’re fully present for the conversation.
Active listening requires you to pay attention to what a patient is saying and use body language that conveys listening.
Ways to practice active listening include:
- Maintaining eye contact
- Listening to understand, not respond
- Resisting the urge to interrupt
- Using open body language (don’t cross your arms excessively)
- Summarizing what the patient says
- Responding with feedback that is clear, honest, and non-judgmental
Active listening takes practice, but you’ll get better at it the more you do it. One way you can improve your active listening as a team is to do role-playing in morning huddles or during staff training.
2. Ask Follow-up Questions
By asking your patient follow-up questions, you demonstrate that you’ve listened to their concerns, you understand what they’ve said, and you want to deepen that understanding to ensure that you land on the appropriate treatment option.
Patients will feel that they’ve been genuinely heard and will be more likely to trust your recommendation because they’re confident you’ve gotten all the necessary information.
3. Explain Yourself
Most people are at least somewhat intimidated by going to the dentist. Whether it’s for a routine cleaning or a complex procedure, it’s always a good idea to explain to your patients what you’re doing at each step and why.
Sharing your methods is also an opportunity to showcase any cutting-edge technology in your office. If you are one of the only offices in the area that has implemented something that makes a procedure faster or less uncomfortable, you have the potential to become the most popular dentist in town!
4. Present Multiple Treatment Options
There’s usually more than one way to proceed with a treatment plan, and your patients will appreciate being able to choose and take control of their oral health. If you only provide one treatment option, your patients are bound to question if that’s the only way. They are also more likely to assume you’re trying to sell them something extra.
You can still make a primary recommendation, but by providing multiple treatment options at varying price points and explaining the pros and cons of each, you allow your patients to take a more active role in their care.
Dental Intelligence makes it easy to present treatment with customizable Treatment Plans. Our digital treatment plans allow patients to review, sign and submit their plans.
5. Use Technology to Make Communication Easier and More Effective
Not all of the communication you have with your patients is face-to-face when they’re in your office. Dental professionals and staff also communicate over the phone, via text, and email. You can use these off-site communication methods to make patients feel comfortable and address any questions or concerns before an appointment.
Technology also allows you to have more contact with your patients, which nurtures the relationship, builds trust, and even results in fewer cancellations and no-shows.
Dental Intelligence offers a complete set of tools to ensure your communication is spot-on, including:
- 2-Way Communication
- Reminders & Confirmations
- Online Scheduling
- Digital Forms
- Virtual Check-In
- Patient Loyalty Program
These tools are the tip of the iceberg. While technology is not a substitute for in-person communication, the tools above can help delight patients from day one and keep them coming back.
Start Improving Communication Today
As you and your staff improve communication with patients, you’ll also become a better communicator in general. Not only will this boost your practice performance and allow you to sell more lucrative treatment plans, but you’ll also create a positive dental office environment.
At Dental Intelligence, we provide a practice performance solution that facilitates excellent communication in dentistry. Want to see Dental Intelligence in action? Schedule a demo today.
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