Gems Publishing - January 2019

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return to your practice. On the other hand, is it ethical, or even credible, to tell a patient they only need a couple simple visits of minor care and that all else looks great … when you can see that it’s not? Nope.

more visits. Limiting your initial Phase I plan to what can be done in one or two relatively short visits will help you ensure maximum retention of your new patients.

A SOLUTION IN YOUR MUTUAL BEST INTERESTS

20/20/20 NEW PATIENT EXAM AND THE BOBBLE HEADED DOG

It didn’t come quickly, and I lost many patients in the process. But over the years, after taking those continuums, I finally developed a system that ensures we retain the maximum possible number of new patients … is ethical and credible … and ultimately (when the timing is right) allows us to truly help our patients achieve their very best possible health and longevity. Who trusts you most and thus is most likely to say yes to your recommendations for care … the new patients or those who’ve been with your practice for a while? Of course, it’s a rhetorical question. With rare exceptions, you’ll achieve higher case acceptance with your recall patients than with those who are brand-new to your practice. If the only difference is time with the practice, why would that make any difference in case acceptance for the asymptomatic patient? Because with time and repeat visits to your office comes relationship … and with relationship, there is the development of trust. So, in my quest to crack this enigma, I knew I had to develop a protocol for new patients that would help me achieve the highest possible return visit rate. When speaking with Gems Family members, it’s at this point I often get the question “Tom, are you saying it’s okay to hurt your long-time patients?!” Of course not. But hear me out. Mrs. Smith has been with you for five years and has had many excellent experiences in your practice. Then, one day, you give her a mandibular block during which your needle hits the nerve and she jumps. She’s not going to leave your practice after that one unfortunate painful block (though you ought to be super careful moving forward!) Mr. Jones is a brand-new patient in for his very first filling in your office. He has all the lip signs of profound anesthesia. Yet as your bur passes the enamel and sinks into his dentin, he jumps up and yells in pain. There’s a good chance that your brand-new, first-time patient just had his last visit in your practice. For an asymptomatic new patient who assumes everything is “just fine,” telling them they need $5,000 or $50,000 worth of treatment will often have the same effect. You’ll see their backside as they run out of your back door. I can’t give you a magic number … but if their out-of-pocket expense is four digits, it’s likely going to be more than many would want to believe they need (or allow you to perform). If, on the other hand, their out-of-pocket is a few hundred dollars, treat them really well and you may have a patient for life. Down the road, you’ll have your chance to explain about the extent of the care needed to get them to long-term health. 2. You Can’t Take Much of their Money THREE RULES FOR THE NEW PATIENT 1. You Can’t Hurt them!

By now, it should be obvious how you can retain the highest possible percentage of your new patients. Yep, pretty much by telling them what they want to hear! BUT … it would not be ethical or credible to let them leave the exam visit thinking they didn’t need any care beyond what you’d described. It’s beyond the scope of a brief newsletter article for me to detail exactly what to say, how to schedule the ideal new patient exam (what I refer to as the “20/20/20” new patient exam), and how to then boost acceptance of your recommendations for best-option long-term restorative dentistry when presented at the appropriate time. I have detailed every step of what you’ll need to know in order to maximize new patient retention and eventually achieve your highest possible acceptance of your recommendations for the very best possible care in GoldMine Team Training Toolkit 053, “BOBBLE HEADED DOG ACHIEVES MAXIMUM CASE ACCEPTANCE.” I urge doctors and teams to all watch the video as soon as possible. Go to InsidersCircle.com SITE MAP GOLDMINE UNDERGROUND TEAM TRAINING TOOLKIT 053 BOBBLE HEADED DOG ACHIEVES MAXIMUM CASE ACCEPTANCE.

BONUS BENEFITS OF DEPLOYING THE 20/20/20 NEW PATIENT EXAM

During this Team Training Toolkit video, you’ll discover not only how to increase new patient retention and acceptance of your recommendations for the very best care, but you’ll also learn how to reduce initial exam time by as much as 66 percent while you significantly reduce your exposure (doctor time lost) to the dreaded new patient no-show.

3. Don’t Take Much of Their Time

This one goes hand in hand with No. 2 above. Patients who have experienced no symptoms and assume everything is just fine don’t take well to being told they need a plan of care that requires four, five, or

2 InsidersCircle.com | 1-888-880-GEMS (4367)

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