Slides from OptiCall's (www.opticall.com) webinar: Give Patient's a Reason to Say "Yes"
Presented by Coni Fisher of CSF Consulting. Educational presentation on how to convert more patients from consultation to procedure and how to improve the customer experience. Here is the link to the recording: https://youtu.be/HSkTEdbyYig
3. Land of Business as Usual
Seeking a “New Place”
» Land of Catchy Slogans
» Land of Big Promises
» Land of Lofty Vision
It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude. -- Zig Ziglar
Land of
Business as Usual
Land of
Big Promises
4. » Understanding & Identifying Basic Patient Needs
» Creating & Implementing Service Systems
» Dealing with Problems & Complaints
» Setting the Stage for WOM Referrals
» Selling “the Experience”
» Creating Passionate Team Members
Land of “Walk the Talk”
6. TREAT—others the
way you’d like to
be treated— with
dignity, respect
and courtesy
EMPATHIZE—
customers need to
believe you feel
their pain,
concern, etc.
LISTEN—to
understand the
facts and
emotions behind
the patient’s state
ATTITUDE—more
important than
skills and can be
contagious
“Signature Customer Service”
9. It involves the WHOLE TEAM!
Continues with follow up phone calls and written correspondence after the procedure!
Continues during the exam
Continues when the patient meets the staff
Continues when the patient enters the office
Starts on the telephone
11. • Becomes more personal
• Friendly instead of sterile
Use their name
• Be excited for them
• Congratulate them for coming in
Acknowledge the
decision is a big step
• People like to have their feelings validated
• Helps them feel at ease
• Go above and beyond – anticipate their needs!
Give anecdotes
14. » Match training to service standards
» Equip the team with hard & soft skills
» Keep training
» Who needs to be “retro-fitted”
» Measure your Patient’s Experience
» Scheduled
˃ “Mystery Shoppers”
˃ Patient Surveys
» Participant Survey
15. » Is attractive and contagious
» Promotes teamwork
» Increases productivity
» Seeks opportunity in every
difficult situation
» Reflects peace
» Wears a SMILE!
16. Of all the things you wear..
…your expression is the most important!
17. Made to Feel
Welcome,
Comfortable &
Oriented
Established
Trust &
Rapport
Consistent
Service &
Follow-Through
Empowerment
Through
Education
Safety & Security
(Feeling in Control)
Recognized
as an
“Individual”
Financial
Counseling/
Affordability
17
18. » Drives change
» Changes habits
» Real-time coaching
» Involves whole team
» Puts customers first
» Discipline of doing it
» Make it FUN
19. » Every contact point between the patient & staff member
should have a distinct & memorable opening
» 15% - Technical Skills
» 85% - Communication, Presentation, Get Along,
Rapport, Emotional Intelligence
People Buy Who You Are…
Not What You DO
22. » People base decisions on how they “feel”
» It’s not just about great technology
» It’s not just about great doctors
» It’s about FEELING like you made the
right choice!
23. » Your front line is your bottom line
» Under promise and over deliver
˃ Personalize the experience
» Implementation
24. » Your front line is your bottom line
» Under promise and over deliver
˃ Personalize the experience
» Implementation
27. Great body language – impacts your attitude
and can be used to impact others in a
positive and predictable way.
» 55% of overall communication is body language
» “Turn on” before speaking to a patient, what’s your trigger?
» Vary your body language based on the patient.
» Stay upbeat, especially when managing patient expectations
and scheduling the procedure.
» Have a passionate state and reflect this through your body
language when talking to a patient.
29. » Proactive – confident and self-assured. These patients are
knowledgeable and will be coming in seeking facts and
assurance of your qualifications.
» Reactive – aggressive and focused on understanding how
they will benefit.
» Inactive – timid and questioning of benefits
Patient Attitudes to Recognize:
30. -Harvey McCay
“If you wish others to believe in you,
you must first convince them that you
believe in them.”
31. » Everyday, we live our life with our beliefs.
» Beliefs help us respond to situations & stimuli.
» We carry mental recordings of our past in our minds & replay
them in certain responses. Known as stimulus (S) response
(R) or S R.
» Many times this is an instinctual response & we don’t think.
» Need to change this to S T R where T is thought or
thinking.
» Think about your response first and modify it to optimize the
desired result.
Beliefs – your beliefs give you the certainty you need to be
confident in providing the best level of service to your patients
32. Focus on patients and their needs:
» What can you can do for your patient?
» Be curious about their lives, why do they want your services?
» Be associated with their needs before they walk in the door.
Remember why we’re in business – to best serve our
patients!
33. Flexibility – being flexible or adaptable is crucial for
demonstrating and understanding your patient.
» Every patient is unique & you must adjust
your style to connect.
» Be flexible with your style because you work
with different types of people.
» Identify the patient’s style
˃ Visual
˃ Auditory
˃ Kinesthetic
34. Engage imagination
» Engage them on how they will look & feel after….
» Patients buy elective procedures for possibility reasons, not
necessity reasons like a heart bypass.
» Focus them on what you’re offering.
» Boost their self-esteem through the whole process.
» Remember the outcome.
» Use “what questions” – what will you do when…. or what are you
going to do differently?
– the patient picked your practice for the consultation!
35. Rapport – building a relationship with the person to
whom you’re interacting.
» Pay attention to responses. Patients will engage if
communicated to in their preferred channel.
» Channels – visual (like to see), auditory (like to hear) and
kinesthetic (like to feel).
» You need to care – align with their concerns.
» LISTEN - Most are only 25% effective at listening. We have
two ears and one mouth for a reason – listen twice as much
as you talk!
37. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason,
we need to listen twice as much as we talk.
» The average person listens at a rate of 500 words per
minute, but speaks at the normal rate of 125 to 250 words
per minute.
» Listener’s mind dwelling on other things
» Listening skills are poorest when interacting with the people
we are closest to family and co-workers
38. » Building the Relationship
» Understanding Motivation
» Addressing FEAR
» Comfortably discussing MONEY
» Getting Contact Information
» Following up on “Pre-Sold” Inquiries
39. » Your voice and its tone are the most versatile tools you have.
» It can translate your message into:
˃ Concern, care, compassion
˃ Conversely, it can convey boredom, neglect or contempt
˃ Goes a long way in helping customers feel valued and cared for
˃ Remember, “It’s more than what you say, it’s how you say it, too!”
40. » Don’t jump into the discussion
» LOOK for individuality
˃ Personal Item
˃ Appearance
˃ Body Language
» Comment on…
» Connection to…
˃ In the Moment
41. » The 10 Second Pause
˃ Count to 10 after you ask
˃ Encourage Elaboration
˃ Demonstrate Listening
» The Lincoln Approach
˃ When asked how he prepared his speeches:
˃ “I spend two-thirds of my time thinking about what the audience wants
to hear, and one-third on what I want to say”
42. » TEAM Effort to Report
˃ Telephone Comments
˃ Exam Comments
» Process of Recording
˃ Database Notes
˃ Flags in Charts
» Have Regular Meetings
˃ Role Play Exercises
˃ Discuss Patient Comments
43. » Build the Relationship
» Don’t Answer Unasked Questions
» Match Your Prospect’s Tone
» Ask for Commitment Upfront
» Sell Emotion, Increase Credibility
» Deal With Price Head On
˃ Believe In Your Price, Procedure, Practice, Surgeon, Team
» Allow Prospect to Close
˃ “What would you like me to do now?”
» Continue Relationship
˃ Post-Sell
˃ Ask for Referrals
˃ Stay In Touch
45. Let’s Review
» Prepare and do your homework.
» Come alive.
» Engage the patient and get his/her attention.
» Get them to trust you and like you.
» Create interest by making it important for them.
46. You must be committed
to customer service
EVERY day,
EVERY patient!
Thank You for your attention & participation!
I encourage you to take personal responsibility
for the success of your practice.