Many times when we answer the phone in the Dental Practice we lose sight of *WHY* the person calling has called us in the first place.
Remember, all we really need to do is these three things:
- Listen carefully
- Ask the right questions
- Make the Appointment
It’s that simple…. or is it?
You see, what often happens during the call is this:
We are asked one simple question, which we then believe gives us the OK to fire away into oblivion with masses of unasked for information.
This can often lead the caller to really just want to get off the phone as quick as possible.
So how do we avoid this?
How do we avoid turning into information givers?
That’s easy…
We answer the caller’s very first question with a question of our own.
When you do this, you are now able to begin the most effective call…..the call where you become an Active Listener and the caller is doing most of the talking.
The person doing the listening is actually in control of the call and this is what you want.
Remember, you want to use the first call as an opportunity to find out as much as you can about the caller; about their dental concerns as well as something personal about the caller themselves.
To do this, all you need to do is ask another question appropriate to what you have now found out about the caller and then be an Active Listener again.
Keep on doing this with questions leading them to the point where they feel you have listened and helped them. You are more likely now to have built trust and rapport with your caller simply by asking questions and listening rather than by throwing information at them.
Remember, they have called to find out what they need to know, NOT what you know. Or what you think they should know about…
This blog will feature simple practical ideas that are easy to implement tomorrow in your Dental Office, impacting immediately on your Patients’ Dental Phone Experiences, and ultimately, improving your practice profitability.
At present I have availability for three new private clients. For more information on how I can improve your Dental Office’s Phone Numbers contact me, Jayne Bandy at jayne@theDPE.com
Coming from a customer service background, I understand exactly what you mean when you say we become ‘information givers’. This is what I have been doing for years and what I believed the customer wanted, I was giving great customer service if I was telling them everything I knew.
What a difference it makes when you stop, listen and then ask them a question, not just one question but several questions, the information you get back is golden. Thank you for sharing this technique it has been invaluable, I look forward to learning more.
Much more to come Sandhya. It is fabulous working with you.