Author, speaker, and coach, Dr. R. Anthony Matheny shares the critical steps to take when faced with the most common objections to treatment plans.
Print & Go GuidanceBy Susan Richards
Selling is a necessary part of doing business—even dentistry. In a recent DOCS Education Elite Learning Series webinar, Dr. R. Anthony Matheny shared with dentists what isn’t taught in dental school – how to identify and overcome patient objections in a non-aggressive way and encourage them to feel good about committing to their care.
“Everybody is in the sales business, but that’s not a negative thing,” explained Dr. Matheny, addressing the myth that selling in the healthcare industry is bad.
Dr. R. Anthony Matheny is an author, speaker, coach, and expert in dental case acceptance. He recently published the book Pleasant Persistence: Your Key to $ales $uccess and has created online video courses for dentists as well. Dr. Matheny studied sales methods from the Zig Ziglar Corporation and became a Ziglar Legacy Certified Speaker and Coach, and he completed the course Secrets to Closing the Sale from Kevin Harrington, an original “shark” from Shark Tank.
Overcoming Patient Objections
Dr. R. Anthony Matheny
The easiest way to lower overhead in a dental practice is to increase production, but that won’t happen without a strong percentage of patients moving forward with their treatment plan. The national case acceptance rate is only 25% which means 3 out of 4 patients walk out your door forever, usually saying the dreaded: “Let me think about it.”
Dr. Matheny explains that the sale process doesn’t begin until you get that first objection. Statistically, 74% of buyers will decline three times before deciding to buy. Many of them want to be sold, and their objection announces their buying intention.
It’s your job to determine the truth of their hesitation and if it’s valid so you can ultimately increase case acceptance. Many patient reactions to a treatment proposal are knee-jerk, often with the claim they either lack time or money.
Dr. Matheny walks dentists through the steps to take when faced with the six most common patient objections, including “I can’t afford it,” “I have to talk to my spouse,” or “ I have to think about it.” Through discussion and role-playing he explains how the whole dental team can present fees and address financial concerns in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the patient. Dentists also learn how to convey their value and educate patients on price versus quality.
Avoid the High-Pressure Sale
Most importantly the webinar includes the tools for skyrocketing case acceptance without being pushy or making a “hard sell.” Participants learn how to communicate with the patient and their significant other when they factor into the decision.
Dr. Matheny discusses the closing questions that garner commitment from the patient. When patients accept needed treatment, they’ll have more satisfaction with their oral health and the dentist can fill in scheduled openings which will result in better ROI for their marketing dollar. Everybody wins.
By applying what he has learned to dentistry in a way that is positively perceived by his patients, Dr. Matheny was able to increase his case acceptance by 300% compared to the national average.
If you’re interested in learning how to overcome patient objections and improve office production, The Four Best Ways to Increase Your Case Acceptance – Without Being Pushy, Aggressive, or High-Pressure course is now available online for home study.
If you're not yet subscribed to receive the Incisor newsletter, filled with cutting-edge dental news sent directly to your inbox twice a month, you can do so here.
Author: Susan Richards is a staff writer at DOCS Education. With over 20 years of experience in local journalism and business marketing, Susan’s career includes award-winning feature writing, as well as creating content with context for a wide variety of industries.
