Increasing Case Presentation Effectiveness

Roger P. Levin, DDS

Introduction

After years of rigorous study in dental school, learning an enormous amount of technical information and developing clinical skills, you will be prepared to perform dentistry. However, you will probably know very little about how to present it to patients for their approval. They won’t understand the technicalities or be able to judge your skills. The qualifications you worked so hard to attain, though prerequisites for your professional success, have little or no influence on patients during case presentations. In short, new dentists interested in increasing production quickly should make case presentation skills a continuing education priority.

The first lesson frames the subject and should guide how you present cases, now and for the rest of your career:

Patients are motivated not by clinical features but by benefits.

The decision to accept treatment may be complex, and it will certainly depend on whether patients trust you to perform well. But the benefits they will receive as a result of the proposed treatment must be clear before they will say “Yes.” In other words, you must answer the patients’ question, “What’s in it for me?”

How to Present Cases More Effectively

Working with thousands of dental practices since 1985, Levin Group has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for making more successful presentations. These alone will not make you an expert presenter, but they will provide a solid foundation.

Stay on schedule. If you do not start a consult on time, you’ll be getting off to a bad start—from which you may never recover. Keeping patients waiting causes three serious problems:

1. Patients have schedules, too. If they have planned to pick up their children, see a friend for lunch, or return to work, your lateness will cause anxiety and distract them from the subject at hand – your treatment recommendation.
2. At the very time you want patients to trust you and believe that you truly care about them and their oral health, you are sending a contradictory message. In effect, you are saying, “I have something more important to do than seeing you at the agreed-upon time. As far as I’m concerned, it’s okay to keep you waiting.” Some patients may tolerate being held up, but many more will feel irritation or even anger at the disrespect you convey by not showing up on time. 3. When you start presentations late, both you and your patients are likely to feel rushed. You will be less persuasive, the patients will be less receptive, and case acceptance is far less likely. What’s more, a rushed presentation may make you appear less competent and caring. You could end up losing not only the case but the patient.

Establish a “do not disturb” rule. Instruct your staff that they are not to interrupt you except in the case of a true emergency. As with starting late, interruptions cause multiple problems. First, a well-planned presentation has structure and flow, which any interruption will disrupt. Any momentum you have built will be lost, and patients will remain unpersuaded. Second, if you put your presentation on hold to deal with some other person or issue, you are sending a negative message: this patient is not your top priority.

Anticipate any possible questions or objections. Patients will have questions, and many of them will also raise objections to what you are recommending. You need to be prepared with good answers… and with the right attitude. Rather than reacting defensively or dismissively, take the time to respond positively. Skilled presenters can often turn a seeming challenge into a positive exchange and, regardless of the subject, the manner in which you respond can have a major impact on the outcome of the presentation, for better or worse. With experience, you will have ready answers for any questions that may come up. In fact, you will eventually be

able to answer questions they are hesitant to ask (often related to financial matters).

“Yes” or a firm “No” may yet consent to treatment… if you give them the chance by following up. This might consist of you calling patients a few days after the presentation to see if they have any questions. It may mean discussing the treatment presented when the patients come in for their routine hygiene care. If patients say they need to discuss the matter with their spouses, offer to call some evening to discuss it with both of them. If patients say they can’t decide until three months later, contact them at that time. Often, a “maybe” becomes “yes” thanks to good follow-up.

Keep patients informed about services. Though usually not part of presentations, educating patients about all of the practice’s services can ultimately lead to higher case acceptance rates. Posters, brochures and other communications materials around the office where patients can see them will go a long way toward accomplishing this. All team members should also be familiarized with the practice’s services so that, if asked by patients, they can give accurate and enthusiastic descriptions. Hygienists can be especially helpful in keeping patients informed. Already responsible for educating patients about home care, they may also have opportunities to discuss other practice services that might be of interest.

Schedule no-charge appointments when needed. It is better to make presentations when patients are already in the office for an exam. However, if there simply is not enough time to make a presentation properly, schedule another visit – within seven days if at all possible – for the express purpose of presenting treatment. If these appointments are handled correctly, most patients will accept treatment and practice production will increase.

Use visual aids to dramatize what you are presenting. There’s an old axiom about making TV commercials: don’t just tell them, show them. That’s also good advice for presentations. You can help people understand their dental conditions, recommended procedures and – most important – the benefits of treatment with visual aids. Before-and-after photos, videos, posters and displays in the consult room… all of these can help make presentations more persuasive.

By following these guidelines for case presentation, dentists can raise their case acceptance rate and production, setting the stage for long-term growth.

Offer a range of payment options. For many patients, especially since the Great Recession, the fee may be the greatest obstacle you will need to overcome in your presentation. Make sure you offer a meaningful array of payment plans so that almost all patients will find an appealing option. You’re in no position to judge what patients would prefer, so offer all options to all patients. For those who like getting bargains, offer a discount for payment in full upfront. Accept major credit cards, so patients who buy everything with cards can do so at your practice. And, for major cases, offer outside financing by a reputable lender.

Plan to follow up. Patients who do not conclude your presentation with a