Many dental professionals hold largely negative ideas about sales, especially when it comes to promoting procedures that are done in their office. However, sales techniques are actually an important part case acceptance.
Unfortunately, the treatment you recommend won’t sell itself: patients don’t want to spend money on dental care if they don’t see the value in it.
It’s time to let go of any negative conceptions you have about sales. Using different techniques (including sales techniques) to encourage patients to accept the dental treatment they need doesn’t mean you’re unethical. 
Case presentation is really about education, communication and helping patients understand the health (and financial) values of treatment. Combine those aspects of presentation with a sales technique known as the “assumptive close,” and you’ll likely increase case acceptance throughout your practice.
Steps Dentists Can Take to Increase Case Acceptance
Dental patients often don’t see the need for treatment, especially if they’ve gone weeks, months, or even years without pain. Dentists, however, want patients to accept treatment because know the health risks of simply letting the condition deteriorate.
Convincing patients to accept treatment doesn’t make you a pushy salesperson – it makes you an ethical dental professional who acts in patients’ best interests. Since helping your patients is at the core of what you do, it’s important to get them to understand the necessity of treatment.
There are several things you can do to increase the likelihood of your patients accepting the dental treatment options you recommend.
When it comes to diagnosis and explaining treatment to your patients, try these simple steps.
- Explain what’s normal, and then explain what about your findings are abnormal
- Outline the recommended treatment plan, with an explanation of how it will fix the abnormalities you’ve discovered.
- Use pictures whenever possible to further illustrate your findings
- Create a sense of urgency that your patient can understand. Too many dental patients forgo treatment because they haven’t been educated about the consequences of leaving the condition untreated. Make sure the patient understands those long-term consequences, including the health risks if the condition worsens, the more invasive procedures needed to treat the condition in the future, and the greater financial burden that comes with postponing treatment
- Be willing to listen to and address any patient concerns about the procedures you recommend
- Make an assumptive close, which essentially means speaking in a way that indicates you believe your patient has already accepted. (Patients won’t move forward if they’re not ready, but for those on the fence, an assumptive close can seal the deal). When it comes to your assumptive close, reiterate the significance of the condition, the need for treatment, and the recommended procedure. There’s zero selling involved. Simply summarize the diagnosis and treatment recommendations, and ask when they can come in for an appointment.
Dental Practice Procedures that can Increase Case Acceptance
Dentists aren’t the only ones who should be working towards case acceptance among its current patients. Streamlining certain office practices can also help patients accept treatment.
Always make sure that the financial coordinator is set up for success. Meeting with the patient in a private space to discuss the financials is the best way to start. Make sure the financial coordinator knows the ins and outs of the patients’ insurance plan, and has several payment options (including financing options) at the ready. They should also have a contract ready, along with any pictures to help remind the patient of the condition.
The Value of Case Acceptance
Dental offices tend to spend a lot of money marketing to new patients, which is great. However, no dentist should neglect their treatment presentation for existing patients: a good presentation is essential to increasing case acceptance rates, which is important for the health of your patients and your practice.
And always remember, you’re not being unethical or pushy by employing sales techniques like the assumptive close to increase case acceptance. You are, instead, guiding patients to make the right choices about their health – that’s called being a good dentist.