Are you struggling to break free from insurance contracts restricting your practice growth? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many dentists feel tethered to their plan and find it difficult to transition away from restrictive policies. To help us understand the challenges and solutions of leaving insurance contracts, we visited with Eric Vickery, President of Coaching at All-Star Dental Academy. Eric is well-versed in the hurdles of resigning from restrictive insurance plans, having guided hundreds of practices through the transition to fee-for-service.
Eric joined us in another episode of the Dental All-Stars podcast where he shared more about case acceptance. Here’s a summary of our conversation.
The biggest mistake offices make when it comes to case acceptance
The biggest mistake offices make when it comes to case acceptance is not understanding that every profession has some sort of sales involved. People in the dental industry, especially dentists and team members, often think that they don’t have to be salespeople – that they are only in the healthcare business. But the fact is, in order for a patient to accept the treatment recommended, they have to “buy-in” to what’s going on clinically and accept the diagnosis.
This means that teaching dentists and team members how to communicate from this perspective is essential for successful case acceptance.
Another mistake that people make is pressuring patients into accepting treatment by simply saying, “You need a crown.” This places emphasis on money, which can make the patient uncomfortable or hesitant. It’s important to move away from this “need” category and into a “want” category instead.
Getting patients to move forward without high-pressure sales tactics is an eye-opening experience for dental teams, as they learn that they don’t need to be hard-core salespeople to be successful. By focusing on health and diagnosis, they can foster an environment of trust and understanding with their patients. A deeper relationship will result in higher case acceptance rates.
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