KEEP IT SIMPLE

If you are a dentist or an orthodontist, I have some news that might upset you.

As an orthodontist, I am not sure your patients are interested in the fact that the treatment you are suggesting is made up of “passive self ligating brackets, which have low frictional forces using heat activated NiTi wires containing six per cent copper”. Similarly, if you are a dentist telling your patients that “an implant is a titanium screw surgically screwed into your jawbone under anaesthetic” is technical information that your patient may not understand.

The problem with too much technical information is that it can confuse the patient and even put them off taking up your treatment

Only the other week, one of my friends suggested that I buy a certain camera with an inbuilt video, which would be good to use on my programmes. I went to a camera shop in Manchester to enquire about it. The sales person brought the camera out and then proceeded to give me a five-minute technical spiel using jargon that put me off. To be honest, I felt stupid, as I did not know or understand the words that he was using. At the end when he asked me if I had any questions, I said I did not and left the shop highly confused, without making a purchase.

I see this all the time in practices when a patient enquires about tooth whitening and then the receptionist, or the dentist replies, “Well, we have two ways of delivering the treatment. We will alginate impressions to make study models on which we construct custom made bleaching trays made from vacuum-formed polyurethane trays. You will place 15 per cent carbamide peroxide, which is a bleaching gel, into the trays which you wear every night for a month. The other way is that you can sit in the chair for two hours, wear protective spectacles, gum round your gums so that you don’t get black laser light, and we’ll apply three lots of bleach to your teeth at 15-minute intervals. If you feel your gums are burning, we will apply vitamin E lotion to stop the burning.” Now, I know I am probably going over the top here, however, do you find yourself talking too technical?

I can understand why you talk technical; after all, you are a technical profession and this is what you were taught. I often get told that there is very little training or coaching on communication skills at dental school. Only last year, a dentist openly admitted that he had put off taking my programme for three years whilst he went on lots of technical courses. He also admitted that he believed that the more technical he talked to the patients, the more they would believe him, and the more they would go ahead with the treatment he offered. He quickly discovered, after taking my two-day programme, that he had, in fact, spent three years confusing his patients and he could see why patients were not taking up his treatment plans.

So, what is important when we communicate to the patient? I have found that people don’t often buy the features of a product or service; rather, they buy what the product or service will do for them. In other words, the benefits. You see, on the whole, people are only interested in what’s in it for them. Review the products and services that you have recently purchased and see why you bought them. You will probably note that you purchased the benefits. I would urge you when you are communicating to see things from the other person’s point of view, wear their shoes and not yours. I once heard a great expression, which was KISS – keep it simple, stupid

Features: Everyone knows what features are. They are facts, data or information about the product or service. Examples of features are

1. We are open Saturday morning, 8.30am until 12.30pm, every week.
2. We have a zero per cent finance package and you can spread the payments, interest free, over six months.

These are features, or facts. Features on their own are unpersuasive. As I said before, patients are interested in buying benefits.

Benefits

There can be several definitions of a benefit, but my definition is: how a feature can help a patient. It is what they will gain by using your feature. For example, let’s link some benefits to the above features:

1. Feature: We are open every Saturday morning, 8.30am until 12.30pm. Benefit: You don’t need to take any time off work.
2. Feature: We have a zero per cent finance package and you can spread the payments over six months, interest-free. Benefit: You can start the treatment today.

To conclude

1. Try and avoid the jargon – don’t talk too technical

2. Keep your communication concise and clear

3. Remember to wear your patients’ shoes; see things from their point of view

4. Your patients are interested in the benefits, not the features