370: A NEW Spin on Case Acceptance

Kiera’s talking shop and eating cake pops! (You’ll have to listen to this episode to catch that joke…) In this solo episode, Kiera talks about increasing your case acceptance with a different spin: Actually being interested in other people.

Do you work too hard on being interesting instead of being interested in other people? Kiera offers advice on how to improve relationships with your patients on an individual basis. It’s all about the power of understanding and the power of listening, folks!

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Podcast Transcript

Kiera Dent:

Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective ,because let's face it. Dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, [inaudible 00:00:22], office manager, regional manager, practice owner. And I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep. We don't just understand you. We are you. Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental, and I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. `

Kiera Dent:

Hello Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera. And all right, here we go. Are you guys ready for, I don't know. I feel like I should name it when it's just me solo, but like Kiera talks shop. I don't know. Any of you who want to name what it's going to be? Like coffee with Kiera, but guess what? I don't even drink coffee, so that's kind of... Cake pops with Kiera? I don't know. Anybody want to email and we'll send you some swag for the person who can name just my solo podcasting, what I should call it. [email protected]. I love hearing from you guys anyway, so shoot. If you're just bored and want to have a pen pal, you know I also love that. [email protected]. Also, if you guys would love to, help us out. Help us on our mission, you guys know it is to positively impact the world of dentistry. So please do so. Our goal is to start having over 50,000 downloads a month.

Kiera Dent:

We're close, we're at 40,000 already. So share this with your friends, share this with your coworkers, pass it along to a doctor that you went to school with. We appreciate that so much and also leave us a review. It's a great way you guys can help us on our mission. All right you guys. So today. Today's topic is something that I have been working on. Something that I feel can help you guys, and this is going to be helping to increase your case acceptance with a different spin. And that is on being interested in other people. Okay, cool. Glad you guys tuned in for something so obvious. No, it's not obvious. So the reason that this just perked my interest in something I was thinking about is I have a really, really big family, you guys.

Kiera Dent:

There's six kids. Well, there's technically seven. So me plus six, that's seven kids, and my family, and my parents. There's a 19 year span between my oldest brother and my youngest sister. And we have a family call every single month, which my brother instituted, which was brilliant, because we all don't talk to each other. We all live in different states. We're all over the nation. And there's so many grand babies, nieces and nephews. There's just a ton of them. And so for us to all get together, that was something we were really lacking. So every single month on the second Sunday of the month, we have a family call. It's an hour, it's really fun and we get to hear what everyone's doing, just some highlights and updates. And as is on my last family call, it happened on a couple of days ago, which is why it's fresh on the mind, is I was listening, and I do talk to my siblings. I try to call every one of them at least once a month. I talk to my mom almost every single day.

Kiera Dent:

And as I was listening to all the things that they're involved with, I realized, oh no, I actually don't know a lot of their lives. And I'm like, well Kiera, why don't you know a lot of their lives, you call them? And I realize it's because I am more focused on being interesting than being interested. So I'm going to say that again. I am focused on being more interesting, that being interested. And how does this relate? So my mom, I call her and I'm just like, mom, listen to the business that dah, dah, dah, like podcasts, dah dah dah. All these things. And my mom is amazing, and she listens to me whenever I feel like talking and it's great. And I love her so much for that. But I realized a couple of days ago, I'm like Kiera, she has a life, too. And your siblings have a life, too. But if you always call and you're just telling how great you are and all these different things you're involved with and then see you later, I'm actually so concerned about being an interesting person that I'm not being interested in their lives.

Kiera Dent:

Well, if you guys have read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, one of the things in that book that I remember I took away from it is asking questions and being truly interested in other people. That is a great way for you to win friends and influence people. So how this turns into case acceptance is you can be talking about how great your doctor is, how wonderful this is, how great it's going to be to get this crown done today. That's being interesting, but what about being interested? And it doesn't have to take a long time, can also be done on your exams, hygienists. It can be when you're talking to patients, dental assistants, when you're seeing a patient, are you interested in them as people, or are you more concerned about being interesting as a person or in dentistry?

Kiera Dent:

You guys, I may make a ton of jokes when I was an assistant. I had a ton of fun. I'm sure if you guys haven't heard of, oh my gosh, I don't even know why I'm sharing this. On the podcast, this is recorded live. It's fine. I had a moment where I had a patient and we were doing Invisalign pictures, and we had the cheek retractors and I said, "Okay, we're going to retract your cheeks and take a picture." And I was like, oh my gosh, we're not doing that. No, I think I said, "We're going to spread your cheeks and take a picture." That was my exact phrase, because it was so embarrassing. And she started laughing and I started laughing and I was mortified. You guys, I was a hilarious assistant. I had a ton of fun, but I realized one of the ways that you create relationships is by being interested in another person and having genuine interest in them. Again, this can be 30 seconds, it can be a minute.

Kiera Dent:

Hello Dental A Team listeners. All right. One of my absolute favorite quotes is "You are always one decision away from a totally different life." So what life do you want to have? Do you want more accountability? Do you want a team that's trained? Do you want to have somebody who thinks outside the box and creates just for you? Do you want to have a coach? Do you want to have team training? Do you just need somebody to kick you in the rear and get you going? Okay. Don't worry. I'm in every single one of those boxes. And that's why we created Dental A Team silver, gold, and platinum. It's going to be customized team training for you on the terms you want. So silver? Silver is more for accountability. Gold? Gold includes all of our online training plus the accountability. And platinum includes all of that and in office.

Kiera Dent:

You guys, I would strongly suggest you go join Dental A Team gold today, because you're always one decision away from a totally different life. So, what are you waiting for? Hop on over to thedentalateam.com today. You guys, we only have so many spaces, so get over there today and sign up for Dental A Team silver, gold, or platinum.

Kiera Dent:

But asking them, and not just your everyday questions of like, "Oh, what do you have going on after this appointment?" But finding some way to connect with them. There's the power of a compliment. Giving someone a compliment as soon as you see them as a great way to make a friend and a great way to be interested in them. I've started trying this out. My little sister does it and she has friends everywhere she goes. So I've just been trying it out, and I've noticed people soften and they're so happy and they're warm, and it's an instant connection. I'm interested in them as a person. Asking them an easy question in the dental practices is "What do you have going on this week," "What do you have going on this weekend," and then finding a way to connect in with them, but having them share their story. Now yes, you have some of those patients that are chatty, and we know we've got to sometimes knock that off, but how is this going to increase your case acceptance?

Kiera Dent:

That's probably the question now. Like okay, great. I can be interested in them, not necessarily interesting. The way you do it is ask questions about them. So tell me a little bit about where you're from, and not just your laissez fair, like your party questions. It's really truly like, hey Kiera, I know, and this comes after time. You might not have it your first time, but you can. I try really hard with my team members when I consult them with offices that I talk to make sure that I'm remembering things about them. Like, "Oh hey, you just got back from that trip in Colorado. How was it?" That is being interested in them as a person. When I was listening to the conversation, I was listening to understand them. I was genuinely interested versus listening to respond. That's how it sinks in. That's how you remember a lot of these things, because it was a memorable experience for you.

Kiera Dent:

So then with case acceptance, by doing this, you then find out information about them and you genuinely want to help them. So if I find out, hey, you're going on a trip? Well, oh my gosh, let's get this crown done before you head on to that trip. I would hate for that to break and you have to call me. Let's get that done, let me reserve this time for you. So then I'm finding out about them and I'm building this connection where I genuinely do care about these people. Yes, of course I'm still willing to close cases. Yes, I'm still going to do the things, but this then built a bond and a friendship, and you really just became an interested person, not an interesting person. People trust you. People like you and they don't know why.

Kiera Dent:

So think of one of your best friends, or somebody you admire. And you just wonder what is it about that person that you like? For example, my brother [Rhett 00:09:08]. My brother Rhett and my sister Katrina are probably some of my, I shouldn't say like my favorite siblings, but they're... I love all my siblings, but Rhett and Katrina are two people that are really, really, really like to talk to. And I've always wondered why. What is it about them? So I kind of study them. Rhett always asks me questions about myself, always. And he genuinely wants hear. Of course he still shares on his side of the conversation, but he's genuinely asking me questions because he wants to know about me. Same thing with Katrina. Katrina is giving me compliments, she's asking about my life. She makes it fun. She's very lighthearted, and I love those things about those people.

Kiera Dent:

So find some people in your life that you like and write down what are the traits or attributes about them that you like? Most of the time the people that have hundreds of friends they're loved across the nation are because they're genuinely interested in other people. When you become genuinely interested in other people, you genuinely want to help them solve their problems. It does not mean that I am so empathetic that everybody gets a free crown. No, I'm still going to charge our fees, because I know our fees are accurate, I know our fees are fair, and I know our dentistry is incredible. And that's what I want you to get. However, knowing them as a person can also help you then increase your case acceptance.

Kiera Dent:

So for example, I know Tiffany. Tiffany is incredible. I know she's got a great, great life. I know she wants to have an even better life. So if she needed to have a crown done, I could be like Tiff, girl, you are one of the nicest people I've ever met. Let's get that crown done, that way you can continue on in the most incredible life and even have it a top notch higher. Let's get you scheduled for that crown. It's truly genuine, and I think all this comes back from where are you stemming from? Am I stemming from the fact that I want to get a higher case acceptance, or am I stemming from that I really truly want to be interested in other people and know them as people. Know their lives, know their fears, know their likes, and then be able to find the best solution for them based on where they're at.

Kiera Dent:

Again, this can be taken the wrong way. So I'd want to make sure it's clear. A lot of treatment coordinators will empathize so much that they don't even present a treatment plan. And that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about having an interest in people and then finding the best solution, which in my opinion is always doing the treatment that our doctor recommends. Why? Because I trust my doctor and I truly think that people should have the best treatment done. That's my gold standard. That's what my standard is. That's what I do, that's what all of my patients get. We are going to do the treatment, but I want to know you as a person. No, I shouldn't say "but," I should say, and I want to know you as a person. I truly do. Sometimes you guys, I walk into an office and I don't really care about people. That sounds so gross. You guys, I've curbed that, but just like with my family, I want to tell them all about me, I want to show them how I can help them. I want to dazzle and wow.

Kiera Dent:

However, when you get a bonded relationship, people are much more likely to do anything you say. They'll follow you to the end of the earth, because they know you genuinely care about them. And again, this only has to take 30 seconds. The power of a compliment. Complimenting them. The power of asking genuine questions. The power of listening to understand and not listening to respond. Those are three big things. So watch. Look in your personal life. Also, sometimes you can be a person that maybe listens too much and you need to ask more questions, or you need to share about yourself because nobody likes to be in a conversation where it's just one sided. It's got to be a given and a take. If my sister was just asking me a bunch of questions, I probably wouldn't want to talk to her too much, because I would feel like I'm on an investigation. Like, okay, Katrina, stop with the questions. Tell me about you, because then it gets awkward and I just feel like I'm the only one speaking and they're not contributing.

Kiera Dent:

Whenever I'm with a client or a patient, I try to quickly find a way that we can connect. Soon as people feel connected, they feel like you're just like them, it's much easier to build that bond. That's how being interested works. So for example, I can see... Typically, I was actually just talking to a potential client. They were up in Yakima, Washington. Well guess what? My [inaudible 00:12:53] was going to go to Yakima, Washington. So instantly I ask about, "Oh my gosh. Tell me about Yakima. How was that? We were going to go to pharmacy school. Tell me all about it." Now we just became common. Yes, I shared an interesting fact about me, but I asked them to tell me more about it for them. That's how I'm able to be interested in truly find out about them. I want to know more about them. Found out their life, found out where they're at, found out we just did a funny joke on Yakima.

Kiera Dent:

Another one, I was talking to a SEO guy the other day. Found out he loves to play tennis. Right there was my connection. I'm like, "How much do you play tennis?" He's like, "I play it all the time." And I'm like, "Did you do a professionally?" And he's like, "No," I'm like, "Did you play varsity in high school?" "Yes," "Me too." That's where I was trying to get to. Because guess what? I did, too. But I did it for the skirt. Tell me what you love about tennis, I need to get back into it. Tell me how I can get back into tennis. Well, all of a sudden I just became very interested, and I genuinely do mean it. I would love to get back into tennis. I haven't played tennis for years. So this is how you guys can weave this into the conversations to be truly interested and still sprinkle a little bit of interesting, because nobody wants to be in a bland conversation.

Kiera Dent:

But this is how you guys are then able to kind of make faster connections. You're going to connect with your patients more. You can also do this with team members. You'll have a much more bonded team by being interested in them without being interesting. It's a way for you to make great friends, it's a way for your patients to trust you, it's a way for your case acceptance to increase. So I want you guys to try it out. Again, 30 seconds to a minute, that's all it takes. Just find that area where you can connect and ask those questions truly want to know them. Be genuine in your approach, and let me know how your case acceptance goes. Careful, don't empathize. You're not projecting or assuming anything, you're just being interested in them as people. You're building that connection, building that relationship, which in turn is also going to build your case acceptance.

Kiera Dent:

All right, you guys, as always, I'm excited to hear from you. Email me anytime, [email protected]. Also, any of you that would love us to help you guys with this, help your practice. Come see those blind spots that maybe you're missing that you didn't even know is a blind spot. We'd love to help you out, whether it's virtual or in-person. [email protected] and as always, thank you guys for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.

Kiera Dent:

And that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team podcast. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.