Mastering Verbal Skills – Part 1

Episode #355 with Jenni Poulos

Would you rather “pay a bill” or “make an investment”? Words carry weight, and language matters — especially with your patients. And to help you master the verbal skills you need for your practice, Kirk Behrendt brings in Jenni Poulos, one of ACT’s lead practice coaches, for a three-part series to explain every key concept you need to know. To learn how to become a better listener and communicator, listen to Episode 355 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

There are eight key concepts to master verbal skills:

1) Expectation minus reality equals conflict.

2) Language matters.

3) Build connection and value.

4) Ask the right questions.

5) Become a better listener.

6) Listen to understand.

7) It’s a lifetime practice.

8) Be responsible for how information is received.

Quotes:

“[E – R = C is] the most important concept. As a coach, it’s where we begin with teams. It’s important in how we communicate with each other. It’s important in how we communicate with our patients. The things we do and the things we say, when they aren't in alignment, that's when conflict ensues. I mean, I use this in my life. This is literally the most foundational concept, that if you can really embrace this and learn, ‘How can I make the expectations that I'm setting up for my team members, for my patients, and the reality of what they experience be in alignment?’ will your days be better.” (6:16—6:59)

“Language really does matter. The words that we say, the words that we use, carry weight. The tone that we use, it carries weight. How we say things, how we lean in, what we say and how we say it, matters. So, I want you to choose your words wisely.” (7:40—7:58)

“A really easy example here is when we think about the words “confirming” and “reminding.” I coach the team that I work in, we never “confirm” an appointment. We actually tell patients, ‘We consider appointments confirmed when they are made. We will give you a reminder call.’ Because if I'm calling to confirm the day before, that means it’s not already set in stone. Two words that have a big difference on their impact.” (7:59—8:33)

“An actionable item that's great for teams is, sit down around a table and come up with a “say this, not that,” document. What are some of the words that we want to say in the office that builds connection, that builds trust, that builds value, and what are some of the ones that we want to avoid? Docs all know about the difference between a shot and a little injection. Right? If I tell a kid I'm giving them a shot, they're going to be bouncing out of the chair a little bit than, ‘Hey, I'm just going to have a little poke here.’ Same thing, big impact.” (8:34—9:07)

“The person that is asking the questions is actually the person that's in control of the conversation. So, I want you to get really good at asking questions, but asking the right type of questions, which are open-ended questions. I never want you to be asking things that can be answered with a simple yes or a no because this is how we learn about people.” (11:17—11:41)

“We want to know if we’re safe. As human beings, we want to know if we’re in a safe place. That's our reptilian brain, our amygdala. It’s constantly scanning our environment to say, ‘What's going on around me?’ And by listening to people and asking good questions, we let them know, ‘Hey, you can trust me.’” (12:52—13:14)

“Active listening, it’s such an important skill that you really have to practice. You need to be an active listener. You need to physically lean in. You can't just be listening for what you're going to say. You need to listen for what the patient is saying.” (14:07—14:31)

“Great communicators listen more than they speak.”...