In this episode of the Growing a Dental Practice podcast, host Mike Hennan is joined by Ashley Latter, a renowned sales and communication coach for dental professionals. With 25 years of experience and a track record of success, Ashley shares his expertise in helping dentists and their teams effectively communicate with patients. This leads to an improved patient journey, higher treatment plan acceptance rates, and increased profits for dental practices. Tune in to learn valuable strategies and tactics for growing your dental practice through improved communication.

Timestamps

[00:02:47] Ashley's 31 years of training.

[00:04:31] Dentists and sales training.

[00:08:58] Dentists and communication struggles.

[00:12:13] Ethical sales and communication.

[00:15:32] Stop selling and ask questions.

[00:21:22] Hiring salespeople as receptionists.

[00:24:10] The importance of receptionists.

[00:27:04] The most important asset.

Detailed Synopsis

The Ethical Sales and Communication Training program is designed to help dentists build rapport and establish ethical relationships with their patients. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding unnecessary treatments and steering clear of sales tactics commonly used by pushy salespeople. Instead, the program focuses on teaching dentists how to connect with patients, ask the right questions, and genuinely care about their well-being. The ultimate goal is to empower patients to make informed decisions without feeling pressured. Additionally, the program covers various aspects of dental practice management, including front desk training and the entire patient journey from initial inquiry to treatment. Ultimately, the program aims to create a positive patient experience and foster long-term relationships based on trust and ethical practices.

The episode highlights the common struggle dentists face in effectively communicating with their patients. Dentists are typically trained in the technical aspects of dentistry, but lack the skills to communicate effectively. They often speak in technical terms, focusing on treatment details and procedures. However, patients are more interested in the end result or the benefits of the treatment rather than the technicalities.

To address this issue, Ashley uses the analogy of an airplane and its destination. Dentists tend to focus on the "plane" or the technical aspects, while patients are more interested in the "destination" or the outcomes of the treatment. Speaking too technically can confuse patients and hinder their decision-making process.

The podcast suggests that dentists need to learn how to build rapport, ask the right questions, and communicate in a way that excites and helps patients understand the benefits of the treatment. Additionally, dentists should also learn how to discuss fees, as many may not be accustomed to this aspect of patient communication.

The episode emphasizes the importance of effective communication in dentistry and the need for dentists to learn how to communicate in a way that resonates with patients and helps them understand the value and benefits of the treatment.

Furthermore, the episode emphasizes the significance of properly training reception teams in dental practices to handle inquiries and convert them into appointments. Ashley highlights that reception teams hold the key to generating substantial revenue for the practice. However, they often receive inadequate training and may not fully grasp the importance of their role.

To address this issue, Ashley suggests that practice owners should have friends or colleagues make mystery calls to assess how their reception team handles inquiries. This allows practice owners to identify areas for improvement and ensure that their reception team effectively converts inquiries into appointments.

Quotes

• 00:00:59 - "Simply, he is the best at getting dentists and their teams to communicate with their patients, which results in a world-class patient journey, more patients saying yes to treatment plans, and increased profits for practices."

• 00:05:36 - "Wow, that was really powerful."

• 00:06:46 - "I always say to dentists, make phone calls, make phone calls every day to your patients, you know, see how they are."

• 00:10:39 - "And when a patient's confused, they typically don't take action."

• 00:12:19 - "It's not pushing, it's not controlling, which often you might see in salespeople in your normal day-to-day life."

• 00:16:26 - "I've never liked this or this has always bothered me."

• 00:17:48 - "I'd hate to think how much missed opportunity there is because the practice didn't communicate with the patients, you know, the full range of services, or they didn't ask the right questions."

• 00:22:57 - "And in my opinion, that's the type of person I would want answering the telephone in my practice."

• 00:24:40 - "You want to put the best, if you've got a clothes shop, you want the best clothes in there that's going to draw people to come into your shop."

• 00:27:38 - "And the number one asset in your business is the patient, the patient database."

• 00:28:40 - "Because if you can get them on a membership plan, then you've got, again, a great asset, key patients that value what you do, regular."

Guest Bio

Ashley Latter is a business coach and sales and communication coach for dental professionals. He has written four books and delivered over 34,000 hours of dental business coaching. Ashley's ethos/philosophy is to teach dentists how to sell without selling in an ethical manner. He emphasizes building rapport and developing long-term relationships with patients, and he believes in genuinely connecting with patients and providing treatment that they want and need.

Guest Contact Details

• Website: https://www.ashleylatter.com/

• Phone: +44 (0) 161 724 8728

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-latter-9614589/