Practice Production Prioritized: One simple technique to increase case acceptance

Author's note: Levin Group has reviewed and prioritized hundreds of strategies to increase practice production. Each month, we highlight a powerful idea ranked in order of priority.

There is a simple, easy-to-adopt technique that will increase case acceptance immediately. At first, this may not seem significant or impactful, but doctors who have used this technique have gone on to increase their average production per patient and average production per case by significant amounts. So, what is this technique? It is to learn as many personal things about each patient as possible. If you learn only one or two things, you haven’t really made much headway. If you learn five or six, you may do a little better. If you learn 10 or more, your case acceptance will increase immediately.

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You may be thinking that this is so obvious, so simple, and so easy that it probably doesn’t work. But it does. Actually, case study after case study shows significant increase in case acceptance upon using this technique. The reason is that as patients feel they are developing more of a personal relationship than a professional relationship, they tend to trust the doctor and team more. This trust helps them to see the worth in spending the money for recommended treatment.

The Golden 10

“The Golden 10” process involves devoting yourself to getting to know at least 10 personal things about each patient. Psychologists have indicated that when you learn 10 personal facts about a patient, you have begun to move from a professional relationship to a personal one.

If you find yourself resistant to this idea, please understand that not doing this doesn’t mean the patient will not trust you. It means that they may not trust you enough to accept all treatment recommendations. In fact, my current observations in this area have led me to believe that developing personal relationships with patients may be even more impactful than clearly explaining the clinical case or relating the need for optimal oral health to overall systemic health.

As the world of dentistry becomes increasingly complex, I urge you to try The Golden 10 for greater case acceptance.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in the December 2023 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here. 

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with more than 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, he has written 67 books and more than 4,000 articles, and he regularly presents seminars in the US and around the world. To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit levingroup.com or email [email protected].