The icing on the cake
By Bob Levoy

What if you could add one element to your practice that would differentiate it in a highly meaningful way, make patients more loyal, and generate substantial practice growth?

And what if it were something so simple — so fundamental — that’s it’s been there all along, but you and your staff just haven’t been able to harness its power?

That element is an emotional connection with patients.

Research indicates that strong satisfaction with a product or service, although a prerequisite for loyalty, doesn’t guarantee committed patients. Something else is required — a bridge between satisfaction and loyalty.

An emotional connection bridges that gap in a way that makes patients feel so valued and cared for that they’ll go out of their way to be loyal. Combined with expertise, this emotional connection will differentiate your practice in ways that will be profoundly meaningful and appreciated by your patients.

You can establish an emotional connection with patients in numerous ways.

FRIENDLY STAFF

One of the first things patients notice about a practice is the ambiance.

An upbeat, friendly staff is a huge plus for a practice — especially in today’s impersonal, “sign in, sit down, shut up” healthcare environment. And it’s never an accident.

Nordstrom, the retailer based in Seattle, is famous for its friendly employees, but no special program made them that way. “When companies ask us if we’d like to come out and talk about our program, we just don’t have a lot to say,” a spokeswoman, Brooke White said in an interview with the New York Times. “Mostly, we just think we’re making good hiring decisions.”

Friendliness is usually easy to spot when interviewing job applicants. One of the signs is the number of times the person smiles during the interview.

REALLY LISTEN

Related to spending adequate time with patients and answering questions is the importance of listening to patients in a skillful and understanding way. Listening reduces your risk of exposure to malpractice claims, according to New York City attorney Andrew Feldman. Among his recommendations:

• Pay attention when a patient speaks;

• Look like you’re paying attention. Looking for example, at a patient’s chart or worse, your watch, implies less-than-total interest on your part. Someone worth listening to is worth looking at;

• Get involved while listening. Don’t be a deadpan. Lean forward. Nod your head as the patient speaks. Respond to the patient’s cues and facial expressions. Periodically say “uh-huh,” “that’s interesting,” or other words to show you’re listening.

• Paraphrase or summarize what you’ve understood the patient to have said. This lets patients know you’ve correctly heard the message. And if you haven’t, it will enable you both to achieve clarity.

• And finally, before concluding the patient’s visit, always ask: “Is there anything else you would like to ask me?”

Feldman says having this dialogue is important, not only for its clinical significance, but also because it minimizes your exposure to malpractice.

From the success files: “Effective listening is the single most important element in a successful consultation,” says Dr. Jeffrey Golub-Evans of New York. “If you’re not listening, you may be contributing to a patient’s sense that you are not interested, not concerned, not compassionate, and maybe not even competent. Get it? Shut up and listen.”

Hard learned lesson: The emotional realm estab-lishes relationships creates a thriving loyalty, say Scott Robinette and Claire Brand in their book, Emotion Mar-keting. “This is where the rest of the marketplace will have a hard time following. This is where the game is won.”

Bob Levoy is a seminar speaker and writer who focuses on the healthcare industry. His most recent book is 201 Secrets of a High Performance Dental Practice Elsevier/Mosby (January, 2005). He can be reached at 516-626-1353.