How do I use loss aversion ethically in a dental consult?
People are wired to fear losing something more than they want to gain it, and you can use that honestly. When you tell a patient “I am happy to accept you,” you are doing two things at once. You pay a true compliment, and you signal that acceptance is a thing they now have and could lose. That quiet pressure of not wanting to give up a spot moves them toward the next step. I do the same with scheduling. I tell them I only hold a few appointment times for the complete dental physical, so I suggest they take the next one unless they are fine waiting longer. None of that is a lie. The slots really are limited. You are lining up real human behavior with the patient’s own benefit, not manufacturing fake scarcity.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.