What four agreements should the dentist secure before discussing fees in a case presentation?
Following instructions, returning for prevention, committing to a future success story, and acknowledging the fee guarantee with its narrow exceptions. The doctor introduces the agreements with a transition like: “I want to talk about cost, but there are some things I need to go over first. In fact, I cannot talk about cost until we agree on some things together.” The phrasing leverages the well-documented psychology of perceived scarcity. The patient is told that something they want, the fee information, is conditional on these agreements. Their interest in getting to fees rises and the agreements become easier to secure. Each agreement also serves substantive purposes: following instructions makes treatment work, prevention returns create long-term retention, future testimonials feed the practice’s success-story pipeline, and the fee guarantee with stated exceptions covers unusual situations while differentiating the practice. The four-agreement sequence takes a few minutes. The structural value to the practice and to the patient is significant.
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