Blog - Page 81 of 310 - The McAnally Selling System

Building Rapport With Patients: a Bank Historian Lesson

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

What can a bank's historian teach me about building rapport with patients? A lot, and it is one of my favorite examples of liking at work. Wells Fargo put a staff historian on the payroll to chase high net worth clients. Instead of a sales pitch, the historian researched the family, often generational wealth, and uncovered stories the family itself never knew. Then they simply said, we found some things about your family we would love to share. People love their own history, so they listened. The result, by the time that article ran, they had targeted roughly four billion dollars [...]

Building Rapport With Patients: a Bank Historian Lessonjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why Patient Liking Drives Case Acceptance

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Does it really matter if a patient likes me before they say yes? It matters more than most dentists want to admit. The research on liking is clear, going back to studies from 2004 and earlier: we say yes to people we know, like, and see as similar to ourselves. That includes decisions to spend money. If you are similar to me in some way, I like you, and I make decisions around that. Patients are no different. They want to be treated by someone they trust, the same way they pick a physician or anyone who provides a personal service. [...]

Why Patient Liking Drives Case Acceptancejames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Setting Patient Expectations Before the Clinical Exam

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

How do I set expectations before I start the clinical exam? Say what is going to happen before you ever pick up an instrument. I tell the patient something like this: we are going to look at everything in your mouth today closely and gather what we need to evaluate your situation. I will take all of it and come up with the options that work best for you. If anything comes to mind that would help us know, do not hesitate to tell Mary or me. Then I stop and let them answer, because that yes matters. Now they feel [...]

Setting Patient Expectations Before the Clinical Examjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Asking Patients About Previous Dental Experiences

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why should I ask about a patient's bad experiences at other dental offices? Because they came to you for a reason, and that reason is gold. I ask, any recent dental experiences that did not go the way you would have liked? Patients pursuing major treatment have usually shopped around. If they had loved the last place, they would still be there. So they will tell you exactly what turned them off, the rushed feeling, the surprise bill, the dismissive doctor, whatever it was. That is a map of the mistakes you must not repeat. Listen, write it down, and then [...]

Asking Patients About Previous Dental Experiencesjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Involving the Spouse in a Major Dental Case

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Should I ask the patient's spouse what they want to see changed? On a major case, yes, and make sure the spouse or financial partner is actually in the room. If this is a big case at the diagnostic visit, the person who shares the money and the bed should be there. Then you get a second motivation source for free. I ask the spouse the same thing I ask the patient: what would you like to see different in your partner? You would be surprised what comes out. The spouse often names something the patient was too proud or too [...]

Involving the Spouse in a Major Dental Casejames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why Patient Motivation Questions Matter at Every Visit

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why do I keep re-asking patients what motivates them at every visit? Because the real reason a patient wants treatment rarely comes out the first time you ask, and it is the most valuable thing you can learn. At the complete physical I ask again, what do you want to see different in yourself? This is my last clean chance to surface the pain that is actually driving them, before I commit to a plan. People hold back. They give you the safe answer first, then the true one once they trust you. If you only ask once you build your [...]

Why Patient Motivation Questions Matter at Every Visitjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Are Dental Procedure Models Worth Buying

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Should I buy the procedure models that dental reps keep pushing? For the most part, no. Those expensive procedure models you keep getting sold do almost nothing to move a patient toward yes. The exception, and it is a real one, is when you are attaching an entire arch of teeth with implants. A model that shows how the prosthesis snaps onto the implants helps a patient understand something they cannot picture from a photo. Everything else is clutter. A good photo of the patient's own mouth, projected large enough that they can actually study it, beats a generic plastic model [...]

Are Dental Procedure Models Worth Buyingjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

What Technology You Need for Implant Case Presentation

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

What technology do I actually need to present big implant cases? Keep it simple and buy only what helps the patient see. You need digital photos so you can manipulate images and build a real report for the case presentation. A panoramic film, or a cone beam if your cases call for it, lets you show the patient their right side, left side, top and bottom, and they get it instantly. Add a large screen so everyone in the room sees the same thing, and a way to project those photos, PowerPoint or Keynote, it does not matter. A digital smile [...]

What Technology You Need for Implant Case Presentationjames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Does Dentist Appearance Affect Case Acceptance?

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Does how a dentist looks affect whether patients accept big cases? It does, more than most dentists want to admit. If you are selling work that revolves around perfection, you cannot show up looking like a cartoon and expect the patient to believe in the result. The dentist who looks like a pro comes out ahead of the one who does not, every time, on big presentation visits. That includes your own teeth. You are asking someone to trust you with their smile, so the state of yours is part of the message whether you like it or not. You may [...]

Does Dentist Appearance Affect Case Acceptance?james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why Take a Lifetime Risk Dental CE Course

james2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

Why should I take a continuing education course on lifetime dental risk? Because it will change how you see every patient for the rest of your career. I went through advanced treatment planning training built around lifetime risk, and it reshaped my thinking permanently, even the cases I treated years later. A good course like this takes about a week to complete, which sounds like a lot until you weigh it against decades of practicing the old way. Look for instructors who take no manufacturer money. When someone refuses industry dollars, you know their recommendations are not being bought, and that [...]

Why Take a Lifetime Risk Dental CE Coursejames2026-06-16T00:00:00-04:00

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