Why does asking a dental patient to bring their spouse at the last minute backfire?
Because surprises trigger gut-instinct refusal. Sheena Iyengar’s research on automatic decision-making shows that humans default to no when faced with unexpected requests that disrupt their plans. The patient who has already arranged the consultation, taken time off work, and prepared mentally for the meeting cannot easily pivot when the practice calls the day before asking them to bring a spouse. The instinct is to decline, postpone, or just go alone and ‘see what they say.’ Late requests also signal that the practice did not have its act together, eroding the trust built earlier. Identify the Decider on the first phone call. Schedule everyone together from the start. Late asks are a system failure.
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.