What does the mountain-climbing concept of “set-up” mean for dental selling preparation?
It means that the preparation invested before the patient interaction determines the probability of a successful outcome, and the right amount of preparation varies by the difficulty of the case. A small filling consultation needs a light set-up: warm phone handling, basic clinical info, fee transparency. The patient walks in, the conversation is short, and the case moves. A full-arch reconstruction consultation needs a substantial set-up: extensive phone qualifying, financial conversation in advance, photographs and imaging review, written materials sent ahead, an invitation extended to the spouse, a longer block scheduled, and a structured presentation outline. The doctor and team show up to the larger case with all the qualifying work already done, the same way a mountain climber shows up to the summit attempt with weeks of preparation behind them. The case-acceptance rate on big cases tracks directly with the quality of the set-up. Skip the set-up and the summit gets missed.
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.
