What is the dentist “reporter mode” trap and why does it kill case acceptance?
Reporter mode is what happens when the doctor examines a patient, gathers findings, and then delivers those findings back in a verbal flood of technical detail. The patient gets a forty-five minute lecture on periodontal pocket depths, bone loss patterns, occlusal interferences, and restorative options, in dental terminology. Their eyes glaze at minute three. By minute thirty they have mentally checked out. By minute forty-five they are pretending to follow along while waiting for the moment to escape the conversation. The doctor finishes feeling thorough and professional. The patient leaves feeling overwhelmed and confused, and defaults to “just whatever the insurance covers” or to nothing. The trap is that reporter mode feels responsible. It feels like the doctor is being a good professional by sharing all the information. In actuality the patient cannot use any of it. Reporter mode delivers data. Ethical selling delivers decisions. The patient needs the second, not the first.
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.
