Is it ethical to use selling psychology on dental patients?
I would argue it is unethical not to. A handbag does no real good for anyone, and entire companies use positioning and decision psychology to sell them for thousands. What you do actually improves a person’s health and happiness. When you use what we know about how people decide, you can influence patients toward the choice that is genuinely good for them, and they walk out with better physical health, better dental health, and more satisfaction in their lives. That is the whole point. The discomfort dentists feel about selling comes from imagining a sleazy car lot. But refusing to learn influence does not make you pure. It just means patients keep deferring care they need because you could not help them past their own fear. Use the science honestly, in the patient’s interest, and you are doing the most ethical thing in the room.
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.