Tuesday Tip: A Positive Attitude can be Your Greatest Asset

Tuesday Tip: A Positive Attitude can be Your Greatest Asset

In every self-help/small-business/motivational book I’ve ever picked up and read (or skimmed anyway) there has been a recurring message about attitude. Each book stresses that a positive attitude about your work, family, marriage, etc. can greatly increase your ability to accomplish your goals.

My favorite small business book I’ve ever read is calledFish! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Resultsby Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. I am not exaggerating when I say that I literally read all 107 pages in 45 minutes while sitting on the floor of a Barnes and Noble. Throughout the book, the authors stress that attitude, combined with other key strategies, is the greatest predictor of success. That it’s as simple as choosing to think positively, and excitedly about your work for the day. Instead of walking in the door of your office thinking about how much you wish you were still in bed, choose to look forward to helping patients feel better and to making a difference in the lives of those you see each day. Dwell not on the negatives of your work, but think instead of the things you love about it. And choose to be happy about being at the office.

As Denis Waitley said in The Winner’s Edge, “The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success. But you can’t buy an attitude for a million dollars. Attitudes are not for sale.” And isn’t that encouraging? That no matter who we are or what we do, that we can be successful if we choose to live life with a positive attitude.

Sure, some things in life are beyond your control. Some patients you meet during the day are going to complain. Some patients are going to refuse treatment. Some patients are going to struggle with their payments. Some of your co-workers may bring you down. These things are all out of your control. But what is in your control is how you respond to them. As John C. Maxwell so eloquently stated in The Maxwell Daily Reader, “I cannot always choose what happens to me, but I can always choose what happens in me.”

Choosing to enter work with a positive attitude won’t help you do everything. However, it will help you to do anything better than if you entered work with a negative attitude. 

Monday Morning Meeting: Body Language

Monday Morning Meeting: Body Language

Most of a dental office’s interaction with patients is face to face. Improving your body language can make a big difference in your people skills, attractiveness to patients, and your general mood. The biggest tip there is for improving body language is to improve your awareness of how you sit, stand, and use your hands and legs to communicate. Here are some helpful tips:

Body Language:

1. Try not to cross your arms or legs and certainly don’t cross both at once! This position conveys a defensive, guarded, or annoyed tone that you do not want patients picking up from you. Instead, keep arms and legs loose and open.

2. Keep eye contact but don’t stare the patient down. You do not want to be on the extremes of eye contact: either staring anywhere but at the person you’re talking to or staring at them to the point of discomfort. You do want to make eye contact but you don’t want to creep them out. 

3. Respond to the patient when they’re speaking to you. It may seem obvious but for some, responding can be difficult. You don’t want to nod and say “uh huh” too much but not doing anything is awkward. A simple nod or verbal acknowledgement lets the speaker know that you’re on the same page!

4. Your mom told you to sit up straight for a reason, and she was right! Slouching is the best way to convey insecurity and laziness to a patient. Instead, make sure you’re standing or sitting up straight to convey competence and confidence!

5. You work at a dentist’s office… Don’t be afraid to smile! It’s okay to smile and laugh when someone says something funny. In fact, it’s okay to chuckle a bit even when what they say isn’t that funny. People will be more inclined to feel comfortable with you if you seem like a positive, fun person.

6. You are not in a race. Slow down a bit. This goes for everything from walking to talking. Many patients are already nervous enough to be at the dentist’s office; speeding around the office is not going to help them relax. This will also help you feel less stressed.

Monday Morning Meeting: Telephone Etiquette

Monday Morning Meeting: Telephone Etiquette

In most dental offices, the first person potential patients interact with is your receptionist and how they answer the phone may influence whether or not an appointment is booked. Brush up on telephone etiquette with your team, even those who are not at the front desk. Everyone answers the office phones every once and a while!

Telephone Etiquette

• Answer the phone promptly. The phone should not ring more than three times before it is answered.
• Answer the phone with the name of the practice and your name. (Example: “Thank you for calling Main Street Dental Care. This is Mary speaking, how may I assist you?”)
• If you have someone on the other line, ask “May I place you on hold?” (Important: Wait for a response before taking the other call! Assuming the person won’t mind waiting on hold can be read as rude!)
• Before putting the caller on hold and after taking them off of hold, thank them.
• Always get the person’s name and a call back number, when possible! Saying something as simple as, “May I have your name and phone number so that I may call you back in case we are disconnected?” ensures that you can follow up with the caller.
• Use the callers name during the conversation. This conveys to the caller that you care about them and their concerns.
• Never interrupt a caller when they are speaking.
• Use common courtesy words. Here are some great examples: Thank you, Please, I apologize for the inconvenience, It would be my pleasure!
• Have a pen and paper ready, just in case!
• Do not handle an unhappy caller’s concerns at the front desk/check-in counter. You do not want patients in your waiting room to hear any negative conversations.
• When a call is completed, thank the caller and wait for the caller to hang up first. Banging the phone on the receiver can leave a bad impression.
• Return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail and messages.