Episode #280: The Art of Selling in Dentistry, with Dr. Leonard Tau

A myth about dental patients is that they only care about cost. While that may be a significant factor, patients also care about high-quality dental work — and are willing to pay for it! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Leonard Tau to teach you the art of selling in dentistry. He claims that by becoming a better listener and communicator you will increase case acceptance. If you want to know more on how to get patients to say yes, listen to Episode 280 of The Best Practices Show! 

Main Takeaways:

• If you don't sell treatment, patients will spend their money elsewhere.  
• Patients will say yes to treatment if you create the value for them.
• Dentists should learn to talk money to patients.
• Know your numbers. Ask patients their budgets.
• Get a chat button for your website. It’s another opportunity to reach out to patients.
• Learn to actively listen to your patients.
• Your reputation is as important as your credit score.
• Be cognizant of body language. The right body language can increase case acceptance!
• Help patients get money, and they will accept treatment.

Quotes:

• “A healthy practice has a really good case acceptance. An unhealthy practice has a poor case acceptance, and people walk out, and they go somewhere else and they spend their money elsewhere.” (06:21—06:30)
• “[To] grow your practice, patients need to say yes. You can only make so much money from the re-care and the small things that come through the office.” (07:11—07:18)
• “Most dentists don't like to [talk money]. I think you need to learn how to do it because, ultimately, the patients trust you. They come into the office, they trust you, they want to hear what they need, why they need it, and the cost involved.” (11:18—11:30)
• “When patients feel comfortable and they understand the value, the money is not necessarily the biggest issue. Patients can find the money if they see the value.” (12:02—12:09)
• “The art of the sale actually starts with the first interaction with the practice.” (13:27—13:32)
• “Patients don't say yes to treatment because they don't feel a connection to the office. I connect with the patient before they even come in.” (15:59—16:04)
• “The chat allows me another opportunity to reach out to patients who are trying to interact with the practice. Patients who are scared don't necessarily call the practice. They're going to chat with you online.” (21:31—21:40)
• “We don't listen very well. That's a huge mistake we make as dentists.” (24:07—24:10)
• “[Dentists] have very poor follow-up skills. When a patient says maybe, most practices have no way of reaching back out to them.” (36:07—36:14)
• “I don't shy away from third-party financing at all. I embrace it and I want to use it as much as possible, because I'd rather have 90% of something than 0% of zero. And if a patient says no, they don't spend any money at my practice.” (44:01—44:15)
• “Education without action is just entertainment.” (46:08—46:10)

Snippets:

• Dr. Tau’s background. (03:47—05:21)
• Why selling is important in dentistry. (06:04—07:18)
• One reason patients say no to treatment. (07:48—08:26)
• Learning to talk to patients about money and treatment. (08:52—10:39)
• Should the dentist or a team member talk money to patients? (10:58—12:34)
• How to get better at selling dentistry. (13:01—16:22)
• Ask patients their budget. (16:30—20:12)
• Call versus chat. (20:37—22:25)
• What dentists get wrong in the art of selling. (22:35—25:33)
• Trust is the bottom line. (25:57—26:30)
• Your reputation matters. (26:44—27:22)
• How to disarm patients. (27:54—31:34)
• Importance of body language. (31:46—34:58)
• Work on follow-up skills. (35:54—36:28)
• Help patients understand and value what they're getting. (37:00—38:03)
• Ask patients for their credit scores and help them get money. (38:05—40:59)
• Discussing insurance with patients. (41:14—42:14)
• How to handle patients’ objections. (42:43—45:30)
• Last thoughts. (45:48—48:01)
• Dr. Tau’s contact information. (48:19—50:25)

Reach Out to Dr. Tau:

Dr. Tau’s website: https://workshop.drlentau.com/

**Use code RAVING to get 50% off Dr. Tau’s workshop!**

Dr. Tau’s email: [email protected] 

Dr. Tau’s cell phone number: (215) 292-2100

Dr. Tau’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravingpatient/

Dr. Tau’s weekly podcast, The Raving Patients Podcast https://www.drlentau.com/podcast

Further Reading:

Silent Messages by Albert Mehrab

Dr. Tau's Bio:

Dr. Len tau thrives on helping practices maximize their online reputation, marketing, and social media strategies. With 4.9 stars from over 1,600 reviews for his own dental practice, he teaches proven strategies he uses firsthand to grow his practice.

As a speaker, Len is known for his lively and engaging presentations packed with ready-to-use strategies. He regularly travels the country sharing his marketing brilliance and passion for practice growth with audiences.

As a consultant, he offers practice leaders with real-world solutions tailored to fit their specific challenges and opportunities. Len loves to help doctors and their teams understand and implement successful online systems to build their practice. He currently serves as general manager of the dental for Birdeye Reputation Marketing software.
Selected as one of Philadelphia’s top dentists by Philadelphia magazine, Dr. Tau continues to experience growth year after year in his fee-for-service practice focusing on general, cosmetic, reconstructive and implant dentistry.

Following his father into the dental profession, Len graduated from tufts university school of dental medicine and continues to pursue ongoing continuing education opportunities. He has had the privilege of serving patients for two decades. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations including the American Dental Association, the Pennsylvania dental association, the academy of general dentistry, the eastern dental society, the northeast Philadelphia dental implant study club, and the American academy of clear aligners.