I have a pretty firm rule ​when I train clinicians​ on the discovery process during new patient consultations.

I call it the "Discovery Rule" (clever, I know).

Here it is:

During discovery, you're not allowed to educate. You're only allowed to ask questions and reflect.

However, there is an exception.

And ironically, it's the one thing you probably don't want to talk about:

Yourself.

"Wait Brad, I thought this was all about the patient and what's in it for them?" you might find yourself asking.

And that would make me happy, because it's exactly right.

But there's one situation where talking about yourself is in your patient's best interest.

Authority, Credibility, and Trust (ACT)

One of your primary goals during discovery is to establish your authority, credibility, and trust with the patient.

You mostly do this by actively listening, asking insightful questions, and offering astute reflections.

But it's also important to discuss why the patient chose you and your practice.

This clarifies why they are in front of you, and not in front of your competitor.

It also gives you insight into what the patient values.

Some clinicians handle this ineffectively by describing their years of experience and accolades to their glassy-eyed patient.

There's a better way. Start with a question:

"What about me or our practice led you to schedule this appointment with us and not another office?"

This lets the patient pitch you on why you are in fact an authority, have credibility, or are trustworthy.

Ask follow up questions:

• "What about that (content, marketing piece, Google search, etc.) stood out to you?"
• "What did [referral] say when they sent you my way?"

What if they don't know why they chose you? Or they were just referred by the MD? Or they just found you on Google but didn't do any research?

In this case, you have permission to talk about yourself.

But make it brief, make it compelling, and make it relevant.

How?

Have your USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) ready:

• What REALLY sets you, your practice, or your services apart?
• What can you claim that your competition can't, that's valuable and relevant to the patient in front of you?
• What quantifiable proof of results can you share?

Ultimately, this component of a new patient consultation should only take 2-3 minutes at most.

But the impact of establishing ACT with your patient will undeniably lead to increased treatment acceptance in your practice.

Until Next Week!

Brad "Ask Better Questions" Stewart, AuD