People do business with people they know, like, and trust. I guess I have had a good 40 years in dentistry and almost 65 years in life to perfect the process of becoming a dentist that patients know, like and trust. I want to share a few insights with you.
People do business with people they know. Assuming you agree with this statement, the question becomes: How can you get to know people and how can people get to know you? To get to know people, you have to get out and network. Marketing has gone full circle and attracting new patients has come 180 degrees and is back to relationships. You have to attend those Chamber of Commerce meetings, join the Lions Club, Rotary, and PTA, coach little league, and get to know those folks at church. You have to volunteer on the committees that have people involved who either could be patients or know people who could be patients. People do business with people they know, so get to know more people.
There are a lot of people I get to know, and once I know them, I don’t like them. Probably the people that don’t like you have many of the same traits you don’t like in others. The bottom line is this: You need to work on being interested, not interesting. Those who ask questions in a social setting and don’t talk about themselves are the people others tend to like to be around. This isn’t something you act like you like doing. It’s a trait you can develop and is exposed once you are confident enough in yourself. People go to a dentist they like, so be likable.
People do business with people they trust. There are two ways to get people to trust you. Two, very simple ways: You do what you said you would do, or DWYSYWD, and you tell the truth 100% of the time. People do business with people they trust. Give them tons of evidence you can be trusted and never give them a reason you can’t be trusted and success will find you.
People do business with people they know, like, and trust. It might seem like success in dentistry could not be defined so easily, but I truly think it can be.
Michael Abernathy, DDS
972-123-4660 cell
[email protected]