The Consultation – From the Aesthetic Patient’s Point of View
Introduction/Survey
It’s imperative to know what your patients want, what they think about you and your staff and how to set expectations for the greatest amount of patient satisfaction. So, I decided to research consumers personally to learn, first-hand, what they were looking for when searching for an office and physician to perform cosmetic enhancements. The survey statistics and responses can be found in my book /<a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href= ">"Your Aesthetic Practice/What Your Patients Are Saying”</a>
I interviewed 75 patients who had cosmetic procedures and, knowing that some of the most scrutinizing patients can be men, I interviewed both males and females.
My objective was to determine trends and commonalities so here are some of my findings:
- the main reason both genders were considering cosmetic procedures was to
feel better about themselves and improve their looks
- 90% of the time, confidence in the physician’s ability and staff interaction
were more important than price
- 86% of them referred at least two other people to that practice
- 40% researched their procedure on the Internet ahead of time so they felt
well-informed
- 75% went on multiple consultations before deciding
- 80% watched Extreme Makeover, Doc 90210 and live surgeries and
treatments on the Discover Channel so they felt they knew what to expect
- Long waiting times were a reoccurring complaint
- The better the staff, the less time the physician had to spend with the patient
during the consultation
Survey Conclusion/Findings
While this was interesting, it was apparent that I could not generalize about patient relations, especially when it pertained to people’s preferences. Everybody was so different and their perceptions were so varied such as:
a. While some thought an aesthetically gorgeous office indicated pride and success; others thought it was over the top and intimidating
b. While some thought the doctors did not spend enough time with them and felt rushed; other patients thought too much time with them made them wonder why the doctor wasn’t busier
c. and, while some thought the physician was so thorough explaining the
various procedures available, others felt oversold and confused with so
many options
I probed further and asked, bottom line, why they chose that particular physician over the others. The consistent answer over and over was that the patient felt a “connection” with that physician. Their “gut” feeling or intuition was telling them this was the right physician. They had developed rapport and trusted that that particular physician understood them and would give them the best possible result.
What is Rapport?
If rapport is so vital, it’s important to understand it. It’s difficult to define and you either have it with your patient or you don’t. Rapport is that bond you build with your prospective patient. It’s the single most important personality skill an aesthetic physician needs to be successful. You build rapport through words, tone and gestures as well as commonalities since:
7% of what is communicated is through your words
38% through your tone of voice
55% through your body language – facial expressions and gestures
How do you Create Rapport?
First of all, the aesthetic patient wants to feel special - period. When a patient is spending their own money and time on elective cosmetic enhancement, they want to be treated respectfully, professionally and kindly by every person they encounter in the practice. They also need to be heard and understood. There is an old saying that says before you can be understood, you must work to understand and that is truly the case here.
We build rapport by creating or discovering things in common with the patient. That can be as simple as talking with the patient about who referred them to your practice or learning more about their profession and their family. The point is to show interest in the prospective patient as a person first; patient second. You can easily get this information from the patient information form sitting right in front of you. Just glance at it before entering the exam room.
Another way to build rapport is to mirror them. That means mimicking your patient’s breathing patterns, posture, tonality and gestures in a discreet way. People feel comfortable with people they believe are like them and mirroring will make that happen. So, if the patient talks fast, you talk fast. If the patient talks loud, you talk loud; if the patient is meek and quiet, you slow things down. Use the same terms and phrases the patient uses and be sure to avoid any jargon that the patient won’t understand.
If done correctly, the patient will feel as if they have found their soul mate, someone who understands and who can relate to them. That’s when you have developed rapport and the patient knows you are the right physician for them.
Educating Your Patient and Setting Expectations
Again, when I asked the patients in my survey how they knew their expectations were being met, their concerns were being addressed and recommendations were explained, I got different answers. Why?
Because there are three different learning styles – visual, auditory and kinesthetic.Visualpeople want to see the results;Auditorypeople want to hear about the results; and,Kinestheticpeople want to touch and feel the results. All of us have elements of all three modes but usually one mode dominates our decision and learning processes and how we perceive things. So, you want to present your message in a way that gets through to the patient in the way they understand the best.
The easiest way for that to happen is to include all three modes of learning for everyone – something visual, something auditory and something kinesthetic. You should show them things, let them hear things and you should attach feelings and emotions to them. Some suggestions to use to help in this process during the consultation with the patient is using your hand, your mirror and a Q-tip to show patients facial skin lifting procedural results,
show them before and after photo albums of patients who were striving for similar results; especially those who share the same age, gender and ethnicity. Computer imaging was overwhelmingly desired for illustrating results specific to the patient and videos of procedures and taped patient testimonials on a small VCR or on your computer in your consult room can be well received, especially when explaining complex procedures. You can always have your prospective patient call former patients who are satisfied and be sure your patient information packets that are handed out to the prospective patients include any press you’ve received, articles you’ve written, your credentials, your practice brochure – anything they can touch and feel.
The Perfect Consultation
Here is a description of the elements needed to carry out a successful consultation. The following is from the patient’s perspective and based on my survey findings:
1) knock on the door gently, greet the patient by name, introduce yourself while looking him/her in the eye and shaking hands
2) spend 30-60 seconds learning more about the patient as a person. Comment on their occupation, or perhaps the person who referred them and you can get that information from your patient information form
3) hand them a mirror while asking, “So, tell me what’s bothering you?” or “Tell me what you would like to improve?”” or “What can I do for you today?”
4)Listen– while they tell you - nod, look them in the eye and take notes so they know you are listening and understanding.
5) Now, ask open ended questions to determine if the expectations are reasonable, the results can be reached safely and they are rational about the process.
6) Determine where they are in the process. A great question to ask is “What is most
important to you when picking a Cosmetic physician?” Or “What are you looking
for in a cosmetic physician?”. You can also ask, “Have you talked with anyone
else and, if so, what can I tell you that you don’t already know?”
7) Be sure they have completely and thoroughly relayed their concerns to you before you respond to them. It can be very tempting to interrupt with your recommendations but you’ll get their attention much faster if you first give them your undivided attention.
8) Always show respect for the patient. Even though you are the expert and know more, arrogance does not sell. If you come across as demeaning or condescending, you’ll drive the prospective patient away.
9) Use words a layperson understands, be concise and keep it simple.
10) Repeat back briefly to the patient the main points you heard such as intended outcomes and the patient’s concerns. Ask them if you have left anything out.
11) Now, qualify and differentiate yourself. The prospective patient needs to know you are the best physician in comparison to the competition.
12) Look them in the eye to let them know you are confident, skilled and experienced. You have performed many of these surgeries or treatments with excellent results and you will do the same for this patient.
13) Reassure them that you can meet their expectations. Let them know you understand their concerns and fears so they trust you and your recommendations.
14) Remember there is no room for bad-mouthing your colleagues. It puts you in a bad light and makes you look worse than your competition.
15) Prepare and rehears a closing statement that sounds natural. Tell the patient you look forward to working with him/her to help them look their best and you hope to see them again soon.
By treating every single prospective patient as a person first, patient second, developing rapport and gaining trust, you will grow your aesthetic practice quickly as well as your word-of-mouth referrals and closing ratios.
“Just as you try to tailor your treatment to fit the unique features of your patients, tailoring your consultation to your patient’s unique personality will increase your closing ratio.”
