Top Tips to Ensure an Effective Consultation

Consultations are hugely important; they're key not only in converting business by moving a patient from a consultation to a treatment plan but also in retaining patients. Often, consultations are ineffective due to various factors. Making a poor first impression can lead the patient to think that such inefficiencies are to be expected when it comes to surgery and treatment. It's therefore imperative that each touchpoint the patient encounters at the consultation stage is optimized to encourage trust in the practice. Owing to our work with a variety of clinics, we've pulled together some key insights to help you on your way to the best consultation process possible.

The presentation of front of house is paramount. It needs to be clean and welcoming and instill confidence in the practice. Showcasing credentials relating to the clinic, such as awards alongside the practitioner's expertise, is also worth doing. Testimonial books within the waiting room that extol the positive experiences patients have had are hugely valuable and should definitely cite the positive effect the procedure has had on them.

Next is the consulting room. It needs to provide an interactive experience for the patient and should be well-prepped ahead of time. It's imperative that the practice is well aware of why the client is coming in, so anything required to provide insight is on hand. Once the patient is seated in the consulting room, it's too late to start asking why they are there. As you can probably imagine, this is unnerving and disappointing for the patient, as they believe the practitioner isn't invested in them and hasn't taken the time to understand their needs beforehand.

This is where software like Consentz can be really valuable. All the initial insight from the patient's enquiry can be saved, meaning you have access to their history and any pertinent notes. Using this intelligence, you are able to conduct a competent introduction, setting the stage for a positive experience.

Other essentials would include an imaging system which allows patients to visualize results, as well as basics such as a decent array of mirrors. For facial treatments, it is worth having a mirror that can be handled by the patient desk-side so they can walk the clinician through their concerns. Those patients seeking a body procedure need to be able to see their entire body, so a mirror that can accommodate both tall and short patients is a must-have. It also needs to be hung correctly, so a patient is able to get a full view of their profile.

In this post, we've covered the introductory element of the consultation process. Next time, we'll talk about:

- How to walk patients through the treatment plan or surgery

- How to garner the best understanding of the patient's ambitions for the procedure and their 'measure of success'

- How to broach the subject of payment

- How to deliver a summation in terms of next steps

Catch up soon...