Do looks matter?
Well if you are a model then the answer is a clear yes. But what about dentistry? Does looks matter? Does appearance matter?
As humans we tend to judge each other and our environment. No matter how much you say you don’t judge, everyone judges on a subconscious level. In fact we judge people quicker than you think. Six seconds is all it takes for us to make our minds up about another human being, the environment we are in and our expectations from our experience before we have even lived it.
So, do me a favour? Have a look at yourself at work, your environment? How would you judge you if you were the patient in 6 seconds. Does it show you to your true potential?
Lets face it… we are never perfect and we are never going to be. But we can present ourselves with a certain imagine in which we, firstly, feel comfortable in but secondly, project confidence for our patients to have within us as a professional and a human being. We, therefore, build value for our clients.
Picture this…
You are about to buy a car from an independent dealership. From the outside the dealership looks average, no decorations or reasons that it stands out. When you enter you are not greeted immediately and in fact you stand at the concierge desk for 3 minutes before the concierge even looks up to look at you to greet you with a heart warming “one minute” before looking down again. Then you sit in a mediocre client room and look around cars that are not as clean as they should be. I mean its a showroom for goodness sake! Then you are welcomed by a salesman, who doesn’t look presentable, shirt and suit which is not clean, creased and even displays stains. What is your impression so far? Do you have much trust In this dealership? Do you think they give good customer service and journey? Would you buy a car from that dealership?
Maybe now you understand the importance. Face it, at the end of the day you are business (even if you are an associate). When a client walks in to your dental clinic and is greeted with a smile by a presentable receptionist, to a clean and modern waiting room with modern technology, they automatically come to a conclusion that there is a certain standards to be followed in order to be seen in this practice.
Then they are greeted personally by the dentist who walks out and shakes the clients hand with a warming smile, while looking presentable with good manners before they even sit in the dental chair. 6 seconds has gone past… what do you think that the client thinks now?
