SCRIPTOPEDIA

The Right Script

What you’re saying to patients now may be ineffective and inefficient.

MARK HINTON

I am keenly aware that many O.D.s, and especially their personnel, view scripting as a burden vs. a benefit. Role-playing, many say, is for actors, not a medical team. What these medical professionals don’t realize, however, is that whether educating on dry eye disease or discussing specific frames and ophthalmic lenses, they are already using personal scripts to do so: Repetition breeds scripting.

Here, I explain why most personal scripts are impeding positive patient experience and private practice revenue and how personal scripts can be rebuilt to achieve a mutually beneficial experience.

The fault in your spiel

I have found that a majority of medical personnel learn their personal scripts from managed care patient service reports, which emphasize price. So the patient encounter includes, for example, the phrases “coverage,” “out-of-pocket” and “add-on.” As per last month’s column, “Dealing With the Difficult Patient: Part 3,” consumers make purchases based on positive emotion. “Cost” and phrases associated with it instill negative emotion, prompting patients to buy “only what’s covered,” or worse, elsewhere. Focus the patient on the benefits relative to them by using emotionally fulfilling words, such as “comfort,” and “convenience,” and price becomes a secondary consideration. These words evoke positive emotions.

Rebuilding personal scripts

To ensure the patient focuses on benefits vs. cost:

▸ Make it personal. Ask the patient their preferred name, and use it several times to create and maintain a connection with them. This is the first step toward trust.

Next, ask about the patient’s lifestyle:

“Susan: So I can best advise you, tell me what you rely on your glasses for to meet your vision needs throughout your day. Specifically, what are your vision needs at work, at home, during hobbies and after-dark?”

As you’re writing the patient’s answers, say:

“I’m making some notes, so I don’t miss anything that may be important to you.”

Next, explain how the specific products you’ve selected will solve their problem and/or meet their needs, using emotionally fulfilling words (as described above.)

These actions make the patient feel valued. This makes money less important.

▸ Use “social proof.” To further instill trust, shift from sales person to patient advocate by discussing patient endorsements of the specific product(s):

“Susan: Others with similar prescriptions and lifestyles have told me they’ve loved these lenses because _______. Are you interested in these same advantages?”

People care about what others have done before them and how their decisions benefitted them.

▸ Always provide a positive answer. Explain what a product will, not won’t, do for the patient. For example, if the patient asks, “Will my photochromic lenses replace sunglasses?”, don’t answer, “No. They won’t work inside the car.” Instead, reply, “Susan, that’s a great question. My patients who have polarized sunglasses love their photochromic lenses because ______. Are you interested in the same advantages?”

Practice makes perfect

Schedule weekly script development that includes value-benefit-focused dialog and subsequent role-playing sessions with all office staff until it’s consistent. You’ll be amazed at the result. OM

MR. HINTON IS CEO AND PRESIDENT OF EYEFACILITATE. E-MAIL HIM AT MARK@EYEFACILITATE.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.