In his book, “Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken,” Dr. Henry Cloud writes, “Trust is the fuel for all of life.” He goes on to say, “Great businesses are built on a deep, empathetic relationship with customers. They understand their customers. They know them. And if they understand and know them, they can make them happy and taken care of.”
The power of trust
Dr. Cloud’s work was one of my favorite books from 2023. It isn’t an easy read. It makes you think, and possibly even relive moments when someone in your life may have broken your trust. This is good though because it “brings home” how powerful trust truly is in life and business.
What does trust have to do with business? After 30 years as a business owner, my answer is that customers want to do business with those they trust. More importantly, I’ve found that patients are more compliant with their prescribed treatments and visits when cared for by a physician they trust. Therefore, to bring value, I know I must start with building trust with patients/customers.
To establish or build trust in customers/patients, Dr. Cloud discusses five behaviors, which must be established in this order:
1. Understanding
2. Motive
3. Ability
4. Character
5. Track record
The path to understanding
Let’s discuss this first trust-building essential: understanding. The path toward understanding others, I have learned, is contingent upon my ability to listen, with a goal of making certain they know I intend to do what needs to be done to take care of their stated concerns. I have found over the years a few key steps to true listening:
1. Ask questions, such as “Mrs. Jasper, what are your goals for today?” Then, wait for them to complete their answer.
2. Ask clarifying questions to make certain you understand, such as, “You mentioned difficulties with your contact lenses. Can you tell me more? Are you unable to wear them all day long?”
3. Once you think you have a full understanding of their concerns, repeat them back, so they can confirm or bring more clarity to your question.
4. Re-assure them that you will completely address their concerns, and review with them exactly what can be done to accomplish their goals.
Repair by listening
No one is perfect. Trust will be broken and when it happens, don’t jump to conclusions. Instead, listen to your patients’ concerns and immediately apologize for the issue, letting them know you agree that the mistake is unacceptable and will be rectified. I have found the faster you can say, “I am sorry; that is terrible…” the faster you will repair trust.
Transformational results
The path to listening with the goal of understanding sounds time-consuming, however, once you walk through the process a few times with your patients, you will find it usually takes less than a minute. Additionally, it will reap fabulous results, leaving both of you in a wonderful place. The better we listen with the goal of understanding, the happier and more compliant our patients will be. What I have discovered, I have put into practice, and the results have been transformational for me and for my patients.
Email: april.jasper@broadcastmed.com
Twitter: @DrAprilJasper
Facebook: @OptometricManagement
