What are the Traits of a Skilled Scheduler?

1. Be optimistic; expect to succeed on every call. Decide you have already succeeded on each call. It works!
2. Be calm, confident and feel good about what you are doing.
3. Your honesty and integrity are easily perceived by the patients and are effective in getting them to follow your instructions.
4. Your effectiveness and productivity will be in direct proportion to the loyalty you have toward the doctor, and the goals and purposes of the practice.
5. Be positive. Don’t promise the moon but convey confidence to the patient. When talking to patients about their treatments, don’t be negative.
6. Success in scheduling becomes very easy when you know dentistry and work together with your office for success.
7. Your enthusiasm and belief in the service (treatment) is contagious to the patient and will usually persuade the “slow-movers” to get on in.
8. Visualize the patients agreeing with you. Communicate to them about what they need and “see” them reach for it.
9. Nearly all of the people you call for recalls want to be called. They may have temporarily forgotten this, but if you know they actually want it deep down inside, your job is easier.
10. Your dedication and purpose is more important than your eloquence and choice of words.
11. If your intention is on your patients’ best interests, it will ring through loud and clear.
12. Be cognizant that people often do not make the proper decision to enhance their own welfare. Be professional enough to get them to make the right decision.
13. Don’t take your scheduling failures personally. Continue to be sincere, interested and cheerful, and you’ll do great.
14. A real professional will do whatever it takes to persuade the patient to take care of their own health.
15. Realize that you can’t reduce a fee but you can raise the necessity or value of the service or treatment in the mind of the patient.
16. It is smart and professional to praise and build up (promote) your doctor and office everywhere you go.
17. Get interested in solving patients’ problems and, as a consequence, you will succeed.
18. If you decide things are going to go poorly, they will. Likewise, if you decide that everything is going to go all right, it will.
19. Whether the patient schedules or doesn’t schedule is tied directly to the scheduler’s expectancy.
20. When you call patients, never consider that they don’t have the money.
21. Be enthusiastic; it’s a magic elixir that’s contagious. Your belief in your doctor, office and service will spread to the patients.
22. Be light and happy. Be cheerful. Monotony and dullness do not motivate.
23. Be persistent but don’t let it show or be perceived as a fault. Hang in there and stick with it on each call. Don’t mishandle your persistence, however, and upset the patient.

Does your Scheduler want to learn more about her position, including verbal skills for patient interaction? Attend our Academy for Scheduling Excellence course. Find out more here. Or our highly acclaimed Spice Up Your Practice event for Systems training for the entire team here.

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