The Carnegie Foundation's assertion still holds true: Eight-five percent of one's success in life is directly related to communication skills. It's especially important in your practice because it enables you to maximize patient compliance, retention, volume, collections and referrals while minimizing stress.
Do you realize that in a single interaction, approximately 1,000 nonverbal factors help convey your message? Evaluate if you're sending a different nonverbal message than you want to be sending.
Think about your body language. If you happen to be talking to a patient and you're shifting, twitching, nervously dropping papers, and scrambling hastily to pick them up – what message does that send? Probably not the one you intend, so practice these five steps to better body language.
1. Limit the Fidget
Whether it's rubbing your arm, re-crossing your legs, pulling on your ear, scratching your nose, wiggling, squirming, you name it. Even though you're telling your patients the truth verbally, the more you fidget, the more you're perceived as lying; especially when you put your hand by your mouth.
So, regardless of how much something itches, just ignore it! Plus, if you constantly nod, it comes across as, "Hurry up. I don't have time for this." Limit the fidget.
2. Perfect Your Posture
Constantly exhibit good posture (not just because you're a billboard for chiropractic care, but also because it helps your patients feel comfortable and confident with you). Point your feet toward the person you're speaking to, rather than out the door. This demonstrates that you're interested in what they're saying versus, "I wish I was somewhere else!"
Turn your entire body toward the patient. You're constantly giving off signals; it's those signals that telegraph whether you're "open" or "closed" to what someone is saying. Think about the difference between:
- Looking at someone with narrowed eyes vs. wide eyes
- Leaning back vs. leaning forward /toward someone
- Holding your hands in a fist vs. holding your palms up
- Arms crossed vs. open at your sides
Closed body language indicates a closed mind, so be conscious about exhibiting open and balanced posture.
3. The Power of Eye Contact
Communication should occur from above down, in alignment with ADIO chiropractic philosophy. It's eyes first, then ears, then mouth.
In a University of Missouri study, female researchers made eye contact with strange men at a bar. Sometimes these women smiled after glancing over; other times they didn't. When the women just made eye contact, the stranger approached them 20 percent of the time. However, when they smiled afterward, the approach rate was 60 percent: three times higher! So, in addition to the eye contact, make sure to put out the welcome mat by smiling.
4. Facial Expressions Matter
A facial expression can completely change the meaning of your message. If someone rolls their eyes while saying something, there's a huge difference, right? When you smile, there's a difference between a pursed-lipped smile and one that shows teeth. We want to use a warm, open smile and embrace the 10/4 rule: make eye contact when your patient is 10 feet away, and add a smile when they're four feet away.
5. Build a Space Relationship
When you're standing or sitting too far away, it suggests you find the other person offensive; too close and you're violating their personal space. So, find a happy medium.
When it comes to speech, start by considering the pace of speech: too slow can send the message you don't believe they're smart enough to understand you; too quick can send the message you're too busy to care. Again, find a happy medium.
Then consider the tone of your speech. Obviously, sarcasm can completely change the meaning of your message. When it comes to reactivation phone calls, I find it really helpful to keep the tone light and friendly in order to help patients realize they're welcome back. Save the nagging or scolding tone for their mom.
Finally, consider your actions. Think about the message it sends if you excuse yourself from the dialogue numerous times, making the patient wait. If you're doing that while explaining your role as their advocate and trying to communicate how much you care, obviously there's going to be a conflict between what you're saying and your nonverbal cues.
Good Communication Is Good for Your Practice
Communication is a quality and service issue. People appreciate, pay for and refer more based on exceptional quality and service. That being said, clear communication is a skill that takes time, consciousness and effort, but the good news is the more you excel at clear communication, the more your practice will enjoy higher volume, higher collections and less stress.
Kim Klapp is the founder of Assistants for Chiropractic Excellence, which offers online CA training and coaching courses. She has been the team leader of First Choice Chiropractic in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1995 and is a guest speaker at chiropractic college and association events nationwide. learn more at www.chiropracticassistants.com.