Creating influence and leveraging persuasion is probably one of the most powerful tools in business and orthodontic practice. Persuasion is a powerful skill to develop. It can help us gain engagement and enrollment with patients and team members. For example, Doctors without good persuasion can struggle to present treatment plans and gain acceptance from patients. Furthermore, teams grow and are motivated by influential leaders who persuade them to follow the vision and work through the daily challenges in practice.
Persuasion is a critical and fundamental skill for an orthodontist. I have enjoyed a great piece by Carmine Gallo, where the art of persuasion can translate into five ingredients. Thousands of years ago, Aristotle gave this formula for exceptional influence.
Character
Establish trust early. The first ingredient for persuasion is ethos. In one’s character, we can create credibility and gain confidence. Instead of highlighting our resume and accolades, we can establish trust through action and caring for others. Patients expect an experienced doctor, and it’s important to demonstrate expertise and give relevant advice. But the best influence comes from treatment presentation that shows you care for their concerns and well-being.
Reason
Logos is the logical appeal to reason. We exert influence by stating the facts, diagnosis, and evidence to make the presentation relevant. In other words, we explain the reason behind the treatment recommendation. Patients build on the ethos established, where you can then focus on the next level of the persuasive presentation.
Emotion
Pathos is gaining emotional buy-in. People forget many things but will remember how you made them feel. We often make emotional decisions and build on the rationale around them. Doctors and teams can best transfer this emotion through storytelling. Instead of sharing a series of facts, redirect your communication as a story and see your influence grow. Humans gravitate toward stories and the connection these create.
Metaphor
Part of storytelling and building on persuasion comes from using analogies and metaphors. When seeing issues or describing treatment, metaphors can be powerful because it turns your words into images that patients can relate to and see. With this technique, we can bring familiarity to an unfamiliar experience. We grow accustomed to what we provide with orthodontic care, but not everyone understands all the nuances and why certain decisions are relevant to their treatment.
Brevity
Make your case early and start with your primary point. We can tend to ramble on in long consults and lose the patient’s focus. However, people have a limit on what they can absorb. Therefore, we should focus on the necessary information and deliver it in the fewest words possible.
