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Understanding Patient Fears by Tom Hopkins

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Think for a moment about what the greatest enemy is to the process of helping people have brighter smiles and healthier teeth and gums. What comes between you and them when getting an agreement for them to have all of the services that, in your expert opinion, are in their best interests? What is it that jumps in and brings recommendations that were previously sailing along smoothly to a screeching halt? Hint: It’s not pure stubbornness.

You might think it’s all sorts of things such as inconvenience, dental phobia or the financial aspects of the treatments. Perhaps you think it’s the patient’s inability to make a decision. If you think any of those things, you are probably right. But, with “selling” dental services being what it is – a bottom line business – let’s dig deeper and find out what lies between you and your patient coming to an agreement.

If you look at all the enemies you and your fellow dentists can come up with, you’ll find they have a common denominator. That common denominator is fear. Fear is the greatest enemy you’ll ever encounter when trying to persuade others – your fear and the patient’s fear. What do you fear? As a professional who is charged with persuading people to benefit from your services, you likely fear saying or doing things that might bring a potential “sale” to a halt. You might have a fear of asking people for their money. You might fear that by trying to persuade others you’re being pushy or will be thought of poorly. Hopefully, you’ll learn to recognize and conquer your fears through continuing education, practice, drill and rehearsal of strategies and tactics that work. It’s another skill to be learned just like treating teeth.

A tough part of your job as a professional persuader is in helping others understand and overcome their fears so you can earn the opportunity to help them make buying decisions. When you recognize your potential clients’ fears as barriers to them receiving your excellent services and the benefit of better health, you can then work to dismantle their walls of sales resistance one brick at a time.

Your initial goal with patients is to get them to like and trust you by serving them with professionalism, warmth and empathy. The first steps in accomplishing this are to show you understand their situation, offer reassurance that your service is a good solution for their needs and provide a bit of education about the results they can expect.

Here are some common and potentially paralyzing fears that people face in decision-making situations and what you should do about them.

They Fear You
Clients fear you, at least initially. This is simply because you are in a profession where the income you earn comes directly from the revenues gained by your practice. People understand that. And, if handled improperly, they might equate the volume of services you recommend to the luxury car you drive or the Ivy League school your children attend.

I think you’ll agree with me that the average person does not generally accept with open arms people who are in positions of “selling” their services. Even if you are going to help someone you already know – a friend or acquaintance or even a relative – when you get down to business, certain fears will arise. Accept it.

To conquer the “salesperson” fear, master the skill of putting people at ease. Learn to use a relaxed manner and tone of voice. Use rapport-building comments and questions that show them you are interested in them, not just in filling up your appointments. Also, help them get past the point of viewing dental work as a necessary evil.

They Fear Making a Mistake
We’ve all made decisions we’ve later regretted. Perhaps we relied on someone to assist us when we weren’t sure of his or her knowledge on the matter. When you are the professional making recommendations, your patients must see you as an expert. You might have your certificate hanging on the wall. You might have years of experience. You might know this business. You might know your product. You might know how it stacks up against the competition. You might have knowledge about aspects of your product and service that they haven’t even considered. But it doesn’t matter if you can’t relay that information to the patients in a manner that helps them feel secure that they’re making the right decision by going ahead.

To help people overcome the fear of making a mistake, you need to lay out all the details they require in an easy-to-understand manner. Once they gain confidence in their own newfound knowledge, making a decision will be easy. And don’t forget the benefits. You say “veneer,” but they want to think “great smile.” Use the words that create that great smile in their mind’s eye.

They Fear Being Lied To
Face it; in any profession there are those who are less than ethical in their dealings with clients. In some areas or in the minds of some patients, the dental profession suffers from an old stereotype that it’s filled with liars and cheats. To overcome it, rely on product literature and testimonials of other patients. People are more likely to believe what a happy client says than anything you say. So let them read or hear the good news about your product or service for themselves. Let them see how happy the people you currently serve are with your service.

They Fear Owing Money
Most people have a tremendous fear of debt. If their treatments require financing, you’ll have to be ready to address this concern. Covering the financial details very carefully is critical.

You’ll also encounter those people who will try to haggle with you. This challenge might appear in many variations, depending upon the negotiating skills of your clients. They might go at it in a roundabout way such as saying, “My sister says her dentist charged less.” When you hear that remark, say this, “You know, I’ve learned something over the years. People look for three things when they spend money. They look for the finest quality, the best service, and of course, the lowest investment. I’ve also found that no practice can offer all three. They can’t offer the finest quality and the best service for the lowest amount and I’m curious, for your longterm happiness, which of the three would you be most willing to give up? Fine quality? Excellent service? Or the lowest price?”

Most will respond that quality and service are of utmost concern, which overcomes the concern about the money. Your next move would be to reiterate everything your treatment will do for them. Again, sell the value of the service you provide.

They Fear the Unknown
A lack of understanding is a reasonable cause for delaying any transaction. Your reputation should help eliminate some of this fear. Selling is little more than a matter of educating the people on the benefits of doing business with you. Once you educate them, they will feel confident in making a wise decision.

Some of your patients’ most common fears might seem irrational to you, but remember, you are an educated, professional dental expert. You have been involved in more treatments in your career than the average person will be in his or her entire lifetime (unless they join the ranks of dental professionals themselves). Use your knowledge to help them overcome their fear. Educate them!

If you tell your hygienist to “put a watch on number 10,” never forget that the patient hears you saying that. Taking a moment after your notes are done to re-explain what you said in layman’s terms goes a long way to easing any fears the patient might have had come up.

When people hear a word that’s unfamiliar to them, they dig around in their mind for something that it might mean. While they’re trying to figure that out, they might miss the next few things you say or they might come up with a mental picture of something that’s entirely incorrect – and possibly quite fearful. It’s your job as a professional to clearly explain, demonstrate and have fun educating your clients. Only when they really understand what you’re proposing will they feel comfortable making a decision about your recommended services.

They Fear Because of a Past Bad Experience
Your decision-makers (patients or parents of patients) might have had a bad past experience with a dentist or with a previous treatment. Ask them to share with you any hesitation they might have based on a bad experience in their past. If they are still having a challenge with what happened in the past, you’ll have to overcome a lot more fear than if they’ve never made a habit of taking care of their teeth. Most people will relax once they realize their concerns have been heard. Have plenty of patience for your patients!

They Fear Because of Third-Party Information
Someone they admire or respect might have told them to wait until they were experiencing dental pain rather than face the financial pain of early treatment. That third party will stand between you and them until you convince the patient that you can help them more than that other person can because you are the expert. You’ll have to work a little harder to earn the trust of people who rely on nonprofessional, third-party information.

You must be prepared to do whatever it takes to replace any fears potential clients might have with confidence in the decision they’re making and in the service you will provide. No one wants to handle a situation in which the client might be dissatisfied with the result. Believe me, there will be cases where the grief you will get from that client won’t be worth the fee you’ll earn on the service. It doesn’t happen often, but you must begin every conversation about a patient’s needs with a very curious interest in the “who, what, when, where and why” of their situation. When you’re satisfied that the decision to treat their needs now is in their best interest, then it’s your duty as a dental expert to help them overcome their fears and to convince them that this decision is truly good for them.
Author's Bio
Tom Hopkins is a world-renowned expert and authority on selling and salesmanship. His simple yet powerful strategies have been proven effective in many industries, including the dental industry, and during all types of economic cycles. The foundation of his training includes both the “people skills” of proper communication and the nuances that impact every situation where trying to persuade others. Tom’s style of delivery is practical and entertaining – making the strategies easy to remember and implement. Learn more about how Tom Hopkins can help you increase revenues in your practice at www.tomhopkins.com/blog.

Tom’s Three-day Boot Camp Sales Mastery will be held August 23, 24 & 25 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Information can be found at: www.tomhopkins.com/boot_camp.shtml. Details about Tom’s speaking schedule can be found at www.tomhopkins.com/live_events.shtml.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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