Just Audiology Stuff

Your Consultation, Is It As Powerful As It Could Be?

Geoffrey Cooling

Are You Using The Power Of Engagement?

Have you thought about your consultation process lately, really sat down and analyzed what you are doing and more importantly what you are saying. There are important things that you need to consider when you are analyzing your consultation process.

How does your consultation flow? does it run smoothly with a logical flow? You need to be practiced in your consultation, so practiced that you are flexible in your approach. Allowing yourself to be diverted but always returning to the planned process.

Look carefully at your consultation process, are you identifying objections and ensuring you overcome them at the right time? Discussions around type of instrument and pricing will be seen as advice before the test but sales talk after. You need to carefully consider the psychology of the interaction when planning out your consultation strategy.

Are you asking the right questions in your consultation? You need to consider the questions that you ask and also the manner in which you ask them. Are you asking open questions and are you then listening to the answers? Open questions will give you meaningful answers, if you do not think they are giving you a credible answer or indeed the entire story, ask the question again in a different manner.

Often in this way you can dig down to the crux of the issues and then deal with them in a logical and structured manner. This type of questioning also encourages deeper engagement with your Patient, it is this engagement that will drive your reputation as a professional. When asking about difficulties in situations, dig deep, ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask “How does that make you feel?”

A lot of people shy away from that question, but in my experience Patients want to tell you about their difficulties and will tell you the emotional impact. In fact, you may be the first person they have ever told, be prepared for tears. Counsel them with kind words, explain to them that hearing loss will affect them in this manner and make sure that they know that you are committed to dealing with their issues. This type of emotional engagement is what will mark you out from your contemporaries, this type of emotional engagement is what builds a community of Patient advocates.

This type of emotional engagement is the least a Patient should expect from you. 

So if you have not already, sit down, assess your consultation practice and make the changes that you need to make it better, because not only will your Patients win, you will also.

 

Regards

 

Geoff

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