My wife is originally from Thailand, so when we visit there we bring a suitcase full of American items for her friends and family, such as Sonicare toothbrushes, Tide-to-Go, Doritos, and various other bizarre items.  My sister-in-law in particular loves Junior Mints, so we bring several boxes over, as they are not available in Bangkok.  One year, I decided to give her a real treat and brought her some expensive Ghiradelli Chocolates with mint, just so she could experience the next level of quality and flavor.  I gave them to her and she was polite and grateful.  The next year, before we went over, she told my wife, “Just bring Junior Mints this time.”

How often do we do that–automatically assume someone wants a first-class experience when their tastes don’t run that way?  It’s important to keep in mind that many patients don’t need premium-level dentistry. They don’t need a perfect smile.  Some of them have a smile that we can barely look at, but they don’t really care.  As long as they can chew their food, they’re fine.

And that has to be all right. Obviously you want to keep your patients informed on treatment that is going to preserve and protect their dentition, but not everyone wants veneers or cares how white their teeth are.  They aren’t going to die if they’re teeth aren’t perfect.  Often we try to impose our own sensibilities on other people, or believe that everyone wants the best of everything. One of the big mistakes people and businesses make in marketing is assuming that everyone is like them.  It’s almost never true. A whole lot of people are content with average, are comfortable with it, and maybe even prefer it.  They’re still going to need restorative dentistry as they age, but they need to know that you’re okay doing the minimum, not the maximum.

(As an aside, let me just say that your smile, and your team’s, should be PERFECT!)

Take the time to really listen to your patients. Find out what they want, make sure they always at least get what they need, and you’ll have a great practice serving a wide range of people.

Also, I believe Junior Mints outsells Ghiradelli Chocolate Mints by about 1000 to one.