You can have the best marketing strategy in the world, but if your phone skills are lacking, patients will walk. In this episode, Dana and Sandy get real about what happens when dental teams unknowingly drive callers away with poor phone habits, disconnection, or defaulting to “no.”
They walk through mystery shopper call examples, red-flag language to avoid, and the mindset shift every front desk team member needs to convert, not repel, new patients.
This one’s packed with real talk, laugh-out-loud stories, and practical ways to be the cheerleader your practice needs.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Build rapport in the first 7 seconds of a call
✅ Ask the right questions during discovery
✅ Avoid “no” language and still set boundaries
✅ Take control of the appointment conversation
✅ End calls in a way that reduces broken appointments
📓 Listener challenge: Call your own office or listen to a recorded call (if legal in your state). Would you schedule an appointment based on how it sounds?
Key takeaways:
-
Your marketing dollars are wasted if your phone skills don’t back it up.
-
“Unfortunately” and “Sorry” are red flags—replace them with warmth and guidance.
-
Patients don’t want homework. Take the lead, get their name and number first.
-
Schedule with confidence. Too many options = confusion.
-
A cheerful, confident voice beats fancy scripts every time.
.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.