The Big Meaning of Small Gestures

An old friend of mine – a dentist in Arizona – has a little habit that says a lot about why he is so incredibly successful at building patient relationships. Whenever he is dining out and he spots a patient of his in the restaurant, he always makes it a point to stop and say hello. Not only that, he makes it a point to discreetly tell the server that he is picking up the bill for that patient's table.

This tells me two things. Number one, I have to find out where he likes to eat and start showing up there. But more than that, it tells me that this is someone who has mastered the art of relationships.

It's not about buying affection. It's about making the effort to connect on a person-to-person level. This dentist's patients love him, whether he buys their lunch or not. They love him because gestures like this are a genuine part of who he is.

You can do this too, and you don't have to wait until you spot a patient across the dining room. What about when someone invites a friend or colleague to your practice? What do you do? You should make it a point to acknowledge the invitation in a way that demonstrates how much it means to you (and considering what a new patient who comes with the right expectations is worth, that is saying a lot).

Give the referring patient a personal call, telling them how much you appreciate their confidence. Send them a note, or a Starbucks card, as a gesture of thanks (unless of course the laws in your state forbid you to give gifts to patients). When a person's thoughtfulness is acknowledged, it reinforces and validates the feeling that made them want to invite in the first place and it makes them want to do it again.