How to Use Common Sense in Building Your Business

The other day I had the misfortune to have one of the crowns on my teeth pop off while I was flossing. If you have ever had it happen to you, I think you would agree it is very uncomfortable and unsightly. As luck would have it, my regular dentist was out of town for a conference and would not be back for several days. My regular dentist is located quite a distance from our home and on several occasions I have entertained the thought of getting a new one that was located in my own home town. I thought this might be an opportunity to check out another dentist. A good friend of mind had strongly recommended his, so I thought I would give him a try.

I called the office of this dentist and asked to make an appointment. The receptionist curtly gathered my contact information and then told me how much they were going to have to charge to re-glue the crown to my tooth and an additional charge me for an x-ray. (In my mind I questioned the need for an x-ray). The total bill would come to approximately $150 to re-affix my perfectly good dental crown.

Now, when you analyze this business touch point, here was a golden opportunity to prove to me that this dentist could be my dentist of choice to fulfill my future dental needs. Like Dale Carnegie once said, “you can attract more bees with honey than you can with vinegar”. Unfortunately this dental receptionist was using vinegar to secure the appointment. It didn’t work. I felt I was being taken advantage of and opted to wait until my regular dentist was available.

If the receptionist were more empathetic and I was given a new patient discount, I would have gladly made the appointment. They could have given me the opportunity to experience the friendliness, quality, and expertise of their dental office. The experience of being taken care of at this dental office could have persuaded me to switch dentists. Over the next 10 years, this dentist could easily have earned many times the amount of money they would not have charged me to re-affix my dental crown, not to mention the referrals I would have happily provided.

Here is my point. Use common sense in building your client base by being more empathetic and extending a professional courtesy to your qualified prospects. This approach could prove to be a valuable strategy in building your business.

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Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their managers and employees.