Episode 65:
Doctor patient communication is one of the keys to a successful business, but with so many different people in the world, how does a functional medicine practitioner connect to each unique personality? This week, on the FM Shift, special guest Merrick Rosenberg explains:
- Doctor Patient Communication
- How to step into your personality
- How to quickly identify different personalities
- Why it’s important to interact differently with people
- Why changing your behavior for each patient leads to success
Why Personalities Matter
Merrick Rosenberg is a leader on thought personalities, the co-founder of Team Builders Plus, and Take Flight Learning, and the author of The Chameleon and co-author of Taking Flight. With Merrick’s personality expertise, he has helped companies like AstraZeneca, the American Heart Association, Aetna, and more build stronger, more understanding teams.
Everything Merrick teaches is based on years of observation, research, and implementation. After graduating with an MBA and stepping into the corporate world, he realized that the most successful and well-liked leaders had one thing in common. They adapted their communication style for whomever they were speaking.
Once Merrick realized that these communication styles were evolving based on personality types, he knew how powerful teaching others how to communicate effectively would be. He made it his goal to help businesses everywhere better communicate with their teams and their clients.
The Four Personalities
Doctor patient communication is always essential, but as functional medicine practitioners, we run across all kinds of people every day. Sometimes, it’s hard to know how to interact with patients. It’s easy to believe that everyone thinks like we do and interact with them as such.
But, when we interact with people in our personal style, we can end up alienating some patients, making them feel unheard and even unwelcome, even though it’s not our intention. This mistake often happens because of how we communicate.
While your communication and personality style may be direct and to the point, your patient may need to feel a deep connection before diving into treatment plans. Or perhaps they need to have their long list of questions answered. That’s where understanding the four personalities comes in.
What are the four personalities?
The Eagle. The Dove. The Parrot. The Owl.
Each of the four is unique, easy to remember, and easy to identify once you understand each personality characteristic. Then, once you’ve mastered understanding each personality type, the way you interact with each will be so much easier!
Becoming the Chameleon
How to interact with patients is a tricky subject. When there are so many factors to consider, it’s difficult to understand why your interaction matters at all, especially if you can help them regardless of your doctor-patient relationship.
You may not know that patients typically respond better to doctors they have a good relationship with. Patients who like their doctor are more likely to keep returning and even refer friends or family members. As functional medicine practitioners, this is incredibly important because with most insurance companies not covering our services, we rely on good relationships with our patients to keep us in business.
But how do we build the know, like, and trust factor with our patients? We have to become a chameleon.
Because each patient is different, we have to meet them where they are. That might mean taking a moment to connect emotionally, or it might mean jumping right into the treatment plan. Regardless of what each patient likes, you’re sure to create a lasting relationship by going the extra mile.
About Merrick Rosenberg
Merrick Rosenberg is an international thought leader on personality styles and team building, author, and keynote speaker. With 30 years of experience helping companies better communicate with their clients and staff, he knows a thing or two about building healthy and lasting relationships. After realizing that successful leaders in the companies he worked with all had one thing in common: excellent interpersonal and communication skills, Merrick set out to help businesses everywhere excel by formulating his easy-to-remember Four Personalities DiSC assessment and team building program.
How to Connect with Merrick Rosenberg:
- Website: https://takeflightlearning.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrickrosenberg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PersonalityWins
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/merrickr
If you’re looking for more ways to improve doctor patient communication, be sure to check out Episode #14 of The FM Shift, Creative Ways to Increase Patient Volume in a Pandemic, with Dr. Brad Watts. In this episode, Brad talks to us about how FM practitioners can increase their patient pool through effective communication.
About The FM Shift
What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn’t have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance.
The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you’re worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature.
