Patients are watching your posture…really watching.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time talking about communication, customer service and how it is so important in the health care field as it relates to patient satisfaction. But, you guessed it – there are other triggers out there that are making patients less than happy: Non-Verbal communication between health care providers and patients. It’s a problem that all practices will want to address.
Here are 3 basic non-verbal cues that if done correctly will go a long way in making your patients happy:
- Eye Contact. Patients are human and they want to be taken seriously, validated and respected. When a patient is speaking to their health care provider, there should be direct eye contact between the two parties. If there isn’t, the patient feels as if they are not being listened to which we all know is not a good outcome. Eye contact=Good Listening Skills=Happy Patient
- Facial Expressions. Smile – it means something. From reception to nurse to doctor and all paths along the health care journey, your patients should be greeted with a smile. A smile means the health care provider is happy to help the patient, is happy in their profession and that the practice or facility is a happy place to work. Smile=Happy.
- Posture. Stand up straight (while you smile and make direct eye contact, of course J). Standing up straight means you are paying attention – you are focused – and studies show that it also conveys trustworthiness. Patients want to know that their health care providers are present (in the moment!), focused on them, AND trustworthy – standing up straight sends the correct message. This doesn’t mean standing like the guards at Buckingham Palace but it does mean to take care not to slouch or look like you’re ready for a siesta. Correct Posture=Engaged Patient
Recognizing you are sending off less than stellar non-verbal cues isn’t easy! We often get teams in groups and roll play – or practice. Any type of behavior change takes time – but at Sandler Training/PEAK we have the tools to get you there and have some fun along the way.
Are you ready to get your team smiling and improve your patient satisfaction scores? Great – let’s get started – a 10 minute conversation is all we need to begin!
Donna Bak
Partner & Certified Trainer
Sandler Training / Peak Sales Performance
If you'd like to learn more about Donna on LinkedIn click here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/donnabak
Back to Featured Blog Posts
You might also be interested in:
