I’ve learned so much in the first few months coaching my oldest (age 9) in his first year of kid-pitch baseball. One of the most rampant challenges among athletes of this age – Overthinking.
As a coach who works with elective surgery teams to convert more leads, I also see how overthinking can have negative affects among team members who are scheduling consults.
Today we’ll get into 3 ways overthinking may be impacting your team, and simple Mindset Shifts to address each.
Overthinking on the Baseball Field
Up until this point in their young baseball careers, our boys haven’t had to worry about kid pitching. They started hitting off a tee, and then played a couple of years of coach pitch (your own coach pitches to you, with the goal of giving you a good ball to hit).
But now they have to hit a baseball thrown by another kid who is trying to strike them out. A whole different dynamic.
In talking to our team about what they’re thinking when they step up to the plate, it’s a range of thoughts racing through their heads:
- This guy pitches fast.
- I hope I don’t get hit by a ball.
- I wonder if he’s gonna throw me a strike?
- Should I have swung at that pitch?
- What if I swing at a bad pitch?
And on the flip side, for our kids taking the mound to pitch, they have plenty of thoughts bouncing around in their heads too:
- I hope I throw a strike.
- I hope I don’t hit this guy.
- Oh no, I just threw two bad pitches in a row.
- What happens if I walk this kid?
- Should I try to pick off the runner at first base?
As you can see, tons of overthinking going on. Which ultimately leads to them being in their own heads, focused on their own worries, stewing on potential negative outcomes. Rather than simply playing the game and doing what they know how to do.
For many novice (and even experienced) appointment schedulers, this same type of overthinking creates conversion challenges. Here’s how (and how to fix it):
1. Fear – We think they need to know the answers to any question we receive from our prospects.
This is one of the most common concerns among appointment schedulers. They think they have to know all the answers, and they’re afraid of receiving a question they might not know the answer to.
MINDSET SHIFT: Yes, we want to be well-informed about our practice and solutions. But remember, those of us scheduling your appointments aren’t doctors. We cannot and should not try to practice medicine on the phone.
On top of that, 90% of the questions we receive can’t even be answered until the prospect has a consultation and knows what they qualify for.
For these reasons, we shouldn’t fear receiving a question we might not be able to answer. It’s the perfect opportunity to say, “Great question! Once we’ve done all the scans and your doctor has reviewed them, he/she will be able give you an exact answer to that, and prescribe next steps based on your needs…”
2. Lack of presence – When we’re in our own heads, we can’t be present with our prospects.
If we’re overthinking – worried about what questions we’ll get, or worried how someone might react to something we say – It’s impossible to be “present” and actively listening to the prospect.
MINDSET SHIFT: Prospects give us clues as to why they’re calling. Their pain points, frustrations, desires, hobbies, goals. So let’s put on our detective hats. We need to make sure we’re listening so we can pick up on those clues, ask our own questions, and figure out how we can best serve them.
3. Lack of empathy – If we’re overthinking, it’s nearly impossible to empathize with our prospects.
Empathy is essential to set ourselves apart in the mind of the prospect. Are we focused on talking about us, what we do, what we offer, how we’re amazing? That’s what every practice talks about, leaving the prospect confused and unprepared to make a decision.
We need to focus on them, identifying their problems and concerns, and leading them down a Patient Journey that will result in a better life. So how do we do it?
MINDSET SHIFT: Our prospects aren’t thinking about us. They’re thinking about themselves. The pressure is off, my friend! When we know this, it’s easier to think less about ourselves and more about them. Then we can determine the best next step to solve the problem that drove them to reach out in the first place.
In Conclusion: Every engagement with our prospects is like stepping into the batter’s box.
No need to overthink, worry and become self-focused. Just do what you know how to do. Sure, you’ll get some curve balls from time to time. Weird questions, prospects who are frustrated, interesting responses. That’s fine. It’s part of the game.
But if you’re 1. Unafraid, 2. Present in the moment and 3. Empathizing with your prospect’s situation, you’ll be prepared when they throw a ball right down the middle of the plate.
Think less and just play the game. This is how we hit home runs for our patients.
Make the most out of every play,
– Coach Troy Cole
PS – We’re gearing up for our E3 Conversion System Summer Camp sales coaching program. If you want to empower your team to book more consults for your premium procedures, this fun summer session may be exactly what the doctor ordered. If you want more details, shoot me an email and let me know…