5 tips to improve the dental office secretary’s work

Being the dental secretary is a big responsibility. After all, many times before meeting the dentist, the patient goes through the care of this professional first.

It is important to always be aware of the basic requirements to be or to choose a good dental secretary. Ensuring that your work is being carried out in an assertive manner is essential to improve office management.

So we’ve listed five tips to make the secretary’s job even better. Come on?

1 - Organization

Organization is the primary key for any secretary in any segment. However, for a dental office this requirement must always be at the top of the list.

In a clinic there is a very large flow of information such as consultations, diaries, patient records, telephones and contacts.

Getting lost amid so much data is not as difficult as it may seem. Therefore, keeping your office and process flow organized should be your primary goal as a clinic secretary.

To make this process less bureaucratic and easier, betting on digital tools, such as management software that centralizes all relevant information, can be an interesting path.

2 - Good interpersonal skills

A good interpersonal relationship is also essential for a dental office secretary. It is necessary to know how to deal with the clinical staff, suppliers and other employees of the clinic, however, especially with patients.

To do this, it is necessary to understand how a good interpersonal relationship is built. In general, some steps are part of this process, such as knowledge, construction and continuation.

Knowledge happens on the first contact. That is, on the first call from a possible patient, on the first visit to the clinic, for example. Have you ever heard that saying “the first impression is what remains”? Well, it applies exactly at this stage of the interpersonal relationship.

Construction is the stage after knowledge, where both sides have already had their first contact and developed a bond of trust. Here, those patients who make regular visits to the office apply. The construction phase is also extremely important for the patient-clinic bond to be created and strengthened, creating loyalty.

The continuation, on the other hand, is nothing more than the constant nourishment of this previously built relationship. At this stage, both sides already know each other and there is a mutual effort so that the bond created previously remains strong.

Therefore, it is important that a good interpersonal relationship is also developed by the clinic secretary, in addition to the other employees.

3 - Proactivity and autonomy

As important as organization and skill in interpersonal relationships, proactivity and autonomy are also part of a good secretary.

Autonomy is nothing more than acting on your own, following company standards, with a focus on problem solving. Professionals with these characteristics tend to have a high degree of confidence from their employers

Proactivity can be defined as anticipatory behavior. In other words, at work he is seen as the professional who does not wait for orders to solve possible problems.

For a dental secretary, predicting setbacks is essential to guarantee the functioning of the clinic. Which brings us to our next topic.

4 - Knowing how to deal with unforeseen circumstances

Even being proactive, some unforeseen events can still appear. And knowing how to deal with them is paramount. For that, it is necessary to develop some skills.

Staying calm and thinking rationally, without the emotional interfering, are the two main tips for dealing with unforeseen circumstances. If the situation involves a customer, always be available and listen to what he has to say.

Often an issue can be resolved by building clear and objective communication and exercising active listening.

5 - Clear and objective communication

Knowing how to communicate is essential for any professional. However, for secretaries, this communication must always be clear and objective.

This is because often the secretary is also the receptionist of the office, and ends up making the first contact with possible patients.

It is important to note that, in addition to clarity of information, being polite, polite and empathizing with the patient are issues that help you to be assertive in communication.

Don't forget that the secretary is the patient's first contact with the clinic. That is why maintaining a communication channel that is always open and receptive is the best way.

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Source: Dental Office. Available at: https://www.dentaloffice.com.br/secretaria-odontologica-5-dicas-para-ser-aprimorar-seu-trabalho/. Access on: 05/12/2021.