Hello and welcome to Beyond the Arches. I’m Dr. Daniel Norick, and with us today is Lilia Blickl.

Hello, Lilia.

Hello. Thank you—honored to be here. It’s been a little while.

Yeah, a few months maybe.

Today, we’re going to talk about something really important—how patients are real people, not just numbers.

That naturally leads into discussing finances and how we approach conversations that can feel a bit uncomfortable for patients. Not only are we talking to them about their dental situation, but also about one of the most sensitive topics: money.

Yeah—and our philosophy around that.

I think the easiest way to explain this is by comparing it to two different car-buying experiences.

Everyone listening knows that feeling—you can sense desperation or pressure in certain sales situations. Whether it’s a car, a computer, or anything expensive, you can feel when someone is trying too hard.

I remember when my wife and I bought our first car together. From the moment we walked in, it was constant—pointing out features, asking, “Don’t you want this?” They think they’re being subtle, but you can feel the pressure the entire time.

That classic pushy car salesman approach tends to push people away. The only people it works on are the ones who get pressured or guilted into buying.

In that situation, we did end up buying the car—but only because I was able to push back and negotiate the price I wanted.

Still, I’ll never forget the experience. We went in around 11 a.m. and didn’t leave until about 6:30 p.m.

Oh my gosh.

It was the classic all-day ordeal—manager after manager, back and forth, “What do you want to pay?”

Actually, that reminds me of another experience. Recently, I traded in my truck for a Tesla.

I went in with a very clear plan: this is how much I want to pay, this is what I want for my trade-in, and this is the difference I’m willing to cover.

I’m a very direct buyer. I said, “This is what I want. Can you do it or not?”

The salesperson told me, “Absolutely—we’ll be transparent and get you an answer in five minutes.”

Of course, that turned into getting the manager involved. Then they tried to get me to sit in the Tesla—hoping I’d fall in love with it and become more flexible on price.

But I wasn’t playing that game. I actually liked my truck more.

Eventually, the manager came in, and I stayed completely straightforward. No emotion, no back-and-forth.

He didn’t know what to do because I wasn’t reacting the way he expected.

So he tried to change the subject—asked about golf, tried to build rapport—but it was clear the pressure tactics weren’t working.

And that’s exactly the kind of experience we never want our patients to feel.

When you first start doing higher-cost treatments, it’s easy to unintentionally come across like that pushy salesperson—especially when you’re excited and trying to help.

You go from discussing $1,000 procedures to $40,000 treatment plans, and that shift can naturally create pressure if you’re not careful.

But patients pick up on that immediately.

I remember early on feeling that pressure come through in my own conversations—and realizing it was actually pushing patients away.

That’s why we’ve changed our approach entirely.

So to contrast that, why don’t you share your car-buying experience and how it relates to how we talk to patients?

Yeah, so I actually just got a car a couple of months ago.

I wasn’t even really looking for one—my husband was the one pushing for it. He wanted something bigger and thought we should take advantage of the trade-in value.

So I went in with a bit of a strategy. I’m usually the “good cop,” but in this situation, I tried to play the “bad cop.”

I told myself I wasn’t going to act excited.

We looked at the car I ended up buying, and my husband kept asking, “Do you like it?”

And I kept saying, “I don’t know…” trying to stay neutral and hard to read.

It wasn’t natural for me at all.

I assumed the salesperson would start negotiating and using typical sales tactics. So I mentally prepared for that—like, okay, here comes the back-and-forth.

But instead, he did the opposite…

He was just like, “It’s yours if you want it—here’s the price.”

And honestly, I was almost hoping he’d be a little more aggressive so I could push back. I was ready to negotiate, to go back and forth—but it never happened.

It was actually refreshing.

He even said, “I’ve lost customers over $200—it’s not worth it.”

So overall, it was a really positive experience.

And I think that’s very similar to how we approach things. Some larger implant centers feel more like that stereotypical pushy car salesman, whereas this felt completely different.

What made it better wasn’t just the lack of pressure—it was that you were able to take your time and make the decision yourself.

Exactly. It’s not about “soft selling” versus “hard selling” in a technical sense—it’s about the experience.

You ended up with something you wanted because you were given the space to choose it.

Yeah, there was no rush. It’s a big purchase—whether it’s a car or full-arch treatment.

I’ve had patients literally say that other places feel like car dealerships. Their phones get blown up with calls and texts multiple times a day from big call centers.

And that just turns people off.

If someone is pushing me, I’m going to pull away.

That’s why I really prefer what we call the “soft sell” approach—the Done in One way.

Even if someone told me, “You’d increase your numbers by 25% if you used hard selling,” I still wouldn’t do it.

I don’t want anyone to feel pressured or like they were talked into something.

Sure, we’ve had slower months here and there, but that pressure never gets passed on to the patient.

Because even if hard selling gets more short-term results, those patients won’t feel the same about their decision.

And for me, it’s not about “doing better in the world”—it’s about letting patients make their own choice.

They’ve already taken a huge step by being vulnerable and coming in for a consultation.

Why would we take advantage of that and pressure them further?

This should be a journey for them.

And honestly, by the time someone goes through our process, they’ve naturally filtered themselves into being a good fit for us.

We communicate better with those patients because they’ve made the decision on their own.

Exactly.

Some patients just need time. We had someone this week who we’ve been in touch with for three years.

Three years.

They had their consultation back then, and we’ve followed up occasionally—but respectfully. If a patient says, “Don’t contact me until January,” I won’t.

And I think if we had pushed them constantly over those three years, they might not be here today.

Right.

And part of this also comes down to how different practices approach things.

Some smaller practices unintentionally undersell—they don’t fully explain the process and then surprise patients with a big bill later.

Others go the opposite direction and hard sell because they really need the case.

It’s not necessarily their fault—they may not have the marketing budget or resources—but that pressure can push patients away.

And often, that pushes patients toward larger centers.

Yeah, and there’s a lot of inconsistency out there.

Some places don’t even include the full cost upfront. Patients come in thinking one number, and then it changes significantly.

I’ve seen it myself when I do research—it’s all over the place.

And the reality is, you never really know what’s going to turn someone off.

It could be something small—the color of a logo, the tone of a voice, anything.

So it’s important to stay balanced and not push too hard in any direction.

Another example of this—recently we were working on getting content filmed for a commercial.

We started talking to someone back in November, and it’s a process—it takes planning, coordination, and it’s a big investment.

But somehow I got looped into the text messages, and I’m not exaggerating—I’ve received around 45 messages in the past couple of months.

Constant follow-ups: “When are we starting?” “Here’s how to pay.” “Haven’t heard from you.”

At that point, it becomes overwhelming.

You almost want to just pay them to make it stop—but it leaves a bad impression.

At that point, you almost don’t even want to say anything negative—you just want it to stop. But it definitely doesn’t leave a good impression.

So it really can go both ways. They might eventually get what they want, but the experience takes a lot of effort—and it doesn’t feel good.

And all of this ties directly into something bigger: ethics.

When you talk about soft selling, underselling, or hard selling, it’s really connected to the question—what’s appropriate?

Over time, I’ve become more confident and even a bit more assertive in how I present treatment, especially after seeing long-term success with these cases.

But I always try to weigh things heavily based on the individual patient and ultimately leave the decision up to them.

Because there’s a fine line.

Sometimes, during that conversation, you can unintentionally cross it.

That’s why it’s so important that the “soft sell” really remains the patient’s decision.

And part of our job is to guide them—let them know if something may not be the best fit, or if they’re crossing into a situation that might not serve them well.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions—especially among smaller private practices—is this idea that full-arch centers are inherently unethical.

There’s this belief that if you do full-arch treatment all the time, you must be taking advantage of patients who don’t know better.

A lot of providers go to bed feeling more ethical simply because they’re not doing full-arch at scale.

But that’s not really what it’s about.

I used to think that way too.

Patients would come in with treatment plans from larger centers, and I’d tell myself, “Well, those places are just pushing treatment.”

That would justify, in my mind, recommending something like a snap-in denture instead.

I was making decisions on their behalf and assuming the larger centers couldn’t possibly be acting ethically.

But what I’ve learned is that the marketing actually attracts the right patients.

Very rarely do we see someone who doesn’t genuinely need this treatment.

Most of the time, patients have already done their research. Many have even been to larger centers before coming to us.

By the time they find us, they’re already informed and often looking for a better experience.

That was one of the biggest realizations in building this.

We almost never encounter situations where we feel ethically conflicted about recommending treatment.

And a lot of that comes down to how we position ourselves and who we attract.

For example, in some locations like Tampa and Jacksonville, general dentistry is offered under a separate brand.

That helps avoid overlap and keeps things clear.

When I was in Jacksonville, we did both general dentistry and full-arch under one umbrella, and occasionally those lines would blur.

But even then, ethical concerns were still rare.

What used to justify things in my head—thinking bigger centers were “preying” on patients—has changed.

That said, I do think there’s some truth to what people say about large organizations.

We’ve had team members who previously worked at some of those centers, and we’ve heard consistent feedback.

And many patients who come to us share similar experiences.

It’s not always the case, but it does come up often enough to notice a pattern.

That’s probably because it’s such a large operation.

The bigger the organization, the more moving parts—and the more difficult it becomes to maintain consistency.

And as businesses grow, so do expenses.

When numbers dip, there can be pressure to push harder—and that’s where ethical lines can start to blur.

Doctors may feel financial pressure, and that can translate into more aggressive sales behavior.

But in reality, that kind of pressure often pushes more patients away than it attracts.

That’s one of the reasons I’m cautious about scaling too large.

I want to grow—but not at the expense of crossing those lines.

I tell my family, friends, and patients all the time—we genuinely care about our patients’ experience from start to finish.

And while growth is great, it becomes harder to maintain that level of care at a massive scale.

There are just more variables involved.

I’ve even had a business partnership fall apart over this.

It came down to differences in philosophy—there were pushes being made that didn’t fully consider the patient.

And that’s not the direction we want to go.

So we made the decision to part ways and move forward aligned with our values.

We’re recording this during the holiday season—right around Christmas and in the middle of Hanukkah—so happy holidays to everyone.

We just had our Christmas party, and it’s interesting timing because this is actually the one time of year where we’re a little more proactive—maybe even our “pushiest,” relatively speaking.

Throughout the year, we have certain pricing structures—like differences between cash and credit—but during this time, we typically run a seasonal promotion with a firm cutoff, usually January 1st.

After that date, the offer is gone—regardless of when someone first contacted us.

And the reason for that is because the holidays can be a big ask. Asking someone to schedule surgery during this time of year is significant, so the promotion reflects that.

It’s also when we tend to have the most last-minute openings and cancellations, so we reach out a bit more than usual.

But even then, our version of “pushy” isn’t really pushy—it’s more of a reminder.

Exactly. Since we’re the ones reaching out, it never feels excessive. I never feel like, “Wow, I’ve called this person too many times.”

There’s still a clear line, and we don’t cross it.

Honestly, it feels more like we’re offering a gift.

A lot of patients appreciate the call—they’re grateful to hear about the opportunity. And if they’re not interested because of family plans or timing, that’s completely fine too.

Right. It’s nice to be able to offer something to someone who maybe didn’t have the resources before.

But yes, this is definitely the time of year when we’re most active with outreach and also the most firm about deadlines.

Patients will often ask, “Is this the best time?” And the answer is yes—this is typically the best offer of the year.

Some patients even wait specifically for this.

It’s always interesting to see how schedules shift around the holidays.

There are patients who don’t celebrate certain holidays and are available during that time, while others are fully booked with family commitments.

It kind of balances out.

But it’s always surprising when someone wants to schedule something like surgery during Christmas week or Thanksgiving.

Yeah, and it varies year to year.

Some years we’re completely booked through the holidays, and other years are quieter. It’s unpredictable.

Thanksgiving, in particular, tends to be the slowest.

It’s probably because it’s so centered around food.

Exactly. Christmas and other holidays are busy too, but Thanksgiving seems to be the hardest time to schedule patients.

The Fourth of July can also be slow, and sometimes New Year’s depending on the year.

But it really does change every year—you never fully know what to expect.

I’ve seen years where December was incredibly busy—like 50% more volume than usual.

Especially that week between Christmas and New Year’s—we were completely packed.

It was wild.

But ultimately, the takeaway is this: focus on the patient.

Treat them like family.

That’s something we emphasized even at our holiday party—that our mission as a group is to provide meaningful work for our team while also ensuring patients feel good about their experience.

We want everyone—both patients and team members—to feel confident and comfortable with the decisions being made.

There’s no need to be extreme on either end.

And that applies to financial conversations too.

I remember when I first started, I was nervous about discussing costs with patients.

It’s a big number, and it can feel intimidating.

But the key is to talk to them like you would talk to family.

Be honest, be clear, and be human.

That’s how we approach it, and that’s how we train others as well.

At the end of the day, patients are people. This is a big investment and a major decision—it’s natural for them to feel nervous.

Our job is to respect that and guide them, not pressure them.

We all come from a very understanding, kind, and gentle approach—because at the end of the day, this is a big decision for patients.

It was really nice seeing that reflected across all four offices, especially at the Christmas party—everyone aligned in that mindset.

I think the average Done in One team member comes from a very grounded background, so there’s a natural understanding that comes with presenting something like this.

Because it can feel overwhelming at first.

But honestly, Lilia got over that fear pretty quickly.

I did—I won’t lie, it only took about two weeks.

And that’s because I realized you have to come from a genuine place. I am naturally very genuine, and all of our treatment coordinators are.

Patients can feel that.

And patients do a lot of research before they even come to us. So by the time they walk in, they already have some understanding.

Then they meet us—we’re laid back, not pushy, and often significantly more affordable than competitors.

That used to create some skepticism. Patients would ask, “Why are you half the price?”

But now that we understand everything behind the scenes and can clearly explain it, those conversations are much easier.

There was also a time when other offices were significantly more expensive, but over the past couple of years, prices have come down across the board.

That should tell you something.

It’s interesting how people make decisions, but what matters most to us is that we care about making things right for patients.

That’s our core philosophy.

And while I hope everyone has a great experience wherever they go, if they don’t—we’re here to help.

Exactly.

Well, thank you for joining, Lilia. I really appreciate your insight.

And just to highlight—Lilia isn’t just a treatment coordinator. She’s essentially our lead coordinator across all locations.

She’s heavily involved in training new team members and helping launch new offices—whether that’s Tampa, Jacksonville, or beyond.

So she plays a big role in making sure everyone is aligned in how we approach patients.

That’s really important to me—making sure we’re consistent in our values and how we treat people.

If you want to be a treatment coordinator here, the number one requirement is simple: be kind.

And get on Lilia’s good side.

It’s not hard to do.

Thanks again for coming on and talking about how we approach patient care—balancing the financial side while still treating people like people, not numbers.

Because that balance can be difficult for some.

Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time.

Bye.