My friend Trisha tried out a new dentist recently. She set down the large StarBucks latte on the counter and told the receptionist she had an appointment. They checked her in as quickly as possible.
After settling into the dentist’s chair, the hygienist went to work.
“So how much coffee do you drink?” asked the hygienist.
“A lot,” said Trisha.
“You know that’s not good-”
“Oh Carol, she’s not gonna stop drinking coffee,” said the dentist walking in. “That stuff is good!”
Trisha smiled as the hygienist shut up.
So what does this have to do with research follow-up? Well, for one thing, Trisha raved about the dentist and looked forward to going back. The dentist related to Trisha as a human being, not as a professional who feels she should scold her for drinking something that stains her teeth. You don’t think Trisha already knows this?
Bottom line: Try to create a research environment like the dentist did. Tell it like it is and don’t criticize them for anything. It will keep them coming back.
“You know you really shouldn’t do so much meth, it’ll make your brain soft. So when do you want to come back in?” Hmmm…I wonder why they didn’t come back?
Dre strikes again with some good insight. Keep it coming!