Dental Temps

Dental Temps Professional Services

Where Does Your Smile Rank on The Smile Meter?

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Let’s face it, we’re in the smile business.

Not only do we help people feel good inside and out, we help them look good, too. It’s the greatest reward watching JOY spill over patients’ faces when they take that first look in the mirror, or when tears of relief express gratitude for taking their pain away. We love what we do, and at the end of the day, we take stock in knowing we played an integral role in the end result. I remember like it was yesterday the first time I held a patients hand during treatment and gave them a kind word and reassuring smile. I took my job seriously. It was at that very moment I found my calling.

Over the years, I have interviewed many a job candidate and have developed what I call the Smile Meter test. I count how many times a candidate smiles during the interview. You can present with all the technical hard skills of your profession, but if you don’t smile and reflect your soft skills, many times you will be passed over for the job.

the-smile-factor

Why? Because we work in dentistry and smiling is important. Employers want to see and feel your compassion, care and concern. With your smile, the elderly patient who is hesitant is reassured, and the child who is scared takes comfort in your reassuring expression. The patient who is about to sit down for treatment wants someone with them who cares, has compassion and understanding — when you smile, you become that person.

The phone rings and it’s a new patient, do they hear your “welcome to our practice” smile? Your co-worker may need a gentle nudge, a lift of spirits — your genuine smile will turn a frown upside down. I believe our smile is the gift we give others; the gift that keeps on giving.

5 ways your SMILE is powerful

  1. Your smile shows gratitude. Seek the opportunity and smile often.
  2. Your smile triggers a power emotion and will help you better deal with stress or pain.
  3. Be polite and flash your genuine smile, not a half-hearted one. People can tell the difference.
  4. Smiling makes you attractive. Your smile is an invitation and will strengthen your relationship.
  5. Keep your smile healthy. Treat it with the care and love it deserves.

When hiring managers interview a candidate who makes the Smile Meter go off the chart, they take the interview to the next level and know nine times out of 10 they’ve got a winner!

 

 

Kim Knapp
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