Role Play Your Way to Higher Case Acceptance

While attending MISSION:POSSIBLE ‘live’, everyone is staring ahead, learning new ways to communicate with patients.  Sure, that’s the easy part.

Dr. Chris is talking, doctors and team members are nodding in agreement.  Random thoughts pop into their heads – ‘yes, this makes sense… I wonder where we’re going to dinner tonight… we already know all  this stuff… I need to text the kids to be sure they made it to school… yeah, this stuff all seems pretty straight-forward…’

While you’re sitting there thinking you’ve got this new patient call thing nailed down, something happens…

Role play.

This, my friends, is when it gets interesting.

We’ve seen it dozens of times. We can TALK about changing our communication all day long. But transferring knowledge into actionable behaviors is tough! I mean, do Olympic athletes simply watch a YouTube video, then head to the podium?  Of course not.

You can expect these phases when incorporating new ways of communicating…

Phase 1: Unconsciously Incompetent

At first, we don’t know what we don’t know. Our patient communication often mirrors our training in dental or hygiene school, past office experiences, or even previous careers. For those raised in the traditional “tell, explain, educate” approach, making a shift to “ask, listen, and engage” feels monumental.

Role play isn’t about embarrassment or shame—it’s about reinforcement. When we hear new (or not-so-new) ideas that we haven’t fully applied, we’re still unconsciously incompetent. We follow along, nod, and think we’re getting it.

Phase 2: Consciously Incompetent

The moment we dive into role play, reality hits—we’re consciously incompetent. We realize there’s more to this than we thought. Progressing beyond this stage demands consistent effort and practice, not just a few exercises during MISSION:POSSIBLE.

At this point, our awareness grows. We’re eager to improve, fully engaged, and ready to learn. Mission accomplished.

Phase 3: Consciously Competent

With ongoing practice and reinforcement, we gradually become consciously competent. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Through repeated role play and continuous effort, the “aha” moments start to emerge across the team.

Which phase are you in currently?

When Can We Stop Role Playing?

When do NFL teams stop practicing? When does Taylor Swift stop rehearsing? Exactly. Mastery demands persistence.

ROLEPLAY GROUND RULES  –

1. Just start! Don’t overthink it.
2. The doctor leads the way. Set the tone by going first.
3. Everyone participates. No exceptions.
4. Treat it like the real thing. Communicate as if a patient is present, and if possible, physically move through the office as you would in a real scenario.
5. Consider an outsider. Invite a friend or family member for a more realistic experience, but it’s not required—team members work just fine.
6. Stay focused. Minimize distractions and stay on task.
7. Observers stay silent. Your role is to observe, not interrupt.
8. Encourage, don’t critique. Feedback should be constructive and requested—most people are already their own toughest critic.
9. Let it flow. Avoid jumping in with solutions; give your teammates the space to think through the process.

Looking for some resources to help you get started? 

Whose Idea Is It?   Roleplay exercise

Role play cards -  

• Objections    Find answers Objections Training Packet
• Insurance  find answers - Do you take my insurance, Handling  the I-Word
• Impossible requests - Find answers The Answer is Never ‘No’
• New Patient Phone call  
• Fee Shoppers, Find Answers Get them through the door

• Role play cards – open ended questions