I was supposed to have surgery last Friday. The appointment was canceled while I got a second opinion from a highly regarded doctor in the same field.

Now I know why the doctor is so highly regarded.

A Second Opinion
Quick background: I scheduled a surgery with a doctor in whom I had trust from our initial meetings, but not a lot of knowledge and history. So I had a friend who works at the hospital do a little asking around. This doctor is new to the practice, but certainly not inexperienced. But few people knew enough about him to have an opinion. They all universally raved about the other doc, however, so I scheduled a second opinion with her.

Then she told me something that blew my mind.

“If you are going to have the surgery, you should have [the other doctor] do it. He gets better results than I do.”

This is an expensive operation, one they both have done many times. And she told me to have him do it. Can you imagine what guts it takes for a doctor to tell someone that another doctor is better at a certain procedure?

And can you imagine what trust she just earned from me?

Put Their Needs First
There is a credibility you gain when you are honest. There is a credibility you gain from promoting someone or something other than yourself when you know it is in the best interest of your client.

You may have heard some retail expert tell you to never recommend another store. You may also have watched the movie Miracle on 34th Street and know that is bad advice.

The bottom line is that when you put the needs of the customer ahead of your own needs, you win her trust, which is often more important in the long run than her immediate business.

-Phil

PS Surgery is scheduled again with doc #1. But we’re trying a non-surgical alternative first. Second opinions are always worth the time and effort – especially with a doctor who has earned your trust.