Say this, not that.
The one page in this kit that is firm rather than suggested, because the rules here come from outside the clinic. Where this page and a sales instinct disagree, follow this page.
Banned on every channel.
These read as hype or as promises we can't make. They're off the table in calls, texts, emails, and anything written.
Swap the instinct for the approved line.
Qualifiers that keep a sentence safe.
Almost anything is sayable with a qualifier in front of it. These are the words that turn a promise into an honest description. Reach for one whenever a sentence is about to state a certainty.
"It takes 15 minutes" becomes "it usually takes about 15 minutes". "You'll be back at work the next day" becomes "most patients in the study went back the same or the next day". The qualifier is not hedging, it is the difference between a description and a promise we cannot make.
How we talk to patients.
Do
- Plain, specific language. Numbers over adjectives.
- Be honest that experience varies person to person
- Empower the patient to decide. No pressure or urgency
- Treat a sensitive topic with calm dignity
- Defer clinical questions: "the surgeon will go through that with you"
Don't
- Use superlatives or the banned words above
- Create urgency ("limited spots", "act now")
- Be euphemistic or crude about the condition
- Promise outcomes, comfort, or recovery times
- Diagnose, or paraphrase FDA status
Green to say, amber to confirm, red to never.
Green · say freely
Outpatient procedure, performed by a surgeon: a consult first, then the procedure at a separate visit, about 15 minutes. Incisionless, thermal energy, no tissue cut away. We accept commercial insurance and offer self-pay. Peer-reviewed study, hundreds of patients treated, large majority symptom-free at five years.
Amber · approved wording only
The anesthesia approach, and the accepted insurance plans and self-pay rate. Use only the clinic's confirmed wording, once page 01 is filled in. Until then, offer the consult.
Red · never
Painless or pain-free. Guaranteed or permanent. A cure. Promises it won't come back. "FDA approved" or "FDA cleared", or any paraphrase of FDA status. Any claim of being better than a named competitor.
Say less, and book the consult. "That's exactly what the surgeon will go over with you" is always safe, always credible. A booked consult beats a risky claim every time.
Specific over superlative. Evidence over hype.
One voice throughout: clinically grounded, empathetically direct, never selling.