There is a Glo in my e-mail

I love make-up. I don't necessarily enjoy the process of applying it, yet I never really feel "ready" until I have it on. I also love Sephora, the cosmetics store. There are make-up and skin products I have never heard of before, and they always have something new.

Today, I had an email newsletter from Sephora, waiting in my inbox. Like you, I don't always have time to read every newsletter or offer I received. However, I do pay attention to things that interest me.

Sephora's newsletter subject read, "Do you want whiter teeth?' While this is a common question to come from a dental practice, I was surprised to see it coming from Sephora. I clicked the link and received quite an education. There is a new whitening system, named Glo, which is available at Sephora for $250. This system takes whitening beyond the "strips" that are available at the local drugstore, it includes a light as well.

For many of us in dentistry, teeth whitening is yesterday's news. However, I am amazed at how many friends and acquaintances ask my opinion about teeth whitening. It happens all the time.

The heart of the matter is that prospects and patients want whiter teeth. Professional whitening trays and take-home gel are relatively inexpensive, yet in many practices, the fee to the patient is cost prohibitive. Nothing creates easier referral conversations for your patients like helping them improve their smile. Get with your team and work to make whitening more affordable. It will draw new patients in like a magnet. As for in-office whitening, look at what your real cost is. In most cases, the doctor has little or no chair time in delivering this service. Of course you want to do better than break-even on the procedure.

Yes, I believe that patients who have whiter teeth, smile more and are more apt to talk about their smile with others. Also, most people love to share a "great deal" with their friends. It makes them feel smart and savvy. Use whitening as a marketing tool and promote it at a competitive price.

And be sure to check out the Sephora link http://bit.ly/khud1S and the Glo product. Your patients will see it, and want to know the difference between Glo and the whitening you provide. Turn that question into an opportunity to whiten their teeth and create raving fans.

Empty Chair or Open for Business?

It's funny how learning can occur in the oddest of places. This past weekend, I was having a pedicure to get the ole feet ready for spring and put a little glamour on my toes. I was intently focused on bracing myself for a little torture as I have incredibly ticklish feet and truly do not enjoy the pedicure process.

As I sat in my massage chair while my feet enjoyed a calm jacuzzi bath before their scrubbing of terror, I noticed how busy the salon was. There was only one open chair at 9:30am on a Saturday morning. This made me feel a little better about my decision to be there. If this many other people were willing to risk their dignity to have their feet dolled up, then I must have made the right decision by being there myself.

At that moment, a potential customer walked in to the salon. She looked wide-eyed at how full the chairs were and said, "Oh, you are full. I will come back later." I watched to see how the technicians responded. A few of them looked around and then, it became clear who the owner was. I watched as Tony sprung into action. In a flash he gracefully made it out the front door, and walked back in with young lady who had left only seconds ago because she thought the salon was full. In a moment, she had chosen her polish and was seated in the empty chair as Tony, the owner and manager, began to take care of her.

Tony made a brilliant decision when he went the extra mile to bring the potential customer back in. He knew that this one additional customer would bring him as close to 100% profit on a sale as he would ever get. He already had the team there, and the chair was available. His only additional expenses were the nail polish and other products used to treat the customer.

Then it hit me. How many times in a dental practice is the empty chair really open for business? Maybe we frown on walk-ins. Or perhaps we are afraid that the patient we work in before lunch will prevent us from being able to have lunch together as a team. Or, if we add the patient with a toothache into the schedule, we won't have time to place our dental supply order. No matter the reason, many times our empty chairs are not "open chairs." Take some time in your team meeting this week and look at how many empty chair hours you have. What would it take to turn them from empty... to open for business?

Who Said Dental Coding Is Only For The Front Desk Team?

Admit it, if you haven't said it yourself, you've heard other dentists and clinical team members say it dozens of times. Maybe all dentists secretly wish to avoid the procedure codes. My dear friends, this is a myth that must be busted. Let's start today!

Appropriate coding starts with the clinical team. Their eyes witnessed the intraoral photos, x-rays and hands-on exam. Let's enter the age of enlightenment where we chart and code for what we do.

Accurate coding is not only a team sport, but the beginning step in streamlining the reimbursement process. Most claims are delayed or denied due to inaccurate or missing information.

Today's Reimbursement tip:

"A picture is worth 1000 words," yet how many times a day do we take pre- op and post-op intraoral photos? Make this part of your protocol in treating each and every patient and include it as a standard operating procedure in your clinical documentation. This can be a great learning tool for the patient as well. Maybe they don't "feel" like you really did anything to their tooth. Show them photos along the way as well as after their procedure. They'll feel like the most cared about and respected patients in town.

Dental Office Manager Do's and Don'ts

Dental office managers can truly be a blessing. However, if given too much authority and too little supervision, dentists may be in for some unpleasant surprises. Personally, I believe that most employees have great intentions, yet that assumption paired with a lack of communication can be a recipe for practice mismanagement.


For the record, I am very “pro” office manager. Nearly two decades ago, I proudly served in that capacity in a busy general practice for two years.

Here are the top hits of what an office manager can, and in most cases should, do for you:

While you’re busy dazzling patients, diagnosing dentistry, and spinning the handpiece, it’s great to have someone to assist you in the management of your practice. This person can help manage attendance and record it, pay bills, help you track and manage the profitability of the practice, and ensure that things are running smoothly overall. Let’s face it: most dentists became dentists because they loved dentistry, not business.


In what areas should you proceed with caution?


First, unless you have a large practice (let’s say 20 or more employees), it is quite odd for the doctor to allow the office manager to handle performance issues with the other staff members. Not that the office manager cannot help guide other employees or follow up regarding substandard performance, but a doctor who works with a team member every dayshould have the courtesy or courage to talk to that person directly if they are unhappy with their performance.


Next, unless you are married to your office manager, they should not have the ability to sign your checks. Yes, I realize this may ruffle a few feathers, yet I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the instances where dentists have been taken advantage of by doing this. Allowing your office manager to write the checks is another matter and very helpful. Signatures should be for the doctor only.


Be careful with the computer privileges within your dental software that are given to the office manager and other employees. The top level administration should be reserved for the owner only. Sadly, most dental software is installed completely unlocked, meaning all users have access to everything. Also, be sure to contact your dental software provider and give them a password or code that you will use when calling to make high-level changes. Make sure this password is unusual and not easily guessed by your team. Believe it or not, I’ve worked with practices where the office manager’s privileges were altered/reduced, and she phoned in to the dental software company and pretended to the doctor and was able to change it back, no questions asked.


Last but not least, the practice owners must have a list of all user ids and passwords as well as a contact list of major practice vendors and service people. We always want to think positive and look forward, yet you never know when an office manager could walk out… or worse, become ill and leave your practice in a tail-spin. Schedule monthly meetings with the office manager to review passwords and processes.


This list should get you started. Protect your practice. If you, the owner, don’t know how to work your dental or checking account software, take some classes. You need to be able to check in and see how things are being done. You’ll be glad you did.

Is Your Practice like a Pig in a Tutu?

How's business? It's still early in the 3rd quarter of 2010. Are you happy with your results? This is the time of year when kids go back to school and staff vacations slow down. It's also the time of year when many dentists take a look at their numbers to see where their practice is this year as compared to last year.

If you've found yourself a little behind in the game, don't get discouraged. Resist the temptation to immediately shell out a large chunk of change on a classy advertising campaign. External marketing might be the least of your worries and it could be like putting a "pig in a tutu" and expecting to turn it into a ballerina. Tutu's are cute and they get noticed, yet it's the talent within the tutu that gets the crowds to stick around for an encore.

Branding is important, but it won't revive a practice in need of systems improvements as well as excellent customer service. Just like building a house doesn't begin with picking out bricks and the type of landscaping, the best place to start building a successful practice is with the day- to-day operations of the practice.

What do your patients say about you? Ask them. Sure you can use anonymous surveys if you wish, but also begin to ask them when they are completing their visit in your office. A quick, "How was everything today?" or "Do you have any questions about today's treatment?" can go a long way.

Do you pay attention to the patients "in the charts?" Whether you have paper or electronic patient charts, those patients are still a priority. They are second only to the patients in the chair in your office today.

Here are a few "internal" customer service strategies that will have your patients singing your praises to their friends and family members.

Consistently make post-op calls. Either in the evening or day after the appointment, call patients who received local anesthesia for a procedure and see how they're doing. They'll be amazed and happy to hear from you.

Follow up a week or two later. Any patients having something seated (crowns, veneers, onlays, dentures, etc.) should receive a call a week or two after the seating of the fixed or removable appliance to see how they're doing. The patients will be surprised that you remember and in most cases will be happy with the care they received. For those that aren't happy, early intervention is the best solution. Get those patients back in as soon as possible to work on making them feel better.

Ask for referrals and always carry business cards. Every day each team member should ask at least two patients for referrals. Simply thank the patient for choosing your office and let them know you'd be happy to see their friends and family in the practice as well.

If you think there might be opportunities for improvement in your practice, let us hear from you. We're happy to help.

What It Takes To Have A Committed Team

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a group of people who work together and a team? My definition is simple. A team shares a common vision and goals. What makes a team great? Combine a common vision and goals with high standards and commitment.

If you haven't already watched Emmitt Smith's Hall of Fame induction speech, you'll want to take an extra few minutes to click on the link below. You'll be watching the fruits of a committed team acknowledged by an incredibly talented and humble man.

Being on a committed team can be very glamorous at times, when you receive accolades from others or visible rewards. What makes a team great is not the championship game, but the journey to get to that point. The hard work, sweat and discipline of the journey are not greeted with fanfare but require a day-to-day commitment by each individual on the team.

Thankfully, in dentistry, there is no limit to how many excellent practices there are in this country. The limits are only placed on us by ourselves alone. The committed teams who rise to the occasion and achieve their potential are lucky enough to have one great leader who has a passion for building up other leaders.

The most touching part of the Emmitt’s speech was when he had finished thanking fellow superstars Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin and turned to thank Daryl "Moose" Johnston. For those of you who don't follow football, Johnston played fullback for the Dallas Cowboys. Behind every amazing run made by Emmitt Smith was the "Moose" blocking the way for him. Daryl made sacrifices both physically and emotionally. It could have been easy to have an ego or be bitter that he wasn't getting the attention. Yet the "Moose" was out there game after game, making Emmitt's incredible record possible.

Watch this video with your team. How is a dental team coached to this sort of greatness? It starts with the doctor(s) creating a vision and setting high standards, and asking a team to come on board and support them. If you want to know more about coaching for your practice, email penny@reedlimoli.com or call 1-888-877-5648.

How Coaching Can Help You

Think of great sports coaches you’ve admired. John Wooden, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi, George Halas, Lou Holtz, Bobby Bowden, Bear Bryant, John Madden, Tom Landry. Coaching in the present day is patterned after the example set by these leaders. You may have mixed emotions about their teams or methods. You may strong opinions about their top players, or the way they leveraged those player’s talents during a game. But overall, each man represented something tangible to the team they were in charge of: leadership, structure, vision, and resource of accountability.

Coaching and mentoring is designed for people who want to create a better result in less time, with objective outside listening, help, resourcing, and advice.

A dentist would hire a coach to help them:
• Become more organized and streamline procedure(s)
• Make and keep more money
• Get more done in less time
• Attract and deepen relationships with quality patients and staff
• Eliminate the hassles of life: tolerations, stress, poor communication
• Get a handle on: spending, habits, crises, unfinished business, consequences
• Substantially increase quality of life

Having a Vision is essential for success. Coaches help their clients by defining the goal and creating a structured way to accomplish it. A coach can help you with the general and detailed aspects of your vision, articulating exactly what you wish so that you can be better able to realize it.

Four Tips You Can Use to Coach Your Team:

1. Discern What Things Motivate the Individuals on Your Team.
Don’t naturally assume that money is the primary motivation for accomplishing goals. Often your team will be motivated by praise, camaraderie, and the certainty of a common purpose. Knowing what motivates your team will allow you to lead them toward accomplishing practice objectives. Delivering that motivation is the joy of the Coach.

2. Great Coaches Insist on Training for Their Players.
The best teams have a roster of skilled individuals who can contribute at a high level. No team can be successful until their weakest member is better than average. Training can be achieved through internal or external methods; often internal training in a weekly meeting setting is most effective for learning. Choose topics for learning that are impactful and create an ironclad forum for addressing problems and issues. Preparation equals success!

3. Create Ownership in Your Team by Involving Them in the Goal-Setting Process.
Winning isn’t a solitary event. Getting the win takes determination, drive and teamwork. Every person on the team must agree on goals and the system that you’re going to use to attain them. Allowing the team to participate in goal setting isn’t just democratic; it’s the single biggest criterion to achievement: as a Coach, you’ll have the buy-in and leverage you need to help your team through the rough spots…and the criterion to recognize opportunity.

4. Give Players the Ability to Share in the Profit Creation.
People like to be rewarded when they win. A bonus structure based on production/collections in relationship to staff salaries will garner results. Being financially rewarded isn’t the whole outcome of sharing profit. Making an investment in the success of the team is a smart idea. Plus, the act of sharing gives you permission to coach your staff on toward the goal.

There are many benefits of Coaching and being Coached. The Top 3?
• The Challenge - You’ll reach for much, much more because of the support and structure a Coach provides.

• The Open Forum - You’ll make better decisions because you can run your ideas by an objective listener(s).

• The Rewards – You’ll start making and retaining more money and get on the path to financial freedom.

Being on a great team requires discipline, training, mindset and an attainable goal. Coaching guarantees you perspective, energy, options, strategy, feedback, and validation. To win, all you have to do is take part in the process.