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.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
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.
If you think there might be opportunities for improvement in your practice, let us hear from you. We're happy to help.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
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.
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.
Creating Value in Your Practice
“Getting things right the first time is more important than getting things done quickly.” - Roger McNamee
The analysts have all spoken and the prognosis is clear…the bear market is upon us. Wildly fluctuating stock prices, layoffs, closures, economic downturn…this is reality for many communities and dental practices within them. Our free-fall financial boom may be over for a while, but its’ demise creates plenty of opportunity for those dental organizations who are dedicated to not just surviving – but thriving - in tough times.
Thriving practices will have the opportunity to innovate, but first each aspect of the business must be scrutinized to determine how necessary, how relevant, how effective each system is in relationship to your practice’s total fiscal health. What could be done more efficiently? What are people buying today? What are they likely to buy more of tomorrow? Is the best use of time given to every system or project? Is the right person in place for every responsibility? These questions are ones smart practice owners are asking themselves right now.
So what is the smart way to stay on track, not lose ground in profit creation, and potentially get ahead in sticky times? Here are three ground rules for creating more value in your dental practice:
Do More Of What Matters:
Recession isn’t a new financial situation; we have had many in the past. The tendency is for fear to overtake us as dentists/business owners, and to hunker down until everything is “over”. Actually this is the best time to take stock of what is working/not working in your dental practice and correct those things that aren’t creating value for your patients or those on your team. Traditionally, recession creates a “what can I cut?” mentality in all types of businesses. Far better to focus on accelerating the one or two points that can get you through the tough times and leave you prepared for whatever is next: brand-building and relationship initiatives, such as chart auditing, are two of the best investments. If you’re not sure what a “relationship initiative” really is, try our Chart Audit Protocol, available at the end of this article.
Formulate Your Talent Strategy:
The easy way out for many companies is to cut positions during recession. Smart dental practices will use this lull in business to train and develop key staff to be their very best. Cross-training team members while running a lean payroll matrix can be difficult but the payoff in increased awareness, flexibility and shared knowledge is invaluable. The investment your practice makes in employee’ development can’t just stop at required continuing education, but must include specific strategies to propel your team forward and address issues. What’s key here is that there is no shortage of great talent available, and this economy creates opportunity for every practice to have the absolute best employees in its lineup. If you aren’t satisfied with your current team, it’s the perfect time to get results either through training or hiring the ideal candidate.
Have What Your Patient Wants:
Within the past year, there’s been a huge shift in patient awareness of products like Zoom© and the availability of porcelain veneers, etc, to the average person. An example? The success of television shows like “Extreme Makeover”, where plastic surgery and aesthetic dentistry transform a few brave individuals. The general public is beginning to understand the options available to them, and how dentistry can change their appearance forever.
Smart dental practices will capitalize on this shift by having what their patients are looking for on hand, and creating opportunities to buy good feelings right in their consultation rooms. Innovation within parameters is the rule of the day here: buying every bell and whistle won’t make you successful, but having the skill and the technology in place to meet patient requests will set you up for success in lean times - and good ones.
The analysts have all spoken and the prognosis is clear…the bear market is upon us. Wildly fluctuating stock prices, layoffs, closures, economic downturn…this is reality for many communities and dental practices within them. Our free-fall financial boom may be over for a while, but its’ demise creates plenty of opportunity for those dental organizations who are dedicated to not just surviving – but thriving - in tough times.
Thriving practices will have the opportunity to innovate, but first each aspect of the business must be scrutinized to determine how necessary, how relevant, how effective each system is in relationship to your practice’s total fiscal health. What could be done more efficiently? What are people buying today? What are they likely to buy more of tomorrow? Is the best use of time given to every system or project? Is the right person in place for every responsibility? These questions are ones smart practice owners are asking themselves right now.
So what is the smart way to stay on track, not lose ground in profit creation, and potentially get ahead in sticky times? Here are three ground rules for creating more value in your dental practice:
Do More Of What Matters:
Recession isn’t a new financial situation; we have had many in the past. The tendency is for fear to overtake us as dentists/business owners, and to hunker down until everything is “over”. Actually this is the best time to take stock of what is working/not working in your dental practice and correct those things that aren’t creating value for your patients or those on your team. Traditionally, recession creates a “what can I cut?” mentality in all types of businesses. Far better to focus on accelerating the one or two points that can get you through the tough times and leave you prepared for whatever is next: brand-building and relationship initiatives, such as chart auditing, are two of the best investments. If you’re not sure what a “relationship initiative” really is, try our Chart Audit Protocol, available at the end of this article.
Formulate Your Talent Strategy:
The easy way out for many companies is to cut positions during recession. Smart dental practices will use this lull in business to train and develop key staff to be their very best. Cross-training team members while running a lean payroll matrix can be difficult but the payoff in increased awareness, flexibility and shared knowledge is invaluable. The investment your practice makes in employee’ development can’t just stop at required continuing education, but must include specific strategies to propel your team forward and address issues. What’s key here is that there is no shortage of great talent available, and this economy creates opportunity for every practice to have the absolute best employees in its lineup. If you aren’t satisfied with your current team, it’s the perfect time to get results either through training or hiring the ideal candidate.
Have What Your Patient Wants:
Within the past year, there’s been a huge shift in patient awareness of products like Zoom© and the availability of porcelain veneers, etc, to the average person. An example? The success of television shows like “Extreme Makeover”, where plastic surgery and aesthetic dentistry transform a few brave individuals. The general public is beginning to understand the options available to them, and how dentistry can change their appearance forever.
Smart dental practices will capitalize on this shift by having what their patients are looking for on hand, and creating opportunities to buy good feelings right in their consultation rooms. Innovation within parameters is the rule of the day here: buying every bell and whistle won’t make you successful, but having the skill and the technology in place to meet patient requests will set you up for success in lean times - and good ones.
Hiring Super Stars
"Chances are good that up to 66% of your company's hiring decisions will prove to be mistakes in the first twelve months." - Peter Drucker, (Management Consultant)
Every day, dentists tell us how difficult it is to find good employees. Traditional newspaper advertising and posting on Dental Town’s job boards might do the trick for you, but we’ve seen increasingly tougher patterns in hiring over the past year. The prospect of finding someone brilliant to join your team is alluring. Often, however, it’s balanced against the unpleasant thought of having to coach a current employee on their poor performance (in order to turn them around/get a better result) or the daunting prospect of hiring – and training – someone new. While it’s common to attribute a team member’s inability to “make it” in an office to lack of training or low (or possibly no!) motivation, very often the factor most influencing the employees’ success is the process by which they were hired.
A true “hiring process” is more detailed than finding someone who looks good, sounds good and can work the hours of your office. Poor hiring practices create a cycle of attrition. By hiring poor performers, you ultimately ‘reverse-market’ your business by causing patients to wonder, “Why are there different people working there every time I get my teeth cleaned”? In the hiring process, your time is valuable and so is the time of your office manager and dental team. Bringing the wrong person or type of person into the practice can have a seriously detrimental effect.
There is hope! Begin by modeling and implementing a proven hiring system, ensuring you have the best strategy to determine who does or doesn’t need to be on your team, before you bring them in as a new-hire.
1. Empower your existing team to assist in the hiring and interviewing process.
Put the framework in place for interviewing and hiring by creating a hiring committee of at least one person per department in the practice. The dentist should approve any ad before it is placed and review submitted resumes with the hiring committee. The hiring committee will then call potential candidates for permission to check references and then perform reference checks. This will eliminate a great deal of time the doctor must personally spend on hiring new staff.
2. The hiring committee should make a job map for the open position.
A job map merely articulates the skills and personality traits you require for the open position. Most of us who’ve had a bad experience in hiring know exactly what we DO NOT want in a new hire; verbalizing what the new employee must do or be will help you in your search. A job map lists skills, experience and transferable proficiencies required for interview candidates. It also benchmarks easy elimination of likeable (but unsuitable) contenders for the job opening by identifying the core traits the new hire must possess.
3. Review the resumes and have each candidate complete a job application.
Unless the position requires a specific registration or certification, don’t rule out candidates without a dental background. Look for past performance and length of stay at each job over the past five years. When considering applications, get clear on the intended job description. A well-defined job description will let the prospective employee know what is expected of them and also outlines the culture and boundaries in your business. It’s best to have a written, tangible description to ensure all employees have the same rule set governing their behavior. Job descriptions also alleviate the business owner/manager from having to constantly remind employees of their responsibilities; there’s no opportunity to “pass the buck” on any duty if it’s written plainly as an obligation.
4. Call references and past employers.
This is the most overlooked step in the interviewing process. Call the applicant and ask permission to contact current/past employers. It may be understandable if they do not want you to call their current employer, but you must have one or two past employer references. Anyone who doesn’t have the requisite amount of references for contact should be eliminated from your core group of interviewees. Call the applicants who look the most promising after you have checked references, then do a brief phone interview.
5. Schedule a group interview with no more than eight the qualified applicants. This interview should be 45 minutes in length. You will ask similar questions as you would in a one-on-one interview. Pay attention not only to the answers you are given, but also to the level of attention each candidate gives to the person who is talking. This is a good way to evaluate how each individual interacts with a group and how the group dynamic is affected by each response.
6. Administer behavioral/work-style assessments to the top two (or more) candidates.
While it is important that everyone share a similar vision, having a team of people who exhibit mostly dominant and aggressive (or passive and non-influencing) behavior will not make a well rounded team. The assessments we use measure drive, ability to influence, multitasking skills, consistency and attention to detail. There’s nothing more comforting than knowing exactly how a prospective employee is going to behave on the job!
7. Call the chosen individual and offer them a position.
Be sure they understand when you want them to start and get a commitment that you will hear back from them within 24-48 hours on their acceptance of the job. Go over expectations and benefits and any other information they should know before their first day.
Every day, dentists tell us how difficult it is to find good employees. Traditional newspaper advertising and posting on Dental Town’s job boards might do the trick for you, but we’ve seen increasingly tougher patterns in hiring over the past year. The prospect of finding someone brilliant to join your team is alluring. Often, however, it’s balanced against the unpleasant thought of having to coach a current employee on their poor performance (in order to turn them around/get a better result) or the daunting prospect of hiring – and training – someone new. While it’s common to attribute a team member’s inability to “make it” in an office to lack of training or low (or possibly no!) motivation, very often the factor most influencing the employees’ success is the process by which they were hired.
A true “hiring process” is more detailed than finding someone who looks good, sounds good and can work the hours of your office. Poor hiring practices create a cycle of attrition. By hiring poor performers, you ultimately ‘reverse-market’ your business by causing patients to wonder, “Why are there different people working there every time I get my teeth cleaned”? In the hiring process, your time is valuable and so is the time of your office manager and dental team. Bringing the wrong person or type of person into the practice can have a seriously detrimental effect.
There is hope! Begin by modeling and implementing a proven hiring system, ensuring you have the best strategy to determine who does or doesn’t need to be on your team, before you bring them in as a new-hire.
1. Empower your existing team to assist in the hiring and interviewing process.
Put the framework in place for interviewing and hiring by creating a hiring committee of at least one person per department in the practice. The dentist should approve any ad before it is placed and review submitted resumes with the hiring committee. The hiring committee will then call potential candidates for permission to check references and then perform reference checks. This will eliminate a great deal of time the doctor must personally spend on hiring new staff.
2. The hiring committee should make a job map for the open position.
A job map merely articulates the skills and personality traits you require for the open position. Most of us who’ve had a bad experience in hiring know exactly what we DO NOT want in a new hire; verbalizing what the new employee must do or be will help you in your search. A job map lists skills, experience and transferable proficiencies required for interview candidates. It also benchmarks easy elimination of likeable (but unsuitable) contenders for the job opening by identifying the core traits the new hire must possess.
3. Review the resumes and have each candidate complete a job application.
Unless the position requires a specific registration or certification, don’t rule out candidates without a dental background. Look for past performance and length of stay at each job over the past five years. When considering applications, get clear on the intended job description. A well-defined job description will let the prospective employee know what is expected of them and also outlines the culture and boundaries in your business. It’s best to have a written, tangible description to ensure all employees have the same rule set governing their behavior. Job descriptions also alleviate the business owner/manager from having to constantly remind employees of their responsibilities; there’s no opportunity to “pass the buck” on any duty if it’s written plainly as an obligation.
4. Call references and past employers.
This is the most overlooked step in the interviewing process. Call the applicant and ask permission to contact current/past employers. It may be understandable if they do not want you to call their current employer, but you must have one or two past employer references. Anyone who doesn’t have the requisite amount of references for contact should be eliminated from your core group of interviewees. Call the applicants who look the most promising after you have checked references, then do a brief phone interview.
5. Schedule a group interview with no more than eight the qualified applicants. This interview should be 45 minutes in length. You will ask similar questions as you would in a one-on-one interview. Pay attention not only to the answers you are given, but also to the level of attention each candidate gives to the person who is talking. This is a good way to evaluate how each individual interacts with a group and how the group dynamic is affected by each response.
6. Administer behavioral/work-style assessments to the top two (or more) candidates.
While it is important that everyone share a similar vision, having a team of people who exhibit mostly dominant and aggressive (or passive and non-influencing) behavior will not make a well rounded team. The assessments we use measure drive, ability to influence, multitasking skills, consistency and attention to detail. There’s nothing more comforting than knowing exactly how a prospective employee is going to behave on the job!
7. Call the chosen individual and offer them a position.
Be sure they understand when you want them to start and get a commitment that you will hear back from them within 24-48 hours on their acceptance of the job. Go over expectations and benefits and any other information they should know before their first day.
Little Changes for Big Results
Welcome to March. We’re in a new year, in a new administration and in a free-fall of economic uncertainty. Not much has changed since January, but our reaction and response to what is happening in the marketplace has evolved over the past few weeks. Don’t get us wrong; our clients and the dental world at large haven’t even begun to feel the impact that widespread job-loss and eroding consumer confidence have had on other industries. By and large, we’re having a good first quarter. However, that’s by design; it will take work, dedication and incremental changes to hang onto what we built when jobs were easy to come by and financing was something we only offered for full-mouth reconstruction cases. Last month, we dropped the gauntlet and challenged you to do the things that matter, right now, in your practice. How are you doing with what we suggested?
We don’t expect you to start delivering dental services differently. Nothing that you’re doing in operative is in need of a major overhaul; you’re still giving the same great care you always have. What must change is the way you react to and plan for your patients’ economic difficulty. And stop thinking that that same economic turmoil isn’t going to affect you; it will. Maybe not be today…but you will feel it. Wouldn’t it feel extraordinary to begin – today – to put the systems in place to help you move ahead in tough times? Surviving this economy requires “turning the diamond by five degrees”, a term that means identifying specifically what’s necessary to drive business and implementing those items – not by changing said business entirely, but by cherry-picking the initiatives that will bring the most economic return. Relationship, consistency and drive win out every time. Are you willing to make the slight changes to the flight plan that will bring your ship home safely? If so, let’s get started.
1. Launch an information assault.
Recently, Michael Dell of Dell Computers suggested in an article that his company’s plan during a downturn economy was to triple their marketing budget. While competitors shrink their marketing expenditure, he’ll advance an assault on America that says: If you’re going to buy a computer, you should buy Dell. Incidentally, as of today, Dell is up a few percentage points over last year when competitors were tanking. You may be asking, “How does this affect me?”, and rightly so. Dentists are the most marketing-averse group in healthcare, so if you’re doing *any* marketing you have our attention. If you’re not doing any, get ready. The battle for the new patient is going to get fierce, and he (or she) who stands out will prevail. Start NOW.
• Connect.
If you’re the best kept secret in your area, how can that possibly help you? Dr. Bill Dorfman went on record several years ago to say he built his practice in Beverly Hills with fliers placed under the windshield wipers of nearby parked cars. We’ll go one better. Have your most influential team member visit nearby businesses at least once a week, taking muffins or bagels and dropping off marketing materials. Do this religiously and target every kind of business near you. Those employees will remember your team when they need help, and *after* you wow them will refer you. If no one knows who you are, or they can’t distinguish between you and the office down the street, how can they choose you? Get out there and create relationships, starting today.
• Differentiate.
If you’re a plan provider, meet with your local human resource leaders to show them how your practice can – and will - take care of their employees. If you’re lucky enough to have a local chapter of SHRM, request an audience (www.shrm.org) . Take fliers and business cards and grease the wheels with an offer to attract employers to your side. If you don’t have a local HR organization, target the companies whose employees you’d like to serve and hit the visit circuit hard. Get ready; HR managers or presidents may ask you to offer expanded hours, pre-set visit times or other perks to their human capital. Be prepared to respond quickly and definitively to their requests to get the business.
• Step out.
Not doing any marketing at all, or very little? Venture out with an inexpensive marketing initiative that gets results. We can recommend Valpak or The Clipper as two venues that cost little and deliver new patients to your door. If you’re spending one dollar on marketing and you begin to spend three, even THAT will help. If you need specific advice, give us a call.
2. Turn up the heat.
Face it, most of our case presentation in dentistry is delivered with an eyes-downcast, modest, call-me-when-you’re-ready sensibility. If you think the “old way” of delivering treatment recommendations is going to drive your patients of record to move forward with treatment, do yourself a favor. Go to your dental software and print off an unscheduled treatment plan report for the past 24 months. Look at the summary page. When you’ve recovered, learn from what you’ve just seen and commit to do something different.
• Show off.
Use your intraoral camera for every proposed treatment plan you possibly can. The word here is “consistency”! Don’t let your patients leave your office without a photo of their own compromised teeth. If they don’t schedule, be sure the photo gets attached to your written treatment plan, and ask them how they would like you to follow up with them. Patients truly do not understand the $4 words we use in dentistry, but they DO understand obviously visible cavities, leaking margins and fractured teeth…especially when those conditions belong to them. If you don’t have an intraoral camera, you should invest in one now. It will pay for itself over and over again in accepted treatment.
• Lose the minimizing language.
We’ll give you several true-life, don’t-let-this-happen-to-you examples of what NOT to say to patients during our March podcast. That being said, if you routinely downplay the sense of urgency to get started with patients, you’re engaging in behavior that must end in this economy. You don’t have to be a doomsday prophet, but you do need to improve your delivery of two facts: your patient needs treatment, and you’d like to fast-track them to health.
• Expand your options.
Get prepared to offer phased treatment options, pre-payment (“lay-away”) plans and a bevy of lending options. Your old verbal skills (i.e.; “How would you like to pay for that today, Mrs. Snodgrass?”) could alienate your patient who is working two part-time jobs. Have payment conversations in advance of treatment, every time. Get everything worked out before the handpiece ever spins, and get a signed financial agreement without fail in advance of treatment.
• Make the switch to Check 21 technology.
If you’ve seen the movie Catch Me If You Can, you’ve heard of Frank Abagnale, Jr. One of the most successful con men ever, Abagnale’s post-prison job was helping the FBI develop systems to reduce check kiting and fraud. The Check Clearing For the 21st Century Act, legislation he helped develop, was signed into law in 2003. It allows your administrative team to use a patient’s paper check to automatically debit the corresponding checking account and then to summarily return the paper check as a receipt. In a tough economy, you may never be able to find the person who wrote you a hot check again. Phone numbers disconnected? Cell phones non-functioning? Address bogus? Stop the problem before it begins by being *sure* you get paid up front with this inexpensive equipment and software upgrade.
Dentistry is still one of the highest paying professions in America today. We have the greatest reputation of any medical specialty for predictable results and pain elimination. The only change is that jobs have disappeared, money has gotten scarce, and patients have become more skittish about spending. You have a diamond in your hand. Now, focus on turning it that simple, deliberate five degrees.
Tough times are the best time to “sharpen the saw”. Are you working with a coach? Is someone training your team and helping you to hold them accountable? Do you have a passionate advocate? If you haven’t considered coaching before, a difficult economy’s impact will be significantly reduced with the systems and processes that coaching provides. Don’t get “stuck” on what you’ve always done; move ahead!
We don’t expect you to start delivering dental services differently. Nothing that you’re doing in operative is in need of a major overhaul; you’re still giving the same great care you always have. What must change is the way you react to and plan for your patients’ economic difficulty. And stop thinking that that same economic turmoil isn’t going to affect you; it will. Maybe not be today…but you will feel it. Wouldn’t it feel extraordinary to begin – today – to put the systems in place to help you move ahead in tough times? Surviving this economy requires “turning the diamond by five degrees”, a term that means identifying specifically what’s necessary to drive business and implementing those items – not by changing said business entirely, but by cherry-picking the initiatives that will bring the most economic return. Relationship, consistency and drive win out every time. Are you willing to make the slight changes to the flight plan that will bring your ship home safely? If so, let’s get started.
1. Launch an information assault.
Recently, Michael Dell of Dell Computers suggested in an article that his company’s plan during a downturn economy was to triple their marketing budget. While competitors shrink their marketing expenditure, he’ll advance an assault on America that says: If you’re going to buy a computer, you should buy Dell. Incidentally, as of today, Dell is up a few percentage points over last year when competitors were tanking. You may be asking, “How does this affect me?”, and rightly so. Dentists are the most marketing-averse group in healthcare, so if you’re doing *any* marketing you have our attention. If you’re not doing any, get ready. The battle for the new patient is going to get fierce, and he (or she) who stands out will prevail. Start NOW.
• Connect.
If you’re the best kept secret in your area, how can that possibly help you? Dr. Bill Dorfman went on record several years ago to say he built his practice in Beverly Hills with fliers placed under the windshield wipers of nearby parked cars. We’ll go one better. Have your most influential team member visit nearby businesses at least once a week, taking muffins or bagels and dropping off marketing materials. Do this religiously and target every kind of business near you. Those employees will remember your team when they need help, and *after* you wow them will refer you. If no one knows who you are, or they can’t distinguish between you and the office down the street, how can they choose you? Get out there and create relationships, starting today.
• Differentiate.
If you’re a plan provider, meet with your local human resource leaders to show them how your practice can – and will - take care of their employees. If you’re lucky enough to have a local chapter of SHRM, request an audience (www.shrm.org) . Take fliers and business cards and grease the wheels with an offer to attract employers to your side. If you don’t have a local HR organization, target the companies whose employees you’d like to serve and hit the visit circuit hard. Get ready; HR managers or presidents may ask you to offer expanded hours, pre-set visit times or other perks to their human capital. Be prepared to respond quickly and definitively to their requests to get the business.
• Step out.
Not doing any marketing at all, or very little? Venture out with an inexpensive marketing initiative that gets results. We can recommend Valpak or The Clipper as two venues that cost little and deliver new patients to your door. If you’re spending one dollar on marketing and you begin to spend three, even THAT will help. If you need specific advice, give us a call.
2. Turn up the heat.
Face it, most of our case presentation in dentistry is delivered with an eyes-downcast, modest, call-me-when-you’re-ready sensibility. If you think the “old way” of delivering treatment recommendations is going to drive your patients of record to move forward with treatment, do yourself a favor. Go to your dental software and print off an unscheduled treatment plan report for the past 24 months. Look at the summary page. When you’ve recovered, learn from what you’ve just seen and commit to do something different.
• Show off.
Use your intraoral camera for every proposed treatment plan you possibly can. The word here is “consistency”! Don’t let your patients leave your office without a photo of their own compromised teeth. If they don’t schedule, be sure the photo gets attached to your written treatment plan, and ask them how they would like you to follow up with them. Patients truly do not understand the $4 words we use in dentistry, but they DO understand obviously visible cavities, leaking margins and fractured teeth…especially when those conditions belong to them. If you don’t have an intraoral camera, you should invest in one now. It will pay for itself over and over again in accepted treatment.
• Lose the minimizing language.
We’ll give you several true-life, don’t-let-this-happen-to-you examples of what NOT to say to patients during our March podcast. That being said, if you routinely downplay the sense of urgency to get started with patients, you’re engaging in behavior that must end in this economy. You don’t have to be a doomsday prophet, but you do need to improve your delivery of two facts: your patient needs treatment, and you’d like to fast-track them to health.
• Expand your options.
Get prepared to offer phased treatment options, pre-payment (“lay-away”) plans and a bevy of lending options. Your old verbal skills (i.e.; “How would you like to pay for that today, Mrs. Snodgrass?”) could alienate your patient who is working two part-time jobs. Have payment conversations in advance of treatment, every time. Get everything worked out before the handpiece ever spins, and get a signed financial agreement without fail in advance of treatment.
• Make the switch to Check 21 technology.
If you’ve seen the movie Catch Me If You Can, you’ve heard of Frank Abagnale, Jr. One of the most successful con men ever, Abagnale’s post-prison job was helping the FBI develop systems to reduce check kiting and fraud. The Check Clearing For the 21st Century Act, legislation he helped develop, was signed into law in 2003. It allows your administrative team to use a patient’s paper check to automatically debit the corresponding checking account and then to summarily return the paper check as a receipt. In a tough economy, you may never be able to find the person who wrote you a hot check again. Phone numbers disconnected? Cell phones non-functioning? Address bogus? Stop the problem before it begins by being *sure* you get paid up front with this inexpensive equipment and software upgrade.
Dentistry is still one of the highest paying professions in America today. We have the greatest reputation of any medical specialty for predictable results and pain elimination. The only change is that jobs have disappeared, money has gotten scarce, and patients have become more skittish about spending. You have a diamond in your hand. Now, focus on turning it that simple, deliberate five degrees.
Tough times are the best time to “sharpen the saw”. Are you working with a coach? Is someone training your team and helping you to hold them accountable? Do you have a passionate advocate? If you haven’t considered coaching before, a difficult economy’s impact will be significantly reduced with the systems and processes that coaching provides. Don’t get “stuck” on what you’ve always done; move ahead!
Person-to-Person Marketing
How are you marketing to your patients of record right now?
If you’re like most practices, this is a painful question – because the majority of dentists haven’t really embraced the concept of internal marketing. By this, we don’t mean having spa services, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies or soothing music/headphones available for patients. Internal marketing and patient perks are certainly in line with one another, but really aren’t the same thing. By internal marketing, we mean advertising that directly targets people who have already bought from you once (and statistics say will be twice as likely to buy from you again). Internal marketing means you never have to buy a list of prospects, simply because you already own the list! It lives in your patient roster, your hygiene recall list and your storehouse of paper or digital charts. What to do with that list, you ask? Well, these are our top suggestions for “real” internal marketing. If shameless self-promotion makes you feel weak around the knees, remember that if you don’t tell the patient how great you/your office are, no one else will; get out there and let the world know how you are different or unique!
1. Ask For Referrals.
We can’t tell you how many times we ask our clients and acquaintances to do this, yet it is terribly overlooked by dentists. Administrators seem more comfortable actually asking for the gift of a referral; doctors (if they ask) get a better response and a better result. We understand your reticence to seem as if you don’t have enough work, but you’re missing the point. Asking patients to send their friends and family to you is a complement to THEM. People love complements and they are a powerful influencing tool. We’ll cover the exact script for asking for referrals on our next TeleForum.
2. Referral Rewards Work, and You Should Use Them.
If your state practice act allows rewarding a referring patient and/or the person they bring to you, you should be doing this NOW. Do not wait. Use a care-to-share card with the reward plainly spelled out. We’ll explain exactly how to give them out, what to do when they come back in and how to maximize the rewards during our class.
3. Leverage Your Alliances.
You are surrounded by businesses that share your patient base - but do not compete against you. Many of these (spas, salons, health clubs, plastic surgeons, women’s health centers, aestheticians; the list goes on) would be happy to send business your way if the relationship was reciprocal. Creating alliance relationships can be the most exciting and fun project of a career. We’ll cover some alliance success stories on our next call, plus give you an exhaustive list of possible alliance partners to work with in the field.
What do alliance partners do for one another? First: no money changes hands! They share lists and work in tandem to promote one another. Occasionally, they share advertising and event costs on target projects. If you want to maximize your marketing dollars, alliances are a wonderful thing.
4. Create internal buzz.
Excitement is contagious, and if a few of your patients get excited about something going on in your office, the word of mouth can be incredible. Think The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. Developing a maven, someone who loves to tell others about your practice, is a goal that every practice has - yet few truly master. Buzz is more than a new gimmick or service because those can be short-lived. True ambassadors for your practice are created out of the sincerity and service you provide not only while the patient is in the office, but also when they aren’t. Where do you start? After-care calls (done consistently by the doctor in the evening after the procedure) are a must. Take it a step further with follow-up calls to patients one or two weeks after a major procedure. Glitz and glam may be the order of the day in dental marketing; what is truly missing is one-to-one service.
If you want to know more about how to create buzz or what gets patients motivated to talk to their friends, family and co-workers we’ll cover more of these ideas on November 27th.
People love to talk. Even so, we know an average person only tells two people if they have a great experience in your office – and a bad experience generates eight conversations!
Contact us to learn more about growing and expanding your word-of-mouth campaign to epic proportions by emailing me; penny@reedlimoli.com.
If you’re like most practices, this is a painful question – because the majority of dentists haven’t really embraced the concept of internal marketing. By this, we don’t mean having spa services, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies or soothing music/headphones available for patients. Internal marketing and patient perks are certainly in line with one another, but really aren’t the same thing. By internal marketing, we mean advertising that directly targets people who have already bought from you once (and statistics say will be twice as likely to buy from you again). Internal marketing means you never have to buy a list of prospects, simply because you already own the list! It lives in your patient roster, your hygiene recall list and your storehouse of paper or digital charts. What to do with that list, you ask? Well, these are our top suggestions for “real” internal marketing. If shameless self-promotion makes you feel weak around the knees, remember that if you don’t tell the patient how great you/your office are, no one else will; get out there and let the world know how you are different or unique!
1. Ask For Referrals.
We can’t tell you how many times we ask our clients and acquaintances to do this, yet it is terribly overlooked by dentists. Administrators seem more comfortable actually asking for the gift of a referral; doctors (if they ask) get a better response and a better result. We understand your reticence to seem as if you don’t have enough work, but you’re missing the point. Asking patients to send their friends and family to you is a complement to THEM. People love complements and they are a powerful influencing tool. We’ll cover the exact script for asking for referrals on our next TeleForum.
2. Referral Rewards Work, and You Should Use Them.
If your state practice act allows rewarding a referring patient and/or the person they bring to you, you should be doing this NOW. Do not wait. Use a care-to-share card with the reward plainly spelled out. We’ll explain exactly how to give them out, what to do when they come back in and how to maximize the rewards during our class.
3. Leverage Your Alliances.
You are surrounded by businesses that share your patient base - but do not compete against you. Many of these (spas, salons, health clubs, plastic surgeons, women’s health centers, aestheticians; the list goes on) would be happy to send business your way if the relationship was reciprocal. Creating alliance relationships can be the most exciting and fun project of a career. We’ll cover some alliance success stories on our next call, plus give you an exhaustive list of possible alliance partners to work with in the field.
What do alliance partners do for one another? First: no money changes hands! They share lists and work in tandem to promote one another. Occasionally, they share advertising and event costs on target projects. If you want to maximize your marketing dollars, alliances are a wonderful thing.
4. Create internal buzz.
Excitement is contagious, and if a few of your patients get excited about something going on in your office, the word of mouth can be incredible. Think The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. Developing a maven, someone who loves to tell others about your practice, is a goal that every practice has - yet few truly master. Buzz is more than a new gimmick or service because those can be short-lived. True ambassadors for your practice are created out of the sincerity and service you provide not only while the patient is in the office, but also when they aren’t. Where do you start? After-care calls (done consistently by the doctor in the evening after the procedure) are a must. Take it a step further with follow-up calls to patients one or two weeks after a major procedure. Glitz and glam may be the order of the day in dental marketing; what is truly missing is one-to-one service.
If you want to know more about how to create buzz or what gets patients motivated to talk to their friends, family and co-workers we’ll cover more of these ideas on November 27th.
People love to talk. Even so, we know an average person only tells two people if they have a great experience in your office – and a bad experience generates eight conversations!
Contact us to learn more about growing and expanding your word-of-mouth campaign to epic proportions by emailing me; penny@reedlimoli.com.
Converting New Patient Callers
Peas and carrots. Peanut butter and jelly. New patients and the telephone. Some things just naturally go together. If you’re lucky enough to have patients who e-mail in requests for appointments, you’re in the minority; 95% of prospective patients call directly for a scheduled visit. Each initial phone call is a one-time event that either will – or won’t – create the impression that encourages callers to schedule. Think you’re doing a pretty good job with call conversion? Judge yourself against these points and see how you’re doing.
1. Put your most outgoing person on the phone. Enthusiasm is innate; it cannot be trained. In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins says, “Put your best people on your best opportunities.” The phone is your best opportunity in new patient acquisition. Choose wisely when assigning phone duty to staff members; only the caring, friendly and candid need apply. If you have solid (but unenthusiastic) employees, don’t be tempted to let them control your influx of new business. Hold out for an expert communicator.
2. Greet with two seconds in mind. Your greeting doesn’t simply matter; it’s imperative. If you haven’t read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink; The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, you haven’t encountered the two-second rule. According to his study, that’s the amount of time most people need to decide whether something is “for them” or not. If all you have is a few seconds, make them count. Greet callers like friends and be sure you’ve got warmth in your voice. Cold, impersonal offices will still get calls. They simply won’t be able to compete with your sense of humanity; being real still sells.
3. Use your name… and the caller’s. There’s nothing more personal than a name, especially if it belongs to your caller. Get and use your prospect’s name at least once during the conversation. Like seasoning in food, the use of a name can be overdone. Our suggestion? Use your caller’s name no more than two times during the call. Be sure and tell them your name, repeating it at the end of the call. Because an exchange of names initiates relationships, your caller will be looking for you on their first visit. Be sure to enthusiastically greet them when they come in and introduce them to other team members, just as if you are welcoming them to your home.
4. Go ahead; get the appointment (GTA). Let’s say prospects call with questions or concerns. Do you see children? Are you a provider on their insurance plan? Are you accepting New Patients? Don’t be confused or misled, those callers are the prospects you’ve been hoping will call and are likely the ones not included in your marketing budget. Administrators, your job is to let callers know your dentist can help them with whatever it is they are most concerned about. Sell the office, sell the dentist, and ask for the appointment. Don’t let a caller off the phone after answering the question, never to be seen again; GTA!
5. Stop closing the door to sales with your questions. Old hands at selling will tell you the fastest way to ‘unsell’ a prospect is to talk too much. Instead of asking a caller their name, address, phone number, social security number and date of birth (and possibly more!), focus on getting the caller’s name and a best number to reach them for a confirmation or courtesy call prior to the appointment. Skip questions about insurance benefit plan providers, but do remind the new patient to bring their insurance card on the day of the appointment. In short, don’t exhaust a caller with questions. Get the information you must have to make an appointment and spend the rest of the call selling the office.
6. Listen to yourself often. Every two weeks on rotation, we Mystery Shop our client offices. In these recorded calls, we’ve heard administrators sound harried, distracted or confused to prospects. Many are unaware of the current offers listed in the practices’ local advertising. While it’s forgivable for new employees to not understand all dental terminology or to need help answering benefit plan questions, there is no excuse for sounding annoyed with a caller or not offering to find the answers they seek. A recording of what actually happened changes everyone’s perspective – there’s nothing subjective about it. Our offices listen and learn from what’s recorded…and they improve their customer service dramatically.
1. Put your most outgoing person on the phone. Enthusiasm is innate; it cannot be trained. In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins says, “Put your best people on your best opportunities.” The phone is your best opportunity in new patient acquisition. Choose wisely when assigning phone duty to staff members; only the caring, friendly and candid need apply. If you have solid (but unenthusiastic) employees, don’t be tempted to let them control your influx of new business. Hold out for an expert communicator.
2. Greet with two seconds in mind. Your greeting doesn’t simply matter; it’s imperative. If you haven’t read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink; The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, you haven’t encountered the two-second rule. According to his study, that’s the amount of time most people need to decide whether something is “for them” or not. If all you have is a few seconds, make them count. Greet callers like friends and be sure you’ve got warmth in your voice. Cold, impersonal offices will still get calls. They simply won’t be able to compete with your sense of humanity; being real still sells.
3. Use your name… and the caller’s. There’s nothing more personal than a name, especially if it belongs to your caller. Get and use your prospect’s name at least once during the conversation. Like seasoning in food, the use of a name can be overdone. Our suggestion? Use your caller’s name no more than two times during the call. Be sure and tell them your name, repeating it at the end of the call. Because an exchange of names initiates relationships, your caller will be looking for you on their first visit. Be sure to enthusiastically greet them when they come in and introduce them to other team members, just as if you are welcoming them to your home.
4. Go ahead; get the appointment (GTA). Let’s say prospects call with questions or concerns. Do you see children? Are you a provider on their insurance plan? Are you accepting New Patients? Don’t be confused or misled, those callers are the prospects you’ve been hoping will call and are likely the ones not included in your marketing budget. Administrators, your job is to let callers know your dentist can help them with whatever it is they are most concerned about. Sell the office, sell the dentist, and ask for the appointment. Don’t let a caller off the phone after answering the question, never to be seen again; GTA!
5. Stop closing the door to sales with your questions. Old hands at selling will tell you the fastest way to ‘unsell’ a prospect is to talk too much. Instead of asking a caller their name, address, phone number, social security number and date of birth (and possibly more!), focus on getting the caller’s name and a best number to reach them for a confirmation or courtesy call prior to the appointment. Skip questions about insurance benefit plan providers, but do remind the new patient to bring their insurance card on the day of the appointment. In short, don’t exhaust a caller with questions. Get the information you must have to make an appointment and spend the rest of the call selling the office.
6. Listen to yourself often. Every two weeks on rotation, we Mystery Shop our client offices. In these recorded calls, we’ve heard administrators sound harried, distracted or confused to prospects. Many are unaware of the current offers listed in the practices’ local advertising. While it’s forgivable for new employees to not understand all dental terminology or to need help answering benefit plan questions, there is no excuse for sounding annoyed with a caller or not offering to find the answers they seek. A recording of what actually happened changes everyone’s perspective – there’s nothing subjective about it. Our offices listen and learn from what’s recorded…and they improve their customer service dramatically.
Conduct Your Own Practice Analysis
One of the hallmarks of practice management is the “Practice Analysis”. On any given weekday, we’re combing through piles of reports, profit and loss statements and employee benefit information to determine what could be tweaked in a practice to improve their bottom line. This information takes time to compile and can be quite pricey to attain, especially if you hire an outside person to do the math for you. What if you could do a mini practice analysis on your own? Would you? In our current economic climate, you have nothing to lose by being your best. This month’s newsletter is designed to help you uncover what’s holding you back…so bring a calculator and let’s get started!
1. Determine your number of active patients. We do this the easy way by running a report of current patients in your database. If you don’t have this capability in your software, try the old consultant’s trick: Count the charts in the B section and multiply by ten. This should get you within 50 patients of your true number. If your true numbers are below 1000, don’t despair. You’ll simply have to ramp up retention in your hygiene department and present treatment plans with as much visual stimuli as possible.
2. Determine your number of new patients. New patients don’t include emergencies or quick check appointments. We use the comprehensive exam code (ADA code 00150) to qualify a person as a new patient. This means we only call someone a new patient who has had time with the doctor for diagnosis and has been given a complete treatment plan. The 00150 code also requires a complete periodontal charting, so be sure that step is part of the process of new patient induction. Most solo practitioners cannot thrive with less than twenty-five new patients per month. If you’re seeing less, you must begin to intentionally ask for referrals and market externally more than you’re doing now.
3. Determine the effectiveness of your recare department. First, take your active patient base and multiply by two. (This will give you the potential number of recare visits possible if 100% of your patients had their teeth cleaned twice annually.) Then, determine how many periodic exams (ADA code 00120) have been performed in the practice. Divide the number of periodic exams by the number of possible recare appointments to get your recare effectiveness ratio. If you’re like most practices, this number is far less than 100%; most are between 11% and 35%. If you’re serving less than seven in ten of your patients in hygiene, it’s time to examine your ‘overdue for recare’ list and begin reactivating patients.
4. Determine your staff costs. This is simple enough and comes straight from your profit and loss statement from your accountant. We recommend you get a copy of your P&L each month, so you can track costs and overhead expenses. Staff costs include staff salary and payroll taxes only; they do not include the doctor’s salary. Also not included are any family members who draw a check but don’t actually work in the practice. Divide your staff salaries by your collections total to see your staff cost percentage. If your percentage is higher than 22%, you are either overstaffed or underproductive - but most likely the latter. Since staff costs are the most controllable expense that you have, this determination will drive you to take a look at our next category; productivity.
5. Determine your dollars earned per day/hour. This figure is simple to get and a great way to see how well your schedule is working. Take your production and divide by the number of days worked, then divide by hours worked per day. For example, if you’ve produced $500,000 and you’ve worked 98 days, your average day is worth $5102. If you work an eight hour day, you’ve averaged $638 per hour. If you’re producing less than $650 per hour, you must consider pre-blocking your schedule for production and/or ramping up business in your hygiene department.
6. Examine your case acceptance ratio. In our work, we look for basic communication skills that teams have put into practice with their patients of record. Do you verbally “hand off” the patient from the hygienist to the dentist? Is a clinical team member communicating to the administrative team what the patient has said “yes” to, so everyone involved can plainly hear and understand? In a true Analysis, we print off an unscheduled treatment plan report from your software for the last 24 months to get a true picture of what has been proposed, but not accepted. If this number is larger than three months of average production, we know there are improvements in the communication strategy that must be made. In many multi-doctor practices, this report total is in the millions of dollars. Any sale lost (or not followed up on) is a loss of true income for your business. If your team can improve in this one area alone, your business will skyrocket.
Practice analysis is an excellent tool to benchmark how well you’re doing and what parts of the practice need attention. So often, we’re too busy working “in” the practice to work “on” it. Take the opportunity to do an in-depth examination of how well you take care of patients and how effectively you spend your time. All you need is a few minutes, a calculator and an interest in being more successful. It’s time well spent!
1. Determine your number of active patients. We do this the easy way by running a report of current patients in your database. If you don’t have this capability in your software, try the old consultant’s trick: Count the charts in the B section and multiply by ten. This should get you within 50 patients of your true number. If your true numbers are below 1000, don’t despair. You’ll simply have to ramp up retention in your hygiene department and present treatment plans with as much visual stimuli as possible.
2. Determine your number of new patients. New patients don’t include emergencies or quick check appointments. We use the comprehensive exam code (ADA code 00150) to qualify a person as a new patient. This means we only call someone a new patient who has had time with the doctor for diagnosis and has been given a complete treatment plan. The 00150 code also requires a complete periodontal charting, so be sure that step is part of the process of new patient induction. Most solo practitioners cannot thrive with less than twenty-five new patients per month. If you’re seeing less, you must begin to intentionally ask for referrals and market externally more than you’re doing now.
3. Determine the effectiveness of your recare department. First, take your active patient base and multiply by two. (This will give you the potential number of recare visits possible if 100% of your patients had their teeth cleaned twice annually.) Then, determine how many periodic exams (ADA code 00120) have been performed in the practice. Divide the number of periodic exams by the number of possible recare appointments to get your recare effectiveness ratio. If you’re like most practices, this number is far less than 100%; most are between 11% and 35%. If you’re serving less than seven in ten of your patients in hygiene, it’s time to examine your ‘overdue for recare’ list and begin reactivating patients.
4. Determine your staff costs. This is simple enough and comes straight from your profit and loss statement from your accountant. We recommend you get a copy of your P&L each month, so you can track costs and overhead expenses. Staff costs include staff salary and payroll taxes only; they do not include the doctor’s salary. Also not included are any family members who draw a check but don’t actually work in the practice. Divide your staff salaries by your collections total to see your staff cost percentage. If your percentage is higher than 22%, you are either overstaffed or underproductive - but most likely the latter. Since staff costs are the most controllable expense that you have, this determination will drive you to take a look at our next category; productivity.
5. Determine your dollars earned per day/hour. This figure is simple to get and a great way to see how well your schedule is working. Take your production and divide by the number of days worked, then divide by hours worked per day. For example, if you’ve produced $500,000 and you’ve worked 98 days, your average day is worth $5102. If you work an eight hour day, you’ve averaged $638 per hour. If you’re producing less than $650 per hour, you must consider pre-blocking your schedule for production and/or ramping up business in your hygiene department.
6. Examine your case acceptance ratio. In our work, we look for basic communication skills that teams have put into practice with their patients of record. Do you verbally “hand off” the patient from the hygienist to the dentist? Is a clinical team member communicating to the administrative team what the patient has said “yes” to, so everyone involved can plainly hear and understand? In a true Analysis, we print off an unscheduled treatment plan report from your software for the last 24 months to get a true picture of what has been proposed, but not accepted. If this number is larger than three months of average production, we know there are improvements in the communication strategy that must be made. In many multi-doctor practices, this report total is in the millions of dollars. Any sale lost (or not followed up on) is a loss of true income for your business. If your team can improve in this one area alone, your business will skyrocket.
Practice analysis is an excellent tool to benchmark how well you’re doing and what parts of the practice need attention. So often, we’re too busy working “in” the practice to work “on” it. Take the opportunity to do an in-depth examination of how well you take care of patients and how effectively you spend your time. All you need is a few minutes, a calculator and an interest in being more successful. It’s time well spent!
Scheduling for Success
Recently I’ve been “experimenting” with the schedules of several of my clients. Now, I know what you’re thinking! Experiments, for most of you, mean that the true answer has not yet been discovered. Experimentation is a way to grasp for something that will “work”, in a place where not much is working. Now, in a way I might agree with you. For some clients, the schedule is the one thing keeping them from success. Hampered by the swift passage of time, inefficiencies and operative surprises; most dentists struggle to manage their patient load. That’s where the research begins. So, without further ado, here are my top two favorite experiments – and their outcomes.
1. Make time for emergencies. Now, this one is big. If your schedule is in constant flux because emergency cases are sandwiched into your day (often as a surprise to you), we recommend that you set aside a specific time of each working day to focus on urgent care. I prefer the hour before lunch as an option. Here’s a scenario: Imagine you have five emergencies on Monday and one on Tuesday. Monday you’ll be taking five X-rays and medicating patients, who will then be rescheduled. As the doctor, you will have about five to ten minutes with each patient for getting in relationship and delivering a quick diagnosis. Lunch continues on as scheduled. On Tuesday, you’ll have a full hour in which you can (most likely) treat your one emergency case. No matter what happens, no matter how many emergencies show up – you only have an hour. Gunslinging is strictly out of the question. The remainder of your schedule stays on track and your regular patients are seen on time, every time. This experiment is working well in offices across the country. You might want to try it.
2. Pre-block for production. Okay, you might think this is old news. The truth is, even though most dental practices they know they should (you know who you are!) most are not pre-blocking appointment times. This means the schedule has no structure and every day is unpredictable; it’s hard (if not impossible) to schedule to goal. Ideally, we find three to four hours each day and reserve them for big operative appointments. Those hours are blocked off the schedule, reserved for the menu of those procedures in your practice that equal big production. So, if you only have 3.5 hours per day that you do big procedures, those hours fill up quickly and stay filled. Your scheduling coordinator will shift from being reactionary to being completely in control of the operative schedule. The experimentation comes in when we try to determine which hours of the day work best for your individual practice – and when the doctor performs best according to their own body clock. Another part of the experiment is to pre-block New Patient appointments, either in operative for diagnosis (problem-focused) or in hygiene (just a “check-up”). If you regularly schedule three New Patient appointments per day (one in op and two in hygiene), it will benefit you to have a specific place to put them. A good balance is needed, specifically if the doctor must pause for two or more hygiene checks per hour. Pre-blocking allows you to be flexible with non-productive appointments (like crown seats or small fillings) on the schedule, so the Doctor and staff aren’t worn out at the end of the day.
A Tip From The Coach: I’d recommend your operative planner go now to a place on the schedule that isn’t reserved and save those hours for production and New Patients. Your hygiene coordinator can do the same thing for New Patients and perio appointments, reserving them as needed in your practice. The outcome? You’ll be twice as likely to meet your goals on a daily basis if you pre-block. At the same time, each provider of care can perform at peak level, simply because you’ve reserved times of the day when they are at their personal best for procedures. No kidding!
1. Make time for emergencies. Now, this one is big. If your schedule is in constant flux because emergency cases are sandwiched into your day (often as a surprise to you), we recommend that you set aside a specific time of each working day to focus on urgent care. I prefer the hour before lunch as an option. Here’s a scenario: Imagine you have five emergencies on Monday and one on Tuesday. Monday you’ll be taking five X-rays and medicating patients, who will then be rescheduled. As the doctor, you will have about five to ten minutes with each patient for getting in relationship and delivering a quick diagnosis. Lunch continues on as scheduled. On Tuesday, you’ll have a full hour in which you can (most likely) treat your one emergency case. No matter what happens, no matter how many emergencies show up – you only have an hour. Gunslinging is strictly out of the question. The remainder of your schedule stays on track and your regular patients are seen on time, every time. This experiment is working well in offices across the country. You might want to try it.
2. Pre-block for production. Okay, you might think this is old news. The truth is, even though most dental practices they know they should (you know who you are!) most are not pre-blocking appointment times. This means the schedule has no structure and every day is unpredictable; it’s hard (if not impossible) to schedule to goal. Ideally, we find three to four hours each day and reserve them for big operative appointments. Those hours are blocked off the schedule, reserved for the menu of those procedures in your practice that equal big production. So, if you only have 3.5 hours per day that you do big procedures, those hours fill up quickly and stay filled. Your scheduling coordinator will shift from being reactionary to being completely in control of the operative schedule. The experimentation comes in when we try to determine which hours of the day work best for your individual practice – and when the doctor performs best according to their own body clock. Another part of the experiment is to pre-block New Patient appointments, either in operative for diagnosis (problem-focused) or in hygiene (just a “check-up”). If you regularly schedule three New Patient appointments per day (one in op and two in hygiene), it will benefit you to have a specific place to put them. A good balance is needed, specifically if the doctor must pause for two or more hygiene checks per hour. Pre-blocking allows you to be flexible with non-productive appointments (like crown seats or small fillings) on the schedule, so the Doctor and staff aren’t worn out at the end of the day.
A Tip From The Coach: I’d recommend your operative planner go now to a place on the schedule that isn’t reserved and save those hours for production and New Patients. Your hygiene coordinator can do the same thing for New Patients and perio appointments, reserving them as needed in your practice. The outcome? You’ll be twice as likely to meet your goals on a daily basis if you pre-block. At the same time, each provider of care can perform at peak level, simply because you’ve reserved times of the day when they are at their personal best for procedures. No kidding!
Creating a Team
“A team effort is a lot of people doing what I say.” Michael Winner, film director
What makes a loosely joined group of people actually become a “team”? For most of us, the burning question remains: what’s the spark, the golden moment of joining that has people come together and react, learn and perform at high levels? This “aha” moment is what most dental teams are looking for…right now. If your team is in chaos, just forming or looking for the next level of performance, here are a few MUSTS that you’ll need to have in place to get the team you want.
Teamwork Starts at the Top:
The most successful teams have a passionate and committed doctor. It’s easiest to implement change, work together and communicate if your leader is fully engaged. If you find yourself pessimistic, hesitant or less than 100% available, take the time to examine what’s keeping you from leading the team. If you can’t be present, upbeat and willing, your team can’t either.
Involve the Whole Team In Everything
It’s easy to allow a few key players to carry the team. However, when your less-than-perfect employees are “warming the bench”, they can’t step up, take responsibility and get better. Involve the whole team in goal-setting, planning, the daily huddle and weekly meeting. Everyone should have some part of the practice that they are accountable for, so they can report and make requests of the rest of the team. People who aren’t involved cannot contribute. And people who can’t contribute at some higher level eventually tend to move on…so keep your team in place by making them all important.
Hire ONLY SuperStars
Mediocre employers with low standards have mediocre team players. Think of yourself as a “major league player” – you only want the best, most talented teammates. If you’ve been hiring without checking references, having cursory interviews or neglecting to behaviorally profile potential new-hires, it’s time to raise your standards. Make bringing on the best employees available in your area a priority. No one ever made it to the Super Bowl with marginal players, right? You must be passionate and firm in your commitment to work only with the best. Even if they cost more in payroll, a great employee will pay for themselves quickly.
Nip Bad Behavior in the Bud
Nothing will kill that team spirit like one team member who gets away with murder. If you have behavioral issues or abuses of power or freedom, DO NOT HESITATE. Take the offender aside and reprimand them. Ask for a change in behavior, specifically state what will not work in the future and get a commitment for change. Monitor the person closely for reversal. If you allow someone to behave in a way that is inconsistent from the expectations of the rest of the team, you’ll never have the teamwork you’re looking for.
Set Goals and Profit Share
Many times when we have teams set production and collection goals, they are far higher than the doctor might have expected. Give your people some credit and let them participate in the goal-setting process. Determine your breakeven (staff salaries multiplied by five) and share 20% of whatever you collect over that with your team, divided evenly. You’re right, money is not the only motivator that encourages employees to perform. What does give them a charge is being part of a “movement” – the shift of taking your practice from average to extraordinary is worth sticking around for and is exciting. Great teams thrive on excitement, doing their best every day and winning – and rewarding the players financially is one impactful way to have them “get it” quickly.
Play Together
High-performing teams enjoy being together. Spend some time outside of work celebrating successes, brainstorming ways to make things work more effectively and having fun. Take your team to continuing education in your area. Come in one day every six months to care for one another. Plan a calendar of events during the year that supports closer relationships, and be sure to follow it. Nothing should be more important. If you have people on your team you don’t enjoy being with…it’s time to rethink your staffing priorities.
Coach It!
Like any good coach, you must point out where each person is performing well and areas where you know or expect that they can improve. Coaches can see the overall game plan, and even when direction isn’t clear or the answer isn’t immediately apparent, they are able to move forward and lead. Like John Wooden (former UCLA head coach and winningest coach of all time), you should be talking to your players ALL THE TIME. He never stopped giving advice, praising and critiquing the people on his team. Always with respect and kindness, he selflessly pushed his players to the limits of their abilities – to greatness. Developing the talents of your employees should be job number two…right after doing dentistry.
Most of all, a team is about shared values, commitment to standards and a passion for excellence. And that team feeling is really all about caring and collegial respect. Create an environment where mutual respect and standards are put first, and your team will flourish.
What makes a loosely joined group of people actually become a “team”? For most of us, the burning question remains: what’s the spark, the golden moment of joining that has people come together and react, learn and perform at high levels? This “aha” moment is what most dental teams are looking for…right now. If your team is in chaos, just forming or looking for the next level of performance, here are a few MUSTS that you’ll need to have in place to get the team you want.
Teamwork Starts at the Top:
The most successful teams have a passionate and committed doctor. It’s easiest to implement change, work together and communicate if your leader is fully engaged. If you find yourself pessimistic, hesitant or less than 100% available, take the time to examine what’s keeping you from leading the team. If you can’t be present, upbeat and willing, your team can’t either.
Involve the Whole Team In Everything
It’s easy to allow a few key players to carry the team. However, when your less-than-perfect employees are “warming the bench”, they can’t step up, take responsibility and get better. Involve the whole team in goal-setting, planning, the daily huddle and weekly meeting. Everyone should have some part of the practice that they are accountable for, so they can report and make requests of the rest of the team. People who aren’t involved cannot contribute. And people who can’t contribute at some higher level eventually tend to move on…so keep your team in place by making them all important.
Hire ONLY SuperStars
Mediocre employers with low standards have mediocre team players. Think of yourself as a “major league player” – you only want the best, most talented teammates. If you’ve been hiring without checking references, having cursory interviews or neglecting to behaviorally profile potential new-hires, it’s time to raise your standards. Make bringing on the best employees available in your area a priority. No one ever made it to the Super Bowl with marginal players, right? You must be passionate and firm in your commitment to work only with the best. Even if they cost more in payroll, a great employee will pay for themselves quickly.
Nip Bad Behavior in the Bud
Nothing will kill that team spirit like one team member who gets away with murder. If you have behavioral issues or abuses of power or freedom, DO NOT HESITATE. Take the offender aside and reprimand them. Ask for a change in behavior, specifically state what will not work in the future and get a commitment for change. Monitor the person closely for reversal. If you allow someone to behave in a way that is inconsistent from the expectations of the rest of the team, you’ll never have the teamwork you’re looking for.
Set Goals and Profit Share
Many times when we have teams set production and collection goals, they are far higher than the doctor might have expected. Give your people some credit and let them participate in the goal-setting process. Determine your breakeven (staff salaries multiplied by five) and share 20% of whatever you collect over that with your team, divided evenly. You’re right, money is not the only motivator that encourages employees to perform. What does give them a charge is being part of a “movement” – the shift of taking your practice from average to extraordinary is worth sticking around for and is exciting. Great teams thrive on excitement, doing their best every day and winning – and rewarding the players financially is one impactful way to have them “get it” quickly.
Play Together
High-performing teams enjoy being together. Spend some time outside of work celebrating successes, brainstorming ways to make things work more effectively and having fun. Take your team to continuing education in your area. Come in one day every six months to care for one another. Plan a calendar of events during the year that supports closer relationships, and be sure to follow it. Nothing should be more important. If you have people on your team you don’t enjoy being with…it’s time to rethink your staffing priorities.
Coach It!
Like any good coach, you must point out where each person is performing well and areas where you know or expect that they can improve. Coaches can see the overall game plan, and even when direction isn’t clear or the answer isn’t immediately apparent, they are able to move forward and lead. Like John Wooden (former UCLA head coach and winningest coach of all time), you should be talking to your players ALL THE TIME. He never stopped giving advice, praising and critiquing the people on his team. Always with respect and kindness, he selflessly pushed his players to the limits of their abilities – to greatness. Developing the talents of your employees should be job number two…right after doing dentistry.
Most of all, a team is about shared values, commitment to standards and a passion for excellence. And that team feeling is really all about caring and collegial respect. Create an environment where mutual respect and standards are put first, and your team will flourish.
Technology in Your Practice
Have you attended a dental tradeshow in the past year? If so, you’ve undoubtedly experimented with or purchased some of the new and exciting technology being introduced in dentistry. It’s remarkable that many technologies common in other businesses are just now making into our world. Gone are the days of handwritten schedules, statements and records. “Digital”, “paperless” and “connected” are the buzzwords of the future! So, now that you have access to all these great gadgets and gizmos, how do you harness their energy to reach your full potential in the dental practice? Follow along with me as we explore the top seven ways to unleash your high tech potential – and create a better practice for you and your team.
1. Create and maintain a high-tech website. Having a monthly or quarterly Enewsletter is job one. The power of informative, requested content will make your practice remarkable. Next, be sure you have a health history/new patient form available online or in a downloadable format. (visit www.adobe.com for more information on how to do this.) Let me give you an example: a client of ours – fed up with constant no-shows and last minute cancellations - began to insist that the patient’s completed health history be returned to the office before any appointment would be reserved. This process took weeks via regular mail, but by inserting downloadable PDF files into his website navigation, online, the process was made instantaneous. Now the prospective new patient can either download the forms or the staff can quickly email the forms to them. Forms are completed right then and either faxed back or dropped off the same day. Voila! Better results through technology.
2. Utilize the Internet AND Email inside your practice. Our electronic society is swiftly moving toward online insurance benefit verification. I know a lot of front desk staff with a permanent crick in their neck from holding on the phone to verify insurance benefits. It’s also a faster way to process claims and get paid! Don’t forget, Email is another great way to stay in touch with your patients as well as other professionals.
3. Place a computer workstation in each operatory. This will increase the number of treatment plans that actually get entered into the computer. Also, the patients can schedule their next appointment before the seatbelt (disposable bib) is removed. This creates the type of one-on-one service that patients crave rather than waiting in line to be “next” at the front desk.
4. Back-up your computer system daily. We’ve progressed from floppy disks to tape back-ups and CD-R’s. Unless you are moving your back-ups offsite, your data is not safe. A computer crash is never expected, and I’ve not found a fool-proof way to avoid one! We highly recommend online back-ups to our dentists. You can schedule the backups to take place automatically and in the event of a system crash, your data is safe. A great resource is www.netmass.com. Be sure that your online data source encrypts your data and that you keep your user id and password under lock and key.
5. Train your team with Microsoft PowerPoint. Many dentists are experiencing great success by developing “templates” for their staff members to use when they’re having conversations with patients. The PowerPoint presentations give the team “training wheels” to have scripted conversations with patients regarding what to expect during treatment. For example, in a pediatric dental practice, it is helpful to have an initial discussion with the parents of the new patient to be sure they understand what to expect for their child’s first and subsequent visits.
6. Use your intraoral camera, often. This is not antiquated technology. Most of the practices we work with aren’t using this tool nearly enough. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do we talk so much? The intraoral camera should be used during every adult new patient exam. It should be the first instrument that is placed in the patient’s mouth. Most patients have never seen their teeth with the view of the camera. It will be an eye-opening experience for them and will decrease the amount of explanation you have to give. Won’t they be shocked when they see the fractures in their teeth that haven’t been hurting them a bit?
Many readers (maybe even you?) may already have all of the above technology in place. The question is, how consistently is it being utilized? Do a self-audit. If you have a multi-media education system, how often do you use it? If you have a website, is your address on all of your stationery and marketing materials? Do you direct all of your new patient call-ins to your website for their initial paperwork? These are just a few ways to work with the technology you already have in place. You can bet these seven tips will impress your patients and make your job easier, if you make technology a daily habit.
1. Create and maintain a high-tech website. Having a monthly or quarterly Enewsletter is job one. The power of informative, requested content will make your practice remarkable. Next, be sure you have a health history/new patient form available online or in a downloadable format. (visit www.adobe.com for more information on how to do this.) Let me give you an example: a client of ours – fed up with constant no-shows and last minute cancellations - began to insist that the patient’s completed health history be returned to the office before any appointment would be reserved. This process took weeks via regular mail, but by inserting downloadable PDF files into his website navigation, online, the process was made instantaneous. Now the prospective new patient can either download the forms or the staff can quickly email the forms to them. Forms are completed right then and either faxed back or dropped off the same day. Voila! Better results through technology.
2. Utilize the Internet AND Email inside your practice. Our electronic society is swiftly moving toward online insurance benefit verification. I know a lot of front desk staff with a permanent crick in their neck from holding on the phone to verify insurance benefits. It’s also a faster way to process claims and get paid! Don’t forget, Email is another great way to stay in touch with your patients as well as other professionals.
3. Place a computer workstation in each operatory. This will increase the number of treatment plans that actually get entered into the computer. Also, the patients can schedule their next appointment before the seatbelt (disposable bib) is removed. This creates the type of one-on-one service that patients crave rather than waiting in line to be “next” at the front desk.
4. Back-up your computer system daily. We’ve progressed from floppy disks to tape back-ups and CD-R’s. Unless you are moving your back-ups offsite, your data is not safe. A computer crash is never expected, and I’ve not found a fool-proof way to avoid one! We highly recommend online back-ups to our dentists. You can schedule the backups to take place automatically and in the event of a system crash, your data is safe. A great resource is www.netmass.com. Be sure that your online data source encrypts your data and that you keep your user id and password under lock and key.
5. Train your team with Microsoft PowerPoint. Many dentists are experiencing great success by developing “templates” for their staff members to use when they’re having conversations with patients. The PowerPoint presentations give the team “training wheels” to have scripted conversations with patients regarding what to expect during treatment. For example, in a pediatric dental practice, it is helpful to have an initial discussion with the parents of the new patient to be sure they understand what to expect for their child’s first and subsequent visits.
6. Use your intraoral camera, often. This is not antiquated technology. Most of the practices we work with aren’t using this tool nearly enough. If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do we talk so much? The intraoral camera should be used during every adult new patient exam. It should be the first instrument that is placed in the patient’s mouth. Most patients have never seen their teeth with the view of the camera. It will be an eye-opening experience for them and will decrease the amount of explanation you have to give. Won’t they be shocked when they see the fractures in their teeth that haven’t been hurting them a bit?
Many readers (maybe even you?) may already have all of the above technology in place. The question is, how consistently is it being utilized? Do a self-audit. If you have a multi-media education system, how often do you use it? If you have a website, is your address on all of your stationery and marketing materials? Do you direct all of your new patient call-ins to your website for their initial paperwork? These are just a few ways to work with the technology you already have in place. You can bet these seven tips will impress your patients and make your job easier, if you make technology a daily habit.
Time Management
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Carl Sandburg
It’s all the same. No matter where you go in the world or what you do, there are only 24 hours in a day. As dental professionals, we do seem to focus on time more than other industries; manipulating the way we spend our hours can make or break our businesses. Now is a great time of the year to reflect and look at how you are directing your and your team’s most valuable resource. It’s time to answer the question…where should you invest your time and energy?
1. Huddles: Everyone has heard of huddles, yet few dental teams take the 15 minutes per day to do them consistently. It can be difficult to get everyone present, on time and productive. Why? The assumption is that a huddle really isn’t productive or is a time-waster. Balderdash! Remember, you are in control of what is covered in these huddles. What’s needed are fifteen minutes and a solid checklist, or these meetings will consist of what everyone did after work yesterday.
The primary purpose of the huddle is to get everyone focused so that we can accomplish three things:
o Take care of the patients
o Take care of the team
o Make more money
Every day patients come into your practice for a scheduled procedure. In most cases, they need more work than they are scheduled for. If we are "asleep" or unfocused, we will miss these opportunities. We may not be able to get a patient to come in to fill an appointment for an 11AM cancellation, but Sue Smith (our 10AM hygiene patient) may have outstanding work that needs to be done. And wouldn't it be a win for all of us if she did it today?
2. Staff Meetings – Now, this topic may elicit a yawn. But honestly, if you aren’t having a regular team meeting then you are open for the biggest distraction possible for any dental practice - unresolved issues. These issues may be plans that never got put into action so they keep being rehashed…or worse, there may be items that team members are upset about because they never get addressed.
There is one simple formula for successful results-oriented staff meetings:
o A weekly team meeting with an agenda
o Accountable people for each item
o A promise day for each items’ completion (with notes put in writing)
o Consistent follow-up
If you aren’t getting the results you want, consider your meeting as planning time to set goals, follow up and celebrate each success…no matter how small.
3. Delegation (a.k.a. training)
It sounds so easy. Train your team members to do tasks that they can legally and ethically do. Let me give you an example: In a practice producing one million dollars per year, each minute of the doctor's time is worth $10.85. Imagine an average of twenty minutes of the doctor's time is spent making temporaries, and our imaginary doctor completes an average of four units of crown and bridge each day. This equals $166,656 of our imaginary friend’s time each year making temporaries. OUCH! If you see yourself in this scenario, it’s not too late to change your outcome. Dentists hold on to procedures and tasks that others could be doing for two reasons: fear of letting go and the belief that no one else can/will do the job as well as we can. These beliefs cost you more than the example above shows.
How does a dentist overcome these issues of delegation? First let's look at what not to do. Don't just say, “Okay, assistant #1, you are now going to be making the temps.” The correct path is training, mentoring and follow-up. For example, if you are training a new or existing assistant on making temporaries, you should set aside training time for that person when there are no patients being seen in the practice. You or another highly skilled member of your team will work with this person on making impressions, creating the temporary, trimming it and making it fit. The next step it to have the trainee make temporary crowns with the doctor or assistant mentoring them. Then, once the trainee has proven their ability to make quality temps, they are ready to be turned loose.
All three of these energy saving measures require planning. Create your plan once and execute a thousand times. Take control of precious time in your practice now and invest in a more profitable and less stressful way to practice dentistry for the future.
It’s all the same. No matter where you go in the world or what you do, there are only 24 hours in a day. As dental professionals, we do seem to focus on time more than other industries; manipulating the way we spend our hours can make or break our businesses. Now is a great time of the year to reflect and look at how you are directing your and your team’s most valuable resource. It’s time to answer the question…where should you invest your time and energy?
1. Huddles: Everyone has heard of huddles, yet few dental teams take the 15 minutes per day to do them consistently. It can be difficult to get everyone present, on time and productive. Why? The assumption is that a huddle really isn’t productive or is a time-waster. Balderdash! Remember, you are in control of what is covered in these huddles. What’s needed are fifteen minutes and a solid checklist, or these meetings will consist of what everyone did after work yesterday.
The primary purpose of the huddle is to get everyone focused so that we can accomplish three things:
o Take care of the patients
o Take care of the team
o Make more money
Every day patients come into your practice for a scheduled procedure. In most cases, they need more work than they are scheduled for. If we are "asleep" or unfocused, we will miss these opportunities. We may not be able to get a patient to come in to fill an appointment for an 11AM cancellation, but Sue Smith (our 10AM hygiene patient) may have outstanding work that needs to be done. And wouldn't it be a win for all of us if she did it today?
2. Staff Meetings – Now, this topic may elicit a yawn. But honestly, if you aren’t having a regular team meeting then you are open for the biggest distraction possible for any dental practice - unresolved issues. These issues may be plans that never got put into action so they keep being rehashed…or worse, there may be items that team members are upset about because they never get addressed.
There is one simple formula for successful results-oriented staff meetings:
o A weekly team meeting with an agenda
o Accountable people for each item
o A promise day for each items’ completion (with notes put in writing)
o Consistent follow-up
If you aren’t getting the results you want, consider your meeting as planning time to set goals, follow up and celebrate each success…no matter how small.
3. Delegation (a.k.a. training)
It sounds so easy. Train your team members to do tasks that they can legally and ethically do. Let me give you an example: In a practice producing one million dollars per year, each minute of the doctor's time is worth $10.85. Imagine an average of twenty minutes of the doctor's time is spent making temporaries, and our imaginary doctor completes an average of four units of crown and bridge each day. This equals $166,656 of our imaginary friend’s time each year making temporaries. OUCH! If you see yourself in this scenario, it’s not too late to change your outcome. Dentists hold on to procedures and tasks that others could be doing for two reasons: fear of letting go and the belief that no one else can/will do the job as well as we can. These beliefs cost you more than the example above shows.
How does a dentist overcome these issues of delegation? First let's look at what not to do. Don't just say, “Okay, assistant #1, you are now going to be making the temps.” The correct path is training, mentoring and follow-up. For example, if you are training a new or existing assistant on making temporaries, you should set aside training time for that person when there are no patients being seen in the practice. You or another highly skilled member of your team will work with this person on making impressions, creating the temporary, trimming it and making it fit. The next step it to have the trainee make temporary crowns with the doctor or assistant mentoring them. Then, once the trainee has proven their ability to make quality temps, they are ready to be turned loose.
All three of these energy saving measures require planning. Create your plan once and execute a thousand times. Take control of precious time in your practice now and invest in a more profitable and less stressful way to practice dentistry for the future.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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 GOALSETTING 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 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.
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 GOALSETTING 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 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.
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