It’s a strange world with these economic times. Some practices are thriving, new patients are flowing and it’s business as usual. Other practices aren’t so fortunate – cash flow is down, new patient flow is slow.
Is this your practice? Are you stressed out, wondering how on earth you are going to manage to keep things going, make your payroll and overhead while still somehow trying to get enjoyment out of what you do?
Take a deep breath and relax. With commitment, hard work, growth strategies and team cohesion, it is more than possible to jump-start your practice growth, find the passion again that led you to become a dentist in the first place and enjoy the results that hard work and consistent commitment to change will bring.
Success doesn’t just come knocking on your door. Opportunity does and you need to be able to recognize it to make the most of it when it comes your way.
“If you like getting what you are getting, keep doing what you are doing”. If your practice is not where you want it to be right now, something obviously needs to change. You’re not going to miraculously go in your practice tomorrow and have 10 new patients, patients offering up payment, a team with great, enthusiastic morale just by sitting there and wishing these thoughts into existence. You have to make the decision for change, make an action plan and GO! You have surround yourself with people who support your visions of hard work and success!
“You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created.” Albert Einstein. You may want to make the change but you must first change your thinking that got you to this point and accept the need for change. Yep, that’s a hard one. It can be done. It’s called stepping outside the box, welcoming the change and getting excited for the fantastic journey you are now embarking upon!
With all this being said, it can be a challenge to initiate change. It’s ok to start small as long as you start TODAY! Get excited for what tomorrow can bring!
Make a mind map for one area of your practice; the one area that you feel needs to be updated most to produce rapid results. Patient Care, Front Desk, Clinical, Hygiene, Dentist, Practice.
Now take a look at the systems and protocols in place for this area. Do you have an updated SOP manual? Are your team members fully aware of all the expectations you have in place for them and their positions? Lack of systems = lack of results.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to get started:
- Are we taking the most advantage of every opportunity within each appointment on the schedule? Every single appointment on your schedule presents an opportunity – are you and your team recognizing these opportunities and using them? If you aren’t aware of the opportunities that today offers, how on earth can you manage to use them?? Book Review – Morning Huddles – Referral Requests. By effectively using these strategies on a consistent basis you will notice an immediate increase in production. Not only do these 3 things produce results, they cost you nothing other than effort.
- Speaking of utilizing every opportunity, how many hours of phone coverage do you have a week? The average is 26. What happens to the other 14? Do you really believe that no one is calling you during those 14 valuable hours? Let’s say your office is off Thursday afternoons and Fridays with only a voicemail covering your phones. How often do you go in on a Monday to a blown schedule? By offering 40 hours a week phone coverage, a cancellation will be intercepted and kept on the schedule somewhere and a hole in the schedule will be filled. Instead of crossing your fingers when you are driving to the practice on Monday mornings hoping you have a somewhat profitable schedule why not be proactive and make it happen? It’s called being in the Perpetual State of Preparedness. How would it feel to walk in on Mondays and know that not only do you have a full schedule, but all of the appointments are confirmed? How many new patient phone calls have you missed just by lack of phone coverage? I am here to tell you it’s more than you think.
- Hygiene – is your department as profitable as you know it can be? It takes a lot of hard work to instill a profitable perio program, but once you do you’ll never look back. Not only will your production increase, but your patients oral health is optimized and patient satisfaction goes through the roof. One of the reasons for increased patient satisfaction is you intensify your patient care with a stellar perio program; they value and appreciate you so much more because your standard of care is higher than they have ever witnessed which therefore also increases treatment case acceptance. How would that feel to have patients come out of hygiene actually scheduling for their undone treatment?
Take a look today at your practice departments and don’t settle for any less than what you or your patients deserve. Superior patient care in NOT negotiable in your practice. So-so patient care is not acceptable. Every person and every system in your practice is a direct reflection of YOU – make this reflection scream that you are different, you are the best and they chose the right practice for their dental home.
As a thank you to all of our followers, please visit our website at www.superiorassisting.com and sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send you a complimentary copy of our strategic morning huddle form for you to get started!
We offer complimentary conversations to share with you why we are different, listen to your challenges and discuss the support we will give to jump start your practice! Give us a call at 330-546-0256. We are the first virtual support & services center passionately dedicated to dental professionals, masters of finding opportunity!
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Zig Ziglar
JUMP START YOUR PRACTICE, TEAM & GROWTH TODAY!
Kind Regards and wishes for the best week ever!
Mary Beth
Helping Grow Practice Profitability One Appointment at a Time!
330-546-0256