We are a group of Dental Consultants who offer, improved practice morale; a happier, more profitable patient base;and improved home life; increased collections. (And yes, our average is 35% in year one.)

Monday, September 30, 2013

Don't loose the nugget



A nugget is small and may seem inconsequential. You think that a thousand more nuggets may come walking in. However, if you stop and count all of the nuggets your office is missing you will realize that they are beginning to add up. Each nugget is a missed opportunity, a loss your office may not be able to afford. 

A golden nugget is the ticket that enhances or helps your business and your team.  It is asking for a referral or speaking about the patient needs in front of the patient. Or taking the time to go thoroughly through the bill with a patient and ask for their portion up front. It is keeping your office neat and organized and asking the patient how their day was.

Every nugget in your office counts and therefore, it is important your team takes advantage of every prospect that comes your way. Last year, I had a dentist. This year I have a different dentist. The reason is because my dentist and their staff missed their chance to build a strong relationship with me. I didn't feel valued as a patient and therefore, I felt no need to give them my money or my business. When I came in the office, they didn't ask how I was doing or if I had any concerns. While in the chair they talked to the doctor about my teeth but not me and when I left they never set up my next appointment or asked me how their service was. 

Take advantage of the face-to-fact time you have with your patients.  Dentistry has multiple chances to connect with patients throughout the visit and it is important that your team utilizes every opportunity they get. 

Enhance the nuggets in your office by taking a step back and analyzing where your team is dropping the ball. Where do they miss an opportunity or where do they let patient care slide? Start there and work your way up because your business depends on it.


Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.




  


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Leaders don't just Lead



Leaders don't just Lead, they teach others how to also lead. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, these strengths can be used to the benefit of the office in a variety of capacities. For example, if an individual in your office is great at social media, help foster this learning and growth to help in this area in your office.

While, another individual might have greater ideas on how to streamline a process. I'm not saying make everyone a boss in your office, but help foster leadership. Just because you are the individual in charge doesn't mean you have to be the only one that leads on every new project, idea or area in your office. You want to help build the confidence in others around you.

Anyone can be a boss. People can walk around and demand items from those who work for them. For example, they can demand that reports be printed on time, or demand promptness. However, if you want others to step up and take initiative then you must help support their learning and employees desires to become leaders as well.

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.



Monday, September 23, 2013

Change today for a better tomorrow



Status Quo is comfortable, it may even feel easier. However, if you do the same thing day in and day out you will stay at the same place in your life. 

http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Mud-Jane-Clarke/dp/080279758X
An effective leader according to, "Leading Every Day," also challenges the status quo. It's not to say you have to fix everything or that you have to change everything. But be careful at doing the same thing day in and day out that isn't working or isn't as efficient as it could be. 

Don't stay in one place because you're afraid of change. Leaders shouldn't be afraid to move things forward, because in order to grow and learn you have to let go of being afraid and let yourself learn new skills.

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Effective Leaders Model the way (Leading Every Day)




Effective leaders model the way. You have to be the person that upholds the integrity in the office. What you say you are going to do you need to follow through with. If you tell your team, they need to be honest with patients and then you tell patients they need services they don’t your team may begin to make decisions that are not of high moral integrity.

Our values dictate what we will and will not but it also drives the choices we make in life. If we want to lead a team of people to uphold our practice and hold true to a set of values we must first define ours and be clear about what they are.

Your personal values have to be of the highest standard. I suggest you check often to make sure your actions are consistent with what you say your values are.  Your team should know what your values and morals are in order to make sure they are in line with you in the office.

Your leadership sets the tone in your office. When you move your team moves, it may not always be the same direction as  you but they will move. You want to model effective morals because you cannot micro-manage your team all the time and they will help build the reputation you have among your patients.

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Leave your Ego at the door



A leader is an important concept that we should revisit often. 

Because a leader does not lead their team once and then stop leading. You may also have different leaders for different projects. However, the one thing a leader does not have when they lead is their ego. The definition of a, "leader is an individuals ability to work with others to accomplish some agreed-upon result," (Leading Every Day)  An effective leader has a responsibility to lead the team in order to get the project done. 

But if you rely on your job title and your ego to get a project done than your team may not be as willing to complete the project.  Or they may complete the project but not care about the projects outcome.

The leader has an important duty to rally everyone together, to let other leaders in the group take over parts of the project. A leader is a catalyst for change and works with others to facilitate their parts of the project instead of stating, demanding, and pleading.

Not only do you need to facilitate but you need to have a clear vision. Your vision should be shared in order for teams to have more by in. A leader helps give purpose behind the group and what they accomplish. A leaders shares, ask questions and supports team members without shouting, yelling, or having to drag the team kicking and screaming.


Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Work smarter not harder



You have heard the saying for years, "Work smarter not harder." Yet at some point in your life or maybe even now you slosh home at some late hour, only to drop off and sleep for a couple hours. To wake up a few hours later, drink a bunch of coffee and begin the day again. 

But you don't have to continue to work hard. There is a better way. Hundreds if not thousands of people every day do what you do but finish on time, take a lunch and spend their weekends enjoying their family.  

Find someone who is doing what you want to do efficiently and then practice it. Study how they clean or how they complete their schedule. Ask how their huddles are ran. If struggle to make re-care calls, then find someone who is successful and implement it. Do not spend days, hours and months reinventing an unsuccessful wheel. It will cause burn out.


Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Why ask Why?




Sometimes people will be quick to give the team the demand or to tell about the new way to handle new patients. However, they don’t always tell the why.  You may feel that the why of the situation isn’t important but this might be the difference between your staff jumping on board and being excited about the new event or your staff complaining that they have one more task to complete.  Instead of people dwelling on the negative help the staff to focus on the positive. An activity from 151 ways to inspire your staff suggests:


On a 3 x 5 card, write On a 3 x 5 card, write out three answers to why you are excited about the future of your business.
151 Quick Ideas to Inspire Your Staff
by: Jerry Wilson, CSP 





Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Establish Renewed Enthusiasm For Your Business



"Enthusiasm is contagious," Debra Quarles, Salt Dental Practice Management consultant states in her book, Team Strategies for the Dental Practice. 

It is easy to get bogged down with the day to day of your practice and forget why you are there. You might come to work and focus on what you don't have, what your team lacks and how worn down you are.  But your not going to get where you want to go with that type of attitude. Instead, find things to be excited about. Share your enthusiasm with your team and re-motivate them. Don't forget to have passion for what you do. 

This passion will help you find things to be excited about and you will re-build a circle where positive changes are happening for your business instead of you being dragged down.





Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Monday, September 2, 2013

What do you have to offer?

I wonder as I enter the new office I am taking my family too, what it will offer me above the one down the street. I have checked out it's online presence and it promises quality.

When you enter the front office, it's tiny. But it is neat and clean, organized. Someone greets me quickly handing me some forms, she immediately gets to work on continuing to set up the office. Turning lights on. That sort of thing.

I'm quickly called to the chair and seated. The assistant enters and quickly takes some x-rays.
The dentist comes in, introduces herself and begins to clean my teeth. I'm taken back. In all the years I have been to the dentist I have never had the dentist clean my teeth themselves. It's nice, refreshing. She's friendly and chatty. And when she's finished we have already discussed everything going on in my mouth and established a patient-doctor relationship.

I don't feel rushed to tell her everything and I don't have to trust the hygienist and assistant are going to relay the information correctly. I like this. I know most dentists probably don't have time in their schedule but as a patient I would prefer to have the dentist cleaning my teeth at least once in awhile.

If you are too busy to offer this, what other things as a dentist can you offer that sets you apart from the rest? What makes your office work the patients time? And what does your practice do that makes it an experience not just a run of the mill have to. 

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.