Our world shattered over the last 2-1/2 years and is reassembling itself in new patterns and necessities. The good thing is that people in general are coming back to life and getting together again.
Back to Normal?
This has included practices, most of which suffered one way or another, due to the lockdowns and the new staff issues of retirement, demands for pay increases, staff shortages, debts that were incurred to keep the practice open during the hard parts, and so on.
The good news is that most practices are back to pre-covid levels and many are doing better than ever before. It has been our honour to have had the opportunity to help so many of them shine again.
Hot Tips to Grow the Practice Some More
Here are a few of the areas that we find necessary to improve for the ultimate growth of the practice:
- Hiring staff with exciting potential who are overachievers and polishing them with training and apprenticeships to help them develop new skills and become a more effective team.
- Use your KPI’s weekly to analyze why stats went down or up and taking the identified necessary changes and making them.
- Improve everyone’s sales/presentation skills from front reception to tech staff in the back and the dentist as well.
- Cancel cancellations with an ideal, popular cancellation policy (yes, we have one).
- Eliminate no shows with better systems and policy. Also, educating the patients so they wouldn’t dream of missing an appointment.
- Hold effective staff meetings for alignment of the team.
- Create a wonderful Mission Statement with the help and buy-in of the team so they are more focussed on achieving the goals of the practice.
- Ensure that there is adequate coverage at the front desk for them to take the time to build a relationship with a “shopper” on the phone and turn them into a new patient.
- Isolate the factors and times in the practice where you and the team start to feel too rushed or overwhelmed, and then work out the handling for those.
- Consider whether you are due or overdue for an associate to come and take on a portion of the practice and thereby increase the total billings without reducing yours.
- Look at your recall/reminder/recare system and see where patients are being lost and put in a Reactivation Program and improve staff’s sales skills.
- Work out an effective bonus system for your staff members to validate and encourage them for their contribution to a successfully growing practice.
These are a few of the more obvious aspects of the practice that we dig into and correct when consulting a practice. You may have additional ideas and know what you need to do. Having an experienced coach is also a smart move!
Bottom Line
Change doesn’t happen without some time or effort put into it but that is all worthwhile because of how free and happy you will feel at the end of the process when the place is running smoothly and profitably, and you have a solid reserve account.
Go for it!
