Dentaltown September 2022 - 61

" Your most lucrative pivot is to begin
making every decision about how you
run the office with the patient in mind. "
" I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS
THAT GO WITH HAVING ASSOCIATES. "
Maybe you've had a bad experience hiring or managing
an associate, or heard others talk about their difficulties.
But look around. There are plenty of independent
practice owners-and I emphasize, independent-who
have thriving practices, a balanced life and happy patients
because they've learned to hire and manage associates
successfully. Again, it's a matter of doing it right by
learning from others who know what works and what
doesn't. Don't give up on an excellent business-building
strategy just because you lack coaching on how to implement
it well!
Those are really just excuses when the underlying
reason is often egotism. Many doctors simply can't
accept that someone else could care for their patients
as well as they do, so they refuse to allow another provider
into the practice. That's nonsense! Do you really
believe that if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, nobody
else would be able to care for your patients? No matter
how much you may love your own doctor, chiropractor
or personal trainer, do you believe there is nobody
else in your community who could possibly take as
good care of you as they do? Of course there is.
Pivot, shoot, score!
You worked hard to earn your credentials and gain
your experience, but so did many others. Once you accept
that fact, you can start playing a different game-
one that's patient-centric instead of clinician-centric-
and learn to pivot in ways that position your practice
to score bigger by making better shots, especially these:
Become patient-centric.
Your most lucrative pivot is to begin making every
decision about how you run the office with the
62 SEPTEMBER 2022 // dentaltown.com
patient in mind. Every practice owner thinks they're
patient-centric, but if you're not already doing these
things you're kidding yourself:
* Put patient convenience ahead of yours by
offering extended hours and being open six days
a week (with the help of associates, of course),
so patients can be seen when they want to be seen.
If you see patients only three or four days a week,
you're leaving a huge chunk of potential revenue
on the table each week. You're also annoying
your existing patients-and driving away new
patients-with lengthy wait times to book
appointments and by making them work around
your limited schedule. Patients don't care that
you and your staff don't want to work Fridays
and Saturdays if that's when it is best for them
or their kids. Instead of assuming they wouldn't
want to be seen by any other doctor, pivot your
thinking; your patients will be impressed that
you care enough about their convenience to hire
more providers.
* Answer the phones when patients want to call,
not just when it's convenient for the staff.
* Take the phones off the front desk altogether, so
potential new patients calling in get undivided
attention at the same time as your valued patients
in the office.
* Train the team on how to capture new patients
and deliver an excellent experience, which leads
to patient retention, referrals and a reputation
that attracts patients-leading to practice growth
and profitability.
* Provide growth and development opportunities
that attract and retain talent to a growing
business.
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Dentaltown September 2022

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