1- Yourself
Any
improvement in your practice should start with you. Do you really
expect others in your office to change for the better, if you have not yet
done so yourself? It is simply a matter of leading by example. In order to
do this, let's face our egos head on and boldly look that person in the
mirror with a critical eye. This takes courage, but will prove that we are
serious about leading our practice toward success.
Here we will cover four significant topics:
Whether we admit it or not, we tend to blame others for our mistakes, right?
We have done this since we were kids. From sports and house chores, to
studying for exams, we always manage to find a way to blame someone else.
For example:
"It was his fault…
He was driving too fast…
Coach made a mistake…
The exam was too hard…
The instructor did not tell me how to do this…
They didn’t teach this to us in dental school…
My office manager did it all wrong…
My assistants are not organized…
Patients don’t show up…
It is expensive to hire a hygienist…
Patients have unreasonable expectations…
Insurance companies don’t cover this..."
and the list goes on...
It is always easier to blame someone else because it makes us feel good, and
let's your ego go unbruised; therefore, we continue doing it. In our
personal lives, it sometimes actually works (not that I am encouraging it).
In business on the other hand, blaming others and makes us blind to our own
mistakes. It prevents us from
detecting the real problems, and ultimately
addressing addressing them.
The first step in refining your practice is to stop the blame game and take
responsibility. Think about it. Even if something is someone else’s fault,
you are the one who hired them!
Recall how accountants explain the advantages of becoming incorporated; they
tell us that a corporation is a separate entity from us, and we will not be
held personally liable for what the corporation does.
The same logic applies here. When it comes to your business, we are talking
about a separate entity. Yes, you own it, but it is not YOU.
Leave
your ego and personal opinions at the door, and then come in.
As far as dental treatments are concerned, we all follow strict guidelines
we learned in dental school. We don’t just spontaneously decide to come up
with our own crown design. We look at it scientifically by following
research and studies, thus developing a modern perspective into the science
of dentistry.
Why is it that, when it comes to business, or marketing, and management, we
completely forget that these are sciences too? We must acknowledge that we
are not trained in these areas, and that our personal opinions do not count!
We did the same thing in the stock market during 90s too, didn’t
we?
Remember the hunches and inside pointers we got from our neighbors? Need I
say more?
Let’s just accept the fact that the business end of dentistry is a new area
for us, making it crucial that we take accountability and initiate the
learning process ourselves.
If you are serious about turning your practice around, you should follow the
next few sections carefully and objectively without taking anything
personally. After all, it is not about you, but about the science of
business and marketing your practice.
Any fool can criticize, complain, condemn, and most fools do!
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I once had an office manager who came to me, complaining about a new
employee. Her concern was that the new staff member did not want to learn
and overall did not perform well.
I responded with the following series of questions:
- "If I fire this person and hire new help for you, are you confident that the
new employee is going to be better?"
- "Are you sure that the new staff member's shortcomings have nothing to do
with your training techniques?"
- "Have you tried at least a few different approaches with her to get the
results you want?"
- "Do you think she forgets things because she doesn't care, or is it possible
that the system in place deficient?"
Whenever you see something that is not right in
your office, whether it be the staff, new equipment, software, or any other
element of your practice, try not to automatically jump to conclusions,
especially if this is a recurring problem. Instead of yelling at your staff,
take a deep breath and find a calm spot where you can assess the problem by
looking at all of its potential factors and causes.
If this is the third time that your patient is in but the crown is not back from
the lab, or the fifth time that the denture is back from the lab, yet no one has
called the patient to come in for six weeks, it appears to me that the system is
what's lacking, not a specific individual who is ruining your practice.
Your systems should not rely on peoples’ memory. A high-quality system should be
automated, and everything should undergo a double checkpoint. (See the "Systems"
section for details).
Another thing to keep in mind is that the majority of patients’ problems are
rooted in doctor-patient communication issues. Many practitioners either lack
the communication skills they need or don't have the motivation and energy to
use them, yet blame their staff for problems they created themselves.
If you look at your practice from the outside in, you will realize there are a
number of negative circumstances that can be avoided if you stop blaming others,
and begin taking complete responsibility.
As Arnold Glasow said:
"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less
than his share of the credit."
Perhaps the most important goal in practice
management is to create a positive image of the practice for your patients.
We all know that a patient's first impression is made very quickly, and is hard
to alter once it has been established. The image of your practice begins with
the first phone call, and continues to evolve up to the patient's last
treatment.
Now, what is your role in shaping this image?
An excellent image begins with the way we look, not in a genetic context, but in
the way we take care of ourselves. A number of studies have confirmed that
appearance plays a pivotal role in opinion shaping. It has been revealed that
when a business representative has a professional look and appearance, it leaves
a much better impression on clients, even before the conversation starts.
I know we are more comfortable in our scrubs, t-shirts, or jeans. I also know
that doctors in hospitals wear them and nobody has a "problem" with it. But even
today, most people have a more positive response to doctors who wear white
coats.
Some of you may feel this idea is old-fashioned, and believe me, initially I had
my doubts. I have tried this several different ways by using a systematic
approach, and it just simply works.
I began alternating between wearing scrubs and a white coat every other day.
After two months of doing this and following up with the results, I found that
we were getting up to 50% more case acceptance when
we looked more professional!
Hard to believe, but just try it for a while and you’ll see. This is especially
important when it comes to new patients.
I
know you may be thinking, "White coats and business shirts with ties, or suits
and dresses are uncomfortable.” This attitude reminds me of the dentists who
once objected to gloves because it was uncomfortable! It is simply a matter of
getting used to it, and when you do, you won’t even feel the difference.
Besides, there are various disposable white coats available these days that are
nice and comfortable.
The other issue is taking care of yourself. I know this may seem personal, but
remember that it is not about you, but about the image of your practice. You
have probably heard of the following saying: “In order to be successful, you
should project an image of success!”
So forget about what you think "fashion" is. Get ideas from where it counts; buy
a GQ magazine if you are a guy and if you are a woman, you probably have access
to dozens of fashion magazines. If you are a man, wear a tie. Woman, wear some
makeup. Patients tend to pay more attention to people who take care of
themselves- it is simply a proven fact.
Just close your eyes and picture your typical Nordstrom salesperson, then
compare him/her with your local K-Mart employee. Now tell me what you see. Get
my point? No wonder Nordstrom can charge a great deal more than other stores and
still be in business!
If you want to have a multi million dollar
practice, you have to look like a million dollars yourself!
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If you want to have a multi million dollar practice, you have to look like a
million dollars yourself!
And don’t tell me that the value of personality carries more weight than
being shallow and caring about appearance. Remember, the superficial movies
of Hollywood with pretty people in them have been out-selling all the other
artistic, independent, and intellectual movies for over a century. So, be
however you want in your personal life. But when it comes to your business,
you are part of an image that needs to be flawless in order to work.
This one is predominantly the major problem
in most offices. Remember the ego?
The trouble comes from the same source I mentioned in the image section. We
can not separate “I” from our business. We think that since we are excellent
practitioners, or because we do killer crown preps, we will inevitably be
perceived as nice doctors.
Well, maybe we are, but most of the time this is not the case. In other
words, what you think about yourself is not important; it is all about what
others (your patients) think about you.
Let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you ever yell at your staff?
- Do you ever yell at your patients?
- Do you ever get frustrated while working on a patient, and he/she is able to
sense it?
- Have you ever gotten into arguments with patients when they were wrong about
something?
Have you ever had an attitude or been rude while talking to your staff or
your patients?
If the answer is yes to any of the above, you are probably losing patients,
as well as the chance of these patients referring their friends to you.
Your attitude is an integral part of the entire image of your practice.
People don’t see the margin of your crowns; they instead Judge your work
based on your behavior.
It is amazing how the little details patients pay attention shape their
overall opinion of you and your practice. They simply judge your clinical
skills by the way you behave; pain and cosmetic results are the other two
factors in most cases.
As I go over the following issues, you may say to yourself, “This guy is
crazy- who pays attention to details like this? ”Yet psychologists and
customer service managers alike know that these details can make the
difference between being successful and failing miserably.
So, let’s give these details our full, undivided attention:
- It all starts with greeting your patient. You want to see the patient before
your staff starts taking x-rays, especially if it is a new patient.
- Have your staff members introduce you or do it yourself with a smile and a
handshake. Be clear when you say your name, particularly if your name is
hard to pronounce. For example: “Hi David, I am Dr. Smith, nice to meet
you.”
- The next step is to sit down at their eye level (I cannot believe how basic
this is, yet most doctors I have observed quickly walk into the room and
while the patient is in a supine position start saying hi and begin their
exam).
Next, you want to listen. Don’t tell me you don’t have time or that you
can't afford the time. The fact is you can’t afford not to listen.- You want the patient to explain why they are there. Although you should
politely control the length of the discussion, you want to show as much care
and concern as possible about their “unique” problem.
I am sorry to say this, but the fact is that some of us really don’t care
that much anymore. Even if this is the case, you have to at lease pretend
that you do, and over time, hopefully you will start to genuinely care! So
be compassionate or show that you are; whatever works for you.
- Once the patient has expressed their main concerns to you, start your exam
by focusing on their problem, even if this is not your normal approach.
- When you are treating your patients, explain what you are doing (especially
during the exam). This makes it seem that you are doing much more, and will
help put nervous patients at ease when they know what is going on in each
step of the procedure. In other words, advertise your work. For instance
say, "I am checking the lower gum-line now,” or, “I am going to check your
TMJ..."
When you have unhappy patients, whether it is
about you or not, the first and most important thing must do is
“acknowledge” their problem. Don’t tell them that they don’t understand and
this tooth does not hurt, or that their crown is not high. Regardless if you
agree or not, acknowledge the fact that they are feeling that way; once you
have done this, then explain your reasoning to them.
It is all about feeling secure. Let me use the
following example. Has it ever happened to you where your phone
company overcharged you or your credit card company made a mistake on your
statement? Usually by the time you call them, you have already developed a
negative feeling about what has happened; you have been through a process of
surprise, frustration, and a sense of inconvenience.
Now, while you are waiting on the line you are
thinking about what you are going to say. You even guess what they might tell
you and plan subsequent rebuttals. When that person on the other end finally
answers the call, you already have a plan of attack!
Often it turns out that it's you who made a mistake, that the phone company was
right. You accept the fact with a little embarrassment, and then hang up.
Now
imagine the same scenario, but this time when you call, the person has an
attitude and the first thing he/she tells you is that you are wrong. Would this
not escalate the problem, as well as your frustration? Don't you think the best
approach would be to politely calm you down and then explain why you are wrong
(without insulting you)?
For whatever reason, your unhappy patients go through the exact same process.
They come to you ready to fight because they are worried you may not believe
them, or that you will not take care of their problem(s). So, if the first thing
you do is accept what they say as being true, you are already halfway through
solving the problem.
What I tell my staff is this: "No matter who's right, you always start your
sentence by saying you understand and by promising that you will address their
problem and take care of it". This is even more critical when it is the doctor
who is communicating with the patient.
Although this issue may seem like a no-brainer, but it often happens that things
get ugly when we take them personally; rather than understanding our patients,
we instinctively become defensive.
Psychologists believe that anger stems from everyday worries, anxiety, and
stress. If you address whatever makes your patient worried, you will be dealing
with a calm patient. In turn you will gain control of the situation, which is
necessary to solve any problem.
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