Redouble all customer service initiatives within the practice. Excellent customer service is the single most important element to turn prospective patients into actual patients. Practices are wise to …

Continue Reading about Redouble all customer service initiatives within the practice. →

Communicate collection policies clearly. All practice systems relating to the collection of fees should be detailed in writing. This should then be translated into scripts that the financial …

Continue Reading about Communicate collection policies clearly →

Manage patient expectations about wait times. If the practice is running behind schedule, let patients know when they can expect to be seen and apologize for the inconvenience. Offer to reschedule …

Continue Reading about Manage patient expectations about wait times. →

Advice for the Marketing Coordinator – Generate one referral a year from 40–60% of current patients. Satisfied patients will usually be happy to recommend your practice to members of their family, …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Marketing Coordinator – Generate one referral a year from 40–60% of current patients. →

Advice for the Dentist – Keep an open mind. Team members will be inspired if they see their leader replacing obsolete thinking with new ideas, learning better ways to run the practice as a business, …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Dentist – Keep an open mind. →

Know the answers to common questions. This may sound obvious, but it’s critical to your practice’s success. All team members need to have the answers to patients’ frequently asked questions. Patients …

Continue Reading about Know the answers to common questions. →

Create written job descriptions that include performance targets. Job descriptions give staff a detailed picture of what’s expected of them and provide the dentist and office manager a framework for …

Continue Reading about Create written job descriptions that include performance targets. →

Advice for the Hygienist – Discuss cosmetic dentistry with your patients. Ask patients if there were one thing they could change about their smile, what would it be? You might be surprised at their …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Hygienist – Discuss cosmetic dentistry with your patients. →

Advice for the Dentist – Keep your team’s skills updated. Work with your office manager to create a multi-year continuing education plan for each team member. The elements of such a plan are based on …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Dentist – Keep your team’s skills updated. →

Present a “unified front” to patients. It’s natural for members of the practice team to have differing opinions and even disagreements about various aspects of their work. These can lead to stress if …

Continue Reading about Present a “unified front” to patients. →

Make sure your tone of voice matches your words. When you’re greeting patients, you should sound enthusiastic and welcoming, but during hectic days, that can be difficult to pull off. Try to imagine a …

Continue Reading about Make sure your tone of voice matches your words. →

Advice for the Front Desk Team – Be prepared for patients who seek validation. The final step in successful treatment presentation may not occur in the treatment room. Patients who haven’t yet decided …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Front Desk Team – Be prepared for patients who seek validation. →