Be as specific as possible when speaking with parents and patients. Avoid statements, like “Come in around 2:00.” For parents and patients, this means that you have given them permission to show up …

Continue Reading about Be as specific as possible when speaking with parents and patients. →

Don’t let morning meetings turn into something else. Daily Business Meetings™ set the tone for the day. Unless well-structured, they can turn into a 10-minute discussion of what was on TV last night. …

Continue Reading about Don’t let morning meetings turn into something else. →

Advice to the Marketing Coordinator – Start a practice e-newsletter. Send out a monthly or quarterly electronic newsletter to stay in touch with parents and patients. The newsletter can include 4–6 …

Continue Reading about Advice to the Marketing Coordinator – Start a practice e-newsletter. →

Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for marketing activities. As with all business expenses, your marketing budget should be judged on the results it achieves. Set specific performance targets …

Continue Reading about Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for marketing activities. →

Contribute to the discussion during meetings. Everyone’s opinion matters. If you’re shy or lack confidence when speaking in group settings, you may want to let others do the talking in meetings. That …

Continue Reading about Contribute to the discussion during meetings →

Review your ortho practice’s insurance participation. With the insurance picture in a constant state of flux, it makes sense for you to periodically look at how it’s affecting your practice and …

Continue Reading about Review your ortho practice’s insurance participation. →

Get up to speed with new technology. Wherever your practice is going, technology will play a role. Every new technology has a learning curve. Learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. Once …

Continue Reading about Get up to speed with new technology. →

Initiate training with scripts. The best way to learn scripting is to practice using it… beginning with role-playing. In special or monthly staff meetings, some team members play the role of patients …

Continue Reading about Initiate training with scripts. →

Advice for the Orthodontist – Have a disaster plan in place. You may never encounter disaster in your practice. However, you should be prepared for it. To minimize the impact of a disaster, a recovery …

Continue Reading about Advice for the Orthodontist – Have a disaster plan in place. →

Take care of yourself. Too many orthodontists and their team members get rundown by not eating properly, not exercising regularly or not getting enough sleep. That kind of unhealthy lifestyle will …

Continue Reading about Take care of yourself. →

Learn from dissatisfied patients. Sometimes, even under the best circumstances, parents and patients become unhappy. Remember that a problem is an opportunity to improve performance. When an issue is …

Continue Reading about Learn from dissatisfied patients. →

Use job descriptions to educate and guide ortho staff members. New team members need to fully understand their position. Job descriptions should be clearly detailed, with all skills and …

Continue Reading about Use job descriptions to educate and guide ortho staff members. →