Involve more than one staff member in handling practice finances. This minimizes the possibility of someone falsifying accounts for personal gain. Never let the person who collects money also make …

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One-Day Rule – Reducing cancellations and no-shows. Missed appointments create non-productive gaps in the schedule, so it pays to “train” parents to value appointments and show up as agreed. …

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Good telephone skills matter. If front desk staff members sound bored or rushed on the phone, they are sending a message that they have priorities other than the caller. That should never be. …

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Define roles clearly for new team members. New team members need to fully understand their position. Job descriptions should be very specific, listing all of the skills and responsibilities for the …

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Don’t assume new parents know how to get to your office. Even with smart phones and GPS devices, some parents may have trouble finding your practice. The last thing you want is patients showing up …

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Leadership Advice for the Pediatric Specialist: Sharpen your interpersonal skills. You don’t have to be a “people person” to act like one. Learn to make eye contact and greet team members by name. …

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Advice for the Front Desk Team – Answer phone calls promptly. Make every effort to answer the phone on the first or second ring. It could be the parent of a prospective new parent calling to schedule …

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Review your collections process. If your collections rate is less than 99%, take a close look at the systems you’re using to collect overdue fees. Start with these questions: Do you have …

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Post several times a week on your Facebook page. Social media experts recommend that dental practices post to their Facebook account frequently. Although a recent major survey shows that almost 9 out …

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Advice for the Pediatric Dentist – Make business learning a priority. As a pediatric dentist, you continually learn and sharpen your clinical skills so that you can always provide the best possible …

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Even the best systems need to change over time. Most practices have poorly designed management systems… and even well-planned protocols eventually become inefficient. Internal and external changes …

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As we approach the half-year mark, prepare to make mid-course corrections. Monitoring practice performance numbers should be a year-round activity, but it’s especially important at the six-month mark. …

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