Pedo Blog

Keepin’ It All in Perspective

2010-08-09T16:07:00.002-04:00

Just finished reviewing the preliminary data for the 2010 Dental Economics / Levin Group Annual Practice Survey (which will be published in November DE) and one thing is very clear—dentistry as a profession is in really good shape.

Practice production and doctor income remained about the same as in 2009. “How is that good?” you might ask.

In spite of one of the worst economic crises ever, practices on average managed to stay the course. While it might not be time for marching bands and fireworks, I’m seeing the data as a very positive sign, especially when you consider how many other industries have been slumping for the last 12 months.

To move forward, you need both the right attitude and the right actions. The right attitude starts with keeping things in perspective. When you do that, you’re in the best position to seize opportunities to grow your practice.

The Solution For Pediatric Dental Growth

2010-07-21T13:46:00.002-04:00

It’s true. On the subject of what grows pediatric dental practices, my answer never changes—it’s systems, systems, systems!

Sure, systems may not seem exciting but what they accomplish for your practice is! Systems can maximize production and profitability while decreasing overhead and stress. In short, they make all the difference.

Levin Group pediatric dental clients had an amazing year in 2009 and are off to another great year in 2010. In fact, their results aren’t typical in the profession. Need proof? Have a look at what doctors are saying about their production in ADA quarterly surveys for the last 16 months. Most reported declines in production.

How do Levin Group pediatric dental clients do it? I think you know the answer—systems. Systems that deal with issues such as increasing referrals from GPs and pediatricians, correcting scheduling issues, eliminating last-minute cancellations, reducing overdue payments, increasing collections and, of course, properly implementing patient financing.

Is there one magic bullet or pearl that makes all the difference? I would say, “no.” But revamping your systems is by far your best chance to increase production—period!

Learn about systems...

“I have no control over my schedule.”*

2010-06-03T13:39:00.002-04:00

Untrue! You do have control over your schedule—provided your schedule is optimized to the needs of your practice. When appointments run long or if they must be re-scheduled, a poorly planned schedule cannot adapt. Chaos can often follow. It’s like a house of cards and you’ve just removed the bottom card—the whole thing tumbles down.

Many doctors simply let the schedule happen to them. You can’t do that. Make your schedule work for you. Your growth, profitability and sanity depend on it!

There is no reason to be a slave to your schedule. Learn how to create a more profitable and less chaotic office.

*Excerpted from the audio CD, 81 Obstacles To Practice Growth And How To Overcome Them.

Consulting—It’s More Than a Job to Us!

2010-05-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

Every day when I go to the office, I get excited… I mean really pumped up about helping pediatric dentists grow their practices. Despite a tough economic environment out there, our clients are growing and it’s a great feeling to know Levin Group has helped them to do it!

When a consultant rushes into my office to relate how one of his or her clients just had the best month they’ve had since they opened their practice… well, I’ll tell you, it’s hard to put into words what a great feeling it is for us.

Part of what keeps us excited are the continuous improvements and enhancements we make to our consulting programs. For example, our Practice Production Generators™. These powerful tools have been designed to give clients the best and most productive consulting experience possible. They are part of our unending commitment to you!

If you want to know more about Practice Production Generators™, give us a call at 888-973-0000. We’d love to tell you all about them!

How to Put the Fun Back in Your Practice

2010-04-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

Has stress taken over your office? Do you and your team feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything? Does it seem like the front office and back office are at war some days?

It may be time for everyone to recharge their batteries.

At least once a year, you and the team should also attend a lecture or a seminar on clinical advances in dentistry, practice management or other relevant subjects.

These outside-the-office activities help keep everything in perspective and build team cohesion. Pediatric dentistry is supposed to contain an element of fun. Stepping outside the office occasionally is a good way to keep the fun in the practice or bring it back into the practice.

Something Has Changed!

2010-03-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

In 25 years of lecturing, I have never witnessed the level of excitement that my newest seminars are generating.

Pediatric dentists are craving new models and ideas to help their practices grow despite the current economy. The philosophy of my newest seminar, Grow Your Pedo Practice 30% Now, is this… what you did before is simply not good enough. Just imagine having 90% of all parents accepting recommended treatment, growing your GP and pediatrician referrals like never before and a host of other radically improved Key Practice Expanders™.

I think the reason this has been so exciting for pediatric dentists is that they are finally ready to reach for their practice potential and not simply “get through” this year. This thinking will create a situation where more and more pediatric dentists can improve the quality of their lives, save more for their long-term retirement and lower their stress along the way. My suggestion—join me on April 22-23 in Chicago and Grow Your Pedo Practice 30% Now!

Keeping It All Together

2010-02-15T15:21:00.002-05:00

As dentists, we ask a lot of ourselves… We are committed to providing superior care to every patient… while ensuring a warm and welcoming environment for patients and children… while motivating the team to perform at the highest levels… while communicating with colleagues about mutual patients and other issues… while operating an efficient and successful small business… while… well, you get the picture.

As the New Year gets under way, everyone has big plans to do things differently… to be a better leader… to reach our productions goals… to get home on time. Then real life happens and we find ourselves falling into old, familiar habits. And that vision we have for a better practice is soon forgotten.

Don’t let that happen this year. Keep your eyes on the big picture. Resist the impulse to resort to old behaviors because that’s the way things have always been done. Be a more effective leader. Challenge and inspire your team to find new solutions to old problems. Bring in experts to help you. Stay focused on what you really want to achieve.

This year, lead the way by following your vision

How Do People View the Dental Profession?

2010-01-04T13:52:00.002-05:00

In a recent op/ed column in The Washington Post, George F. Will was discussing the federal government when he concluded his piece with the following statement, “Like the Fed, dentists are always important and urgently desired when pain is intense. But they are rarely objects of their patients' affections.”

Politics aside, I was struck by what this implied about perceived notions about the dental profession. It seems that dentists and specialists need to redouble their customer service efforts to change perceptions such as these.

As the New Year dawns, make a resolution to take your customer service to the next level. Treat patients like gold—it will always serve you well!

An Incredible Weekend in Orlando

2009-11-29T11:49:00.003-05:00

I had the honor of teaching more than 60 doctors and their spouses at the First Annual Life Plan Summit earlier this month in beautiful Orlando. Life Plan is about turning professional success into lifelong personal success.

The energy and the passion that Life Plan participants brought to the seminars and workshops was just amazing. Seeing so many committed professionals focused on unleashing their true potential is what Life Plan is all about.

“Life Plan was great. It provides clarity beyond the office,” said one participant.

The Life Plan Summit was open to doctors who attended a previous Life Plan course. The next course will be offered June 25–26 in Chicago followed by the 2nd Annual Life Plan Summit, November 5–6, in Las Vegas. For more information, send an e-mail to customerservice@levingroup.com with “Life Plan” in the subject line.

Have You Outgrown Your Systems?

2009-10-22T15:58:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about the history of pediatric dentistry today. Growth in pediatrics was slow and not very strong in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Today, however, pediatric dental practices are among the fastest growing!

Why? It’s simple. Parents want their children treated by a specialist.

Before the economic slowdown, pediatric dental practices were experiencing tremendous growth. While this growth has slowed down a bit, the industry is still growing. Practices with effective systems in place, including referral marketing, have not missed a beat. They continue to thrive!

What continues to alarm me, however, is the number of practices that are not prepared for this kind of growth. In nearly every case, poor systems lead to high stress. This situation can be avoided with proper management systems in place. Unmanaged profit and production actually slows growth and increases inefficiency. How? Think of it this way—if you continue using poor systems, you can plan on adding between 8 – 10 years to your career before you reach financial independence.

As the economy recovers and pediatric dentistry resumes its explosive growth, it is possible in pediatric dentistry to achieve the kind of success you are looking for. With proper systems in place, you will maximize growth, production, and profitability!

Got Scripting? You Can’t Leave Patient Communication to Chance!

2009-09-30T14:13:00.002-04:00

It may seem simple. Just a script… take it or leave it. Well, believe it or not, scripting is absolutely essential and vital to building your pediatric dental practice. If you aren’t using scripts today… you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary stress in all areas of your practice. Here’s what I mean…

Recently, I was talking with a pediatric dentist who just started using scripts after five years in practice. At first, it was a bit of a challenge getting her staff to master the talking points. A small price to pay considering the outcome. Once her team practiced and learned the scripting… everybody was finally on the same page. Instead of confusion and chaos, there was consistency and cooperation.

Scheduling was one of the areas where scripting had the greatest impact. Prior to using scripts, the practice had difficulty, at times, scheduling young school-age children for longer treatment in the morning. Here’s an excerpt from a scheduling script:

Scheduling Coordinator: We have an opening on Wednesday at nine and on Thursday at 10.

Parent: Do you have anything in the afternoon? I don’t want Melissa to miss kindergarten.

Scheduling Coordinator: Dr. Wilson has found that children having dental treatment have a much better experience in the morning. I know that you will want Melissa to have a pleasant appointment.

Parent: That makes sense. Let’s go with Wednesday at nine.

With scripts in place, scheduling improved. So did patient satisfaction and employee morale. All from something that initially seemed so arbitrary. Well, believe me, scripting is anything but arbitrary and will significantly reduce stress and improve communication when implemented properly.

Are You Cloning Yourself in Your Office?

2009-08-20T14:30:00.001-04:00

Hiring people who are just like you seems like a logical thing to do. After all, they share your strengths. That’s a good thing, right? Yes, to a certain degree. The problem is... they also share your weaknesses!

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If you only hire people who are exactly the same, you will find that your practice has some serious gaps in skills and capabilities.

A more diverse group of people will more likely be able to handle whatever situations arise in your practice. Too much of one type of personality in a small environment such as a pediatric dental office can be somewhat stifling... not to mention limiting. Actively seek out team members with the skills you and other personnel lack. When you build a well-rounded team, everybody wins—you, your staff and your practice!

Life After Pediatric Dentistry

2009-07-15T15:15:00.001-04:00

It may be hard to imagine your life after pediatric dentistry…

Will you have enough saved to retire when you want to? How far away is financial independence? What are your personal goals following your pediatric dental career?

Whether retirement is imminent or still in the distant future, planning for that transition is critical to enjoying life after dentistry to the fullest.

That’s why Levin Group’s team of experts range beyond practice management and marketing consulting to include financial planning, retirement savings, succession planning, transitions services and even life coaching.

Eventually, your life will not involve your practice. But, setting and achieving new goals never has to cease. Part of The Levin Experience™ is making the transition from dentistry into retirement as pain-free and successfully as possible, while providing pediatric dentists new “road maps” specific to their personal wants and needs.

I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning. Our customized Life Plan program enables all pediatric dentists—no matter what stage of their career they’re in—to continue the journey toward achieving the practice and the life they truly want.

To learn more about our Life Plan program, contact us at:
customerservice@levingroup.com with “Life Plan” in the subject line.

Do You Have a Vision Statement?

2009-06-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

Nearly every pediatric dentist has a vision… yet the majority of doctors haven’t created a vision statement. There is a huge difference between the two.

A vision is often an idea of something you want to achieve… but you have no plan for making it happen. It’s vague and fuzzy often for years until you decide to do something about it.

A vision statement, on the other hand, is the first step in making your vision a reality. You’ve thought about what you want to achieve in the next 3–5 years and made the decision to put it down on paper… in black and white. Now it’s a commitment… a reminder… a promise between your present self and your future self. That’s a good way to get things done.

If you want to realize your potential, start with a vision statement!

Referring Dentists and Pediatric Dentistry

2009-05-26T14:23:00.001-04:00

Referral relationships need to be cultivated. Think about it… your referring dentists and pediatricians are responsible for a significant portion of your production. If you ignore and neglect them, they may eventually respond in kind. And you don’t want that to happen!

Ten years ago, maybe you could get away with meeting your referring doctors once a year and sending a gift basket at the holidays, and that was enough. Not anymore!

Things have changed… pediatric dentistry is more competitive… and more parents are shopping around. And then there’s the economy, which isn’t making anything easier for anybody.

Your referring doctors are critical to your success. Build strong relationships with them—and your pediatric dental practice can ensure growth for the lifetime of your practice.

Get the strategies that work at my upcoming seminar on June 19–20, in Las Vegas.

The 98% Decision Factor

2009-04-25T15:57:00.001-04:00

I was talking to one of our new pediatric dentistry clients the other day who seemed overwhelmed with decisions. He showed me a pad of paper filled with a list of 50 items that he hoped the Levin Group Total Pedo Success™ - Management consulting program could decide for him.

I looked at the list said “Let’s go through it”, and we did. What I found was that most of the items on his list were what I call “98% decisions”— decisions that may seem of great importance, yet aren’t nearly as important as you think. And it’s these 98% decisions that impede dentists from moving forward.

You see, there are only a few decisions that fall into the 2% category that truly matter to your practice’s future—decisions that require research, time and consideration. Most decisions, however, will not matter as much as you may believe they will.

Keeping the 98% Decision Factor in mind, we were able to answer 47 out of the 50 questions in less than 10 minutes. Will he get a few of these decisions wrong? Absolutely, but the important thing is that he’s made the decision and is no longer delaying his progression forward.

Are you agonizing over minor decisions when you could be building your practice?

President’s Education Plan Unveiled - How About the One within Your Practice?

2009-04-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

As I read about President Obama unveiling his education plan… I got to thinking about pediatric dentistry. Shouldn’t all pediatric dentists create an “education plan” within their practices?

I suggest developing educational brochures and fact sheets… post Q&As and articles on your website… and train your team members to be educational resources to parents/patients.

For example, one of our clients had a children’s book written for their practice as part of his Total Pedo Success™ - Referral Marketing program. The book promoted the importance of dental health and the practice’s as a leading provider.

By establishing an education plan, two things will undoubtedly happen. First, the level of trust your patents/patients have for your practice will grow. Second, parents will be more motivated to refer your practice to others!

If You “Wow” ‘Em, They Will Come

2009-03-20T14:49:00.000-04:00

One of the best referral sources for your pediatric dental practice is your very own patients and their parents. Your team must consistently “WOW” them to establish strong relationships and motivate them to talk about you to their family and friends.

I call that process Stage III Customer Service™—outstanding customer service that leaves a lasting effect on patients and their parents, which, in turn, leads to more new patients.

One CEO, Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com— a major online shoe merchant—understands the importance of customer service. I recently read in Fortune Magazine that Zappos was listed as one of the Best Companies to Work For. Mr. Hsieh places tremendous value on providing exemplary customer service…

“Our business is based on repeat customers and word of mouth. There's a lot of value in building up our brand name and what it stands for. We view the money that we spend on customer service as marketing money that improves our brand.”

Of course, you’re selling dentistry, not stilettos or loafers. But, this customer service philosophy applies to any business… especially your practice.

Could The Economy Cripple Pediatric Dentistry?

2009-02-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

The economy has had very little effect on most pediatric dental practices until September/October 2008. Up until that time, most pediatric practices were still enjoying natural growth as a hot specialty. Today, even a hot specialty can be chilled.

We are seeing an increase in the number of no-shows, last-minute cancellations and families who only want to go where insurance is accepted. If the economy does not recover soon, these trends will surely snowball.

The solution is to understand that pediatric practices need to be involved with a full marketing program targeted in four areas: patients, general dentists, pediatricians and the community.

Each aspect of marketing is different and must be expertly put into place. Those practices already involved in marketing have had excellent results, even in today’s economy. I was speaking to a group of our pediatric clients recently, all of whom were up over 12% for 2008. Not bad in the worst economy since the Great Depression!

Systems Make All the Difference

2009-01-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 24 years, Levin Group has improved the lives of thousands of dentists. And the #1 factor in creating greater practice success is, without a doubt, systems.

Nothing else comes close to the power of systems. Documented, step-by-step systems allow pediatric dentists to master the marketing and management of their practices. It’s really that simple.

Today, our clients count on Levin Group systems such as Power Cell Scheduling™, Greenlight Case Presentation™, The Hygiene Maximizer™, Stage III Customer Service™, The Immediate Collection Process™ and a host of others to gain complete control of their practices while seeing consistent, significant growth.

Your most valuable investment is your practice. Documented systems can help you ensure your maximizing the value of your investment while securing a more lucrative and brighter future!

What Do Pediatric Dentists and Astronauts Have in Common?

2008-12-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

What do pediatric dentists and astronauts have in common? Surprisingly, a lot. You see, it occurred to me while watching one of my favorite films, Apollo 13, that astronauts and pediatric dentists are quite similar.

In the movie, there are three strategies Tom Hanks uses to prepare his team for launch:

1) He and his team consistently practiced the procedures that would ensure a successful launch
2) He had his most valuable tools right at his fingertips
3) He stayed in constant communication with his team

The outcome? The astronauts were cleared for launch because they executed these vital methods each day, consistently.

The same goes for dentistry. Just like astronauts, you as a pediatric dentist must implement procedures and strategies to ensure your practice’s successful growth. I call this process “frontloading”—the consistent execution of methods and strategies that position your practice for success.

Some of the 15-20 ways to frontload your practice are to:

Institute a patient referral program
Contact inactive patients and reschedule them
Promote comprehensive dentistry to every parent and patient
Establish flexible payment options
Ensure that 98% of your patients are scheduled at all times
Call parents and patients when they are overdue for a visit
Effectively communicate with your entire team about practice goals

I talk a lot about frontloading in my seminars… click on the link below to attend one in 2009!

http://www.levingrouppedo.com/pedo_seminars.html

It's the Economy, Stupid

2008-11-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember when Bill Clinton was running for President he ran on the platform of, “it’s the economy, stupid.” In that case he meant that the election would be won or lost based on the economy.

Today it is not the same old “it’s the economy, stupid.” The economy is decimating portfolios and stifling practice production. Pediatric dentists who get up every morning thinking about the economy get up to play defense. All of their decisions are filtered through defensive decisions that typically lead to paralysis. Why focus on the things you can’t control? Instead, direct your energy where it can have the greatest impact—and that’s your practice!

Here is a powerful solution: do not participate in economic defense. Instead, you should begin every day by saying, “I am not playing defense against the economy today.” I know this sounds illogical, but in fact, it is a very logical tool to assist you in pushing your practice forward.

If you follow football, you know that you cannot come back from a 30 point deficit by playing really good defense. At some point you have to play offense, which is often your best defense.

Move your practice forward by making positive decisions. Otherwise you will find that you are paralyzed and ultimately paralysis leads to no decisions, which are the same as bad decisions.

The Power of Referrals

2008-11-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

If you’re experiencing a decline in new patients in your practice due to the economy,
I have a recommendation to help you. Referral marketing… it’s the key to generating new referrals, which drive growth and production.

Referral marketing will help you do these four things:

Maintain your relationship with top-level referring GPs and pediatricians.
Turn mid-level referrers into top-level referrers.
Determine which low-level referrers are prospects for greater referrals and which are not.
Develop relationships with non-referring doctors who have the potential to begin referring.

One way to develop and maintain relationships is to hold get-togethers with potential referring doctors. Don’t worry—I’m not talking about an AIG-style luxury retreat. But a simple, inexpensive cocktail hour would provide an opportunity to discuss your practice with fellow doctors and keep you fresh in their minds when it comes time to refer. You owe it to yourself to make sure your pediatric dental practice performs in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

You have to remember one thing—your practice is the best investment you ever made. Maximize that investment with a consistent referral marketing program, and you’ll reap the rewards for years to come.

Can You Grow Your Pediatric Dental Practice in a Bad Economy? Yes!

2008-09-12T11:45:00.000-04:00

Think that providing excellent pediatric dental care and hiring nice people ensures total practice success? Guess again! Your success isn’t guaranteed—far from it! A healthy number of new patients this month could easily decline by the end of the year. Many pediatric dentists tell us they are down 5%, even 10% because of the economy.

In today’s difficult economy, you have to plan for practice growth. You can’t simply “coast” and hope it happens because those days are history!

To get your pediatric dental house in order, you need to look with a critical eye at your practice systems, including:

Referrals–Sure, you know that patient referrals are your lifeblood. However, are you devoting enough time to pediatricians as well? You better!
Collections–Bad times mean delayed payments, look out!
Cancellations–Think they were high before? Watch what a lousy economy can do!

Your pediatric dental practice has huge potential. You just need to tap into it. Levin Group has consulted to many pediatric dental practices that have grown exponentially in tough economic times. You too, can grow your practice—no matter what happens in the economy!

The High-Performance Team

2008-07-10T13:12:00.000-04:00

Team building is critical to the long-term health of the pediatric dental practice. The pediatric dentist—no matter how talented—cannot run the practice alone. To achieve a high-performance practice, pediatric dentists need to build high-performance teams. The benefits of a strong team are numerous—less stress, increased productivity, and greater profitability.

Levin Group has guided thousands of dentists in helping create superior pedo teams by implementing expert systems, training the team on those systems, and empowering staff members to fulfill their potential. Remember, training is an ongoing process—it should not stop once new staff members have passed their 90-day probationary period. Pediatric dentistry is constantly changing, and the best teams are able to adapt to those changes.

The Power of Goals

2008-06-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

Do you want to be more successful? Of course you do! To reach the highest levels of success, you need to set and achieve goals throughout the life of your practice.

Identify What Is Most Important

Write down the 20 or 30 things you would like to accomplish during your life. Even if the goals may seem frivolous or unreachable at the time, write them down anyway. Levin Group has worked with many pediatric dentists who presented us with goals thought to be unreachable. Yet, only a year later, these dentists had achieved many of the goals they set.

Move Forward

Once you have written down your goals, the next step is to classify them. Which of these are short-term goals, meaning you can achieve them within the next 12 months? Review your short-term goals daily. Doing so will not only keep your objectives clear but also allow you to stay motivated. Your long-term goals will usually take more than a year to accomplish. These goals should help define your Life Plan, both personally and professionally.

To achieve success, you should review your long-term goals on a weekly or monthly basis—keeping in mind that you will not achieve any of them overnight. It may be helpful to jot down notes about your progress toward each goal.

Every pediatric dentist wants to be successful. Setting and achieving goals will get you there!