Every year, when I get to write on Friday the 13th, I just love it! It’s fun because I like things that are symbolic. And while the superstition of the number 13 by itself and coupled with falling on a Friday is not exactly much of a good thing in most people’s mind and meaningless in others depending on your own superstitious ideas.
For me, I use it as a day to remind myself that, lucky or unlucky, you have power over the things you can control. So many people worry about all the things they have no control over and then they give up responsibility on all the things they can.
Then they call that ‘bad luck’ or they make up some superstition to support their belief.
So today, I thought I would send the black cat your way, set up the ladder, break the mirror and throw every superstition at you that most Dentists use as either their excuses or their crutches… for things to complain about… things to remain at the mercy of… things to use as their scapegoat for why things aren’t easier or going better or more profitable.
The three big ones:
Superstition #1 – You have to take insurance or you won’t get any new patients, your existing patients will all leave and ultimately your practice will fail.
I say BS. Don’t give in to the propaganda.
You can take insurance and there are strategies to do so. My clients are about 50/50 on accepting it or avoiding it altogether.
It doesn’t matter either way. Their results are not dissimilar. You can be successful at both.
What matters is why patients choose to come to you. Is it because you take their insurance or because they want to come to you? There is a big difference and completely under your control.
What matters is why patients say yes and pay. Is it because their insurance is paying for it or because they want to get healthy, trust in you, are motivated by your experience and want optimal care. There is a big difference and completely under your control.
Superstition #2 – Your patients don’t have any money, they won’t buy any big cases, they are cheap and nickel-and-dime you, and would never pay before treatment is done at the time of scheduling.
Complete and pathetic lies.
Anyone going to the Dentist has money. People pay for where they live. Making the excuse that your patients don’t have money is insulting to them – just ask.
Besides, they seem to find money to spend on a whole lot of other unnecessary things in their lives. Perhaps if you didn’t view dentistry as optional, elective and not essential, then they wouldn’t either.
Your perception of them and of their care is directly a reflection of what they will reciprocate back to you.
I have clients in difficult economic communities and in the highest Medicaid populated counties in the country and they all sell large cases, they all collect money up front, they all thrive and their patients love them.
Superstition #3 – Good Team Members are hard to come by… and many other complaints about the amazing people who make your practice and your wealth possible.
Of course you aren’t going to admit this right here right now and that’s fine. I have never met a Dentist who just felt so-so about their team either. They are thrilled or they are frustrated (usually it’s the same dentist, just in two different months).
The bottom line is this… it’s seldom about the people not being good enough but instead about being in an environment that is not bringing the good out of them through leadership, structure, systems, etc.
I write about this all the time. Your team will only and always be as effective and successful as you are their leader, owner, Dentist.
No superstition here, just reality that you get what you attract, expect, invest in.
I could go on.
That’s good for today. It’s Friday 13th after all. I would hate to over do it and bring too much bad Karma against myself.
You should know this: your thinking and belief in such negative and self-defeating industry ideas will directly impact how much of it you have to deal with and let into your life and practice.
Every one of these things listed above has been our industry’s version of ‘fake news’. It’s driven by people with agendas pushing you to the point of fear and desperation to give in to their manipulation. Don’t.
You’re better than that. Remember this: you should only listen to people who practice what they preach, live by example and have proof of actual, repeatable, consistent, sustainable results. Anyone can tout things that aren’t true when they never have to show you what’s behind the curtain. Very few can show living, breathing proof out in the open again and again on demand.
Just like all superstitions, there are merely smoke and mirrors.
Go ahead and track down all the happy, well balanced, rich in all areas of life who have given in to these 3 superstitions… good luck with that.
More success is found by the people and things you never hear about. Those who are going against the grain, against the norm, against the fallacies and fighting the good fight. Because they are doing the work and living the life. They don’t much care for the lime light and they don’t have time to buy into the silly ideas and the next industry scare tactic and crisis.
There is good news about all of this.
I’m excited to tell you that everything in this email, everything in your practice, everything you decide to take control over you can win with, you can conquer, you can make your own luck and laugh at the people who turn the superstitions of our industry in to their own bad luck.
You are no better or worse off than any other Dentist in your area, in your state, in this country. You can decide to be your best self and you can decide to have your best practice, your best team, your best patients… if you want to.
It very well may require a change in your thinking, in your actions, in pieces of the things that make up your practice. Whether it’s worth it or not is all up to you. I know if it were my life or that of my champion doctors, they couldn’t live with themselves if they were settling for less than they are capable of, for less than they deserve, not for a day. And neither should you.
Now, to get you started off on the right foot for the year and to give you an advantage towards making certain 2017 is your most profitable year of your career – I’m conducting an Advanced Training Webcast coming up very soon – where I’m going to hand you the keys (5 of them to be exact) to the hidden opportunity, treatment and money in your practice. I will sit here right now and promise you that you will result in at the very least six figures of net personal income added to your life – this year – from this one training.
I’m not joking. Take that for luck. If you are serious at all about your success this year you will be there to witness the uncovering of the 5 ways to get more out of your practice without working more hours or seeing more patients.
Get ready it’s going to be amazing.
