I’m just putting the finishing touches on my special “State of the Union for Dentistry 2017” where I’ll include my post-election fallout on what changes to expect in healthcare and most importantly what you can do to position your practice for success in the new year. There are very specific things we already know will happen and the associated implications for Independent Practices and the patients you serve.
Next week, you can get your hands on that. It’s very exciting but will also require some work. Today I want to give you a very important practice profit lesson (and really life lesson) from this election cycle.
I’m not here to gloat, though I did predict precisely the final state outcomes; and I mean on the money. And rest assured, when all of the final votes are counted (or in some cases uncounted), just as the most accurate election prediction master in Vegas predicted, there was really a more pronounced victory here than what is shown.
Of course, all politics are cyclical and someday the Democrats will regain control again, as they had 8 years ago.
The real point is how narrow minded people can be and how they can let these cycles get in their own way…
Last week, my Weekly Report was very well received and celebrated by 99.9 percent of the thousands of readers that tune in, because it was factual, accurate and very specific to help you understand how your patients feel regardless of what side of the political spectrum they are on or whose personality they voted for. Both sides feel similarly, they just have different ways of looking at how to solve the problem.
I did have a couple people (literally 2), who unfortunately aren’t around anymore to read this message but are the ones who need to hear it the most.
They both sent letters to me that basically said this:
“I love everything you say, you have helped me so much, you have provided more value than any other place I seek information out in the industry… but because you offended me by your political leanings and outward support of protecting America, keeping taxes low, helping businesses grow, providing effective healthcare, believing in a strong military, putting America’s interests 1st, etc., I can no longer listen to you or allow you into my life.”
For me, this was good news. I am always happy to remove small minded people from my life. People who blame others, look for excuses, refuse to have adult discussions about real topics and ignore facts over feelings.
You see patients every single day who are not of your same beliefs in life, same upbringing, same income, same neighborhood, certainly same political affiliation or same anything else.
Here’s the irony and why I’m sharing this with you…
As you well know, I publish more books, provide more resources to the industry and take pride that I am the only person truly fighting for the independent dentist. I have taken zero dollars from any organization, dentist or practice that is going against our mission; the mission to restore integrity to the relationship between patients and their dental care and to help independent entrepreneurial dentists practice on their own terms.
Someone we all know said “I am your voice” and I am that for Independent Dentists, that is why we win and win so big.
Those that really want to kick ass, take names, beat out the insurance and win the war against corporate dentistry – they join our movement. Or perhaps it is better said that I join theirs. This is about your movement in your city, town, neighborhood where together we rally around your patients to fight the good fight and make your practice everything you have ever wanted it to be.
So when someone denies themselves of something so positive because they disagree with a person’s political opinion – they are the ones who lose.
You, me, everyone right here, we keep winning and we do good for people every day because we are focused on something so much bigger than a single individual person.
I don’t care if you like Donald Trump. I don’t even like Donald Trump all of the time. I believe in what his platform is for America. That doesn’t mean you have to. And it doesn’t make you wrong or me right. It just is. I bet if you give him a chance he will win you over though. People know the media portrait of Donald Trump; most don’t know his reality, yet.
No successful business person lets others’ opinions stand in the way of their progress. And you don’t have to let anyone else change your views if you don’t want to. That doesn’t mean you can’t find value in and benefit from every interaction, every experience and every person you encounter in your life. You can.
I would like for you to do something for me this week in preparation for my very special report…
I want you to define the platform and agenda of your Practice. Some of you have mission statements and that is wonderful if you do. I just want to make sure these are action oriented, outcome focused and results driven agendas for your patients.
What do you stand for?
What are your expectations for every patient?
What should theirs be for you?
If you don’t have this, you will compromise when you shouldn’t.
You want yourself, every team member and every patient (that is the part most practices leave out) to know what these are. They don’t have to agree and they can still be your patient or they cannot, that part is up to you.
There is a saying in dealing with people, “It’s okay to disagree but not to be disagreeable.” Some patients may disagree with your treatment, some people may disagree with your politics, some people may disagree with anything; but when you set a specific vision, mission, agenda, platform for your practice and what you are committing to accomplish with each and every patient and then you make this known – you will be surprised at how much more patients will get excited about their dentistry because it has a purpose. It’s no longer just about the diagnosis of problems, it’s about the direction of their health.
Final thoughts… smart people can learn from anyone and they learn from everything; perhaps and especially from those who disagree with them.
Be smart. Stay successful. Never let your emotions get in the way of clear logical understanding of what reality is.
Things are about to get more exciting than ever before and you will see what happens when our country has opportunity, abundance and serves the people who serve it.
I’d love to see your practice platforms and patient agendas to “Make Dentistry Great Again” for them… sorry couldn’t help myself, at least I waited until he won.
