It\u2019s time to double down and refocus on the things that are going to make the biggest difference in your practice this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will share with you the absolute easiest way to increase your practice profitably, and that is a keyword because there are ways to increase it unprofitably (but who wants that). This is so you can grow a practice where there is more money left over at the end of the month in order to do the things you love\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give back to your team,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reinvest in your technology, marketing, and education,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take money off the table to invest, enjoy, donate, and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most practices as running such thin margins by the time they \u201clive off their practice” (i.e. income) there is nothing left over to do anything with. There is no wonder why growth is stymied and you\u2019re under constant pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I want for you is peace of mind more than anything else. Peace of mind comes from Profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The number one way to do that is to cultivate more dentistry per patient \u2013 plain and simple. Now, I didn\u2019t say \u201cmake it up\u201d or \u201cfind it somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surely everyone here knows that I\u2019m talking about comprehensive dentistry and that in order for a patient to see the bigger picture and accept the vision \u2013 you have to see it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, we are going to talk about new patients, but that\u2019s the easy answer. Most reading this are too busy that the new patients you have now don\u2019t get the full focus and attentive experience that they should. What are you going to do with more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there is getting yeses on the dentistry (case acceptance), and we\u2019ll go there too, in more depth and detail than I have ever gone before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None the less, the rule stands true, you won\u2019t ever make or do a dollar of dentistry that you haven\u2019t first diagnosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ultimate leverage point for profitable growth in any practice is to increase your average patient value (whether new or existing, hygiene or emergency, kid or adult, ortho or implant, it doesn\u2019t matter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, for our Specialists out there (mainly the ones in the \u201ccase start\u201d business), they have a tougher time because they rely on brand new patients and new appliances delivered or ortho cases started. Yet, TMJ patients have therapy and other things that can be done; sleep patients can have follow-up visits, pre-structured appliance replacement programs; and Ortho patients can have phase 2\u2019s built in. Also, there is the potential for increasing of fees to move the needle on the average value as well\u2026 or there is unbundling and rebundling, but that\u2019s a strategy for another time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the majority however \u2013 this is the magic number that controls everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start at the TOP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The topline of dentistry is not your Production, not your adjusted gross, not your revenue, and not any other accounting term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is your Diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnough Scott, I get it!\u201d You say to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, what do I do about it? I feel like we already do enough!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ah, and there\u2019s where you\u2019d be so wrong and perhaps even jaded on your \u201ccomprehensive diagnosing\u201d and exactly how you present to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some, granted, are far better and more consistent than others (which by the way is a secret in and of itself: consistency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, I will give you a quick outline of 5 ways to grow and increase your average patient values and have more dentistry to diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this isn\u2019t just about what you find and discover. This is NOT just a number – and please never think of it that way. It is instead about a relationship with your patient, a journey of discovery on ways that you can help them. It should build and compound and even have twists and turns and with every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You and the patient continue to gain clarity over what the \u201cbig picture\u201d looks like for them. This should be based not on their current reality today but on their state of ideal directly related to your practice philosophy of care. Then the \u201cdiagnosis\u201d is all the ways that you can help bring them from where they are to where they deserve to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I love to say: moving from problems to possibilities and everything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is fun stuff, actually nothing is more fun, including even doing the dentistry. You are discovering the ways you can help people who are \u2013 and never forget this part \u2013 coming to you because they want YOUR help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might want to put that on the wall somewhere so you never forget it. They chose you by coming in and they want your expertise. Otherwise they would be somewhere else or they would have stayed home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, here\u2019s how to not mess it up and to build a bigger, more complete case and increase your average patient value by being diagnostically focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start with a review. Every one of these overlap with the way to increase your case acceptance as well (which we\u2019ll pick up on in the coming weeks in a different way). For now, we are talking about how to create a bigger vision first with you over your patients and then your patients over themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Promotion about what your practice is about (mission, philosophy, purpose).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Awareness about what you actually offer and provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Education about the reasons why dentistry matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Photographs showing the reality of their mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Questions about what\u2019s possible and challenging their status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Stories and demonstrations about benefits and consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important part about diagnosing more is keeping the focus on the total overall mouth and not just \u2018problems.\u2019 While it is okay and appropriate to focus on the patient\u2019s \u201cchief concern,\u201d they aren\u2019t the experts and you aren\u2019t an order taker. Your responsibility is far greater than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are four key principles to end up with a more comprehensive treatment plan and a patient who desires it which results in increasing the overall value of each patient and your opportunities to help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Set clear expectations with every patient about your goals and objectives; what you do at your practice for every patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Present in totality so everyone is on the same page and you are transparent about what you can do to help the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Avoid breaking down treatment into sections and therefore plateauing yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Never let the \u2018rest of it\u2019 get left behind when you are phasing or starting with some portion of the treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, there is a very important point here that I don\u2019t want you to miss. You are not taking any cookie cutter, one size fits all, or templated treatment plan and then blowing them away with a giant price tag on what you say they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a collaborative process. While your diagnosis should be based on the reality of their mouths and getting them to state of ideal, there are different approaches to take and every patient should feel as though they helped you to get the final plan and vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting them to want more along the way is the only way to not end up with a patient who is shocked and surprised by the treatment that is presented to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you actually engage them, take time with them, talk to them, demonstrate, and involve them in the process, no patient will ever feel sold, pressured, or even overwhelmed. They only feel that way when they do not understand what is happening to them or being said about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is about a mutual vision shared between you and the patient. They walk in with theirs and you shape it with your philosophy for their benefit and best interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember to \u2018complete\u2019 the vision with the patient. \u201cHere is where you are and here is where we are going. Therefore, here is what we are going to do to get there.\u201d Everything links together and this way it is not about pieces and parts, but instead the whole mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t forget, that \u201cwhole mouth\u201d and \u201ccomprehensive diagnosis\u201d means something different to every Doctor and the result of it is unique, different, and individualized for every patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will leave you with this as we prepare for \u201cPart 2\u201d \u2026 if you are serious about helping your patients then you will ensure that your diagnosis is thorough and comprehensive. That means everyone in your practice must be on the same page with what you do, how you do it, and why it matters so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should have locked in diagnostic protocols that are your modus operandi for both new and existing patients so you can do what I always recommend: treat every patient like a new patient every single time. This is not because we are trying to increase their value, but because it\u2019s what is most valuable for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of that will go straight to your bottom line profit because you will have focused on the top line diagnosis by doing what is best for your patients in every way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"