There is no way I can overemphasize to you the significance of having a FORMULA of WINNING PROCESSES in your Practice that leads you to dependable and predictable results.
Anybody can make up excuses about all the variables in the world and all the things that can go wrong. Instead, push yourself and don’t give in to the easy way out. Even though every day is a different day and every patient is a different patient, you can manage success by numbers, ratios and formulas that give you a shot at winning more frequently.
This cannot be cookie-cuttered. As I teach: there is no one-size fits all approach to success… in anything.
However, there are principled ways to get where you want to go and there are smart strategies that stack the deck in your favor; all leading you to a higher probability of success for the results you want.
Example: taking extra-oral photographs on every new patient
Example: setting up for a same-day start opportunity for specialty patients
Example: preparing proof, testimonials, and credibility in advance of patient arrivals
Example: creating clear expectations of the patients’ responsibility for making health-based decisions BEFORE they sit in a dental chair, are diagnosed, told all of the problems and then have a price tag slapped in their face
Example: effective huddle so everyone is on the same page and knows about the opportunity for the day and how they are going to execute on it successfully
I can go on and on and on and on… your Clinical Exam and how you build a case to get a patient to believe in the big picture of health.
The most effective processes in your practice then need backed up with systems. A system is a set of procedures that ensures consistency of execution. Whether it is a phone answering system, inventorying system, chart system, team member training system, room Set Up system, etc.
Moving from a process to an established system brings with it a predictability that allows you to have accountability over its execution and sets you and your team up for success because nothing is left up to chance.
Operating “by chance” means protocols are followed “if we have time” or “if we remember.”
A system, on the other hand, is built into the routine and is followed every single time without fail because that is how it operates. This is why I call the patient a team member not a customer, because they are a part of and involved in your practice system and experience.
No professional athlete wakes up today and decides to play the game differently or forget core preparation steps. They follow systems that are proven to deliver victories. It’s the only way a team can work together, because they are all following the same strategic game plan.
Sure, teams seek improvements as they constantly look for an edge but they do so in a disciplined approach; not random deviations or inadvertent adjustments.
Simply, they do not win by chance.
We have gone into such great detail on your nonclinical patient protocols and what you do to really engage them within your practice. We are now moving to establishing systems that are ultimately owned by an individual team member.
What I’m covering today and will carry forward on next week is that winning with your patients is not accidental, it is not “luck” and it is not because they were the right patient.
You win with your patients because you have decided what winning looks like for you and then built a deliberate system of achievement for every aspect of your practice (the patient side, the team side, the clinical side, and the business side).
So, as we build to some very advanced and high level topics coming up, I ask you to outline for yourself and for your team…
What processes and systems can you identify now that you have deliberately set-up to ensure your daily success?
What processes and systems do you feel currently underperform and how would you improve them?
What processes and systems do you feel have been non-existent, have not been followed or does no one specifically own?
Spend some time thinking on these questions. Point out your deficiencies and we’ll be back together next week to make some major decisions. Expect some positive breakthroughs that are going to make a significant impact in your future.
