The Madow Brothers: Recent Episodes
Dr. Richard Madow and Dr. David Madow
When a patient asks if you take their dental insurance and you’re not in network, how do you answer? On today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast featuring mystery shopper calls, we give a great answer to that question. It will actually get those PPO patients to come to your office whether you take their insurance or not!!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Download our special free report, “The Dirty Dozen: HOW TO ANSWER THE MOST DIFFICULT QUESTIONS THAT PATIENTS ASK!” www.madow.com/ask
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6 – Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
7 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
It seems like there are thousands of people in dentistry who call themselves practice experts. Should you believe everything you hear from them? Are they even ethical?
That’s what we discuss in today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers podcast for dentists featuring mystery shopper calls. Dentists and team members should not miss it!!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Download our special free report, “The Dirty Dozen: HOW TO ANSWER THE MOST DIFFICULT QUESTIONS THAT PATIENTS ASK!” www.madow.com/ask
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6 – Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
7 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
Have you ever been given practice advice from another dentist that makes absolutely no sense? Me too! On this week’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers podcast, I’ll share some of my favorites! You can share yours too.
And then on our mystery shopper calls we have some great stuff, including one of the shortest calls in history. Enjoy!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Every dental practice wants more new patients, or at least they think they do! But unless you have a few other things in order, you’re wasting your time! Find out what they are on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast for Dentists, featuring mystery shopper calls.
* On Friday June 14th we’ll be presenting a full day session of our latest and greatest course: *
“How To Provide A Memorable Patient ExperienceIn YOUR Practice!”
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR LEARN MORE!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Every single day there are fantastic opportunities for practice growth ideas, and on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast featuring secret shopper calls, Dr. Richard Madow will show you where to look.
Plus – you’ll learn what WIWO means, and hear some awesome mystery shopper calls!
* On Friday June 14th we’ll be presenting a full day session of our latest and greatest course: *
“How To Provide A Memorable Patient ExperienceIn YOUR Practice!”
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR LEARN MORE!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast Featuring Mystery Shopper Calls, we reveal ten things you should never say to a patient (we’ve probably all said them!) and what to say instead.
Plus we have a very special announcement and are back with our mystery shopper calls!!
* On Friday June 14th we’ll be presenting a full day session of our latest and greatest course: *
“How To Provide A Memorable Patient ExperienceIn YOUR Practice!”
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR LEARN MORE!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Difficult questions from patients can drive you nuts! But what’s worse is when you don’t have a really good answer!
And here’s the thing. A “good answer” doesn’t just satisfy the patient. It doesn’t just get you out of a sticky situation.
A good answer to a difficult patient question actually drives that patient towards treatment!
Yes – a practice that is truly “calibrated” will generate more referrals, have higher treatment acceptance, a happier team, and MORE REVENUE!
One of the simplest yet most effective “tweaks” you can make in your practice is learning how to answer the most difficult and frustrating questions that patients ask. And in this brand new webinar, we’ll be showing you exactly how to do it in a simple step-by-step manner! Then your patients will say:
“Wow! I’ve never been to a practice like that before!”
Here are some difficult patient questions that we will tackle in this brand new webinar:
- How long will this crown last?
- Why do you charge so much?
- Can’t I just get a regular cleaning? (Patient has perio disease)
- Is this covered by insurance? Why not?
- How long until I need this crown?
- Why didn’t this tooth hurt until YOU did the filling?
- What’s your guarantee on this treatment?
- And more!
Thank you to STAX for partnering with the Madow Center to present this webinar,
Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call!
www.madow.com/save
Finding and hiring great team members is one of the biggest issues in dentistry. On today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers, Dr. Richard Madow will reveal some unique ways to find fantastic team members that you probably have never even thought of!
Plus we’ll tell you about two new educational opportunities you DO NOT want to miss!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
* Register for our complimentary webinar on Wednesday, March 27th * www.madow.com/dozen
“The Dirty Dozen: How To Answer The Most Difficult Patient Questions!”
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Schedule more new patients NOW! In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Featuring Mystery Shopper Calls, Dr. Richard Madow reveals a simple system that will get potential new patients off the phone and right into the appointment book!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
On today’s podcast we asked a very unlikely source for a list of the questions a potential new dental patient should ask. Do you know how to answer them? Are they answered on your website? We went through them one by one and provided some great answers and food for thought. Yum!
Then our mystery shopper had a little issue with last-minute cancellations. See how he got treated on the phone!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Difficult patients can be frustrating, annoying, manipulative, hostile, and litigious. But fear not – on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast Featuring Mystery Shopper Calls, we’ve got a great step-by-step system to transform the toughest patients into those who become beacons for the practice!
Then on the mystery shopper calls we do something that may have you barking up the wrong tree. You gotta hear them!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
What do hair, skin, and feet have to do with improving your dental practice? A lot – and you will find out why on today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast featuring Mystery Shopper Calls! Dr. Richard Madow hosts this podcast for dentists and team members.
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
Can your practice be so good that it’s bad? The answer is YES, and we’ll tell you why on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast featuring Mystery Shopper Calls. Listen to learn a huge problem in dentistry and how to fix it!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
On this special year-end episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast featuring Mystery Shopper Calls, Dr. Richard Madow reveals sixteen important rules that will help with both your dental practice and your life. It’s a special treat for doctors and team, and you don’t want to miss it!
Here are some very important and easy ways to help enhance your practice and your life!
1 – Sign up for our e-newsletter. It’s filled with up-to-date practice building tips, event announcements, and more! www.madow.com/newsletter
When you sign up for the newsletter, you are automatically enrolled in our drawings for your own personal Dental Practice Fixers coffee mug!!
2 – Meet up with us in our private FACEBOOK group to continue the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dentalplace123
3 – Schedule time on Dr. Rich’s personal calendar to discuss any practice issues or ways to improve! (This is for practice-owning dentists only!) www.madow.com/calendar
4 – Save money every single month on autopilot by paying a low, flat, monthly fee for credit card processing! Stop wasting money, and lower your overhead with one call! www.madow.com/save
5 – Get the absolute most for your dental scrap with Southern Dental Refining. Deal directly with the owner, cut out middlemen and salespeople, and get some real mailbox money! www.madow.com/gold
6-Read our blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover practice mangement tips to improve your practice and your life. madow.com/coaches-corner
Are there “magic words” in dentistry – simple phrases that will significantly improve our practices? YES! In today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Richard Madow reveals two simple phrases that will greatly improve our customer service and help us appoint more new patients by using the “dental magic words.” … The Dental Magic Words! Read More »
Have you ever seen a legal document with a page that says “This page intentionally left blank?” I have and it always cracks me up! Why? Besides being very goofy looking, it is a total contradiction. If the page says “This page intentionally left blank” on it, it’s no longer blank! Kind of like posting a … This Page Intentionally Left Blank… Read More »
Have you ever sold anything on an online auction? I do it quite a bit, as a “hobby” of sorts that I have is buying and selling guitars. Sometimes I’ll purchase a really cool guitar, play it for a few years, and then sell it for a small profit – like this sweet Gibson Hummingbird I played at The Blue Jay in Jacksonville, FL. (And don’t worry – there is “dental content” on the way…)Okay – so where are we going with this, and what does it have to do with you and your dental practice? I have noticed a huge pattern when selling something on eBay, Reverb.com (a site for musical instruments), and more.People who ask a gazillion questions are
NEVER the ones who wind up purchasing the item.I mean NEVER! I just listed a guitar on Reverb, and three people were hocking me a chinik with questions. Does it have this or that? Can you describe the condition more accurately? (As if my original exhaustive description wasn’t enough!) Can you take five pictures from three different angles, and then three more? Can you describe the sound? (Pretty subjective, eh?) And on and on and on…..And then, as expected, someone who I never heard from saw this beauty, probably thought to themselves “This is exactly the guitar I’m looking for and the seller has a 100% rating. No need to goof around – I’m buying it NOW!” – and became the new happy owner. I’m serious – the people who ask a lot of questions and waste my time NEVER buy! Why?Because just like dentists, these people suffer from
“Paralysis by Analysis!” Paralysis by Analysis (or PBA as we will call it) is the inability to make a decision due to overthinking an issue, and it runs rampant in dentistry, especially among practice owners or those who are thinking about becoming practice owners. But here are two things to remember about PBA.
-
PBA is caused because you are afraid to make a decision, but by not making a decision you actually ARE making a decision; a decision not to move ahead with something.
-
The first four letters in analysis are “anal.”
I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken to dentists who are afraid to add a hygienist (or even a hygiene day), raise their fees, fire a belligerent staff member, get proper team training, take steps towards practice improvement, and much more, due to a major case of PBA.
This is really noticable when we talk to dentists about coaching. Some dentists know that they could use some help, feel that they are a good fit with The Madow Center, and say let’s do it! Then, a few months later they are getting a positive return on investment, have a happy cohesive team, love going to office more than ever, and are simply earning more money!
But just like the people who contact me about a guitar on eBay, the dentists who have to “talk to their spouse,” “run it by their accountant,” “think about it,” talk to twenty references, get a new office manager first, say “I’ll do it as soon as ___________”, and many more PBA excuses, never wind up doing anything! And then sure as you’re reading this, a year goes by, and then another, and then another, and nothing has changed – or it’s gotten worse. And the irony is,
they are afraid to make a decision, but by not making a decision
they HAVE made a decision – usually the wrong one.So what do you want to change or accomplish in YOUR practice or life? Whatever it is, you won’t get there if you let Paralysis by Analysis hold you back.If you are a practice owner and want to have a chat with me about anything – you can get a spot on my calendar by clicking here. It’s time to stop analyzing and start doing!
Dentists are great at a lot of things, including making excuses when things don’t go the way they planned. In this edition of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Rich reveals some of his favorites. And then, speaking of excuses, there is NO excuse for what happened during the mystery shopper calls!! … Favorite Excuses of Dentists Read More »
Would a patient drive past twenty other dental offices to go to your practice? Would they regret it if they had to transfer to another office? Can you and your team quickly spout out a bunch of reasons why a patient would choose you over all of the others? Hopefully you can answer all of these … Why Should I Go To YOUR Dental Practice? Read More »
It seems like every email from every dental consultant these days is telling you how horrible PPOs are and how simple it will be to drop them if you just follow their advice. To which I say, “Not so fast, cowboy!” Here is the only way I know of to successfully drop all of your PPOs … How To Instantly Drop PPOs And Increase Practice Revenue TODAY! Read More »
There are five issues that just about every dental practice experiences, and on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers podcast for dentists you can hear what they are along with some solutions. Then on our mystery shopper calls, a potential patient with stinky breath calls some practices for advice. Did they try to appoint … Five of the TOP Dental Practice Issues Read More »
Do you know what a “humblebrag” is? Coined by the late comedian Harris Wittels, a “humblebrag” is a specific type of personal brag masked in false humility. “I’m such an idiot – tripping on the steps as I went to accept my third Oscar” would be an example. Or “Wow – I had no idea … Do You Know What A “Humblebrag” Is? Read More »
Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming to make dental practice improvements through huge changes. But the good news is, you may not have to! You can improve your dental practice marginal gains. In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers podcast for dentists, we show how small changes can get HUGE results! Then of course there … Improve Your Dental Practice With ‘Marginal Gains!’ Read More »
The relationship between general practitioner dentists and specialists should be one that is not only good for the patients but good for both practices. On today’s Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast we talk about some easy ways to make that happen. Then on to the mystery shopper calls where the theme continues. If you do … GPs and Specialists Should Help Each Other! Read More »
Do you read self-help / motivational books? I do. Heck – I even wrote one! But I do realize that many of you have trouble finding time to do this during your busy day. With that in mind I am going to give you three life hacks that are guaranteed to change your life if you take action! Okay … Three (Not So Simple) Life Hacks To Do Now. Read More »
As a dentist and dental coach who has visited hundreds of practices, I’ve heard lots of things said in dental offices by the dentist and team when they were talking to a dental patient; some great, some not so much. So let’s have some fun today with “Twenty Things You Should Never Say To A … Talking To Dental Patients: Twenty Things You Should Never Say… Read More »
If you go to just about any dental website (including yours), and click on “About The Doctor,” chances are that the website bio starts like this: “Dr. Smith is a 2002 graduate of The University of Maryland School of Dentistry, and a 1998 graduate of Rollins College, where she majored in chemistry.” It will then … Website Bio for Dental Practices Read More »
Should we give our patients what they want? Do our patients really know what they want? Is it good for our dental practice to give it to them? On today’s edition of The Dental Practice Fixers podcast we discuss how to make your practice more successful by doing just giving our patients what they want. … Should We Give Our Patients What They Want_ Plus More Mystery Shopper Calls Read More »
I actually pay a pretty substantial quarterly fee just for the privilege of being a patient of my internist, or as my mom calls him, my “fancy schmancy doctor.” He is what some may refer to as a “concierge doctor” through a group called MDVIP, and the personal service is so great I feel it’s … Patient Care In A Dental Office: A Very Important Dental Practice Lesson… Read More »
Four Million Dollar Practice – Four Word Philosophy(The secret sauce to a successful dental practice.)Yesterday I had a great chat with a dentist who owns a $4,000,000 practice. He was a cool, laid-back guy, and was on vacation at the time! As I always do when speaking with successful people, I asked him what his secret sauce was. Without even taking a pause, he answered:“We just say YES!”What a great philosophy! When a patient wants something, we do our best to accommodate! It may sound simple, but think about this.
If the phone rings during normal business hours (lunch included) and it goes to voicemail, you are not saying yes.
If a potential new patient calls and you do not offer them specific appointment times, you are not saying yes.
If every adult patient does not get a thorough periodontal exam and the opportunity to receive the best treatment possible, you are not saying yes.Scheduling hours, payment plans, insurance issues – these all provide chances for you to say yes, or to say no. What are you going to do?
Does everyone in your dental practice truly understand why certain clinical decisions are made? Your practice needs to be “Clinically Calibrated” – find out why and how on this edition of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast for dentists.
For example, why would we do a crown instead of a two or three surface restoration? Scaling and root planing instead of a prophy? Do an endo in-house instead of referring? It’s something we might not think about too much, but every single person on our team (yes, front office people too) will benefit by having the office “clinically calibrated.” Best of all, it will end tons of confusion with your patients.
We’ve also got some crazy mystery shopper calls and a story about….pizza!
Got a question? Just send it to info@madow.com!
Good Vs. Not So Good(Use this simple checklist to see how many “good” vs. “not so good” things are happenning in your dental practice.)GOOD
Every team member, including the doctor, shows up at least 30 minutes before the first patient is scheduled, and a well-organized morning huddle is part of the routine.
NOT SO GOOD
People show up at the same time the first patient is scheduled and the day is full of chaos and putting out fires.
GOOD
The office policy is “We do not run late.” Protocols, scheduling, emergencies, and all decisions are based on that.
NOT SO GOOD
Patients are kept waiting on a routine basis, giving them the not-so-subtle message that their time is not respected.
GOOD
The treatment that is best for the patient is the standard of care.
NOT SO GOOD
Treatment decisions are made with insurance coverage as a primary factor.
GOOD
Management decisions are made based on understanding the data and KPIs.
NOT SO GOOD
Just get the patients in and treat them as best you can; management decisions are seat-of-the-pants.
GOOD
Regular team meetings are constructive, educational, fun, and a great time for team bonding.
NOT SO GOOD
We don’t do team meetings anymore because they just became finger-pointing bitch sessions.
GOOD
Patients accept treatment because we have gone out of our way to garner trust and respect, and we provide an incredible patient experience.
NOT SO GOOD
We throw a huge comprehensive treatment plan at a patient, and then try to “educate” them in a pressure-filled environment.
GOOD
We’re a team. We pitch in to help one another.
NOT SO GOOD
“That’s not my job!”
GOOD
“Thank you for calling Harbor East Family Dentistry, this is Florence speaking, I can help you!”
NOT SO GOOD
“Dental office, hold please!” (Even worse: “If you’re hearing this message during regular office hours, we’re busy treating other patients.”)
GOOD
We provide top-notch treatment but are still mindful of expenses and keep our overhead reasonable.
NOT SO GOOD
Focusing on the latest technology and gadgetry hoping it will grow the practice has dug a debt hole that we can’t get out of.
GOOD
Everyone on our team has passed the “Seating Chart Rule.”
NOT SO GOOD
Queen bees, backstabbing, and gossip have caused a toxic work environment.
GOOD
We understand that we can’t do it all, and have grown the practice AND practice happiness using truly customized dental coaching.
NOT SO GOOD
We’re doing the same old thing and expecting different results!
What’s Good Here? A Huge Lesson For Your Dental Practice…(It’s a simple technique and it works!)
Next time you are at a restaurant, try this one on for fun. When the server comes over to take your order, close the menu and ask,
“What’s good here?” or “What do YOU recommend?” You will immediately learn some things to take back to your dental practice!
Some servers will give you a totally blank look as if you just landed from the planet Mongo. Others will say “Everything is good!” While that may be true, it’s not very helpful.
Another common one is “Well, that depends what you like.” Again, not very helpful. And worse, it throws the question back to you. Geez… we’re asking for a personal recommendation here!
Then there is always the famous “The chicken parmigiana is very popular.” Well, McDonald’s is popular, MB. That doesn’t mean it’s good.
But a really good server will enthusiastically respond with something like:
“The crab cake is outstanding! It’s Chef Billy’s recipe – he only uses Maryland sourced jumbo lump crabmeat, a tiny bit of aioli to bind it together, and his secret spice blend. It’s my personal favorite, and I think it’s the best crab cake in the state!”
Boom – SOLD! You no longer care that it is one of the more expensive things on the menu – nothing is getting in between you and that crab cake except maybe a little cocktail sauce!
Betty Hayden, the amazing lead coach at The Madow Center, reminds us that “Selling is simply a transfer of enthusiasm!”
See how the server transferred their enthusiasm for that crab cake into a sale, and probably a nice tip? Now think about this.
What are YOU doing to transfer enthusiasm in YOUR practice?
Sure, some days it can be tough to get enthusiastic about a crown prep or a scaling and root planing. But never forget – while it’s routine to us, to the patient it’s a very big deal!! They may be scared shootless to have that procedure done, and even if they’re not, they certainly aren’t excited about it.
This is even more important when presenting treatment. If we are enthusiastic about the health benefits and the outcome that patient will receive, they are much more likely to schedule. And never forget that selling truly is a transfer of enthusiasm. Just like Brad Hamilton told Jeff Spicoli, “Learn it, know it, live it!”
What’s the number one enemy of a great practice? In this episode, Dr. Richard Madow explores a possible candidate.
Then, the mystery shopper calls are, well, pretty amazing. Tune in to the The Dental Practice Fixers Dental Podcast for Dentists to listen now!!
You won’t believe what happened at my physician’s office….(How are we doing at treating perio disease in our office?)Last week I had my annual physical, and you won’t believe what happened! They checked me from head to toe, doing lots of poking, prodding, sticking….all of the things you should have done at a regular physical.
Then the physician’s assistant took my blood pressure. I could see from the reading that it was abnormally high. But they never said anything about it. As I was leaving I mentioned it to my doctor.
Rich: “Hey Dr. B, I noticed that my blood pressure was really high, but nobody said anything about it.”
Dr. B: “Oh yeah, we just check it real quickly but don’t say anything to the patient, even if it’s high.”
Rich: “But isn’t blood pressure really important? Don’t millions of Americans have uncontrolled hypertension? Can’t that lead to heart disease, stroke, and lots of other bad stuff?”
Dr. B: “Well sure, if you want to get all technical about it. But we found our patients don’t really want to hear about blood pressure, and it just takes too much of our time. We used to pay a lot of attention to it, but we kinda stopped. Maybe you should just lay off the table salt a bit….”
Now of course this never happened. And fortunately my blood pressure has been a steady 110/70 for decades.
But we all know that over 50% of American adults have some form of periodontal disease. So why do so many dental practices just ignore this, or simply don’t discuss it with patients? We just kinda do a bloody prophy and let it slide. It’s much easier that way!
But really now – who does this help? Not the patient. Not the practice. And isn’t it our job as oral health professionals to meticulously and accurately diagnose and treat periodontal disease?
If you thought my ridiculous and fictional blood pressure story was crazy, please ask yourself: How are we doing at treating perio disease in our office?
Five “C’s” of Dental Practice SuccessLooking for some great inspirational content for your team meeting this week?Here’s a guest article from our friend Dr. Michael O’Brien of Auburn, Alabama, that you need to “C.” Take it away Dr. Mike!
Looking for some great inspirational content for your team meeting this week? Here’s a guest article from our friend Dr. Michael O’Brien of Auburn, Alabama, that you need to “C.” Take it away Dr. Mike!
The “Five C’s” of Dental Practice Success
Michael O’Brien, DMD
COMPETENCE
While it may seem obvious that clinical competence is a must, the application here is more to knowing your limitations both clinically and in managing patients. Do what you do well – don’t jeopardize your practice reputation with incompetence and / or poor judgment. Bottom line, you HAVE to know what you’re doing!
COMPASSION
While most dentists have a “passion” for their work, having COMpassion is a whole different entity. It is a must both for your patients and your team. The old saying is still true today – People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! And much like a first impression – you generally only get one chance at it!CONSISTENCY
If a baseball player only gets a hit, much less a home run, every now and again, he is not referred to as a “consistent hitter”. In dentistry, you want to be a consistent practitioner. You will not be the “go to” practice unless you are consistent – specifically consistently GOOD! Interestingly, a restaurant can actually be consistently just “above average” but very consistent and customers will say “Their food is ALWAYS good.” Why? Because they never serve a bad meal. In dentistry, it comes down to consistently giving patients a good or even great EXPERIENCE because they cannot measure your crown margins! (Of course your crown margins need to be consistent too but your patients are going to measure your consistency by their experience!)CONTINUITY
Simply put, the right hand has to know what the left hand is doing. If your practice is not demonstrating continuity throughout any given day, week, month and so on, then it is confusing to patients, and to some team members. This parameter differs from consistency in that it refers to the ongoing dynamic in the office at any given time, or over time, that keeps all parts of the office working together and flowing smoothly. (Another “C” word that could work here is “calibrated” but I use that word in describing the importance of all employees being in synC. )COMMUNICATION
Seemingly a no brainer yet possibly the most fumbled parameter in dentistry. Many, if not most people think communication involves mostly talking, verbal actions. While verbal skills are indeed critical, consider this statement: “Communication is 90% listening to what is said, and 10% HEARING, what was NOT said!” (My Father told me I had two ears and ONE mouth for a reason – I would be better off if I listened twice as much as I talked!). Communicating to AND from your patients and to AND from your team is critical. While this parameter is a whole separate entity in itself, the bottom line is people tend to be easier to relate too if expectations and circumstances are communicated in an excellent, accurate, and concise manner. As a general rule, people don’t like “surprises” or changes without proper communication!Great stuff Dr. O’Brien – thanks so much for sharing. Mike has another C – “Clabbercod” – but that’s a topic for another day!Michael O’Brien, DMD
COMPETENCE
While it may seem obvious that clinical competence is a must, the application here is more to knowing your limitations both clinically and in managing patients. Do what you do well – don’t jeopardize your practice reputation with incompetence and / or poor judgment. Bottom line, you HAVE to know what you’re doing!
COMPASSION
While most dentists have a “passion” for their work, having COMpassion is a whole different entity. It is a must both for your patients and your team. The old saying is still true today – People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! And much like a first impression – you generally only get one chance at it!CONSISTENCY
If a baseball player only gets a hit, much less a home run, every now and again, he is not referred to as a “consistent hitter”. In dentistry, you want to be a consistent practitioner. You will not be the “go to” practice unless you are consistent – specifically consistently GOOD! Interestingly, a restaurant can actually be consistently just “above average” but very consistent and customers will say “Their food is ALWAYS good.” Why? Because they never serve a bad meal. In dentistry, it comes down to consistently giving patients a good or even great EXPERIENCE because they cannot measure your crown margins! (Of course your crown margins need to be consistent too but your patients are going to measure your consistency by their experience!)CONTINUITY
Simply put, the right hand has to know what the left hand is doing. If your practice is not demonstrating continuity throughout any given day, week, month and so on, then it is confusing to patients, and to some team members. This parameter differs from consistency in that it refers to the ongoing dynamic in the office at any given time, or over time, that keeps all parts of the office working together and flowing smoothly. (Another “C” word that could work here is “calibrated” but I use that word in describing the importance of all employees being in synC. )COMMUNICATION
Seemingly a no brainer yet possibly the most fumbled parameter in dentistry. Many, if not most people think communication involves mostly talking, verbal actions. While verbal skills are indeed critical, consider this statement: “Communication is 90% listening to what is said, and 10% HEARING, what was NOT said!” (My Father told me I had two ears and ONE mouth for a reason – I would be better off if I listened twice as much as I talked!). Communicating to AND from your patients and to AND from your team is critical. While this parameter is a whole separate entity in itself, the bottom line is people tend to be easier to relate too if expectations and circumstances are communicated in an excellent, accurate, and concise manner. As a general rule, people don’t like “surprises” or changes without proper communication!Great stuff Dr. O’Brien – thanks so much for sharing. Mike has another C – “Clabbercod” – but that’s a topic for another day!
Using artificial intelligence in the dental office is such a hot topic these days, but most of the advice we’re seeing is either impractical or totally useless. In today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Dental Podcast for Dentists, Dr. Rich gives two solid examples of how to use AI to improve patient communications.
Then speaking of communication, things go downhill rapidly on our dental secret shopper calls. Tune in now!!
The Great Resignation(Of all the terms and phrases that have been recently coined, maybe that’s the …)Zoom fatigue. Maskne. Quarantini. Decoupling. NFTs. Livestreaming. GOAT. AF. All of these words and phrases have become part of the vernacular in the past year or two for better or worse. But the new phrase that we may really dread is “The Great Resignation.”
Yes – it’s true. “The Great Resignation” has made its way into dentistry and it’s very frustrating for practice owners. And as the pool of potential team members shrinks, a whole new set of problems arise. But there is another “Great Resignation,” and taking care of this one can be a solution to the first kind.
So many dentists seem to be “resigned” – resigned to letting insurance companies dictate their patient’s treatment, resigned to having a team that refuses to change or grow, resigned to having an office that is chaotic….the list goes on and on.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be that way! At Madow Success Coaching we have the resources to get your practice on the track towards greatness. Imagine enjoying going into the office every day because you love what you do, have a fantastic cohesive team, and are earning what a dentist should be paid. It can happen! And when everyone’s happy, team members don’t leave!
We have helped hundreds of practices across North America get way beyond “The Great Resignation” and can do it for you too! Ready to dip your toe in the water? Let’s start with a complimentary “Practice Snapshot.” It’s simple, effective, and dare we say it….fun! You’ll get to see what’s really going on in your practice (the numbers don’t lie!) and we’ll give you some suggestions to get things moving in the right direction.
Don’t be resigned – get refired! It all starts here. Let’s do it!
You’re about to get grilled…..(What will YOU do in your dental practice TODAY that will get your patients talking?)This really story does apply to your dental practice, so please keep reading!
My wife and I live in a condo in downtown Baltimore, and we love it. Water views, walk to dining and entertainment, gym in the building, and Amazon packages delivered right to our pantry – what’s not to like? Well, one thing not to like is that due to city codes we are not allowed to have a grill on our balcony. Bummer – because we love to cook!
At the start of the pandemic when it looked like we wouldn’t be able to go out to dinner for a while, we purchased an “indoor electric smokeless grill.” I wasn’t really expecting much, but this thing was (and still is) fantastic! We cook steaks, burgers, salmon, swordfish, seared tuna, kabobs, squash, corn – you name it and it’s probably been made on our indoor grill. And everything is tasty and healthy(ish)….
So what does this have to do with your dental office? Hang on…
Due to so much constant use (and probably mistreatment by me) the nonstick surface of the grill grate became damaged and it made the grill difficult to use. I went to the company’s website and could not find a replacement grate. So….I sent an email to the company, hoping for the best but not thinking much would happen.
The next day I got an email back from a Mr. Jason Li, informing me that they do not sell the grate separately, and they don’t even stock them. But…..as a favor he would go over to the production department to see if they had an extra one.
A few days later Mr. Li sent me an email saying that he was able to locate a grate and would send it to me at no charge, not even postage! Wow – that’s some good customer service. I was curious who this super kind guy was, so I looked him up on the company website, and guess what? He is the founder and CEO of the company!! So I have my new grate, and am taking better care of it than I did the first one.
Last night’s grilled salmon. YUM!If you’re looking for a fantastic and quite inexpensive indoor grill, I highly recommend this one! It’s called the Tenergy Redi-Grill. You’ll love it! Here’s the Amazon link.
Okay – so what are the two great lessons here for your dental practice?
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Your practice culture starts from the top – the owner dentist! The CEO of Tenergy demonstrated what outstanding service looks like, and you better believe his employees learn from that.
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When you provide outstanding service, people talk! They replaced my grate because it was the right thing to do. Mr. Li had no idea that I’d be recommending his grill to our email list of tens of thousands of people. But here I am doing it!
So now the question is…. What will YOU do in your dental practice TODAY that will get your patients talking?
There are a bunch of things a dental patient should never ever see or hear in a dental practice, and on today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Dental Podcast for Dentists we get the list rolling.
Then, it’s on to the secret shopper calls, where we learn why front-desk training should be more than just “Here’s the phone – answer it!”
I’m not a big “pet peeve” guy, but this really irks me. It seems like every single day, some dental consultant (who is not a dentist, as most of them are not) says something like…..
“They didn’t teach you THIS in dental school”
… as they proceed to practically call you an idiot because you are frustrated with the business side of your practice.
Well how the hell does that person know what they did and didn’t teach in dental school? I don’t remember seeing them sweating it out in anatomy lab, or struggling with a patient in clinic. And it’s irrelevant anyway. There’s a ton of stuff they didn’t teach us in dental school; no need to be condescending about it.
Besides, why does that person (oh ye great consultant) think THEY have all the answers? Not only did they not go to dental school (where apprently they didn’t teach us jacksh*t), they have never owned a dental practice, or led a team of dental staff, or had to look a patient in the eye and give them news they don’t want to hear.
They have never gone into panic mode when a hygienist quits, or had to prep the distal of tooth #2. I could go on and on and on here – but let’s just say this.
The next time a non-dentist tries to tell you they have all the answers because “They didn’t teach you that in dental school” – I think you know what to tell them!
“Why is that crown so expensive?” can be a tough question for a dentist to answer, especially in a way that gets a caller to appoint, Well, that’s the mystery shopper call we did on today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists. The answers ranged from horrible to hilarious to something that has never happened before! You gotta check it out. Plus, Dr. Rich shares a personal story that will help you and your practice significantly!
Dentists all want to improve their practices in one way or another. That may mean more new patients, or a more cohesive team. Maybe it’s higher treatment plan acceptance, or less stress. Perhaps dropping a PPO or two, or being able to hire an associate. Or maybe the path to improvement means ramping things up to get ready for a practice sale.If you’re like most dentists, it’s probably “some or all of the above!”But here’s the thing. If you don’t know your practice numbers and what they mean, it’s impossible to set goals and measure improvement. Without that, even if you make some changes, you’re just hoping for the best.So please join in to learn things like:* The most important way to motivate your team. It’s not a bonus system! * Get rid of TMI Syndrome – learn which numbers are REALLY important! * What piece of new patient data is WAY more critical than new patients per month! * The number one way to get patients to return! (This alone is worth the cost. Oh, wait a minute, there is no cost!) * A simple technique to increase the “average value” of every patient! * How to tell if your practice is “insurance driven” – and what you can do about it! * What does your collection percentage say about your practice? You need to know. * Do you have a perio department or a prophy palace? Here’s how to tell! * So much more!
If you ever have a crappy day in dentistry, well you’re not alone. It happens to all of us from time to time.
And sometimes when a day doesn’t go well, you start to question what you are doing. What is your purpose?
When you get down, just remember you are a dental professional and you have it better than most people in this country! Want a few reasons why?
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You help people – really, really, really help people. You do this all day long.
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You build relationships. Count the many patients that have been coming to see you on a regular basis for a long time. They look at you not only as their dentist, but as their friend and confidante.
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You set the atmosphere in your office. You can listen to your favorite music all day every day. (Some of us are a deejays disguised as a dentist.) You can joke around when you want.
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You get to work with high tech “toys” and some really cool materials.
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You are a teacher.
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You have flexibility. You can work the hours that you want.
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There is basically no limit to what you can earn.
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You have tremendous respect in the community.
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People listen to you.
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You have a path towards financial freedom. Invest regularly and wisely while you are a practicing dentist and you will be financially secure as you approach retirement.
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If you own your practice, you never have to worry about a boss telling you what to do, or getting fired, laid off, transferred, etc…
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You change lives.
Does that help with your crappy day? Do you feel better now?
“Our patients are sooooooo dental insurance driven.”
“They only want it if dental insurance covers it.”
“If they would just take dental insurance out of the equation, treatment acceptance would be so different!”
We hear things like this from dentists and team members all the time. And it’s probably true.
Yet there is always a practice nearby, seeing patients of the same demographic, in the same community, with the same insurance plans, and their patients do NOT typically make decisions based on insurance coverage.
Patients are not insurance-driven, but many PRACTICES are!
How do I know? We have helped many dentists and teams get over the insurance dependence mindset. Their patient pool didn’t change, but the knowledge and attitude of the practice did. The point is, if you think your patients are insurance drivien, it’s time to look at what is making them that way.
Here’s a quick dental office quiz. This will be fun at the morning huddle!
A potential new patient calls. What is the BIGGEST mistake made by the office when it comes to the phones?
•A) Putting the patient on hold immediately
•B) Not getting the patient’s contact information
•C) Never offering an appointment
•D) None of the above
Okay – select your answer. Do you want to change it? Last chance…… Okay, say it out loud or write it down.
Now for the answer…
Scroll down
and down
and down
and down
and down…..
A potential new patient calls.What is the BIGGEST mistake made by the office when it comes to the phones? Let’s review each answer.
•A) Putting the patient on hold immediately
Calling an office and hearing “HOLD PLEASE!” is so irritating and annoying. It’s a horrible way to start any phone call.
•B) Not getting the patient’s contact information
If the patient doesn’t appoint, how are you ever going to get back to the patient if you don’t know who they are?
•C) Never offering an appointment
This is totally unacceptable! If you listen to our podcast, The Dental Practice Fixers, you know that during our mystery shopper calls everyone makes this unforgivable error.
•D) None of the above
Is there anything left? Yes – because the correct answer is D) None of the above! So what is “none of the above?” It’s the worst possible mistake – not answering the phone and letting it go to voicemail during regular business hours – lunch included!
Amazingly, when we make our mystery shopper calls, and they are always made Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, the call goes to voicemail or just isn’t answered around 40% – 50% of the time. Yes, of course we have a flow chart for the best way to answer the phone all the way through getting a new patient scheduled. But let’s start with the most basic thing of the all:
ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN IT RINGS!
So much of our happiness in dentistry and in life is based on the people we surround ourselves with. This means your friends, your team members, your patients, and your family. And usually casual observances of someone’s behavior can give you a big clue as to what they are really like.
Are they rude to restaurant servers or others in “inferior” positions?
Do they say thank you to those who hold the door open for them?
Do they “hold the door” for others? (This can be literally “holding the door” or taken as a metaphor.)
If you’re a dentist, do you treat your team members well or do you take them for granted?
If you’re a team member, do you act as though the practice revolves around you?
Some of the rules for an enjoyable life are so simple.
Be cool. Be nice. Be kind to others.
Or as they say on the live announcements at the beginning of every Baltimore Ravens home game:
“Have fun, root hard, show respect for the fans around you, but… don’t be a jerk.”
Would you like to have a simple system so that when someone calls to cancel at the last minute that spot can easily be filled 90% of the time? You will after hearing this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists. Then we do three mystery shopper calls, and one of the offices actually does something right! Listen in to see what.
This morning’s important dental practice lesson involved a story about my “fancy schmancy” doctor, the one I pay a hefty quarterly fee just to be a patient of. If you missed it, don’t worry – this will still make perfect sense.
A few days ago my VIP doc sent an email to his patient base about the relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease. The subject line was “The Surprising Link Between Your Teeth and Your Heart!” The email talks about the importance of brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits to make sure your gums are healthy. He went on to cite a case study of one of his patients. This patient was recovering very poorly from a stroke. The doc suspected perio disease to be a factor, and sure enough, a dental referral and perio therapy was a significant factor in bringing this patient back to health.
But as sunshiny as it sounds, I’m not telling you this story so that we can all pat ourselves on the back.
More and more people are understanding the important relationship between oral health and overall wellness. Even our esteemed MD colleagues are joining in – and it’s about time! That’s why it simply blows my mind that so many dental practices aren’t doing everything they can to diagnose and treat periodontal disease.
Sure, it’s easier to concentrate on restorative dentistry. It’s more tangible to patients, and for most of us, more fun to treat. But if you don’t have a solid periodontal therapy program and philosophy in your practice, well, you are actually complicit in not treating your patients completely and ethically. And no, “cleaning ladies” and bloody prophies don’t cut it!
So where do you start? As with most things, the first step is knowledge. You need to know some important data points, such as what percentage of patients in your practice are involved in perio therapy (if you’re like most practices it’s pretty low), how many patients are turning down proposed treatment, and how many patients need to be reactivated so they can begin treatment (this figure is usually mind-blowing)! Want to find out? It’s easy! Just go to madow.com/numbers. You’ll be able to learn a lot more about the importance of these “Key Performance Indicators” in your practice and what they mean.
It’s great when your patients show up, refer others, and complete treatment. But how do we make that happen on a consistent basis? One word. In his classic book, “Influence: The Power of Persuasion,” Dr. Robert Cialdini identifies the factors that allow us to influence others. Authority, Liking, Social Proof, Scarcity, and Commitment and Consistency are all discussed.
But the one that is the most important in dentistry?
Reciprocity.If we want our patients to do good things (show up on time, refer others, complete treatment, pay, etc…) it starts with US providing an extraordinary experience. Mediocre or ho-hum just won’t cut it. If you keep providing the same experience you’ve always been doing, you’ll keep getting the results you’ve always been getting! If you want your practice to grow (and to enjoy dentistry more) it starts with YOU providing an experience that will get your patient’s attention. Action point: discuss the power of reciprocity at your morning huddle or team meeting, and come up with ten things you can do to improve the patient experience in your practice!
Very often the first contact a potential new patient has with your practice is your website, and most dental websites have some obvious (and easy to fix) mistakes! On this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast, Dr. Richard Madow gives some very simple fixes to correct these crucial areas. Then, our mystery shopper calls take the theme further, asking practices about things seen on their own website! Do they know how to answer? Of course not!!
Let’s face it, not all patients are a good fit for your dental practice. In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Richard Madow gives some quick and easy patient selection tips to save you many headaches, including the number one rule!
Then we have four mystery shopper calls, and guess what? Someone almost kinda gets it right!! Listen now!!!
How to LOVE Your Dental Practice!There are hundreds of courses, seminars and webinars these days that promise to change your dental practice. Many focus on clinical techniques, or adding new procedures to your mix. Others concentrate on practice management, revenue growth, new patient acquisition, and all the usual suspects. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
But what good is all of that if you don’t enjoy going to work every single day?
And of course, if you DO truly enjoy practicing dentistry, the patients and the team can feel it, so your revenues WILL go up without even trying!
Too frequently, dentists and team members “put in their time” at work as if it’s a jail sentence, only doing so in order to earn enough money to enjoy their time outside of the office. That’s called a “Negative Happiness Equation,” and unfortunately it doesn’t work. The solution? It’s time to learn “How To Love Your Dental Practice!”
Hey Doc – why the heck would you ever want to do this? In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers Podcast for dentists, Dr. Rich answers one of the most frequently asked questions, and that’s the response….sort of. Then of course we do some mystery shopper calls, and miraculously someone almost gets it right!!
What does your receptionist say to your dental patients?You know how being a dentist or being in the dental field can have this crazy curse – the curse of noticing people’s dental issues when out in public while “normal” people have no clue? Like that diner waitress with horrible gingivitis. Your kid’s teacher with a “bridge to nowhere.” The uncle of the bride with disgusting perio breath. And on and on and on and on…..
Well, it’s twice as bad when you’re a dental coach. My expectation of customer service is that if it is not spectacularly excellent every single time, that’s a fail. I often write about things like botched hotel check-ins, nasty appliance repairmen, physicians who don’t care, phone support from another planet (not a good planet) and on and on. Fortunately I write about great service too, though sadly not as often.
A few days ago, Dave (Dr. David Madow, co-founder of The Madow Center and my brother!) was texting me as he sat in the reception room of his new optometrist’s office. Each time a patient would approach the front desk, Dave would text me the first thing the receptionist said. It was actually pretty unbelievable.
Here are some of the greatest hits (with my snarky comebacks in parentheses):
“Do you have an appointment?” (“No, I come for the strudel. It’s great.”)
“Have you been helped yet?” (“Yes, I’m just coming back up here to gaze into your eyes.”)
“I’m sorry – I know it’s 9:30 but the doctor is still with his 8:30 patient.” (“Would he like a clock for Christmas?”)
“Could you repeat your name for me again?” (“Bob Smith, Bob Smith, Bob Smith, Bob Smith, Bob Smith…”)
“How will you be attempting to pay for your lenses?” (“I’ll be attempting to use this credit card I just stole. Let’s hope it works!”)
“When’s your birthday? WHAT?” (For some reason this one just cracked me up!)
Wow – and all of this in just fifteen minutes. That’s a gold medal performance – and too long to wait.
C’mon folks – we can do a lot better than this! If someone approaches the reception desk, chances are they have an appointment. All of these lines are inexcusable! Running late doesn’t help things. And maybe the worst part is that the “Do you have an appointment?” line was for Dave – a brand new patient who needed to be wowed.
Let’s remember to roll out the red carpet every single time we have a transaction with a patient. And for a new patient – do even better to make them feel welcome in your practice. By the way, when’s YOUR birthday?? WHAT????
Dr. Rich explains the factors in dental practice success by reliving the history of The Madow Center in this special edition of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists. So many listeners have been asking how The Madow Center got started, and it’s all covered here!
Sometimes we’ve been saying the same phrases in our practices for so many years that they just roll off of our tongues subconsciously. Here’s a little “Say this, not that” to help wake you up!
DON’T SAY: “This crown is horrible! Your last dentist did not do a good job!”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“I wasn’t there when this was done, so I can’t tell you what the circumstances were at that time. But I can tell you what we are seeing today.”
DON’T SAY: “It’s really no big deal”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“It’s totally normal to be a little nervous about this procedure. Please know that we will do everything we can to make you comfortable, and if you’re not, please let us know.”
DON’T SAY:“I think you need a crown…or maybe we can do a large filling….”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“I know what the problem is, and this is how we can fix it.”
DON’T SAY:“This would not have happened if you would have been brushing and flossing properly like we instructed.”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“Let’s review your brushing and flossing technique so we can hopefully prevent things like this from recurring.”
DON’T SAY:“Please give us 48 hours notice if you need to cancel…”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“We’re looking forward to seeing you on Thursday at 2:30 PM!” (Take the word “cancel” out of your vocabulary!)
DON’T SAY:“The distolingual cusp of #19 presents with recurrent caries…”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“The back part of your lower right molar has decay and bacteria under the old filling…”
DON’T SAY: (During oral cancer screening)NothingSAY THIS INSTEAD:
“We’re checking your tongue and the inside of your mouth for any unusual areas that could be precancerous. Everything looks good!”
DON’T SAY:(On voicemail) – “If you’re hearing this message during normal office hours, we’re currently treating other patients…”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“Thank you for calling Reisterstown Family Dentistry, this is Hope speaking, I can help you!” ANSWER THE DARN PHONE EVERY TIME IT RINGS – EVEN DURING LUNCH!
DON’T SAY:“We’ve always done it this way.”SAY THIS INSTEAD:
“We’re going to try something new!!
Did a video promoting a dental seminar actually make Dr. Rich hurl? Well, almost. Find out why in this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, and also learn about why it is often a bad idea to get distracted by passive income and side hustle opportunities. Then we present some of the strangest mystery shopper calls in the history of the show!
What is the ONE trait that most successful dentists share?Excellent clinical abilities are crucial of course, but that’s not it. Being a good leader is super-important, but without this trait, it’s much more difficult to be one. And strangely, it may not even be excellent business skills, although you sure need that.
So what is it?
Can you guess?
Likability.Let’s face it – if you are likable, people want to be around you. They want to listen to you. They trust you. And they want to tell their friends all about you. Fact is, being likable (and of course honest and ethical) can cover up a lot of ills. Being likable can help foster long-term dedicated patients and team members. It can even “sell” treatment.
But as we all know, some people are just naturally more likable than others. However, even if you are not a natural, there are some skills you can cultivate that likable people seem to have. Here are the top ten!!
1. They focus on people more than anything else.When you are talking to a patient or team member, focus on them and truly listen. Don’t think about how you feel or what you are going to say. Listen with both ears!
2. They are authentic.Why try to be someone else? Be the best version of yourself! And if you are not authentically you, not only will people catch on, it gets very confusing!
3. They enthusiastically love life.When things go wrong they take it in stride and move on.
4. They know how to make “big small talk.”It’s great to be able to have lightweight “chit chat” with our patients, and it’s best to make it meaningful. Try to learn something about your patient as a person every time you speak. Sure beats “How about this weather?”
5. They treat everyone with respect.Everyone!! They are just as nice to the janitor as they are to their patients. (It’s really true that you can tell how nice someone truly is by how they treat the waiter….)
6. They have integrity.They don’t talk the talk, they walk the walk. And they don’t gossip or demean others.
7. They don’t constantly try to one-up others.Ever know someone who always steers the conversation to their accomplishments, or always has a comeback to every story that tops it? Yeah – so do we. And we don’t like it!!
8. They smile.Nothing is more important in dentistry!
9. They make an effort to look their best, but they don’t overdo it.No one likes to hang out with a schlub. But the same goes for those who obsess over their appearance. Likable people get the balance right.
10. They respect the opinions of others.You certainly can never agree with everything you hear. But likable people recognize the line between fact and opinion, while realizing everybody sees things differently.
Now go be an excellent clinician, a respected leader, a great business person…..and be likable!
There’s so much more to our patients than where they work, what type of insurance they have, and that gnarly MODBL amalgam on tooth # 30. And getting to know them as a real person and not just a set of teeth goes a long way towards all of the things we want – treatment plan acceptance, generating referrals, etc…
Maybe even more importantly – getting to know our patients better is FUN! You will learn some interesting things and find out some really cool stuff when you get to know someone a little better. It’s a great step to becoming a trusted and respected partner in their dental and overall health.
Here’s a simple question to ask your patients:“What would you like to be doing if you weren’t at a dental appointment right now?”
Or you can throw in a little self-deprecating humor and say something like:“I know that you would rather be in the dental office than anywhere else, but what’s in second place?”
Try it! You’ll learn some fascinating things about your patients – like the shy guy who’s climbed the highest peak on every continent, or the granny who was the lead singer in a psychedelic rock band in the 60s! I had both of these and thousands more interesting folks in my practice, and would have never known these things about them without asking. And then of course, make chart notes about your conversations and rekindle them on future visits.
Go ahead. Give it a try! At the very least it will make the day more fun for you AND your patients. But more than that, when you see your patient as a whole person, everything gets better.
There’s a huge mistake that many dentists will make this morning.Are you one of them?
Getting to your office just a few minutes before the first patient is scheduled, or at the same time they are scheduled, or, (gasp…) AFTER the first patient is scheduled is pretty much a guaranteed way to make sure the day is more chaotic and less productive than it should be.
My advice? Arrive at LEAST 30 minutes before the first patient is scheduled. Have a brief, well organized morning meeting where you discuss the flow of the day. Have some nice, fun, informal chit chat with your team. Then take a deep breath and relax for a few minutes before “the show” begins.
The good news? If you made that mistake today, you don’t have to tomorrow!
Do you know what “Imposter Syndrome” is?According to Wikipedia, the greatest resource of all time for everything, Imposter Syndrome is “a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon do not believe they deserve their success…”
It can come with a feeling that you really don’t know what the heck you’re doing, and you’re not as good at being a dentist and practice owner as others think you are, or as you are pretending to be. The thing is, unless you’re a total narcissist, you’ve probably experienced Imposter Syndrome from time to time. It’s quite common amongst high achievers. So here are four quick and easy things to do when Dental Imposter Syndrome strikes.
1. Stop comparing yourself to others.It doesn’t matter if the dentist to your left has a $10,000,000 solo practice with 50% overhead (or if the dentist to your right hasn’t taken a paycheck in a year!). All that matters at this moment is you, your practice, your patients, and your team.
2. Continually strive for improvement.Plan your next team meeting, your next CE course, or consider coaching for a valuable outside opinion. Do it without being too hard on yourself!
3. Gratitude.Take a deep breath and realize how fortunate you are. (I do this every single morning from my balcony while watching the sunrise.) Develop your own gratitude exercise (keep a journal, have a “gratitude buddy,” or something else that suits you. Experience gratitude every single day!
4. Most of all, realize that Imposter Syndrome is perfectly normal. Most people have it from time to time, so use it to your advantage. After all, it’s a lot better than being a victim of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. But that’s a story for a different time!
Do you dream about your teeth falling out? A new study has revealed what the most common dream is in every country, and dental people need to take notice!
By country, the most common dream topic seems to be snakes. Our neighbors in South America must worry a lot about creepy crawlers, as spiders, rats, and lice join snakes in the dream team there. Pregnancy seems to be a fertile one in many countries, especially Europe. But strangely only two countries, including Ghana, have “sex” as the most frequent dream. (Maybe due to all the “Ghana-cologists?”)
But here’s where it gets really strange for us. In most of the English speaking world (US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand) the number one dream by far is “teeth falling out!” What the heck? Dream theorists (yes there is such a thing) believe that this dream shows lack of self-confidence or embarrassment.
But whatever the case, this means that when we are speaking with patients about improving their dental health, whether through perio therapy, restorative treatment, or good old prevention, most of our patients are highly concerned about their teeth being a source of possible embarrassment or lack of confidence. Keep that in mind when discussing not just the benefits of treatment, but the consequences of doing nothing. (You knew I was going to slide a dental lesson in there, didn’t you?)
Here’s the whole map for your enjoyment.
Ready to improve your cash flow and decrease your overhead in 2023? On today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, we’ll reveal ten things you can do right now to get 2023 off to a great start. And then, four mystery shopper calls – four bad results. Don’t make the same mistakes!!
What are two questions you should ask every patient during the initial exam that will totally WOW them? On today’s dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Richard Madow reveals that, along with a simple trick you can do that will actually get patients to ASK YOU for cosmetic dental procedures! It’s easy, fun, and something you … Two Questions To Ask EVERY Patient! Read More »
Want your patients to accept more treatment, get adult fluoride, and all that other good stuff? In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Richard Madow shares how an experience at a hotel led him to realize an extremely important step in influencing our patients. It will help you become a better … Why Patients Love To Be Led! Read More »
Why be the best practice at what you do when you can be the only practice who does what you do?! It’s much easier than it sounds, and on this edition of The Dental Practice Fixers Dr. Rich will show you how! Of course we follow that up with three mystery shopper calls (yikes!) and … Don’t Be The Best Practice….Be The Only! Read More »
Do you have a supercharged perio therapy department, or a glorified “cleaning lady” doing bloody prophys? If you’re like most dental practices, unfortunately it’s the latter. On this week’s podcast we give five reasons why, and simple solutions to get your patients healthy and increase practice revenues. The theme continues on the mystery shopper calls, and … Five Reasons Patients Don’t Get Scaling and Root Planing Read More »
One of the biggest issues facing practice owners today is finding top-notch team members. No doubt about it - the great resignation is real! In many areas staff compensation has reached record heights, and dentists are even paying bonuses just to get someone to sign on!
There is something that most dentists do every single day that causes chaos, confusion, and makes the practice not nearly as productive as it should be. But fear not – in today’s episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists we have a solution! Then on to the mystery shopper calls, where someone … Something Most Dentists Do Wrong Every Day….and How To Fix It! Read More »
What do the Choco Taco and getting your patients to refer and schedule their treatment have to do with one another? Lots! In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, we explore why Dr. Robert Cialdini’s “Principles of Influence” are so important in your practice. Then the mystery shopper calls take … The Choco-Taco and Influencing Your Patients! Read More »
According to industry publication “Becker’s Dental Review,” these five numbers are making dentists nervous. My comments are in blue. 1. Eleven. 11 percent of dentists plan to retire in the next two years. If you’re in the eleven percent, NOW is the time to get your practice in order and show some growth. If you … Are These Five Numbers Making Dentists Nervous? Read More »
There is something that afflicts most dentists, and it can cause severe problems in their practices and lives. It’s called “Paralysis By Analysis,” and we give some symptoms and solutions on this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers, the dental podcast for dentists. Then on our mystery shopper calls we have some real doozies, including something that has … Do You Have This Affliction Most Dentists Do. Read More »
Every dental consultant these days seems to be teaching how to drop PPOs. But my advice is “not so fast, cowboy (or cowgirl!).” In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, you’ll find out why. Then in our mystery shopper calls, something happened that has never happened before in the history of our mystery shopper calls!
In this week’s episode, Dr. Rich gives fifteen fantastic rules that will apply to your dental practice….and life! It’s kind of like summer reading for dental people. Then in our mystery shopper calls we throw up some real softballs – I’m a new patient, I need a few crowns, and I want to come in. … Fifteen Rules of Dentistry….And Life! Read More »
It's time to grow your practice the right way, reap the rewards now, and sell for maximum profit when the time is right.
Successful case acceptance in dentistry can be so mysterious but in this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers, Dr. Rich reveals two secrets.
Online reviews are the number one requirement for potential dental patients finding your dental practice online. In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists, Dr. Rich gives some quick tips on how your practice can get tons more reviews – and reveals the biggest no-no when asking patients for reviews. Then … You Need More Online Reviews! Read More »
How do dental practices deal with inflation? Should I pay someone to cover my phones when the office is closed? Does scripting work? Is Dr. Rich a hypocrite? On this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers dental podcast for dentists we cover these listener questions and more! Plus, of course our usual mystery shopper calls – HOLD PLEASE!
How to Get FIVE-STAR Practice Reviews Online – and LOTS of Them!! When potential patients search for a dentist online, whether they were referred to you or just looking for “dentist near me,” the first thing they will look at is your reviews. And if you have lots of great ones there is a much … How To Get FIVE-STAR Practice Reviews Online – and LOTS of Them!! Read More »
A question to ask your patients other than where they work. Your job be more fun, make people happy, AND grow your practice!
Here's an important dental lesson Dr. Rich learned when he went to get an estimate for some car work.
NFTs are all over the news these days, and believe it or not, they have important implications for your dental practice. Some say they are great investments, others say they are the future of collectibles, and of course many think they are a total scam. But wait a minute – this isn’t about Non-Fungible Tokens. Or Network … NFTs And The Dental Office Read More »
We start with a great listener question about the proper way to handle a caller who is not ready to appoint. Don't confuse a patient.
Find out how to answer patient questions when their last dentist didn't tell them. Learn how to stay positive and lead to them to treatment.
Dr. Rich Madow shares some things he hears from dentists and one of them is that patients are so driven by what insurance covers.
Are you thinking like a dentist? As dentists, we want to do really accurate and thorough examinations on our patients.
Find out the difference in languages from US vs. England when the phrase "bloody prophy" is said in your dental practice or office.
Relax – Let Your Practice Run Itself There is no doubt about it – without the proper systems, it’s impossible to have a practice that runs smoothly. And without a smoothly running practice, you are constantly wasting time putting out fires, dealing with headaches, and being less productive than you should be. But how do … Relax-Let Your Practice Run Itself Read More »
Sometimes dentists and team members let the little things drive ourselves crazy! On this episode of The Madow Dental Podcast we respond to a listener who is doing just that. It will help you deal with the day-to-day dental practice frustrations. Then on our mystery shopper calls Dr. Rich poses as a patient who wants $6000 worth of treatment but just has one simple question. Can anyone handle it correctly? You need to listen!
Highlights from “Dentists: We Drive Ourselves Crazy!” 0:10 – Dr. Rich introduces himself as co-founder of the Madow Center and welcomes all to the Dental Practice Fixers Podcast as host. He shares what to look forward on today’s podcast and why as dentists we drive ourselves crazy. Also a crazy secret shopper caller is part of today’s dental podcast.
1:14 – Rich shares the incredible sponsor STAX by Fatt Merchant is the way to go for all your dental credit card processing fees. It is a low flat monthly rate that is a no-brainer for any dental practice office looking to save money. Check it out at madow.com/save
2:30 – Are you on our E-newsletter? Get dental practice building emails, it’s free to join! Email us at info@madow.com
3:20 – Check out one of our recent questions from our listeners. A credit card transaction was cancelled due to the high price. Do you have the right to charge the fees of handling the credit card fees of over $80 to the patient? Check out Dr. Madow has to say about this and what is the right thing to do in this situation.
7:25 – One suggestions is to purchase some “Statement of Delinquency Collection Forms” – The Madow Brothers developed these as the most effective patient collection form in history. Keep your business on the right track.
9:17 – Rich shares the mystery shoppers calls and today it is about a crazy situation. Rich asks the question as a new patient with four new crowns. Do they try to get an appointment, check it out!
Banned phrases for 2022 – asking for a friend! Every year Lake Superior State University publishes its list of phrases that should be banned. Here are some that they say need to go in 2022 (with our commentary of course)!
1) “No worries!” Unless you’re a server at Outback, this one should have bitten the dust twenty years ago.
2) “At the end of the day” At the end of the day, this one is just as overused as “iconic.”
3) “Wait, what?” Sorry millennials, this one just makes no sense and frankly sounds kinda doofy.
4) “That being said” This is pretty much a verbal punting space filler. Just say what you want to say!
5) “Asking for a friend” This one’s actually pretty funny, especially the proper sarcastic usage of using it to ask for yourself. But it has been used and abused, so our friend says it’s time to go.
6) “Circle back” Unless you’re in a wagon headed for the Oregon Trail this one can be dropped.
7) “Deep dive” Personally I love the alliteration, but Lake Superior State University (mascot: Seamore The Sea Duck) says it’s gotta go.
8) “New normal” If it’s normal, can it be new? Anyway, this one’s just annoying.
9) “You’re on mute” And Zoom fatigue sets in even further….
10) “Supply chain” Yes, this is a serious issue, but it’s become an excuse for everything! So at the end of the day, you should take a deep dive into these phrases and circle back to the new normal. That being said, no worries if you don’t! But now let’s look at ten phrases that should be banned from the dental office!
Ten Phrases That Should Be Banned From The Dental Office! 1) “This crown is horrible!” Never criticize another dentist’s work. Just don’t! 2) “There’s a radiolucency at the apex of the distal root” Dental lingo should not be used when speaking to a patient. Capice? 3) “Let’s watch it” Watch it do what? Perform the Swan Lake ballet? 4) “This won’t hurt at all!” …or any other impossible promise.
5) “Darn it Judy – this is the wrong bur!” Never criticize a team member in front of a patient.
6) “You haven’t been flossing!” Along the same lines, reprimanding your patients doesn’t work.
7) “Your treatment will be $14,000 – is this what you want? Yes or no?” As silly as this seems, this is the essence of many case presentations. Play the long game with treatment planning and see your acceptance skyrocket. After all, it’s not about sales, it’s about trust and confidence.
8) Politics and religion. These two topics simply do not belong in the dental office.
9) “Blah blah blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda” – talking to fill space and time. Be concise and confident – “I know what the problem is and this is how we will fix it,” or “We have a great option for you – twelve months interest free. That would be just $231 per month. Would you like to take advantage of that?”
10) And perhaps the worst one of all: “That’s not my job!” If it’s good for the patient and / or good for the practice, it IS your job!
What’s the best piece of advice ever given by a dental consultant? In this episode of The Madow Dental Podcast, Dr. Rich reveals what that is, and what it means to your practice. Then our mystery shopper calls take a weird twist, and we wind up with instructions on how to have the perfect voicemail message in your practice! For more information on The Madow Center, please go to www.madow.com
You won’t believe what happened at my physician’s office! Last week I had my annual physical, and you won’t believe what happened! They checked me from head to toe, doing lots of poking, prodding, sticking….all of the things you should have done at a regular physical.
Then the physician’s assistant took my blood pressure. I could see from the reading that it was abnormally high. But they never said anything about it. As I was leaving I mentioned it to my doctor.
Here is what happened: Rich: “Hey Dr. B, I noticed that my blood pressure was really high, but nobody said anything about it.”
Dr. B: “Oh yeah, we just check it real quickly but don’t say anything to the patient, even if it’s high.”
Rich: “But isn’t blood pressure really important? Don’t millions of Americans have uncontrolled hypertension? Can’t that lead to heart disease, stroke, and lots of other bad stuff?”
Dr. B: “Well sure, if you want to get all technical about it. But we found our patients don’t really want to hear about blood pressure, and it just takes too much of our time. We used to pay a lot of attention to it, but we kinda stopped. Maybe you should just lay off the table salt a bit….”
Now of course this never happened. And fortunately, my blood pressure has been a steady 110/70 for decades.
But we all know that over 50% of American adults have some form of periodontal disease. So why do so many dental practices just ignore this, or simply don’t discuss it with patients? We just kinda do a bloody prophy and let it slide. It’s much easier that way!
But really now – who does this help? Not the patient. Not the practice. And isn’t it our job as oral health professionals to meticulously and accurately diagnose and treat periodontal disease?
If you thought my ridiculous and fictional blood pressure story was crazy, please ask yourself:
How are we doing at treating perio disease in our office?
These People Love Dentists… “Don’t take it personally, but I hate the dentist…”
Geez, how many times have we heard this lame-ass phrase from a patient? Kinda makes you want to way “Well that’s okay, because I hate real estate agents” (or whatever their profession happens to be). But don’t fret – because I’m going to tell you about some people who absolutely LOVE dentists!
Landlords Yes, commercial landlords who lease space for dental offices love us! One reason is that dentists are extremely low risk. We tend to pay our rent, and pay it on time. But there is another big reason they love us. Dentists are notorious for being wimps when it comes to signing on the line to rent office space without questioning anything.
Remember, landlords start with their WORST offer and there is always plenty of wiggle room. If you use a professional lease negotiator you could save tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars over time!
Bankers Yes, bankers love us for the same reason landlords do – we have incredibly great track records for paying off our loans. But they also love us because they know dentists love to do things like open up a “satellite office” (huge mistake for most people), redecorate with no budget in mind, build a “Taj Mahal” office, and lots of other things that require a bank note and usually don’t eliminate the problems we are intending to solve.
Dental equipment salespeople I remember walking the floor at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting a few years ago with a non-dental friend. He just looked at me and said,
“Man – in my next life I want to be someone who sells sh*t to dentists!”
So much expensive dental equipment and gadgetry is sold under the promise that it will increase your production and / or bring in more new patients. But the thing is, most of the things that will increase your production and bring in new patients don’t involve any fancy equipment and don’t cost a dime!
Luxury car salesmen Wow – nothing will make you feel like a successful dentist more than pulling up to your office in a brand new Mercedes Benz! For some reason dentists think that we have “earned” the right to look and act like the public’s perception of a dentist, whether we can afford to or not. And of course the car dealer will gladly finance anyone with a DDS or DMD after their names. (Seven year plan anyone?)
Nothing wrong with expensive cars of course – IF you can afford them and have your financial plan intact and funded. And while driving a Porsche can make you “look” rich, it can also make you poor!
Well, there are plenty more people who love dentists, but those are four good ones.
In dentistry, it’s super important to lead our patients to the next step, whether that is scheduling treatment, becoming a patient in your practice, or anything else. In this episode of The Dental Practice Fixers, Dr. Rich shares a story and a great quote that will demonstrate the importance of telling our patients what they need to do next. Then on our secret shopper calls, something AMAZING happens – you gotta hear it!
Dentistry, Football, Etc… A great dental practice (and life) lesson was shown on December 19th to fans of The Baltimore Ravens. (Yes – I’m a lifelong Baltimorean, or “Balti-Moron” as we sometimes call ourselves.)
The Ravens, playing without our star quarterback Lamar Jackson, somehow managed a huge comeback after being down 14 points to the visiting (and favored) Green Bay Packers. With a minute or so to go we scored a somewhat miraculous touchdown to (seemingly) tie the game and force overtime. Our kicker, Justin Tucker, is truly considered the “GOAT” – so the chip shot point-after-touchdown for the tie was pretty much a lock.
But instead, Coach John Harbaugh decided to put The Ravens in a do-or-die situation and go for the two-point conversion. Make it for the win, miss it and The Ravens head to the locker room with a loss. It was a miss and a loss.
Now you might admire Coach Harbaugh for his guts. And after all, the injury-depleted Ravens didn’t want to face Aaron Rodgers in overtime. But…but….but…
This was the third game in a row The Ravens lost because our coach decided to go for the two-point conversion win instead of the sure thing tie. THIRD IN A ROW!
A few weeks ago The Ravens were pretty much assured not just a slot in the playoffs but a possible top spot. Now it’s questionable if we’ll get there at all. The lesson here is an old saying:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” And boy do we see that in dentistry! You may want to have a better practice, a higher income, a more motivated staff, etc.,. But what the heck are you doing about it? If you are truly ready for a change, let’s chat!
Some studies have shown that the cost of obtaining a new patient is TWELVE TIMES higher than reactivating ones who have already been into your office. You can spend a ton of money on marketing and hope for the best, or you can learn some easy ways to get your phone ringing with pre-qualified patients – those who have already been to your office. The choice is yours! If you’re ready, this complimentary webinar is for you!!
The absolute best source of patients AND production in your practice is existing patients who have “slipped through the cracks.” It’s time to learn how to get them back in and perform the treatment they need!
Most dental practices seem to be fixated on new patients and feel that getting more of them is truly the key to their success. But getting your phone to ring can be a costly, time-consuming, and inefficient process. And then – you have to hope that the patient actually schedules, accepts treatment, and has the means to afford it!
One thing is for sure – it takes a lot more than calling them up and saying something lame like “Sally, you’re overdue for your appointment.” And as easy as an email and texting campaign sounds, those will be deleted or ignored faster than you can say “perio maintenance!”
On this special video learning event, we will teach you, step by step, the exact techniques you need to understand in order to get the most qualified patients back on your schedule at absolutely no cost!
Your practice has a “Million Dollar File Cabinet” that is ready to rock if you know how to do it right.
So please join in to learn things like:
- Why reactivated patients are so much more valuable than new ones!
- Step-by-step protocols for getting patients out of your files and into the appointment book!
- Which patients should be reactivated first (and which ones you shouldn’t waste your time on)!
- Calling, emailing, texting – what works and what doesn’t!
- What to say if you call and get a voicemail (hint: it is NOT “I’m calling to schedule your appointment!”)
- How to know when you should stop wasting time on a patient!
- Many more patient reactivation secrets!
Don’t Do THIS During Your Perio Exam! (It’s a huge mistake that most dentists and hygienists make) There is a huge mistake that most dentists and hygienists make during the perio exam, one that prevents patients from moving forward with treating their periodontal disease.
Please put yourselves in the patient’s shoes (or mouth) for a minute. What does a perio exam feel like and sound like? In most offices, they are asked to open wide, feel a few sharp pokes, and hear a bunch of numbers that sound like some weird anti-Fibonacci sequence.
“Three, two, three… three, three four (OUCH!), four, three, five…” and on and on and on. Then, a few minutes later they are being told they need some periodontal treatment, but really don’t understand why.
The great Dr. Bob Barkley used to talk about “co-discovery” and “co-diagnosis,” and the perio exam is a great opportunity to do just that.
What if before every perio exam you did this:
1. Tell the patient what you are about to do, using easy to understand terminology. “Now we are going to check your gums for inflammation and infection.” (Nobody wants inflammation and infection!)
2. Tell the patient why you are doing this. “A large percentage of adults have some level of inflammation and infection in their gums, and it’s really great if it can be caught early. Did you know that more adults lose teeth due to gum issues like these than due to anything else? We’re also learning that gum inflammation is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health issues, so this is really important.” (At this point the patient is hoping their gums are healthy!)
3. Tell them exactly what you are going to do (in patient friendly terms!!) “The way we check for this is to use an instrument that is like a little ruler. It measures how tightly your gums are attached to your teeth.” (I see no problem with substituting 100% scientific accuracy for having a patient understand what’s going on.)
4. Tell the patient what to listen for. “You are going to hear a bunch of numbers. Twos and threes are typically considered to be healthy areas. Fours and above are areas of concern. And if you hear the letter B, that means we detected a little bleeding in that area, a sure sign of inflammation.” BOOM! You better believe the patient is paying attention now!
Now when the exam is over, the patient will KNOW there is an issue, and will listen carefully when you discuss the treatment options. I always like to throw in something like “fortunately it doesn’t look like you are at the stage where you’ll need gum surgery, and that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
This is a great example of co-diagnosis and co-discovery. Do it!! And think about ways that you can incorporate this into other things in your practice.
Are you ready to improve every facet of your practice? Is 2022 going to be the year you earn more money and enjoy dentistry again?
I’ve set aside time to have a personal, confidential, private chat with YOU! We can talk about anything you want. And during our complimentary talk I’ll give you several things you can do RIGHT NOW to start making significant improvements in your practice (and maybe even your life!) This won’t be cookie-cutter b.s. – it will be specific personal advice for you and your practice.
When the call ends, you’re free to take these steps on your own. If I think we can help even more, I’ll let you know.
2021 has ended. That way, when 2022 ends, you can say – “This has been my best year ever!!”
Let’s chat!
Success Tip: Ten Things To Do Before 8:00 AM Everyone has twenty-four hours in their day, and the way those precious hours pan out so often depends on a great morning routine. Here’s what works well for me, and I suspect a customized version of this will work well for you too.
1. Wake up well-rested To properly function you need seven or more hours of quality sleep. This is non-negotiable. The benefits are many and well documented, but a few of them are:
- Higher creativity and focus
- Less daytime sleepiness (duh!)
- Lower stress
- Decreased incidence of depression
- Fewer accidents
- Increased creativity
- Longer life
- Better memory
Sure, every now and then this may be impossible (late night weekday concert anyone?) but if you don’t consistently get enough sleep you’re headed for trouble. And depending on stimulants as a sleep substitute (full disclosure – I love coffee and brew it up every morning) is a losing proposition.
2. Begin with a “Moment of Gratitude” This is something I do every morning and you should too! Just take two minutes to peacefully and quietly think of some things that you are grateful for. I do mine on my balcony as the sun is rising, which is extra sweet! But you don’t need an elaborate setting, anywhere will do. And I know that some of you are presently in difficult life situations, but the fact is if you live in a first-world country you have a heck of a lot to be grateful for! Starting your morning this way primes you to be thankful, patient, and kind to others.
3. Do something active You’re rested, you’re grateful, now it’s time to get your body moving! A gym visit, a brisk morning walk, jumping jacks and running in place, raking the leaves, washing the car…..do something!! Regular exercise is something that is irreplaceable, and a “well-known secret” among the happiest and most successful people.
4. Eat a quality breakfast A good breakfast typically involves protein, fiber, vitamin rich foods, and a minimum of things such as refined sugar and bleached flour that will have you crashing. Okay – maybe you don’t care, but here’s my typical weekday breakfast:
Rich’s Yogurt Parfait * Six ounces nonfat unflavored unsweetened Greek yogurt * Whole sliced banana * Blueberries * Raspberries * Pumpkin seeds * Pecans, walnuts, or other nuts * Organic ground flaxseed
But that’s me! Maybe you like scrambled eggs with veggies and turkey sausage, or maybe you’re a vegan and have to be a little more creative – whatever! Just eat a healthy breakfast and don’t start your day without properly fueling up!
5. Organize your day This is often the difference between someone who is incredibly productive versus one who spends the day putting out fires. Make a list of what you want to accomplish during the day with notes about how you will get it done. Keep it with you!
6. Feed your mind positively Sure, you can start your day by watching cable news or scrolling social media, but is that really a positive way to feed you mind? If you have a few minutes before you have to get to work, spend it wisely! Read some positive content, listen to beautiful music (everyone’s definition of that is different for sure, but I love to listen to rock when exercising and classical to wind down) – do something, even for five minutes, that makes your brain feel good. If you have kids at home, it is incredible what happens when you interrupt your hectic morning routine and include them in this!
7. Make your drive count Your drive to work often sets the mood for the day. Here are some things you can do:
- Call a friend or loved one
- Listen to a motivating podcast
- “Read” a great audiobook
- Stream beautiful music that is not interrupted by commercials or annoying DJs
- Enjoy some silence!!
8. Eat the frog first! Many times our daily list includes difficult things that we are worried about or not looking forward to. Do them first and clear your mind. This is an incredible stress reducer!!
9. Do something small that shows kindness to others. Repeat. When you open your eyes to the opportunities to be kind to others, your whole world opens. These can (and should) be tiny things like thanking the person who is cleaning the restrooms in your building, or letting your team member who is having a rough time with something know that you were thinking about her. Look for ways to be kind and they will find you!
10. Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile! You can be bitter about things, or approach everything with a smile. You choose!
One of the craziest things that dentists say is “my patients have a low dental IQ!” On today’s episode of The Madow Dental Podcast, we will find out why that phrase is not only ridiculous, but downright dangerous! Along those lines, Dr. Rich shares one of the big mistakes he made early on in his dental career. And then we go to our secret shopper calls. But this week something REALLY crazy happens!! Did someone actually schedule the patient? Well, there’s a lot more to it than that, so you gotta listen!!