As we navigate through a global pandemic, and 2020 enters the final quarter, we recognize that dentistry has experienced some difficult times.
Dental Hygienists are valuable contributors to our dental practice business.
Let’s take a moment to congratulate them for their courage in an unprecedented year, and thank them for all they do.
LET’S CELEBRATE OUR DENTAL HYGIENISTS!
Registered Dental Hygienists have a wide range of talents ranging from: patient therapist, treatment case advocate, periodontal therapist, caregiver, oral-systemic health advocate, and so much more!
To learn more about national dental hygiene month, visit the ADHA website.
HOW CAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE DENTAL HYGIENISTS?
All team members will go the distance for a dental practice that shows appreciation for their work, attitude, and engagement.
Be creative in recognizing their contributions to the success of the practice.
THANK YOU NOTE
Each team member write a thank you note recognizing the dental hygienist(s) super power
DECORATE THE OFFICE
Patients become a part of the celebration
SOCIAL MEDIA POST
Photos and an article / blog highlighting your RDH team
FOOD
Treat the RDH team to breakfast or lunch
Bring lunch into the office for the entire team to celebrate together
SMALL GIFTS
Gift card, flowers, cards, preferred morning beverage
Buy a new, special instrument or customized PPE apparel
EDUCATIONAL / CHARITY EVENTS
Pay for a continuing education course
Donate to their favorite charity
MAKE RECOGNITION A YEAR ROUND HABIT
Celebrate your team members throughout the year and pay special attention to each specialty’s daily, weekly or monthly recognition
Let everyone know the impact they have on the dental practice, your patients, vendors, and referrals
DENTAL PRACTICE CULTURE EXISTS WHETHER YOU CREATE IT OR NOT.
Intentionally creating a “Team-Centric” culture and employee experience is the most important action you can take to ensure practice success in these stressful times.
The impact of a strong culture will trickle down into a positive patient experience. Which in turn, creates patient loyalty and retention.
There is no silver bullet to creating culture. ALL team members should be involved!
THE WINNING COMBINATION INVOLVES:
COMMUNICATION
Be open, honest, and empathetic
LEADERSHIP
Create opportunities for team members to lead by focusing on their super powers
ONBOARDING
Take the time to hire the right people who will invest in the practice
OFFBOARDING
How you let someone go is remembered by the team
MENTORSHIP
Structure a support system for all employees
BENEFITS
Provide digital interface, easy-to-use, benefit package options for employees
MISSION STATEMENT
Created, understood, and supported by all team members
As a dental practice leader, maintaining practice health is a delicate balancing act which requires the entire team to embrace: new guidelines, compassion, active listening, and empathy.
Copyright 2020 Lisa Copeland. All rights reserved.
Gen Z (age 4-early 20’s) comprise 25% of the U.S. population, making them the largest cohort yet. Research is indicating that the COVID-19 pandemic is the Generational Defining Moment for Gen Z, particularly as they transition into adulthood. COVID-19 has impacted almost every aspect of their lives. It will impact how Gen Z spends money, learns, and works.
Gen Z has strong heads and strong values, making them hard to attract from a marketing perspective and even harder to gain loyalty from. How do we translate the information we know about Gen Z into applicable everyday use to attract employees and patients?
Build a dental practice that speaks their language and meets their expectations now to guarantee future practice growth.
COVID-19 IMPACT ON GEN Z
SPENDING
Gen Z is already more frugal than Gen Y, thanks to their conservative Gen X parents and growing up through the 2008 Great Recession.
Gen Z are hyper-aware of their dental health, with the top oral health problem this generation reports being pain, predominantly with biting and chewing.
Gen Z will not take risks they may not be able to afford to address in later life, which makes them more receptive to the latest research and treatment options to maintain dental health.
EMPLOYMENT
Before COVID-19 Gen Z were already saving for retirement
Job benefits are driving factors
As employers, recognize that individuals within Gen Z are used to instant access and are motivated by efficiency
Provide tools that promote ease and simplicity and tasks that are intuitive and not process-heavy
Despite their technology knowledge, Gen Z crave human interaction, openness and collaboration
Provide opportunities to grow and learn skills
While Gen Z may not have yet reached critical mass as patients or employees, they are already disproportionately driving changes the rest of us feel. Understanding who they are and what they want NOW gives us insight of what to expect for the future of our dental practices.
Being successful in attracting new employees and patients will require flexibility and adaptability to keep up and deliver on the wants and needs of this generation. If it’s not instant, it’s not for Gen Z!
For any leader, the pandemic creates a critical opportunity to understand and respect how Gen Z are experiencing these challenging times through their own generational lens.
Open honest communication is always the best way to approach a fragile situation.
Options
Provide people with options:
Patients: Would you like to reschedule your appointment for June or would you like us to call you when our office is reopened? Please keep in mind we have many patients to re-schedule. You may not get in as quickly as you would like.
Vendors: Can we place a hold on our auto shipment until we are back in the office, or should we accept the next one and get our office supplies fully stocked. How are other offices handling this?
People
Focus on people…not the processes.
Everyone is feeling isolated and anxious. Take the time to actively listen to everyone you interact with. It will benefit you in the long game.
Empathy
Empathy is a gift.
People are in different stages of dealing with this:
Fear, Acceptance, Opportunistic
Try to recognize where that person is and realize that individuals handle stress differently.
If we can get to Acceptance, that is where we begin to move forward and become creative!
Keep in mind, some people may never be able to leave the fear / impulsive / protection stage.
March 1-7, 2020 marks Dental Assistant Appreciation week. Dental Assistants are valuable contributors to our dental practice business. They have a wide range of talents from patient care, administrative roles, laboratory functions, guiding the doctor… so we can all run on time, and so much more! The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) selected a theme this year of “Looking Toward the Future.” Learn more about the dental assisting career at the ADAA website.
HOW CAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE DENTAL ASSISTANTS?
All team members will go the distance for a dental practice that shows appreciation for their work, attitude, and engagement. Be creative in recognizing their contributions to the success of the practice.
THANK YOU NOTE Each team member could write a thank you note recognizing the dental assistants super power DECORATE THE OFFICE Patients become a part of the celebration SOCIAL MEDIA POST Photos and an article highlighting your DA team FOOD Treat the assistants to breakfast or lunch Bring lunch into the office for the team. SMALL GIFTS Gift card, flowers, cards, preferred morning beverage every day for the week EDUCATIONAL / CHARITY EVENTS Pay for a continuing education course Donate to their favorite charity
MAKE RECOGNITION A YEAR ROUND HABIT
Celebrate your team members throughout the year and pay special attention to each specialty’s daily, weekly or monthly recognition. Let everyone know the impact they have on the dental practice, your patients, vendors, and referrals. Everyone contributes to the business bottom line.
Harold opened the door for me at 6 am as I struggled to carry a 35-pound box, my computer bag, and supplies for my presentation that day. Here’s how the conversation went: Harold: Good Morning Miss Lisa, are you ready for your big day? Me: Good Morning Harold. How are you today? Do you have a cart that I could borrow to take my supplies to my room? Harold: I am sorry Miss Lisa but we do not have a cart for you. You look very fit and strong. I know you can make it. The room is real close. Harold: I am sorry Miss Lisa but we do not have a cart for you. You look very fit and strong. I know you can make it. The room is real close. Harold: I am sorry Miss Lisa but we do not have a cart for you. You look very fit and strong. I know you can make it. The room is real close. Me: (In my head): He’s right! I can do this! So I off I went towards the stairs. I got to the third step and my shoe started to slip off of my heel. I stopped, re-grouped, put the box on the railing, and slide it down as I navigated the steps. Harold: (watching and cheering): That’s it Miss Lisa, keep going. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, turn left! Now, turn right Miss Lisa and keep going down that hall…you are almost there!
MEET HAROLD The master of creating a positive customer experience at the Colorado Convention Center. He greets everyone with a smile and a positive attitude. Harold knows all of the convention details, gives every person his undivided attention, and makes sure they get the answers they want and need. On the first day of the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention, he knew, and remembered my name. By the second day, he knew: I was a speaker, where I was from, and how long I’d be in Denver! On the last day, he bid me safe travels and hoped I would come back to see him soon.
ATTITUDE What if, we all had the customer-centric approach like Harold? His positivism impacted me so much, I told this story during my workshop at the Rocky Mountain Dental Conference that same day. He is a customer service hero and I will always remember him. If every one of our dental patients and team members felt that special every day, we would have an amazingly happy and productive practice.
Let’s commit to creating positive team and patient-centric experiences in our dental practice every day.
Copyright 2020 Lisa Copeland. All rights reserved.
Are you hiring employees, purchasing office equipment / supplies, or updating technology based on the price rather than the value it will add to you practice?
If the answer is yes, you are not alone.
Employees:
The younger the employee, the more money matters. By hiring the “right person”, one that is: a team player, consistently contributes to practice growth, and leads the team with confidence, is worth paying more than the going rate. By appealing to their language of appreciation, you will reduce turnover, increase engagement, and instill loyalty. Creating a customer centric experience for your team AND your patients is the critical in our competitive dental world.
Office Supplies:
Is the store brand of paper that cost a few dollars less worth the aggravation of the printer jamming several times a day? Not to mention, the wasted time every incident. I just fell for this recently, and I regretted it every time I sent to print. Especially with double sided printing…JAM! Each time you consider making a purchase, or think about switching brands, consult with the team member that is using the product and check in. It might decrease your overhead, but increase inefficiency of tasks.
Read my latest blog HERE relating to breaking and creating new habits.
Technology:
You purchased a “WHAT” for the clinical team? Best to discuss large purchases with the team before investing so you know it will enhance, not inhibit, productivity. As a team, make a list of questions to address before the purchase:
· How will the investment positively impact our practice?
· What is the goal we are trying to achieve?
· Will it make our day more efficient / productive?
· Who will be trained to use the item?
· What is the timeline for training?
· Will we have updated training regularly?
· Is there anyone on our team that has expertise already?
Dental Drills
Are you always on the hunt for the best deals and switching products based on price? Many dental offices follow this pattern.
Loyalty to a brand / company, that may cost a little more, can actually increase your practice production. Companies are looking for loyalty and referrals. Everything is negotiable and customizable to your suit your practice wants and needs.
A few carrots that companies dangle are:
· Membership pricing
· Additional product bundle pricing
· Designated sales support
· Consistent relationships / customer service
· Advanced new product privileges
Are You Getting to the Root of Your Problem?
Value trumps worth! Whether it’s an employee salary, purchasing pens for the office, or investing in new technology, “less” does not equal “more”.
Where in The World is Lisa?
What a fabulous way to start 2020, presenting two workshops at the Rocky Mountain Dental Conference (RMDC) in Denver, CO this month. You might recognize the famous CO Convention Center Bear in my photo.
I started the three day event by attending two workshops. I find it so valuable to attend other speakers sessions so I can pick up new information and refer to it during my presentations. The courses, speakers, and entire meeting was fantastic.
Connecting with long time friend and rock star speaker, Betsy Reynolds, and NSA friend / colleague, Nora Burns were also highlights of the weekend. Thanks to Nora for jumping in as my room host, professional photographer, networking champion, and so much more!
Shout out to my sponsor for the event, Lighthouse. A huge thank you for all the sponsors that make the event such a success.
Whether we are the leader of a practice or spreading our message from the podium…it is a team sport! Teamwork enhances creativity, productivity, and positivity. Let’s all work together to be the best we can.
What Communication Challenges Do You Have? What dental communication topics would you like to know more about?
Share your ideas here and we’ll include them in upcoming newsletters.
ABOUT LISA COPELAND, RDH, CSP
IRONMAN™ training taught me how to be successful in business communication. As a competitive athlete, I effectively apply lessons learned to help clients transform business communication into profit, performance, and productivity.
My experiences allow me to share meaningful / memorable stories that positively impact your bottom line. In fact, my iRONMAN Principles of training drive my lessons on the importance of generationally effective communication in business.
Rewarding your existing patients reinforces their loyalty to your practice.
A simple gift and a thank you goes a long way!
Treatment completion gift
If a patient invests a certain dollar amount into your practice, reward them!
I worked in an implant prosthetic practice and we would customize a gift based on the patients’ personality. Ideas that my offices have used in the past are:
· Restaurant certificate to “try out their new choppers”
· Photography session to show off their new smile
· Donation to their favorite charity
· Flowers delivered to their office, thanking them for the trust they placed in our team
Dental Drills
As the year comes to an end I would like to say thank you to everyone involved in my personal and professional life for your support.
You are the reason my business exists and I am grateful for your continual support!
Are You Getting to the Root of Your Problem?
Rewarding your patients is one aspect of marketing your practice successfully.
The other, is recognizing and rewarding your team on a consistent basis. Learn more about how to customize team rewards in my latest blog HERE.
Where in the World is Lisa?
The long Thanks Giving weekend brought 20” of snow to Park City and kicked off our winter sport life.
We snowboarded, snow shoed, and had cozy dinners with friends.
Pinebrook, UT
I am swimming regularly in a magical outdoor, moonlight ,salt water pool while the snowflakes dance in the sky.
Life is good.
Find the magic in your life and team every day.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and look forward to a healthy, prosperous, and happy 2020 for all.
What Communication Challenges Do You Have? What dental communication topics would you like to know more about?
Share your ideas here and we’ll include them in upcoming newsletters.
ABOUT LISA COPELAND, RDH, CSP
IRONMAN™ training taught me how to be successful in business communication. As a competitive athlete, I effectively apply lessons learned to help clients transform business communication into profit, performance, and productivity.
My experiences allow me to share meaningful / memorable stories that positively impact your bottom line. In fact, my iRONMAN Principles of training drive my lessons on the importance of generationally effective communication in business.
I take this awesome class at my gym regularly called Power Hour.
At the end of the workout, the instructor announced she had three gifts for people that regularly work hard, encourage others, and never complain. Much to my surprise I was the first announced! What a treat to be rewarded unexpectedly!
It got me
thinking. People are always watching.
What would happen if we rewarded people, and expressed our appreciation regularly? We would all work a little harder, encourage people a little more, and build stronger relationships.
REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
What does this look like in a dental practice? It starts with getting to know your team. What action or reaction would have the biggest impact on that particular team member. The best way to get this answer is to ask!
Hint: Think generationally.
Boomer: Public recognition and an award or a
temporary title
Gen X: A “hall pass” to leave an hour early for a
family event
Gen Y: Immediate recognition / feedback and a gift card
Gen Z: Donation to a cause they are passionate about
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Determine what the best language of appreciation to speak to each team member and practice on a regular basis. You don’t have to break the bank, but be creative with titles and recognition awards.
Add a rewards and recognition section to your ‘Practice News’ each month and include a photo and a quote from the recipient. Take it one step further, if the action included a patient, and include them also! Just be sure to get their permission.
Taking a little detour from the topic. Name your communication with your patients NEWS instead of Newsletter. It is a more progressive / hip marketing term that younger clientele will better relate to.
CONCLUSION
We all want to feel appreciated and most of us love to be recognized for a job well done. It motivates us to continue the behavior. Positivity is contagious. Pass it on!
Copyright
2019 Lisa Copeland. All rights reserved.
A want is a desire or a wish…like that new pair of furry boots I bought last week! Did I need them? Not really, but I justified buying them because I really wanted them. Needs, on the other hand, are necessities or obligations. I need to fill the car with gas, or I will eventually be stranded.
OPPORTUNITIES
The “O” in my iRONMAN Principles of
Communication refers to opportunities.
Dental professionals, does this sound familiar? A new patient in your practice has several conditions that NEED addressing. He came into your office WANTING to whiten his teeth.
How do we balance our approach to create a positive experience for this patient? What opportunities can we present that will marry his wants with his needs so he accepts treatment and achieves his goals?
IT’S ALL IN THE TREATMENT PLAN DELIVERY
DOCTOR
Thank you so much for trusting our team to be your family dental partner. What can we help you with today? I noticed on your health history you are interested in whitening your teeth. We offer customized whitening to all our patients so you achieve the best results possible. Let’s proceed with your exam and then we can discuss which option is best to whiten your smile. How does that sound?
PATIENT
Great! I don’t have any other concerns, but it has been a couple years since I had a dental visit.
DOCTOR
Good news, you are a candidate for in-office or take-home whitening and will get a wonderful result with either. Your gum health is fantastic. A regular maintenance therapy appointment is what I prescribe.
Your exam and x-rays
disclosed a couple areas of concern: Two cavities between teeth on the UR and a
fractured molar on the LL. I’d like to treat the cavities and repair the broken
tooth before you whiten your teeth so you do not have any sensitivity with whitening.
We can complete your
maintenance therapy, treat the three areas, and start your whitening all in one
or two appointments. Which is more
convenient for your schedule?
PATIENT
Sounds like a plan. I’d like to schedule two appointments. Thanks for asking. When is your first opening?
CONCLUSION:
As a dental team, we
should strive for a balance between the dental patients’ needs and wants. Always respecting their goals, while keeping our
dental practice mission in check and upholding the accepted dental standard of
treatment.
Treatment case acceptance is all about the delivery!
Copyright 2019 Lisa Copeland. All rights reserved.
Relationships are the cornerstone of business and life.
Having just moved to a new city, where we do not know anyone, we have accepted the challenge and embraced the excitement of making new friends and routines.
For most of us, we are out of our comfort zone with change. However, calculating and customizing your approach will make a huge difference in the end result.
Whenever I interact with someone new, I take a generational approach and ask myself: How can I communicate from their generational perspective?
RELATIONSHIPS
The “R” in my iRONMAN Principles of
Communication refers to relationship building.
Learning
to customize your generational language with each patient and team member will escalate
the relationship building and drive productive results.
Learn
more about customizing your dental generational language here.
PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS
Build the dental patient and team relationships according to their unique generational
preferences.
Boomers and Traditionalists want to get to
know you first, then talk business.
They value dental health and often have financial resources for
treatment.
Be Aware of being all business, you’ll lose this
patient or team member
Be Thorough with explanations with a relaxed conversation
Gen X prefer brevity and directness; Utilize
technology if appropriate; Minimal chit-chat after business
Be Aware of asking too many personal questions
Recommend ideal treatment options that include a
treatment schedule and financial plan
Gen Y and Z demand technology; Enjoy interaction
and genuine connections: Seek an experience; Utilize text / instant messaging.
Be Aware that email and voicemail will not prompt a response
Maximize appointment time and provide same day service
(if possible)
Create a strong online presence to attract patients
and employees
Learn more here about generational differences in patient engagement.
CONCLUSION:
“Autopilot” during our dental day definitely has a place. But I challenge you to ask yourself, “Is
there is a better way to communicate with this patient or team member to yield
better results?”
Take a chance on change and break the dental routines that we covet. You’ll discover that it: improves your interactions with patients and
team members, positively impacts efficiency, and leads to practice
productivity.
It isn’t enough to only institute changes at
the management level. We all need to commit.
Give it a try next
week!
Copyright
2019 Lisa Copeland. All rights reserved.
iRONMAN Communication Increases Business Productivity
Lisa Copeland RDH, CSP GLOBAL SPEAKER / IRONMAN™COMPETITOR /GEN X
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iRONMAN Communication Tip
Customizing generational communication will increase dental case acceptance.
To learn about dressing to match the patients generational expectations watch this short videocreated for the Seattle Study Club.
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Dental Drills
The “I” in iRONMAN is for Impression.
According to Positive Psychology, people make an immediate and lasting assessment of you in the time it takes to snap your fingers. Known as the two second rule, a first impression is a lasting impression! In dentistry, great first impressions are important when building relationships and brand loyalty with your patients and team.
Discover Lisa’s Seven iRONMAN communication principles here.
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Are You Getting to the Root of Your Problem?
Is your practice experiencing a decline in treatment case acceptance? More importantly, do you know why? All too often, it is a breakdown in communication when prescribing a treatment plan or in the hand-off to proceed with the next appointment. Here are three ideas to get you started with improving your practice communication:
Verbiage Matters. Be sure every team member is relaying the exact same message patients
Have a Plan. Give the patient a simple road map of the treatment and the steps involved
Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up. Designate a team member for all follow-up and determine appropriate frequency
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Where in the World is Lisa
I recently traveled to PA to visit my family and spend a week with my dad, who is 94 years young!
My niece, a Millennial, my dad, a Traditionalist, and I, a Gen X, teamed up to tackle a scenic jigsaw puzzle.
I also watched him collaborate with two colleagues to build a doll house for a donation.
It made me realize no matter what age you are, working together and using clear, respectful generational communication is the key to getting along!
What dental communication topics would you like to know more about? Share your ideashereand we’ll include them in upcoming newsletters.
_________________________________________________
ABOUT LISA COPELAND, RDH, CSP
IRONMAN™ training taught me how to be successful in business communication. As a competitive athlete, I effectively apply lessons learned to help clients transform business communication into profit, performance, and productivity.
My experiences allow me to share meaningful / memorable stories that positively impact your bottom line. In fact, my iRONMAN Principles of training drive my lessons on the importance of generationally effective communication in business.
If you’d like to learn more about Lisa or book her to speak at your event please email or call / text 206.465.1637
