Streamlining the Practice
A clear business vision and good communication with staff helps one dentist provide his patients with optimal care and a positive experience
We’ve heard it before: Dentistry is a relationship-based business. And, in a soft economy, building strong ties with patients is especially important for your customers to keep their practices lucrative.
Clayton Davis, a dentist with a solo practice (five full-time staff and one part-time hygienist) in suburban Atlanta, feels particularly fortunate to be practicing dentistry today, in spite of the recent economic downturn. On the one hand, "with the economy, we just take things one month at a time," he says. But, baby boomers are known to take care of themselves, even when they are watching their pennies. "They may not look in the mirror and say, ‘I’ll call the dentist to get six porcelain veneers,’" he points out. "But, if they look in the mirror and see a chipped tooth, they [are likely] to call the dentist to have it repaired." Essentially, the only procedures he has noticed his patients cutting back on are large reconstruction cases, "but this type of dentistry can be kept in a holding pattern for a while," he says.
Still, dentists must make every patient experience a positive one, he continues. "It’s all about building good relationships with patients in a soft economy," he says. "You want to build patient loyalty so that they continue to recommend you to friends and family."
Although his patients do, in fact, continue to be loyal customers, Davis has seen a change in his appointment schedule, which he attributes to the weak economy. "Until last fall, we would be booked four to six weeks in advance," he explains. "This time a year ago, if a patient needed a crown, [he or she] would have to wait. Now, we can see patients within two weeks. This may mean less security for me, but it’s much better for our patients."
Back to business
Staying focused on the needs of his patients is not the only strategy Davis has taken. After recently reading "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It" by Michael E. Gerber, he adopted a systems approach to his business. "The E-Myth Revisited promotes going through every system in the practice and asking, ‘What are we trying to accomplish?’ ‘Who is responsible for this and how will it get done?’" he says. "The point is to have a system, and then sit down with the office team to get everyone’s input." People support that which they contribute to or are accountable for, he adds.
Previously, the practice hadn’t scheduled regular staff meetings, Davis admits. Even though it meant less time for seeing patients, he added staff meetings and began working more closely with his staff on the new office system. "We [went] through the process as an organization and looked at patient scheduling and the forms we send patients before they show up for an appointment," he explains. No detail was left uncovered – from the time the patient calls for an appointment to the time of arrival for the exam, consultation and follow-up. "We needed to get this system, or plan, in writing," he says. And even though Davis worked about 100 fewer chair hours in 2008, his net revenues only decreased minimally.
But, that’s not all: Through careful budgeting in the slow economy, Davis was able to upgrade to digital radiography and panoramic systems in 2007, and then replace all of the old carts and cabinets in the operatories in 2008. "We are trying to remain state of the art and provide the best care possible," he says. "The patient perception is what matters. I don’t want old equipment sitting around. I need to differentiate myself [from my competition]." Because he was nervous about taking out a loan during such an uncertain economic time, Davis arranged for a $2,500 monthly overdraft through his bank to help save for the new equipment. "It took two years, but when the bank takes out the money, you don’t miss it as much," he points out.
The rep’s role
In part, Davis attributes his recent accomplishments to the support of his sales reps, who steered him toward the best equipment investments. "I feel good when my sales reps provide me with information that is unique to my practice," he says. "I like to know my reps understand that each dental practice has unique needs and know what those needs are.
"When something is done incorrectly, I like to see my reps correct [the situation] right away," he continues. "I also like to see that my reps have a solid knowledge of supplies and equipment, and that they don’t have to say, ‘Let me ask my equipment rep about this and get back to you.’" Of course, no one knows everything, he adds. "But, the less of this the better."
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