The Meeting Place
Study clubs offer sales reps an opportunity to get closer to customers. But good sense must prevail.
Study clubs are a valuable source of peer support and education for dentists and, increasingly, office managers and hygienists. Despite the ubiquity of Webinars, chat rooms and other electronic educational tools, the face-to-face networking among peers at study club gatherings remains important to many professionals.
For sales reps, study clubs represent an opportunity to get close to customers. But, as with so many things in life and business, good taste and common sense must prevail. Most study clubs welcome the support of distributors. But some insist on silent support, while others welcome a more vocal variety.
Why study clubs?
"I have found the club to be a convenient way to stay connected to some of my referring doctors," says Tung Bui, DDS, an endodontist and current president of the Pima Dental Study Club in Tucson, Ariz. Indeed, study clubs are a great way for specialists to market themselves to general dentists.
But an even greater benefit, according to the dentists with whom First Impressions spoke, is staying in touch with colleagues. "I’ve met some great people and always look forward to having a beer with a fellow colleague," continues Bui. "We sometimes talk shop, but mostly socialize … Earning a little CE is a bonus."
The rationale for the dental study club is simple. "Dentists are, in most cases, sole proprietors, and they’re on their own," says Judy Kay Mausolf of Lakeville, Minn.-based Practice Solutions, a consulting firm focused on communication, team-building and image enhancement. "They have to know how to do everything, and there’s so much to do." They became dentists out of a desire to serve people through their craft, but they’re also expected to be businesspeople. "They’re kind of like an island by themselves," says Mausolf. "Study clubs are safe, nurturing environments," where dentists can share problems and solutions.
Clayton Davis, DMD, a general dentist in Duluth, Ga., has been a member of the Atlanta Dental Study Club for 12 years, and is its current president. The study club dates back to 1963. He also is a member of the local affiliate club of the Seattle Study Club, which has more than 200 clubs in the United States, Canada and Australia.
The Atlanta group has limited its membership to 16 dentists. Indeed, it is not uncommon for study clubs to limit membership, in order to maintain a level of intimacy and collegiality. That means some clubs have waiting lists of professionals.
The Atlanta club meets on the third Wednesday of every month, with dinner and a speaker. In addition, it sponsors an all-day seminar in December and a weekend lake retreat in summer, both of which offer CE credits. Last year, at the summer retreat, the club recruited Terry Tanaka, DDS, clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, and expert on advanced restorative procedures, to lecture.
"There’s no doubt that the person-to-person contact is valuable," says Davis. "I live a busy life, as do most people I know. If I were depending solely on the Internet [for education], my CE would end up being like my fitness program - one of those things I know I really need to do, but that never happens. To be part of an organization, to be held accountable for being there, is important. Last night was a great example: There were things I had to do, but I also had to be at the meeting. And we had some great CE, which I got a lot out of."
Although Davis doesn’t expect to get referrals from other general dentists in the Atlanta area, he says the networking pays off. "A lot of dentists don’t understand the value of networking with colleagues, but it absolutely helps your practice," he says. From time to time, a patient in his chair will have heard of Davis from another dentist or specialist in town, who has been at a study club meeting. "They’ll say, ‘You have a great reputation,’" he says. It might not be so much the fact that the other dentist knows of Davis’s skills so much as the fact that he or she has met Davis at a study club meeting and has a favorable impression of him.
Continuing education
Daniel Kubikian, DMD, South Jersey Periodontics & Dental Implants in Sewell, N.J., started the South Jersey Dental Study Club in 2008. "We wanted to create a way for dentists to get continuing education with the same group of doctors, so we could get to know each other in the community," he says. South Jersey offers its members an opportunity to fulfill the CE requirements necessary to retain their New Jersey licenses. The group has scaled back its membership to fewer than 50 dentists (mostly generalists), in order to facilitate better education and communication.
The beauty of the study club is that it gives the dentist some options for receiving continuing education, says Kubikian. "People have different ways of earning educational credit. If they want to have interaction with others, they can do it with a conventional study club. If they want to do it in the comfort of their home [through online tools], they can do that. Some dentists want to get out of the house, others don’t." That said, most dentists who come to the study club keep coming back.
Office managers and hygienists
It’s true that the Internet offers a variety of valuable, convenient ways for people to stay connected, says Mausolf. "If somebody has a problem, they can shoot their question out in one e-mail. It’s a great support system.
"But there’s nothing better than knowing you’re going to go to this meeting, in a beautiful venue. I would never meet in a basement somewhere; these meetings are supposed to be uplifting. They know they’ll have a phenomenal meal and an hour to socialize with people they like. Then there will be some topic or discussion of something of importance. There’s nothing better than that to build relationships. No matter how technology grows, you still need that human connection."
Mausolf is a pioneer in what appears to be a burgeoning number of office managers’ study clubs. (As if an indication of the trend, the American Association of Dental Office Managers now maintains a registry of clubs across the country.) Like doctors, managers are islands. "They don’t fit in with the rest of the team, and they don’t fit in with the doctor." The study club gives managers an opportunity to come together and share their frustration, growth and success. "It’s mostly about how they can help each other work through various situations."
Mausolf got involved in office managers’ study clubs after launching her consulting business. "I went around the local community introducing myself, and I met this amazing office manager, Nannette Thorman," recalls Mausolf. "She shared with me that she wanted to start a study club for office managers. I asked, ‘Why don’t you?’ She said, ‘I don’t know how.’ I told her, ‘I think this is destiny, because I ran a doctor’s study club - a charter member of Seattle Study Club - for 12 years.’" So in 2006 the two created the UpFront Study Club for office managers. Today, Thorman is president and Mausolf is vice president of the 50-member organization.
"We cap [membership] at 50, because if you get too big, you lose people," says Mausolf. "Not everybody is as outgoing as others, and we want to create involvement among all members. If it gets too big, it becomes like an association, and you get lost in the mix. Fifty is a good number, because people get to know each other, they open up, and they create strong relationships."
Adds Thorman, "We decided to keep the group small and intimate. We didn’t want it to be too large or intimidating, so that people could get to know each other and gain a full sense of belonging. This has been challenging. We have a waiting list. There are so many people who would like to be members."
"We meet in a wonderful venue - a golf club," says Mausolf. "We can look out on the green, and the food is fabulous."
UpFront meets in November, February and May. Virtually all of its 50 members attend every meeting. "I found from the doctors’ group that it’s difficult to commit to meeting every month," says Mausolf. "And a lot of managers are women, many with younger children. So time commitment is an issue."
Topics range from practice management, to technology, rules and regulations, inspiration and motivation, health and wellness, and more. Specialists often come in to talk about their specialty, which is an eye-opener for UpFront members, roughly 80 percent of whom are from general practices. In February 2009, the club offered a session on the Delta Dental audit process, and invited other team members and dentists, says Thorman. About 140 people showed up. Support from the doctors - which was already strong - grew stronger after that meeting, she says. Today, most members’ dues are paid for by their doctors.
"One of the beautiful things about this - and I wish everybody could experience it - is that I have never seen so much involvement, excitement and participation [as I have in the UpFront group]," says Mausolf. As people share ideas and get good feedback, "you can see the shoulders go back, they’re sitting up straighter, and they’re getting reinforced that they’re doing the right thing or that they’ve done a good job. And they get some ideas to take it a step further. The meetings do a lot for empowerment, for inspiring people and building confidence."
Adds Thorman, "We can call anyone in the club to ask questions. The resources are available." Soon UpFront will add a blog on its Web site to facilitate discussions among members.
Distributor’s role
"Right now is probably the easiest time for distributors to get into office managers’ groups," says Mausolf. "They’re still more fledgling than doctors’ study clubs; they’re still a work in progress. And they need help. They want to bring in good people, good speakers. They need support beyond what their dues provide." That support can be in the form of speakers’ fees, a venue in which to meet, a meal for the club, or technology. (Business communications company TeleVox, along with Erickson Technologies, a provider of information systems management services, sponsored the creation of UpFront’s Web site.)
Clubs differ as to their expectations of distributors and manufacturers. The Atlanta group, for example, has traditionally avoided soliciting help from the vendor community, says Davis. That said, the group might consider accepting sponsorships from vendors to help defray some of the costs of the group.
Says Bui of the Pima Dental Study Club, "Our membership dues income has not been keeping up with steep increases in operating costs. Thus, we have had to solicit sponsorship to keep CE costs affordable and competitive." Dental supply companies and laboratories have been receptive to sponsorship opportunities. "Bringing in product demos is part of the sponsorship benefits," he says.
South Jersey also relies on sponsorships from manufacturers and distributors to keep dues low, says Kubikian. "I encourage vendors to have their tables out, and while we mingle at the beginning of the meeting, they can mingle and sit with the doctors." That said, South Jersey avoids using sponsorship fees to finance speakers, so that there are no questions about conflict of interest.
Building relationships
Smart reps should consider checking out their local study clubs. When Burkhart Dental Account Manager Mike Zimmermann and his family moved to the Tucson, Ariz., area a couple of years ago, one of the first things he did was inquire about active study groups in the area. That led him to the Tucson Advanced Cosmetic and Restorative Dental Study Club.
"As a sales representative, I want a way to get the Burkhart name out there, and to spend time with the doctors in a relaxed environment, where they’re not feeling pressured by a sales representative," says Zimmermann. "It works very well. It has been a great way to build my business." Today, Zimmermann is a vital part of the Tucson Advanced group, helping the group’s founder, prosthodontist Howard Steinberg, DMD, MDS, set up meetings and secure speakers.
Working with Steinberg and other group members has helped Zimmermann grow his business. That said, meetings are not the place for a hard sell. For example, he rarely sets up a table or even talks about Burkhart. "I’m just one of the members," he says.
Sidebar:
Hygienists’ meetings offer education and networking
First Impressions readers should get tuned in to local hygienists’ meetings, in addition to dentists’ and office managers’ study clubs. The reason is, hygienists’ groups rely heavily on local suppliers for assistance in funding clinical speakers or providing information about new technologies.
Unlike dentists and office managers, hygienists typically refer to their local meetings as component meetings rather than study clubs, referring to the fact that the group might be a local or state component of the national association, according to Lynn Ramer, LDH, president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. But regardless of the name, the purpose of the hygienists’ meetings is the same as that of study clubs - education and networking.
Component meetings are tilted toward clinical topics, though they do touch on practice management issues as well, says Ramer. In most cases, hygienists can fulfill many of the CE requirements needed to maintain licensure or registered status. In most cases, these groups meet at night, often taking summers off. "The hygiene profession is predominantly female," says Ramer. "When you’re trying to juggle family life and work schedules, time is always an issue."
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