BOOKS BEFORE BELLS, FROGS WITHOUT TAILS!

In 1778, the people of Franklin, Mass decided they wanted a bell for the town’s meeting house’s steeple. They approached Benjamin Franklin, for whom the town was recently renamed in honor of his securing French support for the American Revolution. They asked him to donate the necessary funds in reciprocity for the honor.

Benjamin Franklin declined to buy the bell and instead wrote back asking if “they would accept a gift of Books instead of a Bell, Sense being preferable to Sound.”

He went on to say that a poor town such as Franklin needed a bell as much as a frog needed a tail.

Franklin purchased 116 books for the town and the first Public Library was formed in 1786.

BOOKS BEFORE BELLS, FROGS WITHOUT TAILS!

Dental Practices today are quick to buy new bells (Equipment, Technology), when they might be better served with better libraries.

Of course, I’m not referring to real books, as reading from an actual book has become synonymous with the most painful of all chores. I’m referring to a VIDEO or DIGITAL library, resources that are readily available to you and your team.

From onboarding, to cross-training, access to the up to date training materials is a key to practice success.

Making productive use of staff time is something that becomes extremely important as cancellations and open schedules increase. This too common today. You can find out how to cure that with my newest Ebook, which is yours FREE.

How To Stop Cancellations and Boost Profits.

With employment issues apparently not resolving anytime soon, making the MOST from what you have should include proper training and CROSS-TRAINING of existing staff.

Cross-training can help protect your patients by giving them the best possible experience regardless of your staffing woes. It protects you and the practice from further hemorrhaging revenue and profit due to missed opportunities and/or unproductive provider time.

For smaller, non-corporate practices, it’s vital that you do this now. They don’t have the resources the big practices have, nor do they have the luxury of over-staffing, especially true now, with wage inflation.

↓ What happens when a dental assistant calls in sick?
↓  What happens when that hygiene patient cancels at the last minute?
↓  What happens when the Doctor is running a little behind schedule?
↓  What happens when the phone keeps ringing and ringing and   ringing?

Cross-Training is a timely, money-savings practice necessity.

The Front Desk/Administrative Team should be cross trained to:o  Seat a patient
o  Set up a treatment room (Yes, they’ll have to be OSHA and Infection Control trained)
o  Basic instrument setup
o  Turnover a room
o  Sterilize instruments
o  Basic suctioning
o  Take a Panoramic or CBCT (even if that means getting certification)

The Clinical Team (including RDH’s) should be cross trained to:
o  Answer the phone properly.
o  Complete a new patient visit phone sheet and schedule a new patient.
o  Schedule a patient’s next visit (Dr. or RDH)
o  Enter a treatment plan into the computer
o  Work out financing for a small treatment plan ($3,000 or less)
o  Collect money (even if this means figuring out an insurance estimate and copay)

What resources do you have to accomplish these. How are new employees onboarded and trained to do these same tasks?

What’s in your LIBRARY?

And does your library continue to serve as a resource to keep the team abreast of current practice and patient needs?

That’s where the Coffee With The Coach  program comes in. Not only does it have resources available to help build your LIBRARY, the coaching too, helps motivate the team to perform their best.

Doctors are usually good at building their professional libraries. Building the team’s might be just as important. You need their help.

Start gathering resources. Sign up for the Coffee With The Coach  program. Empower your team to help you through these challenging times.

To better “SENSE” making more CENT$,
Michael

P.S. Fortunately for you, I’ve practiced through many recessions (6) as well as the inflation of the 70’s and 80’s. I’ve persevered and thrived and so felt an obligation to help other dentists excel as I have. Let me help you too. Giving back is what I enjoy, even after “retirement”. Thank you for allowing me to continue to fulfill my mission. Let me know if you enjoy the FREE EBOOK.

P.P.S. Next week I’ll discuss why FROGS shouldn’t have TAILS!