Dedicated to helping doctors and their team have an office that is not only highly productive and fun but one that allows them to consistently exceed patient expectations.
November is Gratitude Month – Gratitude helps to strengthen and motivate your team, encouraging employee loyalty and engagement. This is needed now more than ever! Yes, they may show up each day physically but are they engaged? Are they also there mentally and emotionally?
One of the most common issues that I hear from dental employees is that they don’t feel appreciated. Feeling a lack of gratitude is often the main reason why they leave their employer or suffer a decline in positivity and productivity.
Hint: Sadly enough, I hear the same thing from the employer – my team doesn’t appreciate me, and/or my team is unthankful. So if you’re an employee reading this you’ll find that these same ideas for showing gratitude may be used for showing appreciation and gratitude to your employer. 🙂
Don’t assume they know that you appreciate them just because you give them a paycheck every week. Show them by your words and actions that you value and appreciate their contributions to the success of the practice.
Here are several ways for you to express and show gratitude for your dental team…
Greetings – Say hello & goodbye to your employees at the start of the day and at the end of the day.
Use your Manners – Say please and thank you. Make it a habit to say please every time you ask for something. Saying thank you improves your office, your health, and boosts morale.
Thank you notes – a thoughtful handwritten thank you note will go a long way in helping someone feel appreciated and valued.
Praise – Commend and praise your employees in front of and to your patients.
Give them your attention – Conduct quarterly commendation and performance evaluations. This also gives them an opportunity to share with you how things are going for them and their ideas to improve the office.
Feed them – Bring in breakfast, snacks, or lunch.
Invest in them – Thoroughly train your employees (new & old) on your practice goals, systems, expectations, software, telephone skills, dental procedures, protocols, etc. Include regular continuing education – you can do this with in-office training, webinars, lunch and learns, and seminars/classes outside of the office.
Gifts of Appreciation – Surprise your team with thoughtful gifts of appreciation (gift cards, cash, treats, etc.)
Work Anniversaries – Acknowledge work anniversaries. Don’t take their loyalty for granted. Make sure they feel wanted and appreciated.
Encourage Creativity – Host “Brainstorm Sessions” with prizes for creative marketing ideas, solutions to improve office efficiency, welcome more new patients, patient retention, and how to have more fun as a team.
Give them your time – Spend time outside the office with your team engaging in fun team-building recreational activities. Do this at least quarterly.
These are simple and inexpensive ways to let your team know how much you care. I encourage you to put them into action. When you do you’ll quickly learn that it is a triple win – a win for your team, a win for your patients, and a win for you (you’ll not only enjoy better health but practice growth too).
“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life. “—Northrup Christiane
Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. Or send me your email address to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you an invite to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea.
Doctors, if you would like to grow and improve your dental practice and have wondered what it might be like to work with me and what coaching is all about… please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation coaching call at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.
Did you enjoy these tips and ideas? I would love and truly appreciate it for you to please take a second to leave a review/recommendation for me here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK – Thank you!!!
The month of May brings many wonderful opportunities to reach out to and build relationships with more people in the community. Here is why:
During the month of May you have:
Teacher Appreciation Week: 3rd – 7th
National Nurses Day and Week: 6th -12th
National Hospital Week: 9th -15th
National Nursing Home Week: 9th -15th
National Police Week: 9th – 15th
EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week: 16th – 22nd
We don’t need a “reason” to celebrate and aknowledge our hard-working and awesome teachers, nurses, and police officers however the month of May gives us that extra boost to do so. Don’t let this great opportunity and privilege to reach out to the teachers, nurses, and police officers in your community pass you by.
How can you reach out to them? Here are a few ideas for you:
First, let’s start with any of your patients that are teachers, nurses, or police officers.
Pull a report with any patients that are school teachers, nurses, and police officers and send “We Appreciate You” cards to them. Unexpected and very much welcomed.
Put together some little thank you gifts to give your patients that are teachers/nurses/police officers when they come in for their dental appointment during the month of May.
Second, reach out to the teachers, nurses, and officers in the community that are not “yet” patients at your office.
Host a Favorite Teacher/Nurse/Police Officer Contest and promote it via your social media platforms. Invite the community to nominate their favorites. The winner receives FREE teeth whitening (or another special offer), a gift card to a local business, and a certificate stating they won (your office name) for the favorite teacher/nurse/police officer contest in your community.
You could easily ask for donations of prizes or gift cards from local businesses to add to the winning prize.
Deliver treats and/or toothbrush bags to your local schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices, fire station, and/or police stations.
Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement during the month of May:
At the very least you can use your social media platforms to show your love and appreciation for these special and hard-working folks in the community. (If you need help in this area: Dental Office Social Media Help and Ideas
National High Blood Pressure Education Month (why does your dentist/hygienist take your blood pressure?)
May is Save Your Tooth Month and Root Canal Appreciation Week: 2nd – 8th and Root Canal Appreciation Day: 11th
National Teacher Day: 4th
Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day: 6th
Receptionists Day: 12th
International Nurses Day: 12
EMSC (Emergency Medical Services) Day: 19th
National Employee Health & Fitness Day: 19th
National Senior Health & Fitness Day: 26
Eat More Fruits & Vegetables Day: 27th
World No-Tobacco Day: 31
There are so many ways to celebrate teacher appreciation, police officers, and nurses’ week in your dental office. If you’re looking for more marketing ideas for the month of May, please visit here: Dental Office Marketing Tips and Ideas for May
If you appreciated these complimentary ideas I would love for you to please leave me a review/recommendation here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK.
Wishing you all a very happy and productive Spring!
Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. This way, you won’t miss a single idea! Or, if you have an area(s) in the practice that you’re struggling with, feel free to comment here or email me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com
As we prepare to welcome the start of your second quarter for the year it is my goal to help you exceed your current and potential patients’ expectations, exceed your team’s expectations, gain more new patients, engage with the community, and strengthen your office systems during the month of April.
Remember that it is just as important, if not most important to consistently exceed your employees’ expectations. We all need a work environment and culture that refreshes us instead of being a drag and a drain on us.
Spring Dental Practice Management Tips & Ideas for April 2021
Spring Clean your Online Presence – Friends, please take some time now to examine your website, social media pages, and Google listing. Make sure that your office information is up-to-date, current content and photos. Check the bios, office hours, services, special offers, page links, etc. If you haven’t brought your Google business listing up to date or have yet to claim it – please do so.
Hygiene Continuing Care Reminders – Reach out to your unscheduled hygiene patients.
April 18th -24th is Cleaning for A Reason Week. Turn this into a “it’s time(past-time) for your spring dental health cleaning, examination, and oral cancer screening appointment” reminder.
Friends, do you know how many of your active patients have a future appointment and how many do not? Do you know how many new patients you are welcoming into the practice AND how many patients you’re losing each month? To help you get that data quickly, like within minutes – if your PMS is either Dentrix, Eaglesoft, or Open Dental you can request a complimentary, no-obligation practice data snapshot here: Game-Changing Awareness from Dental Intelligence – Within minutes we’ll identify your practice’s strengths and uncover hidden opportunities. I am happy to assist you with this at no charge and with absolutely no obligation to do anything further with me.
“A team that works, learns, and PLAYS together stays together.”
National Fun at Work Day: 1st – Have a silly theme for this day. (For example, Crazy hair, luau, silly socks, decades day, etc. Take and Share pictures on Facebook and Instagram)
National Dental Hygienists Week: 4th – 10th (note: this is for my Canadian friends)
Administrative Professionals Day: 21st – Celebrate your hard-working front office team!
Doctors, if you’re struggling to reach your practice goals – feel free to contact me for a complimentary, no-obligation 30-minute telephone consultation at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to see if a coaching relationship is right for you.
Also, April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month ~ An excellent opportunity for you to raise oral cancer awareness and the need for early detection to save lives. Visit here for some tips and ideas: Oral Cancer Awareness Tips & Ideas
It always brightens my day to hear from you! If you appreciated these complimentary ideas I would love for you to please take a minute to leave me a review/recommendation here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK. Thank you!!
Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month. Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address (to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.
“There is no way that the quality of patient care and experiences will exceed the quality of the people who provide it.”
It’s true if you want your patients to consistently have great experiences, accept your treatment recommendations, and refer their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to you – it takes a quality, happy, and productive team. Of course, though, it starts with you!
Set the Example – Treat your employees how you would like them to treat your best patient!
If you want to see a positive change in your practice, you must consistently lead by example… be the change. It starts at the top. You set the tone for the day, make certain that it’s a happy & productive one. This includes any employee in a management position – if you have employees complaining about your office manager, take it seriously. A toxic office manager will destroy your practice over time, at the very least, cause a staff turnover nightmare. In fact, any employee that is toxic to your vision, to your team, and/or your patients…needs to go. It’s not easy to make the decision to terminate someone’s employment, yet absolutely necessary if you want to improve your practice. It’s been said that “what you allow you encourage.” Once you make the decision to no longer tolerate or allow the poor behavior and attitudes in your practice, you’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Doctors, if you would like to grow and improve your dental practice and have wondered what it might be like to work with me and what coaching is all about… please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation coaching call at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.
Communication – “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”
Job Expectations & Job Responsibilities – What are the performance expectations for your team? Does each employee clearly understand their role in the practice?
Hello, Good Morning! – Make it a point to greet your fellow team members every morning. Let people know that you see them and acknowledge them with a hello.
Thank you – Express your appreciation. Saying thank you improves your office, your health, and the patient’s experience.
Commendation – Commend your employees when you catch them doing something “right”. Commendation boosts morale. Applaud & reward the behavior and actions that you want to see more of. Simply thanking your team at the end of the day goes a long way in making them feel appreciated.
Creativity – Host “Brainstorm Sessions” with prizes for creative marketing ideas, solutions to improve office efficiency, welcome more new patients, patient retention, and how to have more fun as a team.
Accountability – “Great teammates hold each other accountable to the high standards and excellence their culture expects and demands.” – Jon Gordon
Work Space / Office Appearance – “Clutter in your physical surroundings will clutter your mind and spirit.”
Clutter represents indecision. Decide to get rid of the office clutter!
Staff Lounge / Lunchroom – What does your breakroom/lounge look like? Is it a space that you can relax in and enjoy? Consider cleaning it up, organizing, re-decorating, and stocking with healthy snacks and beverages for the team.
Work Hard, Have Fun, Create Beautiful Smiles.
Have FUN! – You spend far too much time together at work to not have some fun too! Create a fun and stress-free environment with Team Building Activities and Events!
Here are some ideas to get you started…
In Office Fun: Potluck lunch, Send an Ice Cream or Coffee Truck to the office, Carry out lunch (team choice), Crafts, Games, & Puzzles. Turn the music up and dance. Make little appreciation gifts that you can give out to your patients at their appointments.
Healthier Teams – How about team exercise/yoga classes? Or Monday morning breakfast smoothies? Or walks outside during breaks.
Fun with Social Media – Utilize your social media pages and your Google My Business page to show your patients and potential patients what a fun office you have.
Videos – post fun team videos on your office social media pages.
Employee Work Anniversaries – Celebrate employee work anniversaries and post pictures to your social media pages.
Pictures – take fun/silly pictures with the team and your patients to share on social media, your website, and in newsletters.
Fun Dress Up/Theme Days –
What: Decorate the office, team dresses up, small prize giveaways and snacks.
Book Club – Purchase team building/self-improvement books for your team. During your monthly team meetings or at your daily huddle discuss portions of the book. Consider purchasing electronic devices such as a Kindle Fire for each employee and download books that can be discussed during a “book club team meeting”.
Check out Dental Office Leadership, Management, Marketing, and Team Building Book Recommendations here from Betty’s Bookshelf
If you have some favorites that you think I should add to my list, feel free to shoot me a message at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com – Thank you.
Incentives/Rewards – Sometimes unexpected rewards work better than expected monthly bonuses for reaching goals. Every office is different, so if you have something that is working well for you and your team continue doing it. However, if you would like some reward/incentive ideas for reaching daily/weekly/monthly production, collection, new patient, service/product, social media, and other goals but want to keep the rewards unexpected or more spontaneous, here you go…
In addition to simple, yet appreciated, thank you cards; Spa Gift Card, Good Ol’ Cash, Lunch/Breakfast, Purse/Tote bag, Gift Baskets, Plants/Flowers, Jewelry, Movie/Theater Gift Cards, Tickets to Sporting Event/Concert, Amusement Park tickets, Restaurant gift card, Gas cards and Car Wash Gift Cards.
Outside the office Fun: (depending on your location and current pandemic restrictions/cautions)Bowling, Painting Party, Shopping, Dinner, Cooking Class, Wally Ball, Sporting Event, Spa, Escape Room, Field Day (Team up with other offices), Concert, Skating, Batting Cages, Mini Golf, Pottery Class, Theater, Pool party, Skiing, Nature hike/walk, Etc.
Continuing Education – Continuing education, not just for the providers but for the entire team is a wonderful way to ensure practice growth. Not to mention, it’s a great team-building experience, one that will give you a happier and motivated team. You can do this with in-office training, webinars, lunch and learns, and seminars/classes outside of the office.
Consider incorporating a dental continuing education class with a fun event, for example, CPR Course and Pool Party.
Regular Team Training – Don’t hold back in this area! Investin your team. Thoroughly train any new employees on your practice goals, systems, software, telephone skills, dental procedures, protocols, etc. However, training isn’t just for your new employees, everyone in the office needs regular training.
Is there a chance you might have some new dental equipment or training manuals just sitting on the shelf, collecting dust? It’s most likely because your team didn’t understand or appreciate the why and the how. Knowing why and how this new idea, technique, equipment, or procedure works, benefits the patient, the team, and the office is critical to enthused implementation.
Community Involvement – Visit the local farmers market, art/street fairs, Races/Run/Walk for-a-cause, Fundraisers, Parades, Etc. Be active in your community. Pass out freebies imprinted with your office information to the people attending these community events. Be sure to take pictures of you and your team out and about in the community and share to your social media pages and website.
“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” ~ Dale Carnegie
It is my wish that these ideas and tips will help you and your team experience greater happiness at work. If you have any other ideas or things that have worked well in your office, I would love to hear about them. If you have any questions or concerns about what you’ve read today, please contact me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.
Did you enjoy these tips and ideas? I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave a review/recommendation for me on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK – Thank you!!!
Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. Or send me your email address and I will send you an invite to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea!
