Hello Friends,

What does the month of September typically look like in your office? Do you struggle to fill the schedule? Or do you find that it is a productive month for you? Whether or not September (aka Sucktember) is a historically slow month for your office – we’re going to make it a Supertember! Who wouldn’t love that?!

The ideas that I am sharing with you for September will help you attract more new patients, build relationships within the community, as well as exceed your current patients’ expectations.  As always, my goal is to also help you all stress-less and have more fun at work!  Even if you can’t fill the schedule despite your best efforts – we can still make it a productive & happy month.

Leadership Tips:

 “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.”  Arnold H. Glasow

Clarity – Do you have a clear vision and fully know your “why” behind that vision?  If you want your team to focus on change and take ownership of their responsibilities, they need to know what’s in it for them. To be engaged they need to know the “why.

Communication – Your body language and tone of voice send cues to your team as to whether you really care or not. Are you approachable?

Courage  – Your team must believe that you understand them and want to help them succeed as they take ownership of their responsibilities instead of micro-managing them which moves them to believe that you think your way is the only way and that you don’t trust them.

Care – Put your team first…always. Treat your team like they make a difference and they will.

Practice Management Tips –

Office Yearly Goals – September will close out your third quarter for the year – will you surpass the third-quarter numbers from 2018?  Where are you at with your Production, Collection, and New Patient Goals for 2019? What needs to change in order to successfully reach your goals? Discuss this as a team.

Unscheduled Treatment Plans & Hygiene Continuing Care –

Insurance Renewal Letters – Send out your “Use it or Lose it reminder texts, emails, and letters. Pick up the phone and call your patients that have treatment planned, maximum remaining that renews in January but hasn’t scheduled appointments to start/complete treatment.

September is National Courtesy Month – Take this opportunity to remind your patients that: “As a courtesy to our patients we remind you of your dental reservation 2 days prior. We kindly request that you try to keep your dental appointments as scheduled. If you do require a scheduling change, please notify us with at least a 48 hours notice of your appointment date. Thank you!”

Take control of the schedule. Here are some helpful tips and ideas: How to Reduce Same-Day Cancellations

Marketing Tips and Ideas – (Exceed Expectations for your current patients and the potential new patients that you engage with in your community.):

I will give you two theme ideas:

 Theme #1: Fall into a Beautiful & Healthy Smile

Focus: Preventive & Cosmetic Services (ie: add “would you like to whiten your teeth at your dental hygiene visit?)

Giving-Away – Drawing for a Fall Themed Gift Basket / Patients can enter the drawing by leaving a review on Google and/or Facebook, referring their friends & family, and for coming in for their appts in September.

Theme #2: Patient Appreciation

September is National Honey Month: Give away little jars of honey with a label or tag that says, “Thank you for Bee-ing our Patient!” or “Our Patients are Sweet as Honey!”

Patient & Community Education Idea:

September is World Alzheimer’s Month – Share educational posts to your social media platforms and website about the connection between dental health and Alzheimer’s disease.

Learn more here: https://www.perio.org/consumer/alzheimers-and-periodontal-disease

Also, use this as an opportunity to educate your patients and the community about the importance of dental health care for Alzheimer’s patients in helping to keep them comfortable and healthy.

Social Media Content Post Ideas to Improve Engagement with your Current Patients, Potential Patients, and the Community.

National Cheese Month

Grandparents Day: 9^th

Banana Day: 14^th

National Clean-Up Day: 21^st / Schedule your all-important professional dental cleaning, examination, and oral cancer screening.

First Day of Fall: 23^rd

World Heart Day: 29^th

National Chewing Gum Day: 30^th

I recommend that you choose at least pick one marketing item and one practice management item to implement – work together to make it happen and you will see greater results, more quickly! 🙂

If you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month, I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave a review for me on Google and/or Facebook – here are the links: GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK

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!

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest