November 3, 2023 by bettyhayden

Dental Leadership, Team Building, and Practice Management Tips and Ideas for November 2023

Hello friends,

Here are the Leadership, Team Building, and Practice Management Reminders and Ideas to help you benefit from a great and productive month!

Leadership Ideas

Accountability – Hold each employee accountable to uphold the same high standards of performance and attitudes. It’s been said that “what you allow you encourage.” Once you make the decision to no longer tolerate or allow poor behavior and attitudes in your practice, you’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief and the rest of your employees will know just how much you care and appreciate them.

November is Gratitude Month – Gratitude helps to strengthen and motivate your team, encouraging employee loyalty and engagement. 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. For several ways to do this, visit here: Why Gratitude Matters

Team Appreciation Ideas

World Kindness Week: 12^th – 18^th AND Random Acts of Kindness Friday: 24^th – Time to spread some kindness! – Surprise your team with a random act of kindness.

Practice Management Ideas & Reminders

Small Business Saturday: 25^th – Use this day (or all month long) to showcase or spotlight a few small local businesses on your Instagram & Facebook pages. Be sure to TAG the business in your post. It would be great if you could get pictures of the business to share with the post. This is an excellent way for you and your team to engage with local businesses and build (or strengthen) relationships.

Daylight Saving Time Ends: 5th (First Sunday) (Turn Back 1 Hour @2:00 AM)

Treatment Plans and Financial Arrangements – Every patient that has an appt. scheduled with the doctor for treatment must have a copy of their treatment plan AND a financial agreement before the appt. DON’T ASSUME that the patient is OK with their financial responsibility simply because you gave them a copy of their treatment plan and they didn’t question the cost. What often happens is they say OK and schedule and then will no-show or cancel at the last minute.

End-of-Year Dental Insurance Benefits (or HSA/FSA) Use it or Lose it Reminders – There is still time to schedule more appointments. Have you followed up with a call(s), texts, and letters to your patients who haven’t responded to your reminder emails?

Practice Owners – 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 or would like to discover areas of opportunity for your practice … please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation coaching call at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com. (Plan now to smile more in 2024)

Looking for marketing and practice growth ideas for November 2023? Visit Dental Marketing, Practice Growth, and Social Media Content Tips & Ideas for November.

I hope these ideas and strategies when implemented will allow you to end the year strong.

Before you go, would you please do something for me? If you appreciate and enjoy the complimentary ideas and content I share each month – PLEASE leave me (Betty Hayden Consulting) a review/recommendation on Google and / or Facebook. Simply click the following links… GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK– Thank you so much!!

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

Please follow and say hello to me on Facebook and/or Instagram

I would love the opportunity to work with you and your team to help you set and exceed your practice goals. If you would like to schedule a no-obligation, complimentary consultation to learn how our coaching program works, please email me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

May 21, 2019 by bettyhayden

Dental Office Open House Tips and Ideas

Hello Friends,

One of the most asked questions that I receive is ideas for hosting a dental open house event. So if you have an open house planned for your dental office or are considering hosting an open house event, here are some ideas to help make your open house a huge success!

Consider adding a theme to your event.

Event Theme Ideas:

Luau
Winter Wonderland
Back-to-School
Hearts – We “Heart” our Community or We “Heart” our Patients
Decades (ex: 50’s)
Spring – Flowers (Thank you for helping our office grow)
Celebration of Health
Fall
Women’s Night Out
Office Anniversary Celebration
Spa/Pampering
Shopping (w/local vendors)
Carnival
Cocktail Party (Wine & Appetizers)
Superhero

Target Audience:

Determine in advance who is your target audience.

Professionals/Specialists
Community (Local Businesses/Non-Patients)
Current Patients

Cross Marketing Opportunity:

Team up with local businesses!

Hair Salons, Specialty offices, Restaurants, Etc.
Display a thank you board/sign listing the local businesses involved in the open house.
Have an area that they can display their business information
Have them donate a prize to be raffled off or used in a drawing.
Ask them to advertise your event at their place of business.

Word of caution, make sure that if you choose to team up with any other local businesses that it doesn’t distract the guests away from your office.

Advertising your Event:

Invitations
Local Newspaper (Invite them to the event!)
TV News (Invite them to the event!)
Radio (Invite them to the event!)
Social Media Sites (set up a Facebook Event)
Website
Current Patients (Ask them to bring a friend for a prize!)
Newsletter
Email
Online Local News Sites
Local Chambers
Local Businesses (Library, City Hall, Day Cares, Salons, Restaurants, Schools, EVERYWHERE)
Employees (Make sure the entire team is on board w/the event and talking about it)
Flyers
Banner on building

Call To Action/Community Support:

Collect Donations for…

Winter Gear (Coats, Gloves, Scarves & Hats, Blankets)
Books
Canned Foods
School Supplies
Aluminum Can Tabs (Ronald McDonald House)

or offer:

Complimentary Oral Cancer Screenings
Smile Makeover Contest

Give-Aways:

Welcome letter/flyer (Include in it: Info about the office, services offered, a special call to action offer & a thank you for coming in)

Items imprinted with your office information, such as:

Toothbrush Bags
Lip Balm (www.lipbalmexpress.com)
Tote Bags
Pens
Coffee Mugs
Water Bottles
Flower Seed Packets
Magnets
Keyrings
Xylitol Products
Umbrellas

My favorite company to use for imprinted giveaway items is: Bizarre Marketing – www.promostuff4u.com

Activities:

Face Painting
Photo Booth with photo props
Balloon Twisting
Bounce House
Craft Table
Games
DJ/Karaoke/Live Music
Dental Health Presentations

Drawing/Raffle for Prizes:

Having a drawing(s) allows you to collect the names and contact information of the guests. Be sure to collect Name, Address, Email & Phone #.

Prize Ideas:

Electric Toothbrush
Teeth Whitening
$/% Off of a Dental Service
Gift Cards
Television/Tablet
Bicycle
Waterpark, Sporting Event, Concert, or Theatre Tickets/Passes
Gift Baskets

Team up with local businesses for contributions/donations of Prizes. Be sure to remind them that their name will be included in your advertising for the open house.

Offer an incentive (such as; gift card) to the first so many people who RSVP to your event.

Office Appearance:

The office must be clean and clutter free!! (Inside & Out!)
Restrooms – make sure they are checked during the open house for cleanliness and that they are well stocked)
Decorate the Office
Music Playing (recorded or live)
Have stations/displays set up throughout the office to encourage a tour of the entire office.
Monitors set up in reception room and treatment suites playing videos of services offered. Before and After Photo Slideshow.
Display “About Our Office & Services” Brochures

Team Members:

Well dressed and groomed
Name Tags
Friendly & Outgoing
Specific assignments (designated greeter, tour guide, speaker for dental presentations, etc.)

Food/Drink Ideas:

Bottled water with an office label
Punch/lemonade/Tea/Coffee/Wine/Beer
BBQ Foods
Appetizers
Wine/Cheese
Desserts
Ice Cream Truck (great for outdoor events)

You may be able to get a local business to donate cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, sandwich trays, fruit and vegetable platters, etc.

Day of the Event:

Smiling faces
Name tags for your guests
Give tours (Depending on the size of the event you could set up tours as a scavenger hunt)
Be ready to schedule dental appointments
Greet everyone
Take lots of pictures
Record a video of the event. Consider doing a Facebook live during the event.

After the Event:

Send Thank you’s to all of your guests and any businesses that participated in the event.
Send a follow-up article & pictures to the local paper.
Call prize winners to come into the office and collect their gift – be sure to take their picture(s).
Post pictures of the event on social media sites.

Remember, Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

To-do lists are your friend! Include a timeline & who is responsible for what & when.

Your goal should be to make your guests feel welcome, special, and appreciated. No one wants to show up to an event where they are not welcomed or confident they’re even in the right place.

Make it a Fabulous Open House Event my friends!

If you enjoy the complimentary ideas that I share each month, I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave me a review/recommendation on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK

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.

Yours for Greater Success!

~Betty

P.S. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest stop by and say hello.

October 9, 2018 by bettyhayden

Dental Team Building Activities, Rewards, and Incentive Tips and Ideas

FOR MY MOST RECENT TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES, IDEAS, & INCENTIVES Visit HERE

Hello Friends,

In response to the many requests that I receive for ideas to motivate and reward employees, I’ve compiled a list of Team Building Activities, Incentives, and Reward Tips and Ideas. I have also included several team building and customer service book suggestions.

For ideas and tips on how to have a happier and more productive dental team, please visit here: A Happy Dental Team is not just a dream!

Of course, in order to have a truly happy and productive team, it starts with you!

Set the Example – Lead by example. Treat your employees how you would like them to treat your best patient! If you want to see positive change in your practice, you must consistently lead by example. It starts at the top. You set the tone for the day, make certain that it’s a happy & productive one.

Work Hard, Have Fun, Create Beautiful Smiles.

Have FUN! – Have more fun in your office with Team Building Activities and Events!

Here are some ideas to get you started…

In Office Fun: Potluck lunch, Ice Cream Truck, Carry out lunch (team choice), Crafts, Games, & Puzzles. Make little gifts that you can give out to your patients at their appointments.

These articles have some really good ideas for team building activities: Six Quick Teamwork Games to Engage Employees at Work and this one: When I work – Team Building Games

Fun with Social Media – Utilize your social media pages 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.

Theme Ideas: Luau, Decades, Superhero, Disney, Western, Carnival, Sports teams, Pajama Day, Silly hats/hair/socks, Etc. (visit party & dollar stores or orientaltrading.com for a ton of theme ideas)

Creativity – Brainstorm sessions with prizes for marketing ideas, solutions to improve office efficiency, 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

Book Club – Purchase team building/self-improvement books for your team. During a team meeting, discuss portions of the book. Or purchase electronic devices such as a Kindle Fire for each employee and download books that can be discussed during a “book club team meeting”.

Team Building Book Suggestions:

Bring Your Whole Self to Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance – Mike Robbins

Move Your Bus – Ron Clark

FISH! – Stephen C. Lundin and Harry Paul

Fun Is Good – Mike Veeck & Pete Williams

The Energy Bus – Jon Gordon (Actually, ALL books by Jon Gordon!)

Our Iceberg is Melting – John Kotter

Who Moved my Cheese? – Spencer Johnson, MD

Everything is Marketing – Fred Joyal

The Go-Giver – Bob Burg and John David Mann

How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

Full Steam Ahead – Ken Blanchard

Million Dollar Dentistry – Gary Kadi

Be Our Guest – The Disney Institute and Theodore Kinni

Start with Why – Simon Sinek

Any other books that I should add to the list? Please message me or comment here and I’ll be sure to add to the list as soon as I read it.

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, by all means, 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, Cash, Lunch/Breakfast, Purse/Tote bag, Gift Baskets, Plants/Flowers, Jewelry, Movie/Theater Gift Cards, Tickets to Game/Concert, Amusement Park tickets, Restaurant gift card, Gas cards and Car Wash Gift Cards.

If you would like even more ideas, be sure to follow this Pinterest Board: Employee Appreciation Gifts & Meeting Activities / Team Building Activities

Outside the office Fun: Bowling, Paint a Canvas, Shopping, Dinner, Cooking Class, Wally Ball, Baseball Game, 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.

If you really want to have some FUN continuing education, take your team to TBSE! Have you heard about The Best Seminar Ever? Better known as TBSE? Seriously, it absolutely is the best seminar I have ever been to. If you’re ready to boost your team and take your practice to the next level, please check it out here: TBSE -The Best Seminar Ever

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

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

September 18, 2018 by bettyhayden

Dental Office Marketing Tips and Ideas for October 2018

Hello,

October is the start of your final quarter for the year. It’s your opportunity to make it your best fourth quarter ever. To help you plan for that, today I’m sharing some tips and ideas with you. Ideas that when implemented will keep things fresh and fun in your office. More importantly, they will exceed your patients and potential patients’ expectations which will allow you to focus on doing what you do best, helping your patients achieve healthy and beautiful smiles. Why? Because exceeding your patients’ expectations will help keep them loyal to your office.

Here are some fun ideas for October –

Many offices have made the decision to be part of October’s Candy Buy Back Program; this is a great way to exceed your current patients expectations, attract new patients and build relationships within the community. Here are a few candy buy back ideas for you:

Candy Buy Back –

Options:

Collect candy in office. Open to the Public

Or you can do this,

Team up w/local school(s) and set up collection bins in each classroom where the kids can bring in their candy and the classroom with the most candy wins a gift card or get a local pizzeria to donate pizza for a classroom pizza party for the winning classroom.

More tips and ideas for the month of October:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – See Dental Office Ideas for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

National Apple Month – See Apple Month dental tips and ideas

Service/Product Opportunity –

National Orthodontic Health Month – Use this as an opportunity to promote Invisalign. This time of year, people are thinking about gift ideas and want to get their smile camera-ready for their end of year parties.

Community Involvement Opportunity –

National Field Trip Month – Don’t wait for Children’s Dental Health Month in February to invite local schools to bring in their students for a Field Trip to the dentist. Bring them in during the month of October instead.

National Friends of Libraries Week: 21^st – 27^th ^– – See Dental Marketing Ideas for your Local Library

Educational Opportunity –

National Face Your Fears Day: 10^th – Opportunity to share what you do to help make dental visits more comfortable for the fearful patient.

National Dental Hygiene Month – Throughout the month, make a special effort to work your hygiene continuing care lists. Send emails, texts, and make calls encouraging patients to schedule their hygiene appointments. Use your website and social media platforms to share dental hygiene tips and facts with the community.

By the way, if your hygiene schedule is looking a little weak, check out these tips and ideas: Tips and Ideas to Fill Holes In Dental Hygiene Schedules

Another great way to market your dental office is by having the best team ever! To help you grow and train your dental team I suggest that you all attend TBSE 2018 (The Best Seminar Ever!). You will love it!! Plus, I’ll be there and it would be awesome to meet you in person!! See why this is truly the best seminar here: The Best Dental Seminar Ever

~ Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement ~

National Taco Day: 4th – Check out this idea for taco day…

World Smile Day: 5th

National Kick Butt Day: 8th

Boss’s Day: 16th

Get to Know Your Customer’s Day: 18th

National Knock-Knock Jokes Day: 31st

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

Are you receiving my free dental marketing and practice management ideas every month to your inbox? If not, PLEASE take a second and follow today or send me your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea ~ Thank you!

It is my wish that you all have a wonderful October!

Yours for Greater Success!

~Betty