August 25, 2020 by bettyhayden

Dental Office Marketing, Leadership, and Management Tips and Ideas for September 2020

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?”

Those are the questions I asked you all last year because I always encourage my dental office teams to be proactive by taking steps to create/design what they want their schedules, production, collections, and patient growth to look like for each month. Why wait until the end of the month to say “wow, that month was awful” or “wow, that was a great month”… and wonder, how did we do that?

Little did we know that the year 2020 would bring so many changes to our world and negatively impact the schedules in ways we could have never anticipated.

Now, here in August 2020, many offices are facing the potential for the weakest fall schedules they have ever experienced. Your schedules may actually look pretty good for September as you have been reappointing patients that had appts during the shut down. It may even look better than ever. So if you’re busy right now does it even matter what the schedule looks like for October and November? After all, there is still plenty of time to fill all of those holes, right?

For numerous reasons, it matters greatly what your schedules look like for this fall and as for having plenty of time to fill those holes, well, we know what happens with time… it goes by very quickly, especially when we’re busy!

Typically, a full hygiene schedule today means a full doctor schedule tomorrow – why is that? Approximately, 75% of restorative needs are discovered during hygiene patient visits.

Unfortunately, when there is that open chair time with no production to collect on, your overhead expenses continue without letup.

This isn’t just about money though – our focus should always be on helping our patients smile healthier and happier. When Your Patients Are Healthy – The Practice Is Healthy. To help make our patients healthier we need them to schedule appointments.

The ideas that I am sharing with you for September will help you reactivate and reappoint patients, attract more new patients, build relationships within the community, as well as exceed your current patients’ expectations.

Dental Office Leadership, Management, and Marketing Tips and Ideas for September 2020

Leadership Tips & Ideas:

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” -John Maxwell

Empower your team to focus on the possibilities of what a healthy fall schedule can look like and how that is a benefit not only to your patients but to your employees as well. Think beyond what you’ve always done to get by or your current perceived limitations– get creative with your methods for staying in touch with your current patients, reaching out to inactive patients, welcoming more new patients, and learning new things as a team to keep things fresh and motivating.

Employee Appreciation Idea – September is Self-Care Awareness Month – Self-Care has never been more important than it is right now! Give a small gift of appreciation to your employees that encourages self-care. It could be a gift card or actual gifts. (ie: spa products, chocolate, books, essential oils, teas, waterbottle, etc.)

Practice Management Tips & Ideas:

Unscheduled Treatment Plans & Hygiene Continuing Care – Reach out to all your patients with incomplete treatment plans or that are past-due in hygiene. Encourage them to schedule their appointment during the months of September, October, and November.

Insurance Renewal Letters – Send out your “Use it or Lose it reminder texts, emails, and letters.

Friends, do you know what your schedules look like for the fall months? 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.

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

Theme: Fall in Love with a Beautiful & Healthy Smile

Focus: Preventive & Cosmetic Services

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.

Local Business Marketing Opportunity:

September is National Honey Month: Give away little jars of honey with a label or tag that says, for example, “Thank you for Bee-ing an Awesome Neighbor!” or “Our Nurses are Sweet as Honey!” OR to your referring offices you can say” Your Referrals Are Sweet As Honey – Thank you!”

Patient & Community Educational Idea:

September 1^st – 7^th is National Nutrition Week – You could do a quick Facebook live video and/or post content to your social media platforms all about Nutritious School Snack Options. Perhaps, you could even create a cute, simple hand-out for your patients with a list of nutritious snack options and the surprisingly unhealthy snacks.

Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement during the month of September:

World Alzheimer’s Month

National Fruit & Veggie Month

Sweet Corn Week: 3rd – 7th

Random Acts of Kindness Day: 1st

Be Late for Something Day: 5^th / But not your dental appointment! Here is why it’s so important for you to arrive on time for your appointments…

Mouthguard Day: 7^th

Grandparents Day: 13^th

World Heart Day: 29^th

Do 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 here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK . Thank you! 🙂

Wishing you all the healthiest and happiest September!

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.

Are you receiving my complimentary Dental Practice Management and Marketing Ideas via your email each month? If not, please follow today or send me (bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

August 18, 2020 by bettyhayden

Top 30 Little Things To Make BIG Things Happen In Your Dental Practice

Hello Friends,

It’s the little details, the little things that can make the biggest impact on your practice growth and the happiness of your team.

“Sometimes the little opportunities that fly at us each day can have the biggest impact.”
― Danny Wallace, Yes Man

Best of all, the little things (ideas) that I am sharing today are FREE or very low-cost and most only require seconds of your time. The fact that they take very little time is just what we need right now, isn’t it? It is hectic, stressful, and busy during the workday but now more than ever we need to do what we can to not let these little opportunities pass us by to have happier, successful, and less stressful days!

Here is a list of 30 little things you can do starting today to greatly improve your office and in turn, your personal life too! Win-Win!

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.
Smile More – Smiles are contagious. Smile before you pick up the phone, smile to passersby, smile to your teammates, and smile in the mirror. Smiling will boost your mood, put people at ease, and makes you more likable. (Wearing a mask? Smile with your eyes!”)
Say My Name – Everyone likes to hear his or her name. Greet your patient’s by name. Use their name during treatment. Thank them by name for coming in or calling. (Tip: Ask the caller’s on the telephone what their name is and use it during the call. They’ll love you for it 😉 )
Thank you – Express your appreciation. Saying thank you improves your office, your health, and the patient’s experience.
Choose to be Positive – Your attitude is a choice and that choice is 100% within your control. Avoid spreading negativity by sharing bad patient experiences, personal problems, or problems with other team members. Choose to be happy and positive.
Be Kind – Be kind to your patients, strangers, sales reps, and callers.
I’m Sorry – Accept responsibility when you are wrong. Be honest; simply say “I’m sorry I/We messed up”. (Tip: Keep small ($5) gift cards for coffee to give to your patients when you’ve messed up, i.e. running late, lab case mistake, appt. mix up, etc.)
Friendly Greetings – Warmly greet every person that visits the office. Even if you’re on the phone or taking care of a patient, you can acknowledge the other person with a smile.
Say Please – Make it a habit to say please every time you ask for something.
Schedule Appointments – Make sure every patient leaves with their next appointment scheduled.
Check it Twice – Before you send that email, letter, or text, check it for spelling errors.
Social Media Sites – If your office is using social media sites be sure to like and follow the pages of local businesses within your community. Click the LIKE button or comment on their posts. This is an easy way to build relationships.
No Cell Phones – Turn down the volume and put your cell phone away while you’re on the clock. Ask your family and friends to call the office line in the event of an emergency. Be fully present during work hours.
Write it Down- Start and end your day with to-do lists. Write a note or set an electronic reminder to check on that claim, call your patient, check voice mail, etc. Writing things down prevents you from forgetting things that are important. (Tip: Avoid placing sticky notes around your workstation. Clutter is chaos to the patient. Place reminders in a notebook that you frequently refer to or set electronic reminders.)
Commendation – Commend a fellow team member when you catch them doing something “right”. Commendation boosts morale. (Tip: Commend & reward the behavior and actions that you want to see more of.)
Business Cards – Carry your business cards with you and use them! Get your team personalized business cards to hand out to patients and people they do business with. (Tip: Use the back of the business card with a call to action invitation.)
Stay on Time – If you’re often running behind schedule, investigate as to the reason(s) why. If you know the why… change whatever it is causing you to stray from the schedule. Running behind schedule sends a message to your patients and your team that you don’t respect their time. Arriving at the office with plenty of time before the first scheduled patient, expecting your patients to arrive on time, never wait on hygiene exams, calculate the actual amount of time it takes to do procedures, control the schedules, these things will help you stay on time.
Patient of the Day! – Select a patient from the day’s schedule to be your “patient of the day”. Give them a certificate, a small gift and take their picture to share on your social media sites. This is a fun and inexpensive way to exceed your patients’ expectations. SEE Dental Patient of the Day Ideas
Post-Op Calls – Doctors and Hygienists, call your patients at the end of the day to see how well they are doing. (Tip: Call all patients that received an extraction, perio treatment, difficult procedure, were fearful or new to the office.)
Pre-Op Calls – Doctors and Hygienists start building your relationship with a new patient before they step foot in the practice. Call and give a warm welcome, let them know you are looking forward to meeting them at their appointment. It’s unexpected, takes only a few minutes, and will really make your new patient feel special.
Send a Card – In this electronic age, rarely do people get “real” mail. Send hand-written thank you, get well, thinking of you, anniversary, sympathy, and congratulations cards to your patients. They will truly appreciate it! (Tip: Keep a supply of cards on hand in the office.)
Everybody Clean Up – Pick up the piece of paper from the floor, dust off the plants, keep your workspace, and the restroom clean. SEE Clean Your Dental Office
Replace the roll of Toilet Paper – Even if there are still a few squares left to spare, replace it with a fresh roll. While you’re at, go ahead and fold the toilet paper into a pretty fan. #kiddingnotkidding
Huddle Up – The morning meeting is essential for a successful day. If you tried in the past to have a morning huddle and it didn’t work out… try again! However, this time, please follow these tried and true suggestions & tips for morning meeting success.
Negative Gossip – Refuse to listen to gossip and stop speaking & spreading gossip. Simple. As. That.
Dress the Part – If you want it to be a great day, start by looking great. Wear clothes that reflect the excellent care you give your patients. This means wearing professional, clean, and wrinkle-free clothes. Also, your hair and body should be clean and odor-free. (Yes, I went there.) P.S. Even with all the PPE there is no excuse to look sloppy and unkempt.
Verbiage Matters – Use these words often: Absolutely, I’ll be happy to, My pleasure, You are very welcome, Certainly, and Right away.
Acknowledge and Reward Referrals – For every patient you must have a referral source, how else will you be able to track what marketing works and what doesn’t? Especially if you want more referrals from your current patients, then reward the behavior that you want to see more of. Acknowledge and Reward your referrals.
Answer the office Phone – This one is KEY to your success. All of your marketing efforts lead people to the phone first. Answer the office phone during the times when patients and new patients are most likely to call. This includes lunch hours. SEE How to Effectively Answer The Dental Office Phone
Memorable Goodbyes – Make a great last impression with a friendly goodbye…be sure to use the patient’s name. Give them something good to talk about.

“I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually, they make the difference between winning and losing.”

~Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Do the right thing, as a team work together to implement these little things in your office every day. Print this list and review it at your next team meeting. Enjoy practice growth with a happier team and happy patients.

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

Seriously, your kind words always warm my heart! Thank you!

If you would like help implementing these or other ideas into your practice and daily life, contact me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to learn more about my personalized coaching services.

Yours for Greater Success!

~Betty

Dental Coach

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

December 10, 2019 by bettyhayden

Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Marketing to Retirees and Seniors

Hello Friends,

Do your marketing efforts include marketing to seniors and retirees? Marketing to seniors typically isn’t a priority for most dentists. However, since advancing age doesn’t mean seniors cannot keep their teeth for a lifetime, why not take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to this generation? Help them to see they’re not destined to lose their teeth. Not only are there many preventive services available to them there are also many cosmetic dental treatment options to help them smile with confidence.

A few ways to reach out to Senior Citizens and Retirees:

Senior/(Retirees) Appreciation Day (In-office)
Senior Health & Wellness Expo
Direct Mail Marketing to Senior Living Communities
On-site Dental Health Education Presentations for Seniors & Caregivers
Website & Social Media Sites

Today, I’m going to focus on ideas for you to use at a community senior health & wellness fair/expo. However, many of the ideas for talking points, presentation and giveaways may be used in the other forms of marketing mentioned above.

Quick Tip: In-House Savings / Membership Plans – Loss of dental insurance may have prevented some people from seeking dental care. Do you offer an in-house savings plan? If yes, be sure to include that in your marketing materials and posts on your office social media pages and website.

Back to health fairs… they can be challenging for a couple of different reasons.

One, there are a lot of vendors and booths/displays so you’re going to want to make sure that your display table stands out. That it draws the attention of the guests.

Two, most people are there for something free. But, I guess that doesn’t really count as a challenge. It’s an opportunity for you to make sure they won’t leave your display empty-handed. You’ll have many freebies to give away that include your office information.

Many wonder what they should talk about and what sort of items should they give away?

How about these ideas…

Service Talking Points ~

Denture/Partial Maintenance & Repair
Bad Breath
Gum Disease
Xerostomia
Teeth Whitening
Orthodontics
Implants
Oral Cancer (On-site screenings)
Oral Systemic Health Link
Smile Makeover

Presentation / Demonstration ~

PowerPoint/Video presentation on a laptop/tablet/LARGE monitor with before and after photos and/or information about your services.
How To Demonstrations: Proper Brushing & Flossing Techniques

Display ~

Table Cloth
Banner (Office Name and Website address)
Brochures
Business Cards
Use nice baskets, containers, and frames to display your items.

Keep your table neat but attractive – too much information and “stuff” will be overwhelming in that setting.

Include a Big Call to Action with a deadline: You could hand out a sheet of paper that has a special offer on it: Complimentary Oral Cancer Screening, New Patient Special or Teeth Whitening Offer. On that sheet include some of the other services you offer. Also, include your social media sites and of course all your office contact info.

Make certain that you’ll have the ability to schedule complimentary consultations and New Patient Hygiene visits right there on the spot. (Access to your schedule…at the very least a copy of the schedule for the next 2 weeks.)

Very Important: Your display table must include friendly, smiling, approachable and outgoing team members (also wearing, professional & clean attire).

Other things you can do to attract people to your table…

Prize Wheel
Gift Basket Drawing/Raffle

Lots of FREE stuff! Which brings us to…

Giveaways ~

Bottled Water / Reusable Waterbottles
Healthy Snacks
Xylitol Products- Gum/Mints
Sample dental health products with a sticker or tag attached showing that a “refill” may be purchased at your office.
Imprinted Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Floss / Imprinted Floss Cards
Imprinted Pens
Magnets
My favorite idea for a quick & inexpensive freebie is Lip Balm- (my go-to; http://www.lipbalmexpress)
Reusable Bags with your Office Information on them is a handy giveaway, one that allows them to carry their free gifts in and advertise your office for you.

If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on bags, please consider using small imprinted plastic bags so no one is fumbling with their gifts.

Raffle / Drawing ~

Electric Toothbrush
Whitening Pen
Gift Cards
Gift Baskets ( Themes: Dental Health, Gardening, Seasonal items, Spa, Etc. – don’t hesitate to team up with local businesses for basket items)
Free Teeth Whitening and or $ off Dental Treatment ( NOTE: they can either check the box for which one or all that they are hoping to win. Use a full sheet of paper with prize options and large space for them to fill out their name, email, address & phone (to be used later to send nice to meet you cards).

Should you decide to use a Prize Wheel instead of Raffle/Drawing be sure to find another way to capture their information so you can follow-up with a “pleasure to meet you” thank you card after the event.

Another Quick Tip: Include the Caregivers – be sure to have information on hand and give-aways for the care-givers. Especially because it’s often the care-givers that are the decision-makers.

Encourage attendees to “like” your office Facebook page and “follow” your office on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Perhaps you can offer some type of incentive/reward for visiting your social media sites.

Take a few minutes before and after the event to briefly introduce yourself to the other vendors and businesses at the expo. Give them a gift some of your office freebies. This is a great opportunity to build relationships within your community.

So many ways for you to have a fun and successful senior health and wellness fair. Do you have any other ideas that have worked well for you? Please, share them with me.

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

Are you receiving my free dental marketing and practice management ideas every month to your email? If not, PLEASE take a second and follow today or send me your email address to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. Feel free to share my website with your dental friends.

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

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

August 14, 2019 by bettyhayden

Dental Office Tips and Ideas for September 2019

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?)

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

Betty Hayden Consulting – Dental Coaching, Practice Management, Leadership, and Marketing

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.

dental patient appreciation gifts

Dental Office Marketing, Leadership, and Management Tips and Ideas for September 2020

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