By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Technology is a marvellous thing. Clinically it has transformed how dentistry is performed, and provides an amazing range of treatment options for patients. So too there have been great changes in how the tasks of reception are executed.

The introduction of computers and dental software has meant that practices now have the ability for detailed documenting and highly efficient processes for areas such as recalls and following up incomplete treatments.

When I had my practice between 2003 and 2013, I was also the receptionist-practice manager. With the amount of work I needed to complete on a daily basis, I was eager to utilise as many time-saving features of my Dental 4 Windows program that I could.

The software certainly saved time and improved efficiency in all areas that I applied it. However, I found that there were some tasks that were still best managed manually in order to achieve the desired outcome. These tasks centred on patient communication.

For example, consultation confirmations. Software supported confirmation via SMS, and completion of the task takes just seconds. But I always felt that more was achieved when I telephoned the confirmations. Often the call would extend to:

• clarification of time and length of consultation
• clarification of patient expectations of what was to occur at that days’ consultation
• reminder to patients to take antibiotic cover if needed
• reminder to patient to bring along OPG/grinding splint/other such items needed for treatment
• answer any queries that patient has.

Every conversation we have with a patient is another reason to strengthen the relationship with them. Stronger relationships mean deeper patient engagement. Engaged patients are more likely to keep consultation times, proceed with advised treatment and recommend family and friends to your practice.

My preference for management of these patient-communications was:

• consultation Confirmation – phone call
• Incomplete Treatment – printed postal mail including treatment plan, then phone call
• Recalls – printed postal mail
• Outstanding Accounts – printed postal mail, then phone call
• Thank You for Referral – printed postal mail or phone call

As I stated, technology is a marvellous thing. But I do encourage you to remind yourself what the outcome for each process is. If the only outcome is to get the task completed as quickly as possible, then investigate how your dental software can accomplish this.

“Alternatively, if the goal of the process extends beyond just efficiency, and is one of the many ways you extend great customer service, then choose function over efficiency!”

I learned early on in my time as a practice owner the importance of developing solutions to problems FAST.

A stumbling block to this process that I used to experience is one that I now see JPPS clients suffering. When a problem is caused by a staff members’ mistake, for some, there is a desire to bring that staff member to a space where they are noticeably remorseful, or feel deep regret. This may come from an ‘eye for an eye’ mindset where if you feel slighted, the person responsible should also feel upset, to even things out.

However let me assure you, to deal with problems in this way is destructive; destructive to your relationship with your staff, and destructive to the process of developing solutions.

You may think that focusing on the mistake is a way of making sure it doesn’t happen again, and that you are then perceived as dealing with the problem effectively. This is not the case. It is more likely that others will see you as petty and controlling.

Studies on human behaviour show that when we are called upon to solve a problem, certain parts of our brain become more active. Interestingly, it is also these very parts of the brain that become stifled when we feel badly about ourselves. Making someone feel guilty or blamed results in that person being LESS able to contribute to any kind of solution. On the other hand, helping someone feel empowered and valued makes these problem-solving parts of the brain active and alive.

Moving beyond unhelpful traits make us better leaders. I encourage you to reflect upon your reaction when people around you make a mistake. Do you get stuck in the problem in your attempt to garner remorse? Instead, choose to empower your staff and get to the solution FASTER!

By Rose Holdsworth and Kelli Dearlove, People In Practice

We live in a savvy world

As consumers become more aware about what they want and how they allocate their money they also demand that their provider be recognized as a star performer and worthy of those precious dollars. They take their choices seriously and will use what is often their discretionary investment in a considered and informed way. Long gone are the days that consumers see their medical and dental professionals as undisputed. They demand value for money from all walks of life.

Correlation between savviness and quality

Quality has long become an overused word. Its quality this and quality that. Someone is making millions out of that single – subjectively ambiguous word.

So what does it mean for your patients?

This is something that you should be assessing on a continuous basis. How to assess? Ask them – because people love to tell you what you could do better especially if what you do is costing them money. Some of the easy and effective ways to do this are through Patient Feedback Forms for your older and less technically inclined patients or a click on your website for the more advanced Gen X through to millennials who are much more likely to go straight to media. The problem lies in what to do once they have pointed out something that might need improvement?

By the way – the above paragraph is somewhat of a generalization – I am a baby boomer and quite happy to click and tick as opposed to continue using my handwriting skills honed into me by the Sisters of the well shod daughters. But I digress.

Be the practice of first choice

A more strategically viable way of defining what is quality and using that patient feedback is to go through the Accreditation Process and reassess your current practices and service standards.

You have heard about Dental Industry Accreditation. You registered in your mind that perhaps you better look into it when you get some time. How are we doing so far? Don’t worry you are more focused on your art of Dentistry. This paperwork stuff is a diversion right?

Your patients will love being able to say that they go to an accredited dental practice and you will as a practice reap the benefits of market share improvement in what has become a hugely competitive market sector. Accreditation gives you a point of difference compared to the 10 other practices in your 2 km radius.

What is Accreditation?

The Dental Practice Accreditation is currently voluntary at present. So you can go through the process in a manner where you can take your time and make haste slowly or wait until legislation makes it mandatory. In the latter case things get hectic as you try to run your practice and move through the process at someone else’s pace. As a practice owner the ideal is to maintain control of what gets done and more importantly when it gets done.

It involves in general terms making sure that your practice essentials are up-to-date, legal and efficient. The standards cover employee relations and benefits, health and safety, immunisation records, patient care, recording and storage of key information and management of policies and procedures. A key criteria for success is that not only do you end up with quality paperwork and processes but that you can actually prove that you are doing what you say you are doing. That all takes time and effort that practices do not necessarily have at their disposal in a busy environment.

Benefits?

As I have stated above, accreditation is not yet legislated but it will be in the near future. It has been a pattern in all professional and commercial sectors where they are going through their own enforced accreditation processes.

As government starts to provide stricter rules and regulations about work practices and service delivery standards these processes will graduate from voluntary involvement to ` must do’ in order to operate in your chosen market.

Like other sectors, Professional Indemnity, Professional Memberships and consumer awareness will all want to see the Practice accredited as a high quality, high standard and compliant operation before they decide to cover your liabilities or bring their families to your doorstep.

An added benefit for those of you who might be thinking of selling your Practice in the future and retiring to live out your life dreams. Being an ‘Accredited Practice’ will make your business more valuable to potential buyers when negotiating that end price.

People in Practice was founded specifically to service the increasing demand from dental practice owners for assistance with one of their biggest challenges — their people. Alongside that, the growing demand from government to push through Accreditation across the dental industry will mean that Practices will need to have their systems and processes up to date and compliant.

We provide dynamic solutions, through our performance strategies, “accreditation ready” programs, employment contract / pay rate reviews, cost reduction for maximising asset value, and Fair Work employer representation services.

People in Practice is a one stop human resource management service to the dental industry that provides the essential backup to support our Practice Principals and dental business owners to increase “gross revenue and business value through smart people strategies that are realistic, achievable and cost effective”.

Together we bring a range of skills to partner with you, your Practice Manager and staff.

Please call us for a conversation at no cost to you.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Over the years of being both an employee and employer, there here have been particular instances of employee unhappiness that have caused me to deliberate.

They have been times when the employer has been seen to do all the ‘right’ things. They pay above-award wages, are clear about all employee entitlements, create a supportive and caring work environment and personally acknowledge the efforts of the employee. But then something seemingly minor happens – for instance the employee requests time off that is outside what they are entitled to and the request is refused, or the employee starts arriving 10 minutes late most days and is spoken to respectfully by her superior to rectify it – and the employee exhibits feelings of disappointment, hurt and sometimes anger.

On the surface, the employer is complying with workplace laws and upholding business standards and fair work practices so it therefore seems unreasonable for the employee, in such situations, to get upset.

But there is upset. There is something I was not getting here. So I deliberated…

I came to the conclusion that the issue is the ‘currency of employment’. Let me explain.

The arrangement everyone agrees to is clear. The employer and employee agree to exchange money for performance. Problems arise when there is a perceived disparity in this trade.

Consider a square table separating an employer and an employee. The employer places a stack of money on the table, and slides it to the middle of the table. This is the employer’s currency. There is a definitive and finite value to it. If it is $1,000, then it is $1,000 – no more, no less. The employee, in return, places their performance on the table. They start to slide it in to the middle. They see their years of experience and know-how in this, their currency. They see their blood, sweat and tears, their triumphs, and their weaknesses. What value is there in this? If it’s not $1,000, then what is it?

While the employer is satisfied with the trade of money for service, the employees in the above examples are upset because they are trading their currency which has an infinite value. Yes, they are paid the money, but they are left expecting more. They are worth more, aren’t they?

So how do we work with this reality and all still be happy?

For starters, being aware of the underlying mindset is powerful in itself. But the solution is to reassure your employees that you ‘see’ their talent and commitment to your practice. Acknowledgement and praise are vital to ensure employees feel valued, and to ensure they know when they are meeting expectations. But during any situation where the employee feels they are treated unfairly when they consider how hard they work, discussing the value you see in them and highlighting what you see as their strengths goes a long way.

“The currency for employment is not just money for performance. It’s the human element too. It’s a package deal.”

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a story of a time that I am not proud of…but am grateful for. Grateful because it established in me a commitment to never repeat this behaviour.

It occurred about a year or so prior to me buying my dental practice in Brighton, Victoria. I was working with a great staff; High energy, happy and supportive. I was receptionist and one of my responsibilities was to arrange the monthly staff meetings. Every practice in Australia appreciates that it is quite a task. Getting all staff in the one place at the same time when there are different shifts and routines, I have since accepted and embraced, is often not an achievable outcome. But at this stage of my career I still possessed that young and incorrect perception that others should feel compelled to do what I ask…

One of the people I had worked with, Vivienne, (not her real name), was one of a kind. She hailed from Canada. So very polite, so very gracious. Vivienne never had a bad intention towards anyone, only love and support. She was so sweet that others upon meeting her would ask me, “Is she for real or is it an act?”

I approached Vivienne with the plans of the staff meeting. I was pleased as punch as everyone else had said they were able to attend. However Vivienne said she would not be available. I felt the frustration rise in me. I heard that young, misguided voice say out loud to Vivienne “Whatever Vivienne. Everyone else can come so the meeting is happening.”

BANG! Peaceful, loving, gentle Vivienne slammed her hand on the coffee table. I jumped. “You will NOT speak to me that way!”

Wow.

For Vivienne to react to my poor attitude in such an instant and obvious way told me that this had not been the first time that I spoke to her with disrespect. I was horrified, and became more horrified as the moments ticked by. In all my years working with Vivienne I had never heard her raise her voice or challenge anyone. I had let her sweet manner to mean that it didn’t matter how I treated her. And now she was reacting like this…because of me.

I apologised to Vivienne. I sat down with her and assured her that I knew I was wrong. That she did not deserve to be dealt with in such a flippant and hurtful way. And, because she is a beautiful person, Vivienne forgave me. It never happened again.

I reflected over my intentions when I responded so badly. What did I expect? For Vivienne to turn and say “Oh no, I didn’t think my absence would upset you Julie! I WILL BE THERE!”

As I stated, I am grateful for this experience. It is unfortunate that at times we need something dramatic in order for us to make fundamental change. I came away with a lesson that I still live by today, and will so forever.

LESSON: Regardless of what is happening, always address people with respect.

Taking this lesson through my practice ownership was imperative to my success. It is imperative to your success, too. Forcing people to do what you want them to do is a sign of bad leadership. As leaders – as staff members – we will be successful if we inspire. Inspire enthusiasm and participation in others. Work with people on solutions rather than forcing people to fall in line.

“There are many roads to Rome. Disrespecting those around you in any way is not one of them.”

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Giving and receiving negative feedback is fraught with apprehension for all involved. For the deliverer it requires a thoughtful approach. But even when a lot of care is taken, the receiver can still react with anger. For the recipient of negative feedback, the initial response is to feel threatened and challenged.

Why do we react adversely to a critique of our performance?

It comes back to our most primitive of reactions: the fight or flight response. We see it as a dangerous situation. Our internal processing connects to all the other times we have faced negative situations and we react from this space of fear.

In primitive times our survival depended upon our standing within our groups. Negative feedback can set off a response of exclusion that further adds to our apprehension around criticism.

Changing, or re-framing, our mindset is the key to shift our processing of negative feedback from one of withdrawal to one of power. Living with a growth mindset allows us to embrace all that aids in our progress, which includes being open to criticism. Seeing criticism as a driving force for self-development and better performance is a powerful state.

Re-framing your mindset

Re-framing is a method by which you can derive a different and more positive experience from a situation and/or stimuli.

Step 1 Contemplate the thoughts you currently ascribe around criticism. How are these thoughts helping and protecting you? How are these thoughts preventing you from either enjoying the process, or experiencing personal growth? Awareness and introspection is the first step towards your re-frame process.

Step 2 The second step is to identify a perspective around criticism that will engender feelings of personal empowerment to drive growth. Provide yourself with more powerful beliefs around criticism.

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body, it calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” -Winston Churchill

Belief: criticism is a call to action

“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”-Aristotle

Belief: criticism means I am progressing

Step 3 The third step is to make a commitment to yourself that you will put your new growth-mindset in to practice.

“Don’t be crushed by criticism. Have it inspire you to be better!”

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

It’s easy to let our days become monotonous. We turn up to the same place and perform the same general functions. If we do not make this time more meaningful, we run the risk of it slowly becoming meaningless. I found that giving myself daily ‘projects’ helped me start every day off inspired.

During the years of practice ownership, I used to have a 50 minute drive to work every day. Because I aimed to learn as much as I could about business and people management, I would use my commute to listen to audio-books, podcasts and YouTube clips on all topics that I felt would improve my performance.

Regardless of the content I was listening to, I would always find myself resonating with one, often small, element. It may have been to focus more heavily on showing appreciation to our more loyal patients, or improving how I could be training a new staff member in our practice protocols. It was often being inspired to inner-grow, such as a commitment to myself to remain calm and peaceful regardless of any potentially stressful moments through the day (“Be like water”…Bruce Lee).

Man of many talents Tony Robbins promotes his ‘CANI’ principle. CANI is Constant And Never-ending Improvement. I adopted this as one of the principles I would live by. Every day I would focus on one particular area to improve and master. I would hold this focus for the whole day, putting my project in to action when I could.

Often a project would not be simply adding something new, such as implementing a new procedure. Instead it was actually replacing one habitual response with another. This improvement takes much more effort. You need to be mindful of the triggers that prompt the old reaction and consciously shift your reaction to your new, chosen and more desirable one.

This commitment to constant small improvements has made an enormous difference to my life, and my character. It has pushed me to grow. It has also revealed how much growth there is to come.

“What you feed grows. What you starve dies.”

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

The ones within a business who hold the strongest commitment to the vision, values and systems are the owners and managers. However as you employ more people to support your practice growth and delegate tasks away from you, it is easy to hand over complete responsibility of these tasks and never do them again yourself.

Often within my practice, I would notice little things occur. Sometimes the practice A-frame sign wouldn’t be put out. Or the floors needed to be vacuumed when leaves had blown in on a windy day. For staff, it is human nature to conserve energy, and sometimes we are so close to a situation we start to go blind to the little things. As the owner I had the option of directing a staff member to complete the task, however this would likely only work short term. I also had the option of raising the minor issue in a staff meeting, but by that time the relevance and importance would be difficult to convey.

Instead, I would perform the task myself. I would do it happily and without announcement. I decided to SHOW people what I expected, rather than TELL them.

The outcome was always instant. You could feel the raising of performance, even in very minor ways. The effect was lasting as well. (The A-frame sign, for example, was then out on time the following morning.)

As owners and managers it is up to us to set the standard. And you cannot achieve this with words alone. It is your ACTIONS that people will follow.

“A leader leads by example, not by force.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Have you ever been surprised by a staff-member tending their resignation? You shouldn’t be. I say they should have felt safe enough, and seen you open enough, to share their feelings before it came to quitting. More on that in a minute…

In my early days of staff management, I never used to ask people if they were satisfied in their role. What if they said ‘no’? What if they requested something that the business could not give. What if their input opened up a ‘can of worms’? So to avoid this uncomfortable situation, I simply avoided this kind of discussion. However there was a cost to closing off this level of communication: my awareness.

Once I owned my own practice, I felt more obliged to the people I worked with. After all, I was the one who was now in control of the working environment that was created. I decided to take on that responsibility enthusiastically and be proactive in my management of staff happiness. I did this by incorporating the following three elements:

1. Open and Eager: Whenever a staff member approached me for discussion, I immediately stopped what I was doing (baring speaking with a patient) and smiled at them with an ‘eager to please’ intention. I wanted to know how I could help. The more happy the staff member, the better their approach to patients. The more problems I solve for them, the higher their personal performance. Therefore it was in my interests, and the interests of the business to maintain a high level of happiness with the staff. To gain the needed clarity around troublesome issues, it was up to me to create the environment where staff felt encouraged and safe to communicate with me.
2. One-on-One Discussions: Every few months I would directly ask each staff member how they were traveling. What is making them feel happy within the practice? What is making them feel unhappy? Is there anything I can do to create a better environment for them? As an employee, this step truly shows how much they feel cared for. (Feeling ‘cared for’ is one of the top reasons staff remain loyal.)
3. I quickly dispelled the fears of not having a solution for every issue by releasing the need to deliver a fix straight away. Sometimes there is an obvious and easy solution, and that’s great. But for those trickier times, my response was, “I hear you. Leave it with me so I can mull things over. I’ll get back to you with a plan.” This is a powerful sentence because it, i) reassures the staff member that what they say is important, therefore they are important, ii) lets you step away and create the time and head-space you need to deliberate, and iii) assures the employee that you both have the power, and also intend to, make things right.

What if there are no solutions to a problem? The decision to keep things as they are for now and discuss instead how staff can better process the challenging situation is also a resolution. There is growth and development in that space. The answer is not always going to be exactly what the staff member wants, or exactly what the business wants. A solution is often a negotiation towards something that suits both.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become you habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”-Mahatma Gandhi

I thought of the above quote from Mahatma Gandhi. I have always loved it and in fact use it as my ‘behaviour map’. I determined that to be able to address my actions I needed to first address my beliefs. Did I honestly hold the belief that running a business would not have problems? That staff would never be sick? That lab results would always arrive on time? That every process I implemented would be instantly embraced by all staff? I have been working in dental surgeries for 28 years and these three events happen…ALL THE TIME! So I changed my belief to using Pareto’s 80:20 principle. Things run smoothly 80% of the time, and then 20% of the time, they don’t. I embraced this concept.

So if you want to avoid losing good people, only discovering their reasons for unhappiness at the time they quit, I encourage you to develop your communication skills.

Provoke the clarity you need to keep your best people at their best.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

When I bought my practice in 2003 I quickly learned that things were no longer straightforward. Whether I was organising finance for an equipment purchase, arranging a staff dinner or achieving a ‘well-planned for’ goal, the path always threw up ‘interesting’ barriers.

Initially these interruptions to progress frustrated me enormously. I was a ‘planner’, and paved a sturdy path to every goal. How dare people and events not conform to my plan! I had read that “disappointment is the distance between expectations and reality”, and felt this to be true.

My frustrated response, however, did nothing to either improve my situation, or aid the speed with which I restructured my plan. Contemplating on my angst lead me to realise that it was my EXPECTATIONS that were the problem, not the situation. There are so many influences on the events and people in our world. I acknowledged that to expect the universe to shift in to my gear, at the expense of all others, was both ludicrous and never going to happen. In effect, I was setting myself up for disappointment again and again.

So I taught myself a new rule of life. There are many exciting journey’s in life, and enthusiastically tackling the barriers that interrupt our path to success is one of them. I started to relish the challenge of overcoming the expected obstacles quickly and efficiently. I no longer resented it when things didn’t go smoothly. I instead developed a strong belief that the eventual result would always be better that what I could ever plan, because this result was one that embraced the desires of many, not just my own.

If you find yourself discouraged and disappointed when others fail to conform to your plan, shift your mindset. Plan big, overcome issues powerfully, and be happy and inspired on your path to success.

Julie Parker Practice Success (JPPS) clients have increased their treatment plan acceptance rates from 65% to 75% — increasing turnover by at least $80K per annum. What would it mean for your practice if your treatment plan acceptance rates increased by just 10%?

Spend an evening with world-class speaker and JPPS co-founder Charles Kovess, together with Julie Parker, as he reveals to you the psychological and compelling reasons why your patients will WANT to embrace your treatment plans and improve their smiles and health.

Stop falling into the trap of having money be the deciding factor for your patients. Outstanding communication skills with patients is vital to every dental practitioner’s success.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Self-control is a vital skill to master when you are managing a group of people.

I know from my early practice-ownership days that certain situations would challenge me. Such as staff calling in sick, not checking lab work had arrived for an imminent insert appointment and staff not following a process that had already been explained. Despite priding myself on being a fair and caring boss with realistic expectations, my initial reaction to these occurrences was annoyance and frustration. These negative reactions came across in my facial expression, my tone of voice and, of course, in what I said at the time. And I was always assured to feel regret just moments after.

I reflected upon this characteristic of myself. I was not proud of it and if I truly wanted to master leadership, I had to change my behaviour.

I examined my current process and realised that these seemingly slight issues would spark a stronger reaction in me than the larger issues. I determined that my bad reaction was to those situations that had an immediate impact on the smooth running of the surgery for that moment or day. You usually have time to contemplate the larger issues that arise in a business, but the smaller ones interrupt you and demand immediate attention.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become you habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I thought of the above quote from Mahatma Gandhi. I have always loved it and in fact use it as my ‘behaviour guide’. I determined that to be able to address my actions I needed to first address my beliefs. Did I honestly hold the belief that running a business would not have problems? That staff would never be sick? That every lab job would arrive on time? That every process I implemented would be instantly embraced by all staff? I have been working in dental surgeries for 28 years and these three events happen…ALL THE TIME! So I changed my belief to using Pareto’s 80:20 principle. Things run smoothly 80% of the time, and then 20% of the time, they don’t. I embraced this concept.

Then I chose what my reaction to problems was to be.

So, I made a commitment to myself that no matter what happened, I would be light-hearted and encouraging. I would not let the urge to ‘blame’ or be passive aggressive be a part of me or the management of the situation (by anybody).

The processes put in place to resolve these issues were the same. My self-management though was different and my team (and I) were happier because of it. The calmer, more effective approach to problem solving is also seen and adopted by others, making a smarter and more resilient team.

So smile in the face of these minor disruptions and I promise you will have a happier practice because of it!

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

The existence of trust is vital to the success of any relationship, whether it be a friendship, a loving partner or the relationship you have with your children.

It cannot be overstated how important it is for any manager to foster trust. You will not achieve appropriate levels of engagement and employee commitment without it. Trust is so essential to your success that if you feel ineffective in this area, my advice to you is to stop everything else and get good at it!

Follow my 5 pillars of trust

Pillar 1: walk your talk

Think about your business. Is there a stated ‘culture’ in your workplace? What are the standards you have established for customer service and workplace orderliness? Always act in accordance with the standards you set out for others. Your people will develop faith in you when they see that you are committed to the mindsets, processes and systems of your business.

Pillar 2: honour your promises

This is a big one. How can anyone be expected to trust in someone when they fail to keep their promises? The minute you make a commitment to an employee, whether it be an assurance of future training, or simply keeping to a certain time-frame in a staff meeting, they will be looking to see whether or not you are trustworthy. You must keep to your word. If the situation plays out that you are forced to break a promise, then be open and discuss this with the employee/s. You can still establish trust under these circumstances, as long as you take appropriate action.

Pillar 3: responsibility

If you are an owner or manager of people, step up to the responsibility that you hold. Be mindful that people are ‘at your mercy’ in that YOU are the one who creates and fosters the environment in which others are expected to perform. Ensure you generate an atmosphere that encourages, supports and cares for each and every individual.

Pillar 4: show up

Many times new policies need to be introduced, staff performances to be assessed and sensitive issues discussed. Distinguish the difference between situations that can be taken care of via emails and phone-calls, and those that are more sensitive and are best handled one-on-one. Show up when staff need you. Empower them to question, clarify and discuss issues that affect their environment.

Pillar 5: consistency

Research studies show that employees would rather a consistently aggressive manager, over one who is only spasmodically great. People trust in the consistency of your behaviour. Commit to managing your people to a standard, and then perform to this standard every time. Any erratic behaviour on your part will definitely reduce your chances of building trusting relationships.

People don’t trust your words, they trust your actions!

DentiCare is the preferred payment plan solution in Australia with over 2,000 dentists using it for their patient payment plans. DentiCare is specifically designed to connect more of your treatment with more of your patients.

Selling dentistry is stressful. In fact, from what we are hearing, it’s also getting harder to maintain production, attract new patients and enjoy dentistry at the same time.

These concerns are global and with our 20+ years experience consulting with dentists around the world, we consistently hear that selling dentistry is one of the most significant issues for dentists.

What manifests from this stress is that many dentists are struggling to sell to and convince patients to accept the optimal treatment that they know they need.

This makes practicing a drain.

And when done incorrectly, has more damaging effects such as loss of trust, loss of patients and even a loss of confidence.

We developed Primespeak to solve these problems.

Primespeak is now presented each year in the US, Asia, UK and NZ and is described as the leading dental communications course globally.

“Primespeak has been a revelation in the difficult task of gaining patient trust and increasing treatment acceptance” – Dr Lex Franks

I’d like to share the 3 pillars of Primespeak that are proven to increase treatment acceptance rates and eliminate sales stress.

3 pillars of Primespeak

1. Make patients aware of their current oral health and the damaging effects of any existing conditions.

What this does: gives the patient a sense of ownership over their problem.

2. Ensure your patient understands their treatment options and knows that any treatment is entirely their decision.

What this does: gives the patient a sense of control over the situation.

3. Regardless of the treatment they choose, treat patients with complete respect for their decision.

What this does: gives the patient a sense of support they’re unlikely to get from other dentists.

Do these steps correctly when communicating with patients and they will feel ownership over the problem, in control, supported and respected.

If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to benefit from either of the no cost options below:

If you have never done Primespeak

If you’ve never attended a Primespeak Seminar before, you might be wondering how good your current communication skills are, and whether they need to improve.

We’ve created the Optimal Communication Checklist to quickly evaluate your patient communication skills. This short 11-question checklist will quickly let you know how your communication skills compare with industry best practices.

If you are a Primespeak alumni

If you’re a Primespeak Seminar graduate and would like to refine and hone your skills, we have something for you.

I’d like to introduce you to the new Primespeak Alumni Learning Centre, where we feature no cost bite-sized training videos to help you put your Primespeak skills into practice.

If you have any questions about Primespeak, I’m here to help — email brett.churnin@primepractice.com.au or call +61 2 8935 0600.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Upset or angry patients can really put you off. You find yourself feeling intimidated and reacting to them rather than being in control and using effective communication.

Because upset patients rarely give you advance notice that they are about to become confrontational, you need to plan now, and have it in your back pocket ready to use when necessary. Become very familiar with your plan through training such as role-playing so you are comfortable with the words you will be saying, your body language, voice tonality and demeanour.

Firstly, let’s understand the patient behaviour.

Why do people become angry?

People become angry when they feel they need to defend themselves against what they believe is being victimised, treated unfairly or being disrespected. Remember, it is their perceptions that you are dealing with, not the facts of the situation. One of your objectives is to effectively communicate the ‘facts’ to each patient (see The 3 Step Plan below).

Angry people have a form of victim mentality: they are expecting others to ‘right’ their perceived wrongs. Their emotional state is driven by thoughts of:

• I am HURT
• I am being IGNORED
• I am being DISRESPECTED
• I have been ‘RIPPED OFF’
• I am UNLOVED or UNCARED for

Ego is usually the basis for someone throwing their weight around. An out-of-control ego is extremely susceptible to the slightest pokes and scratches, and is a common syndrome of angry, upset or confrontational people.

The plan

Step 1 — diffuse the anger

The key is to have calmer patients. They will not hear you, or seek to understand you, if they remain angry. Angry people believe that the best way to solve their problem is to remain obviously upset, and to maintain this level of aggression until they are satisfied that you have heard and understood them.

The way to diffuse the anger is to establish in their minds:

1. I hear you (LISTEN to their version, without interrupting)
2. I understand you (EMPATHISE by stating “I understand why you are upset.”)
3. I am going to help you (ACTION “Thank you for discussing this with me. I am now going to investigate the issues so I can develop a solution for you.”)

Step 2 — gather information

Understand each scenario by gathering facts from all people involved through participation or bearing witness. No one person gives you an accurate account of events because they only offer their personal perception of what occurred.

From the patients:

Initially, you will get the patient’s version. With open and relaxed body language, a caring interested tone of voice and strong eye contact, say to the patient:

“Rest assured that I am here to help you, so share with me the situation from your perspective.” This is a powerful sentence as it tells the patients what they need to hear to calm down, without admitting any fault, or agreeing with the patient’s version of events.

Do not become a participant in their dramatisation of the events. You are to be a calm, non-emotional moderator.

From the staff:

Next ask for others versions. Avoid confrontation: This can distort information through defensiveness. Simply state:

“Patient X has expressed concern about his last session. What do you remember of what occurred?”

Don’t judge what occurred or how people behaved. This is an ‘information gathering’ process only.

Step 3 — resolution

Meet with the principal dentist/owner/manager and communicate the details without bias. Work together on the facts only, not the emotions. Establish the proposed resolution. Recognise the need to see situations from the patients’ perspectives to reach effective solutions for them.

Then communicate the solution:

Communicating the solution to the patient is ideally done in person. Then you can read all of their body and voice language in order to gauge the effectiveness of your proposed solution.

• Reiterate the patients’ reasons for becoming upset
• Inform the patients of the reasoning behind the resolutions, so they appreciate the good intentions of your business
• The proposed solution

Remember, never be afraid of refunding a patient if they are very upset. The cost to your practice in terms of financial, time, upset and reputation is always going to be higher than any refund. The reason many resist refunding patients is that they think this is ‘admitting fault’. It isn’t. It is buying peace and patient satisfaction.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Everyone wants happy patients…including the patient! Practices implement many and varied routines to aid in the happy patient, such as fresh coffee, aromatherapy and strong customer service. And I encourage all of it. But THE MOST effective way to make your patient happy is to set their expectations!

We all assess our experiences in accordance to the expectations we have set. If you go along to Pizza Hut for dinner your expectations of food quality and ambiance will be lower to that of an exclusive restaurant. So when your experience is that of a standard meal and noisy surroundings, you are still satisfied. If you were delivered that same standard at the high end restaurant, however, you would be dis-satisfied.

So to if you embarked upon a backpacking holiday over a resort styled vacation. You can imagine that you would be upset to happen upon cheaper accommodation when you were expecting something plush. And your upset wouldn’t necessarily be because you refuse to be comfortable in anything but the best hotel; of course you stay anywhere where there is sturdy shelter, amenities and a bed. You would be upset because you were expecting a different experience.

This is the case with your dental patients. In fact it is quite difficult for your patients to even set their expectations of a dental appointment. Unless it is regular recall visit, dental treatments vary widely in terms of discomfort, appointment length, instruments and equipment to be used, and of course cost. Unless your practice lets the patient know what to prepare for, they will be left to guess. Then the minute they experience something that is their mind averse to what they thought would happen, they will become unhappy.

So where are your opportunities for setting expectations?

If it is a new patient or emergency patient, the initial explanation of what to expect comes from the receptionist. Giving an indication of length of appointment and potential cost is crucial, especially when the patient has not attended your clinic before.

Once the patient is in the treatment room, the dentist and nurse can use this chance to explain to the patient what is included in that appointment. My advice to all dentists is to have the conversation with the patient before they are reclined back in the chair. Sit across from them at the same eye level. In a relaxed manner, explain to the patient what will happen and then ask the patient if they have anything to discuss before starting. Once the dental issue has been examined, sit the patient back up and discuss the details with them so they can more easily understand what is being said and can then make a decision to continue with the elected option for treatment.

Checking in with the patient is such an important step in setting realistic expectations. If the patient is a new patient or has arrived for unplanned treatment, such as a broken tooth, ASK the patient what they are expecting from the appointment. Because they have booked a time with you for a troubling tooth, you assume they also want you to treat it straight away. However it is possible they want an assessment now, and then plan for the treatment for a future date so they can arrange time off work/finances etc.

You must create the environment for the patient to open up in order for you to understand what is in their head.

The expectations for any planned treatment the patient is to return for are to be explained by the clinical team in the surgery and also followed up by reception. We have all experienced the situation of the patient coming out to the front desk and asked whether they need to make a follow-up visit and they say ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’ when the clinical staff have just explained everything to them. There are many reasons why patients are not fully engaged in the surgery conversations, so it is up to the whole dental team to ensure that there is consistent information about what the patient should expect at their next visit.

Patients expect of their health provider more than just treatment. They also expect advice, support and reassurance. Build all of these elements in to your communication with patients and they will leave HAPPY!

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

We live in this information age, where you don’t need degrees in marketing and business in order to learn how to run highly successful dental practices. We can research online and tap in to other people’s brilliance at the click of a mouse. As a result there are many stylish and sophisticated marketing campaigns being rolled out in many surgeries. I love a good promotion and honour the creativity that goes in to producing them. Although I encourage all small businesses to develop smart marketing and promotional systems to attract new business, it is important to never lose sight of THE MOST effective new business generator of all; and that is REFERRALS.

Most of you are keenly aware that generating referrals from your existing patients is the cheapest form of advertising. However there are even more compelling reasons to encourage referrals. Note in the above graphic that people are four times more likely to come to you if they have been recommended by a friend. When someone you know and trust suggests you try something, it is a compelling offer. There is a ‘transfer of trust’ from the friend to you. You think “If they are happy with it, it is likely I will be too”. Considering that trust plays such an enormous role in treating your dental patients effectively, leveraging off another patient’s trust in you is a smart move.

Dental practices are only viable with repeat business. It is your loyal patient base who return for all of their required dental treatments that are likely to be responsible for around 80% of your turnover. So it is not enough to simply get new patients. You also need to provide them with the service that they will return for, and become part of you5r loyal patient base. The Journal of Marketing states that of all of your new patients, the ones who come from referrals have a 16% higher lifetime value to your practice than those who came through other methods.

The wonderful news is that if you put in the effort to create the ideal environment for your dental patients, if they are indeed satisfied then a whopping 83% are willing to recommend you to their peers! And that’s where the gold lies…they are WILLING to refer. In order to enjoy these referrals make sure your patients are aware that you want these new patients. I suggest to not be shy in this area of your business. Notify patients through promotions, rewards and gifts, signs and website content, and through your conversations with them that you want and appreciate every new patient they bring in to the practice.

By Julie Parker of Julie Parker Practice Success

Developing great relationships with your dental patients is one of the most effective ways to promote both patient loyalty, and patient referrals. So what can you do to establish these strong connections quickly?

American psychologist and expert on human behaviour, Robert Cialdini, says in order to make a positive and lasting first impression you need to rapidly seek out commonalities.

These commonalities don’t necessarily need to be meaningful. It could be as simple as you are both cyclists or both enjoy cooking. The result is a greater chance of being ‘liked’ by your patient, and they are left with the feeling of being connected.

“There’s research that shows that self-disclosure is reciprocal” says Cialdini. “That means is you share details about yourself, people will tell you about themselves and when you hit on a commonality, all of a sudden there’s rapport.”

Developing rapport in the dental surgery is more challenging in some ways, given that there isn’t the opportunity while the patient is receiving treatment to use other non-verbal communication skills, such as ‘mirroring’ and ‘open body language’. Therefore it is your listening skills, voice and likeability that you will be reliant upon. Be confident and friendly in your conversation, and try and make your patient feel good about themselves. It is common for patients to arrive feeling wary that their oral care isn’t up to your standard, and with our natural human response being to not only avoid pain, but also avoid feeling inadequate, it is a good idea to quickly put them at ease.

If you want patients to come back, give them good reason to do so. Don’t hesitate to offer up information about yourself and be more social in your interaction with them.

Another helpful technique in building rapport is to speak slowly. If you are one of those people who naturally speak quite quickly, concentrate on bringing the rate down. It allows others to absorb and process what you are saying, and also lends you more credibility. Speaking slowly also puts a stop to stumbling over yourself and helps cease your use of filler words, such as ‘like’, ‘basically’ and ‘you know’.

And finally, suspend your ego. This is one of the most effective communication tools you can master. When you are building a relationship with a patient, it is all about them. Listening and remembering what the patient has said is so much easier when you release the need to get the next word in. Continue encouraging them to expand on their input by asking How? Why? What? When? Validate them and be thoughtful in your responses.

Building rapport is a multi-faceted skill that can be quickly improved upon with each additional interaction. So concentrate your efforts in one area at a time, for example “with every patient today I will find at least one commonality”. Once you have established this skill, then go to another such as slowing down your speed when talking.

Keep perfecting your rapport building skills and you will master the art of keeping your great patients and being referred new ones!

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

It has always been obvious that a great receptionist improves the environment of any business and a bad one will be highly likely to have a damaging affect. However our awareness around the high level of influence our receptionists has requires deeper contemplation.

Dental practices know their receptionist plays an important role in creating a calming environment for their dental patients, allowing them to feel confident in their practice of choice, faith in the dental team and comfortable in the knowledge they are receiving a high standard of care in a professional environment. This same positive influence over the practice’s environment also plays an important role for the dental team members, and their level of happiness and effectiveness.

Therefore the role of ‘receptionist’ warrants a closer look. There is a meaningfulness and importance to this role that all engaged receptionists should embrace and feel very proud of.

Whether it is acknowledged by team members or not, the receptionist of a dental practice is THE LINK between the patient being outside the walls of the practice, not addressing their dental health, and those patients being in your practice dental chair receiving treatment.

There are many steps that need to take place before a patient is lying back in the dental chair and many are performed the receptionist.

Think of a patient who is anxious and wavering in their decision to make their follow up appointment. An unengaged receptionist will not have a purpose or goal in this communication with the patient. They know they will be paid whether the patient books the follow up appointment or not. They also know their relevance within the practice will remain the same regardless of whether the patient books their next appointment. The chances of this receptionist achieving consistently high levels of success in their management of the appointment book are very low.

Compare this scenario to one with an engaged receptionist. A receptionist who is keenly aware that their level of communication skills, and effectiveness in providing the patient with the needed support and care, will generate high level results again and again.

An engaged receptionist understands the responsibility they possesses in ensuring a health-compromised patient actually achieves dental treatment. They also honour the role they play in building and maintaining the credibility of each dentist and the practice as a whole. Engaged receptionists will execute their roles with actions and decisions that are based upon a personal philosophy to care about what they do. This impacts situations such as:

• The patient’s adoption and completion of treatment to achieve oral health/li>
• Assisting the dentists’ goal/agenda to build faith in them in the patients and faith in the practice
• Helping nurses and support staff by being mindful of the demands they experience throughout the day and scheduling effectively

But also it is imperative for receptionists to acknowledge their influence extends directly to:

• The dentists’ ability to strengthen their career development, as they are dependent upon the number of new patients being booked in with them and they are reliant upon the bookings of their returning patients
• The business’ success, through their effectiveness in booking patients appropriately, in the most effective and productive way, their successful collection of fees and their support and encouragement of the practice’s policies and values.

Receptionists need to artfully maneuver around what is ‘popular’ or ‘desired’ by unrealistic patient expectations, staff members who will sometimes want to have an ‘easy’ day and bosses who may be inclined to sway from the practice vision and culture due to lack of commitment or tiredness. The receptionist is often quite unconsciously seen as the ‘guide’ of how things are done, how hard to work and how high the standards should be kept.

The dental industry is only a few industries where a support role employee holds such a large influence, and therefore responsibility, over the effectiveness and success of the ‘producers’ (i.e. the dentist and their nurses). For those people attracted to this profession of dental receptionist, for those who choose to perform their role with the care, the attention, the integrity that it requires, They should approach their daily duties with the STRENGTH to make the right decisions regardless of external pressures, with RESPECT for all of those who depend upon them to do the right thing at all times, and with immense PRIDE that, through their commitment to their philosophy and that of the practice, they are enabling the people around them and the business they work for to achieve greater levels of success than if they were not there supporting them.