A complimentary e-newsletter from Linda Miles for the professional dental community.
For subscription (or unsubscribe) details, as well as Miles & Associates contact information, please see the end of this newsletter.
Miles & Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757.721.3332
757.721-2892 (Fax)
800.922.0866 Toll-free
www.DentalManagementU.com
Dynamic Data, November 2002
Dear Doctors and Staff,
In six weeks we will be welcoming the New Year of 2003. Seems like only weeks ago we were talking about summer vacations while now we are preparing for the end of the year holidays, year end summaries, and setting new goals for the coming year. Since last month’s Dynamic Data, the best news of the country and the area in which we live, (Virginia) was the capture of the two snipers who terrorized us with their senseless shooting sprees for over a month. My travels rarely take me to the MD, Northern Virginia corridor but ironically, I was in that area four times during the month of October for personal and business activities.
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Speaking for the senior dental students at University of MD on October 9th was one of the highlights of my month. The students were enthusiastic, appreciative, and assured me that dentistry’s future patients are going to be in good hands. Thanks to Dr. Bill Schneider for the invitation of being part of the University’s faculty that day. It was a rare treat to also visit the University to see plans for the new dental school, which will be a tremendous addition to downtown Baltimore. And thanks Dr. Bill for the opportunity of visiting the Dental Museum while in town. Looking back over my past 40 years in dentistry made me realize during that tour that 40 years from now, modern dentistry as we know it today, will be as primitive as the equipment and artifacts of 40 years ago. We owe so much to the manufacturers and the creators of each year’s new technology, techniques and materials. Every dentist, staff member and dental company representative should make it a point to visit the museum as part of their dental education. If it’s within a 4 hour driving distance from your city or town, I highly recommend Baltimore/DC as the city for your next office retreat or outing.
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On October 25th, I was privileged to speak for Sullivan Schein in Albuquerque. Thanks to all the on site S/S representatives, their manufacturer representatives, and Michele Penrose, Director of CE for S/S, for this fantastic day out west. At the reception the evening before, while talking with Donna Nelson, NM’s Oral B representative, we discovered that we are double second cousins. We both knew of her Aunt Florence and my Uncle Bob’s “other side of the family”, but had no idea we would meet in dentistry! In fact, Donna and her family visited her grandmother in Virginia Beach many times. Her grandmother, Oberta (age 90), lives only five minutes from my home. Oberta is a very special lady who should have a “hot-line” for over 80 seniors to call into for inspiration. I visit her to cheer her and she cheers me! They say the world of dentistry is small. Meeting Donna, and knowing her grandmother, when there are a half million people in Virginia Beach, was like an out-of-body experience for me. When I announced to my Albuquerque audience the next day that S/S miraculously helped me find Donna Nelson, my cousin, they all cheered. Evidently, word has it that Donna is one of Oral B’s top representatives and her clients LOVE her! Congratulations, Donna. I hope you can visit Virginia Beach this summer.
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Our two-day Dental Business Conference in Vienna, VA (DC area) on November 1-2 was a huge success with practices as far away as New Mexico and Idaho. The dentists and staff who attended loved the group interaction and the ability to network with other practices with similar joys and challenges. Our topics included communication with patients and one another, scheduling and the reduction of broken and failed appointments, collections, insurance and marketing. With this course limited to 100 attendees, there’s time for questions and answers, which takes the course into many different avenues of discussion. (Almost like group consulting). My thanks to Lee Tarvin and Annie Seela for their behind- the-scenes dedication and hard work. It was such a joy to travel with them to the DBC and have them also meet everyone. On hand also were three of the LLM&A Certified DBC Presenters. Gayle Christensen of MN, Lisa Grothouse of PA and D’Jean Carter of SC. All six of our presenters who include Lois Banta of MO, Susan Kulakowski and Janelle Kent, both from FL, will be taking the DBCs nationwide in February. Watch for our ads in Dental Practice Report and Dental Products Report magazines beginning in November’s issues.
Speaking of dentistry being such a small world, over lunch at the DBC, Dr. Mark Freidlander of Charlottesville, VA, talked about his hobby of flying private planes. When I mentioned that my brother, Ted Estep of Lynchburg, is a FAA Examiner who gives check rides to private pilots, lo and behold, Ted gave Dr. Mark his check ride 8 years ago! That makes two FAMOUS people my brother has had as clients. Dr. Freidlander and the famous author, John Grisham, also of Charlottesville.
My last (personal) two day Dental Business Conference will be held February 7-8 in San Antonio. Call Lee today at 800-922-0866 to register or for a complimentary brochure. Or visit our web-site at www.dentalmanagementU.com After my six presenters take over the DBCs in late February, I will concentrate on my 30, One Day Association Sponsored seminars, my Sun Fun Cruises, the annual Speaking/Consulting Network, articles, and the creation of new seminars and practice management products. Companies who wish to be one of the four corporate sponsors for the nationwide DBCs should contact Annie Seela at Project Connections 800-309-5063 for details.
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For more than 15 years our firm has offered recare cards to the dental industry that have had a more positive message than the typical messages in catalogs. Many cards actually cause broken appointments by their mis-guided messages. If the pre-appointed card includes: “If this time is not convenient for you, please call for another appointment”, no wonder the practice has four times as many changed recare appointments monthly than a practice with a more positive message. The positive message includes:
This is to verify the appointment you made with our office for your professional recare and complete oral health examination. This time has been reserved exclusively for you. Any change in this appointment affects many patients. (OR) We trust no change in the appointment will be necessary. (Then), We look forward to seeing you on
Date_________
Time_________
To order the most beautiful, effective recare cards in dentistry call our Alliance Partner, Hycomb Marketing at 800-523-6961(PST) or visit their web-site at www.hycomb.com and click on the Linda Miles signature package. (Thanks Hycomb for improving OUR image one recare card at a time!) In the future, look for new and exciting Hycomb/LLM&A products to assist you and your team in the marketing of patients who truly appreciate the quality care your practice provides.
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Speaking of mis-guided communication and how it causes broken appointments, please burn your appointment cards if they have the following or anything close to this message: “If unable to keep this appointment please give us a 24/48 hour notice”. HOW TERRIBLE! Patients read this and know that changed appointments are acceptable with notice. Please change this message to read: “This time has been reserved exclusively for you. Consider this card your confirmation.” While it does not take the place of the courtesy call the day or two before, it confirms the appointment with the passing of the appointment card.
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Speaking of courtesy calls before appointments, the telephone call should NOT be: “I’m calling to remind or confirm your appointment tomorrow at 10″.
Instead have a more positive telephone conversation with: “Hello Mrs. Williams, this is Linda at Doctor Freidlander’s office. This is your courtesy call to let you know we’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10″.” If they were thinking of changing the appointment, very few do. Remember: The appointment will never be more important to the patient than it appears to everyone on the team! In fact, over 50% of all failed appointments can be eliminated with improved communication from the office to the patients. Having a 30 second eye to eye and heart to heart talk with every patient in the chair outlining the importance of their next appointment is key to patient compliance.
Every dentist should leave their office and go across the street with a cell phone and a handkerchief to cover the mouthpiece and disguise their voice. Call the office and pretend to be canceling the best appointment on their schedule for the next day to see if they get a happy, neutral, or friendly disappointment response. The friendly disappointment response is the only one that discourages wasted time. For these and other verbal skills order our videos and audios at www.dentalmanagementU.com or call 800-922-0866 AMs ( EST). For a limited time offer until December 15, we will enclose a complimentary copy of the DYNAMICS OF COMMUNICATION booklet on dozens of communication skills for dentists and staff.
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Looking for a great investment advisor who has literally changed our “free-fall” decline in retirement investments this year compared to the two years prior? Call Mr. Bill Paxton of Davidson & Garrard, Inc., Lynchburg, VA 800-847-6656 or 434-847-6606. Excellent service, sound advice and a “sleep better at night” feeling.
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Ending my 30-day whirlwind of travel, Don and I spent four days in the beautiful
Cayman Islands with Dr. Brian Smith’s 4th annual Dentsar Seminar. (Thanks Brian, Christine and team for the wonderful hospitality). The weather, other speakers and audiences were great. We arrived the afternoon after Dr. Smith’s Medical Emergencies 8-12 course but heard no less than 20 outstanding comments at the pool over the next few days about how he makes an often boring subject one they wished they could hear twice per year. I also had the privilege of hearing Dr. Steve Rasner for the first time and what a 4-hour dynamite program! His power point and video additions to his course were worth the entire trip investment for everyone in attendance. Never once looking at notes, he spoke from the heart and visually showed the audience the difference between practicing hard, versus practicing smart. While not every dentist wants a high volume practice, his “giving back” message to his community and staff was in effect displaying what Zig Ziglar preaches, “you get out of life what you want and need when you help others get what they want and need”.
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Our 4-Day Caribbean Cruise has a few more cabins left so if you wish to surprise your staff with an exceptional end of year bonus, call our SunFun Hotline today at 877-673-4270 so you “won’t miss the boat”. Our reserved cabins sold out in 90 days but Peggy Shandy was able to “arm-wrestle” the cruise line for additional cabins are they are being dropped by other companies who overbooked cabins. Watch for our Alaskan Cruise ad and brochure for the June 28-July 5 Sun Fun. Again, early registration is a must for this excursion. For you “land lovers” who may not be into cruising, call my consultants in FL, Susan and Janelle of Developmental Dental Strategies, (DDS) at 866-862-7875 to schedule your “Practice Retreat in Paradise”. This is two mornings of private practice seminar/retreat facilitation by Susan and Janelle at any FL location of your choice. It is a custom designed program based on your practice needs. (Dentist and spouse programs are also available which are half-day mini-consultations.) Afternoons are free time to enjoy your staff/family in a non-working environment. Available dates in December, January, February and March. CALL TODAY as their retreat dates are quickly filling.
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Doctors, don’t forget to invest now in new equipment needs to take full advantage of the $24,000 annual write-offs by year’s end. And for 2002 and 2003, there’s an additional 30% to help the economy under President Bush’s new economic relief program. For most dentists this means if you invest $100,000, in actual dollars this is approximately $55,000 in real dollars. Call your Sullivan-Schein dealer today and ask for the tax relief scale card I saw in Albuquerque. While you are at it, don’t forget that old hygiene equipment takes an additional ten minutes per patient for the hygienist who must work around defective/old equipment. This is 80 minutes per day lost and at least a $20,000 loss per year. Be a good Santa and have your hygiene room newly equipped by January. Your patients and hygienists will love you. And over a five year ROI (return on investment), this is an $80,000 long term investment based on today’s hygiene fees.
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During this month of Thanksgiving and as we at LLM&A enter into our 25th year in 2003, may we say thanks to all of you who have made our work so worthwhile.
Linda Miles and Associates
Please keep in mind this newsletter is being offered complimentary in response to the many requests to stay in touch with our clients and followers. If you wish to unsubscribe to Dynamic Data please send an e-mail message to lindamiles@cox.net to let us know.
Miles & Associates’ corporate headquarters may be reached
at 800.922.0866. Fax us at 757.721.2892. On the web at
www.DentalManagementU.com, or via email at
lindamiles@cox.net.
Miles & Associates – November 2002
Miles & Associates
Linda L Miles & Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-0249
Phone: 757.721.3332
FAX: 757.721.2892
800.922.0866 Toll-free
Tags: 2002