Posts Tagged ‘2002’

In six weeks we will be welcoming the New Year of 2003.

Wednesday, November 6th, 2002

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

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As we enter into the fourth quarter of the calendar year I hope your numbers for the year are stronger than the first nine months of 2001.

Sunday, October 6th, 2002

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 OCTOBER 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

As we enter into the fourth quarter of the calendar year I hope your numbers for the year are stronger than the first nine months of 2001. Many of the clients we monitor monthly are having their best year ever in spite of a rocky economy, and the after-effects of 9-11 last fall. The month of September 02, was unusually slower than the previous three months for about half of the practices I monitor personally. Now is the time to advise your patients of the “use it or lose it” for maximizing their employee benefits if their plan is ending on the calendar year. Make the last three months and January (with “split-year cases”) your best four months ever.

I started my busy travel schedule again for the remainder of the year with Atlanta for a private study club two weeks ago and a seminar in Orlando on October 4, sponsored by Benco Dental. This week found me at the Three Rivers Dental Conference in Pittsburgh, University of Maryland for the new dentist’s luncheon on Wednesday and Dr. Friskey’s Seattle Study Club in Houston on Friday. Each audience I’ve had in the past few weeks reminds me of why I love what I do. Seeing old friends and those who say they have followed my courses and advice for years make me feel good to be part of this exciting profession. Wanza Webb of Orlando reminded me she has my very first audiotapes from the early 80’s. A dentist’s wife in FL said when she was thrown into her husband’s practice after a long term business employee became ill and had to retire, it was my first book that became her guiding light of information. Today their practice is ultra successful and she came up to thank me. In PA I had the pleasure of being hosted by my friend, Dr. Janie Soxman, who worked in my last employer’s practice as a senior dental student in the 70’s. In Baltimore, I visited the Dental Museum and had lunch at the Waterside Marriott with my kind host, Dr. Bill Schnieder before addressing the senior dental students at U. of MD. Speaking at the NASA Space Center in Houston for the Seattle Study Club was also a highlight of my week. Thanks to Dr. John Garza and his lovely wife, Jayne, it was a whirlwind 24 hours. I have restricted my lectures to 30 per year with about 27 already scheduled for 2003. Next year I will be offering 20 of my autographed books to the meeting planners as part of my honorarium to be used to entice early registrations to their meetings.

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Some of the hot topics today continue to be about HIPAA and their new guidelines. One of the frantic calls received this month was an office administrator who had heard that dentists can no longer send recare cards that are not in an envelope. Checking into this further I traced the source and learned that is not exactly true. If you put anything clinical in the treatment note that is printed by computer generated cards; this could be in violation. HIPAA is a self reporting entity which means if the patient is offended that you printed on his recare card that you would like to check the depth of the 5 mm pocket on tooth #30 and his roommate reads this which embarrasses him, he can cite this as an invasion of privacy.

As far as the routine messages such as: “This is to verify the appointment you made with our hygienist for your preventive care and complete oral health examination…….” It is o.k. to send an open postcard as that is not offensive to anyone. The source of my research, Don, of Agent 77 Company in Minneapolis, MN (800-294-2556) said that using the words “oral cancer screening or oral cancer examination might also be subject to criticism or a violation. Our advice is to keep the message clear, but generic. Agent 77 sells a kit called HIPAA for Dummies for $495. When I asked how it differs with the one the ADA sells I was told the HIPAA laws in their kit covers security, electronic claims and privacy, while the one from ADA covers only one area.

Read more about these HIPAA guidelines by going to www.HIPAAdvisory.com

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Registrations are coming in daily for the two day Dental Business Conference I will personally be giving at the Sheraton Tyson’s Corner in Vienna, VA November 1-2. This is a limited attendance course for strong group interaction, so call Lee today if you plan to reserve spaces. (800-922-0866). This is a guaranteed must for new staff or a refresher in giving your practice a boost in management from every member of the team’s perspective. Heavy on team attitudes, communication with patients and each other, collections, scheduling, marketing, hygiene department improvements, and the reduction of broken appointments. After February 7-8, 2003, in San Antonio, I will be turning the reins of the DBCs over to my six Certified DBC Presenters. It has been my goal for five years to regionalize the DBCs, as they are the most requested course we do. They are extensive, practical, fun and empowering for dentists and the entire staff. I am very proud of the very talented group of certified presenters. Visit our web-site at www.dentalmanagementU.com and meet them!

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As we all know, over the shoulder clinical excellence courses are key to the success of new or experienced dentists who wish to excel in every aspect of delivery of care. Whether it’s technique, materials, technology, occlusion, treatment planning or time management, these courses are a must to get on the cutting edge and stay there. I recommend that dentists attend at least two clinical courses each year. In addition to the Pankey Institute, LVI, Pac- Live, Frank Spear, Bill Strupp, Ross Nash, John Kanka, and many others, I hear very good things from my audiences about John Cranham’s courses in Chesapeake, VA, about 20 miles from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach airport. Dr. Cranham can be reached at 757-465-8900. Also, the “Hands on Learning” in the private offices of Jimmy Eubank, Dallas (972-596-1811) and Jeff Morley, San Francisco (415-474-1555) are highly recommended. One day I asked one of my very successful clients why 10% of all dentists work effortless and produce well above the norms, while others struggle and sometimes retire still trying to make ends meet? This was a mystery to me as they all had similar training in dental school. His answer was simple: “In dental school they teach the basics of restorative and preventive care. It isn’t until you get out of dental school and learn from the masters that we were trained to be “mechanics of the mouth”, looking for problems to fix! It isn’t until we get out of school and seek out the superior courses and clinicians that we become “artists” who look in the mouth and see the finished Rembrandt”

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Cabins are still available for our 4-Day W. Caribbean Team Appreciation Cruise March 27-31. We had an overwhelming response to our first 4 months ads in Dental Practice Report and Dental Products Report and had to go back to the cruiseline for additional cabins. Thanks to all of you who are registered, and those of you who are contemplating a celebration of this year, call our SunFun hotline today! (877-673-4270). My two senior Dental Consultants, Susan Kulakowski and Janelle Kent along with our four Dental Business Conference Presenters will be on board to join me in doing mini-consultations with individual practices. It will be fun, educational and a rewarding trip.

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Exciting news on my new book, “Dynamic Dentistry” which will be released in January 2003. The American Dental Assistants Association will be offering 5 CEUs for all dental business staff and clinical assistants who complete the post book test. This will be a free service to all ADAA members and there will be a nominal fee for the test and suitable-for- framing certificate of completion for non-ADAA members. As we all know, in today’s dental world management is a total team effort and is no longer the dentist or office administrator’s job alone. Self-directed modern teams all know management inside and out and have great owner attitudes about the success of their doctors’ practices. Staff members who don’t belong to their professional organizations have jobs. Those who do belong and are active have careers. Encourage your hygienist(s) to join the ADHA and your clinical and business assistants to join the ADAA today (312-541-1550 and ask for membership). Order an autographed copy of my new book (pre-release offer) at $35 plus S&H for one book. Save $100 by ordering 10 books for $25 each plus S&H. (800-922-0866) 9-12 noon ET M/Th.

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If you have heard me lecture in the past few years you know that one of my topics is Assisted Hygiene, or AH, as my friend Anastasia Turchetta, RDH from NC refers to it in her consulting and speaking on the subject. Assisted Hygiene is the wave of the future. It is two chairs one hygienist; one designated (not borrowed) assistant, and the Dynamic Duo mind-set. The adult patient is scheduled for 50 minutes total chair time. The assistant sees the patient the first five to ten minutes updating the health history, personal data, and taking films if indicated. The hygienist has the next 30-35 minutes to scale and educate the patient. In some states the dental assistants can do coronal polishing and OHI. The assistant then stands by the examination and charts, re-appoints the patient, tears down the room and resets it for the next patient. The assistant does all the trays and instruments allowing the hygienist more direct patient care time in the allotted appointment. This zigzag schedule allows for 14-16 patients per day.

For those nay-sayers out there, think of how frustrated and how fast a dentist would burn out if they had to be confined to one chair with one patient right after the other with no help. Hygienists working with an assistant report a much higher degree of productivity, less stress with someone else doing all the important peripheral duties, and the patients are now being cared for and “spoiled” by two professionals, not one. The key to this arrangement working well is the relationship of respect between the hygienist and their assistant and the cohesiveness of the rest of the team to support the new system. For more information on having Anastasia as a speaker for your study club or meeting or as a consultant to your private practice to help you implement the system e-mail Anastasia at abturch@aol.com

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Watch for the November issues of Dental Practice Report and Dental Products Report for our ads on the two-day Regional Dental Business Conferences, the 2003 7th Annual speaking/Consulting Network and our weeklong Couples/Family Cruise to Alaska June 28 to July 5, 2003 aboard the Holland America line. This will be a sell-out cruise of 400+ people so call our cruise hotline today to get your name on the early registration list. (877-673-4270). For those of you who do not like to cruise, join me at the 4th Annual Dentsar Cayman’s Island Seminar November 6-8. Don and I will be celebrating our 41st wedding anniversary that week! Call Christine at (800-321-9927) for a brochure.

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If you did not see the front cover of the October issue of Dental Economics insert, please review the entire write up on the CEREC Symposium in May. CEREC is not for every practice, only those that place over 40 porcelain inlays and posterior crowns each month or those that wish to get to that level of excellence. Also, attention all practices that may not have seen the nice write up in this months’ Contemporary Oral Hygiene (COH). Beth Thompson, Editor, highlighted her experience at the 2002 Speaking/Consulting Network in Vegas. Thanks, Beth for the recognition. Your entire editorial was outstanding.

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Jump-start your New Year by making plans for a staff retreat during the next four months to discuss the year 2002. (What was good, what needs to improve, and how you will go about doing just that?) As Norman Schwartzkoff said last year at the Discus meeting in Vegas: “A good leader recognizes there is a problem, for only then can he go about fixing it.” If you need a facilitator for your annual retreat, call Lee at 800-922-0866 (9-12 ET) and one of our consultants will be glad to work a nice resort setting into their busy fall/winter schedule.

Hope to see you real soon,

Linda

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 – October 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

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Our lives changed as our country changed last September 11th.

Friday, September 6th, 2002

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
September 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Our lives changed as our country changed last September 11th. One of the things I’ve personally noticed over the past year is a new sense of hope and patriotism as we go about our personal and professional lives. In your office have you noticed that your staff seem more helpful to one another and your patients just a little bit more appreciative of the care rendered? Have you noticed a slow down or drastic improvement in your productivity? Many of our active clients are reporting their best year ever with numbers that have continually climbed in spite of other businesses slowing down.

Our business has been exceptionally busy the past few months with a surge of calls from meeting planners and a cry for in-office consulting from dentists who have never attended our seminars or been referred by another client. This, however is where almost all of our business came from over the past two decades. Is it because we offer hope? “When the times get tough, the tough get going!” I believe slow times are a resting spot in the road of life. How each practice deals with a slower time determines how fast the slow times last. Right now are you sharpening your axe while getting ready to “hit the ground running” in 2003. I was asked to give the dentists on Dental Town the Top 12 components of a successful practice. Following is an excerpt of that message:

1) A positive attitude. You get what you expect! Your attitude not only determines your ALTITUDE; it also determines your energy level. Without the proper mind-set and energy, one never reaches their full potential or happiness.

2) Outstanding clinical skills. Be a continuous student of the many fine clinicians mentioned on this site.

3) A well trained, trusted staff who believes in your dentistry, your fees and your goals.

4) Leadership at all levels. The dentist can’t be the only leader, but must be able to share this role with team members. (Accountability is a major form of leadership).

5) Up-to-date equipment and technology. Go to courses on technology and visit trade shows. They are there FOR YOU, not because they like standing on a concrete floor for three days at a stretch and smiling. (“Boothies” have my sympathies as I’ve done my share of booths over the years.) They love for curious dentists and staff members to come by and check everything out.

6) Management skills and the know-how to use your computer reports to become consultants to your own practice.

7) A facility that attracts the patients who want the best possible care in the cleanest and most efficiently run environment. Not every dentist has a new state of the art facility but every dentist should have a clean, uncluttered, and well-organized office.

8) Trusted advisors and mentors such as accountants, insurance advisors (business and personal), investment counselors, bankers, sales representatives, coaches and/or consultants.

9) A strong hygiene department as it “drives” the entire practice. In every successful practice I’ve followed for 20 years, hygiene is 1/3 of the total volume per month (40% if exams are counted). When hygiene goes down, so does the entire practice.

10)Outstanding communication skills not just from one person but the entire staff and dentist. You are only as strong as your weakest link in this area, so verbal skills must be superb at every stage of the patient’s visit.

11) A properly engineered schedule. Many practices take 30 names and throw them into the computer and pray they live through it. The key to low stress and high productivity is effective double scheduling of doctor time opposite assistant time. Show me a dentist who is working out of two rooms with only one assistant running from room to room, and I’ll show you a dentist who is losing $1000 (plus) per day. The dentist doesn’t have to be in two places at once. They have to hire, train and trust two very brilliant dental assistants. The dentists do not work harder, they work within the law, and they go home happy tired not stressed tired!

12)Presentation skills must be excellent. Someone had a seminar entitled “Nothing Happens Until the Patient Says Yes”. A big part of the yes comes from relationship building and creative financing options. A large percentage of cases fall apart in the financial discussions. This skill is by far as important as knowing how to do the dentistry.

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Beginning February 2003, my 6 US Certified Dental Business Conference Presenters will be giving the 2-Day DBCs across the country. Please refer to my updated web-site beginning September 15th for full details on cities and registration information. These programs are limited to 100 registrants for solid group interaction. Select the program nearest you (for the dentist and entire team), and know what it’s like to have everyone in the practice on the same page goals-wise. It gives me great pleasure to introduce my colleagues who are owners of their own consulting and speaking businesses in addition to being LLM&A DBC presenters. Joining Kathy Metaxas (Perth, W. Australia) is Lois Banta (MO), D’Jean Carter (SC), Gayle Christensen (MN), Lisa Grothouse (PA), Janelle Kent and Susan Kulakowski, (FL).

I will personally be presenting my last 4 DBCs in Panama City Beach, FL September 20-21; Vienna VA, November 1-2; Fairfield NJ, November 15-16; and San Antonio, TX February 7-8, 2003. With the annual Speaking/Consulting Network growing at a steady pace, I must share this wonderful teaching experience with those in my network who have the same philosophy of management and the same love of dentistry that I have. Teaching management principles is easy. Teaching others to go back to their practices and make a huge difference by their improved attitudes and new skills is the key to long term success. WE don’t call the DBC a seminar or workshop, it’s an experience! Long after the conference is over, many attendees keep in touch with each other and form lasting friendships for a continuation of shared information. Call Lee at 800-922-0866.

At last count our SunFun W. Caribbean Team Appreciation Cruise has over 300 registered for next March 26-30. Don’t miss the boat! Call our toll free SunFun hot line for more information. 877-673-4270. The top five states registered to date includes: Ohio, NC, GA, MI and RI, next are IA, VA, TN and ME. Make plans now to award your hard working team with an end of the year holiday gift they will talk about for years.

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ATTENTION: If your chair side dental assistants need an opportunity to strengthen their clinical assisting and communication skills, mark this date on your calendar. Friday, November 15th from 9-4. Sheila Dalton and Courtney Wooten, Co-owners of EDA (Exceptional Dental Assistants) a Richmond, VA based firm will sponsor a hands-on seminar in Richmond. All dental assistants are encouraged to take their skills from “good to great” in the duties of fail-proof impressions, temporaries, sealants, x-ray techniques, and organizational skills. The role of the assistant in the New Patient Interview, and complete patient education chair side will be emphasized. To register or for more information call 804-739-4375. Watch you mail for an upcoming flier with all the details of this exciting learning experience.

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PATIENT PRO, (DENTISTRY’S NEWEST LEADER IN ON-HOLD MESSAGES)

What do your patients hear while they’re on hold? Yearly, the average dental practice is missing the opportunity to tell over 2500 patients about their favorite procedures and their practice philosophy. If your patients are hearing elevator music or, worse yet, silence, you may want to consider a custom on hold message. This system will portray professionalism as well as give you the opportunity to talk about your most profitable procedures. Here’s a list of all the benefits an on hold message will provide:

Entertain callers while your business staff is helping other patients

Calm fearful patients

Portray cutting edge technology and professionalism

Increase profitability

Patient Pro, INC provides customized on hold messaging systems for general dentists as well as all specialists. They provide state-of-the-art digital messaging components that are compatible with every phone system. In addition, they have ten different professional voice talents, and over 60 pieces of background music to choose from. And because they write the script for you after a brief interview, it’s quick and painless! For more information on this exciting new product, which I have invested in for my own office, call toll free, (866) 865-4055.

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On this eve of 9-11, I’d like to close with the message I received yesterday from my friend and speaking mentor, Mr. Nido Qubein:

This complimentary newsletter is published by Nido Qubein — an international speaker and consultant addressing more than 100 business and professional groups around the world each year. He is the recipient of the highest awards given for professional speakers and the author of numerous books and audio and video learning programs. He is chairman of an international consulting firm, chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company (200 stores in 35 states), chairman of Business Life, Inc., and chairman of McNeill Lehman, a public relations company serving clients in the US and Europe.
Visit Nido online at www.nidoqubein.com.

QUBEIN’S EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

GOD BLESS AMERICA: A PRAYER AND A FACT
By Nido Qubein

While the World Trade Center was burning and collapsing, while the Pentagon was absorbing the crash of a commercial airliner filled with innocent souls, and while a wounded nation gathered the evidence of heroism aboard United Airlines Flight 93, I was preparing to give the keynote address to the North Carolina Telephone Association Executives Conference at the Pinehurst Hotel.

The ominous reports began arriving seconds before I stepped to the microphone. The executives, with only sketchy details of what was happening, decided that I should go on with my remarks.

As I looked out over my audience at this pivotal moment in our national experience, I felt a brotherly solidarity with the people in that room. We were Americans. And I knew that whatever the threat, whatever the origin of this instant of infamy, this nation — our country — would endure and excel.

I am an American by conviction, a North Carolinian by choice. When I came to the United States as a penniless youth, I knew — even before I knew the language — that this was my country. I had to fill out 38 forms, side A & B, to become an American, and I’ve told 5,000 audiences over the last 30 years how thankful we all should be to live in a land so abundant in material and spiritual riches.

As I look back over the year that has passed since that awful morning, I am heartened by the outpouring of patriotic sentiment from Americans of all races, creeds, and economic levels.

As I have crisscrossed America to address audiences in all corners of the land, I have spotted a heartwarming trend. I find myself much more often flanked by the national colors as I stand on the podium. I hear the National Anthem played much more frequently. And I have noticed the re-emergence of our “Second National Anthem,” the poignant call to patriotism sounded by Irvin G. Berlin in 1938 “while the storm clouds gather from across the sea”: God Bless America.

That song became the unofficial anthem of Sept. 11, 2001, and it expresses not only a hope but also a fact: God has blessed America in manifold ways. It’s a fact that we seem to acknowledge most fervently in moments of national danger or distress, but it’s something we should keep in our hearts in good times and bad.

We are a strong people, a tough and stable alloy forged from the mettle of many lands. You need only run down a list of the victims of 9-11-01 to sense the aptness of the motto stamped on our coins: E pluribus unum — “Out of Many, One.”

While the debris was raining on Lower Manhattan, the smoke was enveloping the whole of New York, the president was assessing the situation from Air Force One, and the entire government was preparing for the worst, I reminded my Pinehurst audience of the gloomy day in 1974 when the president of the United States resigned. The next day, we went to work and school under a new president, chosen by a constitutional procedure that Americans everywhere accepted and abided by. We would meet this new challenge with the same unflappable calm.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have demonstrated anew the essential integrity of this blessed land. We have survived the attack, learned from it, and committed ourselves to work together to protect this country without sacrificing our freedom and values.

Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We salute them and their loved ones with our prayers, our support, and our desire to help rebuild that which was so unfairly destroyed.

Every day I thank God for the gift of freedom I enjoy as an American, for the blessing of purposeful work, and for the joy that stems from being a member of a vibrant and growing community.

By embracing the dream and applying our efforts and talents, we can have success and significance, happiness and joy, balance in business and in life. With open hearts and willing souls, we can create abundance from adversity and cross the difficult chasms of life with faith and fortitude.

I am eternally grateful to my country for opening these possibilities to me. I have made it my endeavor to repay this great land for the kindnesses it has rendered me and the opportunities it has offered me. So may we all.

© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.

If you received this e-mail from another person, find it valuable, and would like to receive your own complimentary subscription, contact vicki@nidoqubein.com.

Nido R. Qubein
Creative Services, Inc.
P. O. Box 6008
High Point, NC 27262
Phone: 336-889-3010 Fax 336-885-3001
Visit www.nidoqubein.com

Linda Miles, CEO, CSP, CMC

Linda Miles, CEO
LLMiles and Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
800.922.0866

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 – September 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

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Is it my imagination, or is it true that the older we get the faster time flies?

Tuesday, August 6th, 2002

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, AUGUST 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Is it my imagination, or is it true that the older we get the faster time flies? Seems like only yesterday I was writing June’s letter in anticipation of the beginning of summer and here it is the last month of summer break for the children and grandchildren. They say that the longest ten years of our lives are between 10 and 20 years of age. We will never get out of high school, we will never get to drive, have our first date or be of age! And they say that the shortest ten years are between 30 and 40 years of age when there are so many things going on in our lives. I don’t know about the rest of you who are over 40, but every ten years goes faster for me!

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Our clients are reporting higher than ever number of new patients, increased productivity quarter after quarter, and in the past three months since 9-11, a new surge in case acceptance. While we can’t do much to mourn the stock market losses, we can enthusiastically embrace ways to make our businesses better even in a down economy. And that’s exactly what smart businessmen and businesswomen do. Smart dentists realize that “if it is to be, it is up to me”. They don’t participate in the “woe is me” pity parties. “Winners look for ways to succeed while whiners look for excuses to fail.”

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In setting up a new nationwide Two Day Dental Business Conference program with seven of the top management consultants in dentistry, who will be joining Kathy Metaxas who does my DBCs in Australia, we are reminded of the above principles that will guide us. The program has been in existence since 1985, and every class is sold out weeks in advance. This is the most requested dental management program in dentistry. It is focused on the fact that managing a dental practice is a total team effort, not managed only by the dentist/owner, but the entire team. Having enthusiastic, accountable staff who love what they do and put the practice and patients above all else is a dentist’s dream. Having staff whom have a unionized mentality of “give me my paycheck and let me out of here”, is something a dentist should not have to endure day after day. How are these teams assembled in the top practices? Are these dentists just luckier than others who struggle with staff development? No, it is part of a system we refer to as “Dynamic Dentistry”, the title of my new book. It starts with an environment that is conducive to self-motivation. Dentists are too busy taking care of their patients to constantly worry about the staff’s contentment. Self-motivated staff are created, not hired. It is impossible to have a positive attitude in a negative environment. The second part of the ideal practice is having systems that are understood, with monitors in place to quickly give the information needed to assess problems before they develop into greater problems. Getting the entire team totally involved is the first step to participative management and changing the practice potential.

Watch for the dates of these upcoming two-day Dental Business Conferences nearest you. I will personally be giving four of these programs from September to February in N. FL, N. VA, NJ, and TX. In March 2003, the 7 nationwide presenters will begin the process of bringing these courses into 7 regions in the US. The class maxes out at 100 registrants, which will be about 20-25 offices in each city. We deliberately keep the course attendance smaller for better group interaction. For groups over 10 from the same office, we offer another 10% courtesy off the lowest registration fee to encourage dentists to bring the entire staff. For a copy of the brochure of the four upcoming courses, please e-mail me your mailing address. As soon as our new web-site is up and running by late August, you may then review the dates by reviewing the site. DentalmanagementU.com

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In the course of a month, we get dozens of questions and concerns from dentists all over the country. We have noticed a surge in serious practice problems that we usually hear about much less often. In the past 60 days I have had four of these calls. One dentist is suing a DMSO for mis-representation in the purchase of her practice. Another dentist is being sued by the new owner who feels the practice price had been greatly inflated. The practice broker is also being sued for false information regarding the assessment. One dentist is on the brink of losing his practice because his office administrator failed to let him know she had not filed taxes for the past 6 years. His accountant also knew of these back taxes yet went along with the Office Administrator that we “should not worry the doctor”. His penalty and back taxes are more than the practice generates in net income in three years. And another dentist who knows his office administrator embezzled from his practice yet he plans to do nothing about it for fear of what she will do in retaliation!

While I am often asked to be an expert witness in these cases, I made a decision upon advice from my own attorney not to get involved. The main thrust of the defense attorney is to dis-credit the expert witness. As a practice management consultant and speaker who specializes in practice and staff development, this is not the service that our firm provides to the dental industry. The ADA has a complete legal department to which these concerns should go. They have the knowledge and legal background necessary to give the type of advice that would prove beneficial in these situations. There are dentists who also have law degrees who can advise dentists in these types of problems. Dr. Don Lewis, a leading expert in embezzlement issues, from Cleveland, works closely with a firm who does forensic auditing of any practice that may have any form of embezzlement or suspected embezzlement. If you would like more information on his services please e-mail him at Dlewis7109@aol.com.

Mindy Saltzman, a consultant from Phoenix who also specializes in embezzlement can be reached at 602-426-9397.

Please know that 3 to 4 out of 10 dentists have been, are being, or will be embezzled in their career. A startling statistic.

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Looking for a great new way to find employees without advertising? Check out the new web-site at Dentaljobs.net. This new service is expanding monthly and has been recommended to me to share with our readership.

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THE PERFECT CLIENT- Someone asked me years ago to give them my observation on the perfect dental client for a management consulting firm. This question prompted me to write the top characteristics for a perfect client. They are:

1) An office that is organized enough to forward the requested practice statistical data to us before the consultation service begins. It is amazing how some dentists nor their office administrator has a clue to these important numbers or where to find them. Or in the worst case scenario to know how to get their computer generated reports that it is capable of printing.

2) Staff and dentists who view the consultation in a positive light versus “my mind is made up, don’t try to confuse me with facts!” Or worse than that, a dentist or team member who is in denial that there are serious problems to begin with. The “yeah, but group”.

3) We don’t expect the Ritz Carlton to suddenly appear in every town or city, nor do we expect a 5 star experience, as we are there to work. We do however truly appreciate those dentists who repeatedly reserve nice hotel accommodations for us and treat us like a guest in their office or city. All we ask for is a safe and clean hotel with a food service restaurant as we usually rely on the client for transportation to and from the airport and office. I have told my consultants for years, “you can tell how the office treats their patients and each other by the way they treat us!” And over the past 24 years, 90 percent of my consulting accommodations have been beyond my expectations. Remembering the worst was back in the early 80’s when I arrived in a small town with only one motel. I believe it was “The Dew Drop Inn”, or something like that. Besides the garish lime green cinder block walls and the red velvet bedspread, there was a space heater and a mouse in the closet that kept me awake most of the two nights I had to stay there. Oh well, you can’t have the best when that’s what the entire county offered!

4) A dentist and staff who realize that the yearlong program is like building a home brick by brick. It is not going to happen overnight but the results will be incredible if everyone realizes they must work together for a common goal.

5) A client who not only reads the lengthy report but actually shares it and the binder of materials from the consultation with the entire team.

6) An office that sends the monthly monitor by the 10th of each month without reminders from us. After all, they have one coach and we have dozens of active clients.

7) A practice that keeps their scheduled one-hour teleconference calls as scheduled. The dentists who break and reschedule their appointments are the same dentists who have a fit if the patient treats their dental appointments with total disregard.

8) A practice that invites us back year after year or comes to our SunFun Seminar one year and we visit their practice the next.

9) A client who refers us to many of his or her colleagues.

10) A practice that celebrates their successes as they happen and allows us to celebrate with them.

So far this year, Dr. Kim Kitchen of Old Town, Alexandria is our Client of the year. She had a great practice already but needed to smooth out some edges of management. In the first 90 days, Dr. Kitchen has completed almost every change we recommended. She has reached her 12-month goals in only 90 days (monthly production wise). She recouped her entire consulting investment in the first 30 days! She and her team send detailed information prior to our teleconference calls. Dr. Kitchen and her office administrator, Maria keep in touch monthly by sending their monitors before the deadline, and always respond to any requests pronto. Without a doubt, this practice fits the Perfect Client status hands down. I can’t wait to see what the next 9 months bring.

We are proud of ALL of our clients who are active or inactive. They make our work very worthwhile, in spite of the many hours per day in front of the computer, on a plane, waiting in airports, or on the telephone, we love our work and the people that we have been privileged to serve over the past 24 years.

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Word just in from our Cruise headquarters that fewer than 50 cabins are left for our March 27-31, 2003 SunFun Seminar. Call 877-673-4270 this week and reserve your cabins. Unless we can secure additional cabins this trip will be sold out by September 1st.

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For those of you who may not be sailing enthusiasts, join me at the DENTSAR seminar November 6-8, 2002 at the Grand Cayman Islands along with Dr. Brian Smith on “Dental Emergencies”, and Dr. Steve Rasner on “Realizing the Dream”. My seminar topic is “Lifecycles of a Successful Practice”. This half-day format gives those who enjoy water sports time to enjoy the Grand Caymans. To register, call Christine at 800-321-9927.

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My Speaking and Consulting Network friend, Dr. Denis Cosgrove from Perth, W. Australia, has just released his new book “Becoming the Successful Dentist”. The first box of 72 books just arrived at my office today and the book is available to the first 72 orders received. My message on the back cover of Denis’ book says:” Dentistry should be fun, exciting and rewarding. Unfortunately, some people in dentistry never “get it”. Denis Cosgrove hands each of us a golden opportunity to find this happiness within the pages of his dynamic book. A MUST READ for the entire dental profession including spouses and staff”. Whether you know a lot about dentistry, or are just starting out, BECOMING THE SUCCESSFUL DENTIST can profitably transform your attitudes and actions. You’ll love the post tests that help you assess yourself in each facet of success. Some of you will rate higher than you thought and others will know your weaknesses and how to work on them from the day you finish the book throughout your total career. Order today! Only $29.00 which includes S&H from AU to my office and from Va. Beach to your office. You may e-mail me the request and the number of copies desired with your credit card number, fax the order and cc information to 757-721-2892, or phone 800-922-0866 and leave a message.

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Steve Lucht, CEO, CFP, another Speaking/Consulting Network member who hails from MN asked me to include the following regarding BALANCE:

“Many dentists get out of BALANCE with the numbers in their life. These numbers I refer to are monitors for the practice, monitors for the financial aspects of the practice, retirement and personal monitors. The BALANCE occurs when ALL are taken into account. Daily production is great, but limited time is spent on the other areas. Why not take advantage of income tax breaks, effective retirement options, insurance analysis that provides coverage for risk that DOES NOT drain personal funds and misused funds. Accountants, lawyers, Insurance sales personnel and others try to combine their talents individually and do not effectively BALANCE the whole picture. You need these professionals but a quarterback is required to make it all gel for BALANCE. Developing a BALANCED PLAN is necessary for any entrepreneurial person, even a dentist. Yes, a dentist is a business person/ You may not realize it, but YOU are. Earning a significant income and keeping it BALANCED is the overall objective. Make the results measurable and observable. So we encourage you to be the quarterback or hire one for your business. It’s that easy!”

Steve Lucht an be reached at Lucht and Associates, Buffalo MN, 888-509-9516

Until next month, have a wonderful summer. Remember the word BALANCE and try to spend time with those who count, doing the things that count. Then stop and count your blessings.

Linda Miles, CEO, CSP, CMC

Linda Miles, CEO
LLMiles and Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
800.922.0866

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 – April 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

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They say that April showers bring May flowers but we have had a monsoon season this past month in Virginia Beach.

Saturday, April 6th, 2002

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

Dear Doctors and Staff,

They say that April showers bring May flowers but we have had a monsoon season this past month in Virginia Beach. We needed the rain so we are not complaining. We are all, however, anticipating a beautiful spring and hope yours will be as well.

The month of March was a good month for the majority of our monitored clients based on our phone conversations. It has been seven months since 9-11, so things are getting back to normal, economy wise. Practices are gearing up for what appears to be a strong summer based on the pre-appointed hygiene departments of our clients. In your own practice, go to six months from March in the scheduler and see how many pre-appointed hygiene appointments are scheduled for September. The stronger the pre-appointed hygiene, the stronger the backbone of the practice. Some patients are on a three and four month interval with the hygienist(s), so keep that in mind when doing your review of strength in the hygiene department.

March was a banner month at LLM&A with Vicki Turner, our Senior Consultant from Texas, making us proud as a speaker at the Chicago Mid-Winter Meeting.

Our Dental Business conference hosted by LLM&A and PMG Management drew record numbers in March in Virginia Beach. Our target goal for the DBCs is between 60-80 people. We had over 100 and rave reviews from all attendees. Interestingly enough, we had over 40 from VA, close to 40 from NC, and the others from as far away as Clovis, NM. We loved seeing the first timers to DBC but also could not believe how many repeat attendees we had because they wanted to experience the program with their newest team members or Associates.

The good news is: we are planning to have six DBCs across the country in the next 12 months. Our next months’ newsletter will give you the dates and locations. Kathy Metaxas, our Australian DBC presenter also had record numbers in her first year of representing LLM&A across Australia. In 2003, Kathy will include New Zealand in her schedule.

Following are the tips for building a truly successful practice:

1) Create a clear, compelling vision of your success.

2) Understand your market. Who will buy and why?

3) Develop a solid business model for making money while delivering the highest quality care.

4) Build the right infrastructure to enable ease of growth.

5) Position your practice to stand out from the competition.

6) Market and sell intelligently-you’ll get some great ideas.

7) Make a profit. (It’s O.K. to do so and why you’re in business).

8) Choose your management and team members wisely.

9) Finance your growth. (Live within your means and use all resources)

10) Plan your exit to sell your practice and enjoy life more.

Mark your calendars now for the last four days in March 2003 for our 4 day SunFun Total Team Appreciation Cruise to Mexico. Our first two ports are Ft. Lauderdale, and Key West then on to Cozemel Our sailing vessel will be the Monarch of the Seas from the much-requested Royal Caribbean line. I’m working on a brand new seminar for this venue. It is destined to be geared toward the entire dental team and the value of teamwork, leadership at all levels and accountability. You won’t even need a plane to fly home at the end of our excursion. Plan to leave work early Wednesday morning to arrive in Ft Lauderdale a day early to rest and enjoy south FL before embarking at noon Thursday. The seminar will be conducted from 8-12 noon on Saturday and Sunday mornings while we are at sea as to not interfere with excursions at each port of call. We arrive back in Ft. Lauderdale Monday the 31st of March for late morning and afternoon flights home. More details to follow in next months’ Dynamic Data and the May issues of Dental Practice Report and Dental Products Report. As always, we expect a sold out cruise months in advance.

For my “land lubber” readers who may not be into cruising in beautiful turquoise waters, you may be interested in the Dentsar land Seminar in the Caymans November 6-8. Call our office for more information on these two seminars 800-922-0866 from 9-12 ET.

Have a wonderful spring! If your practice is in need of a boost to help the last six months of 2002 be much better than the first half, our team of consultants, Denise Holick, Vicki Turner, Susan Kulakowski, and Janelle Kent are now scheduling their summer and fall dates. It’s the best who want to be better so we are privileged to work with the finest practices in dentistry.

Linda Miles, CEO LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

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 – April 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

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According to the media, the economic downturn is beginning to rebound.

Wednesday, March 6th, 2002

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.

DYNAMIC DATA, MARCH 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

According to the media, the economic downturn is beginning to rebound. I have seen this in the monthly monitors received thus far from client offices for the first two months of the year. Based on the busyness in airports these days, the fear of travel that once gripped the country is starting to recover in the wake of 9-11. So far this year, I have only had one missed flight due to the increased security on boarding planes. Thank goodness I was going to Chicago early and not on the last flight of the evening.

The month of February brought an array of meeting climates from St. Thomas for the 2nd District of NC, to Las Vegas for the Cosmetic Symposium to Houston for the Star of The South all in the same week. It was great seeing so many people I have not seen for years. The Nations Capital Meeting in DC was also a great homecoming of VA dentists and their staff as well as Maryland, PA, and WV.

The meeting industry has changed over the past decade as more and more dental companies and speakers get into the CE business. Years ago, larger meetings were clamoring for speakers’ dates four to five years in advance, paying all their travel and making it worth their time honorarium-wise. Today, speakers are more plentiful and many of them are willing to work for travel only. Each year the major meeting offering is lower and lower, making speakers feel that they should speak for free for EXPOSURE. As one of my fellow speakers shared with me, “exposure is bad because (1) you can be arrested for it, and (2) you can die from it”. I really wanted to accept the ADA’s offer to be part of the New Orleans Meeting this year. Learning that I would speak three days for less than expenses made me decline their offer as I have many major meetings the past few years.

Speaking is a business just as dentistry is a business. Many people feel we speakers are sitting in the beauty salon or gym eating bonbons waiting for our next invitation. My days consist of 7 to 8 hours per day on the phone and 5-6 hours on the computer after dinner. (I travel to speak and consult to get away from the work!). While it is a true honor to give back to the profession, and I do many times per year, I know I’ve worked four decades to make dentistry better, and have risked re-injuring my lower discs to continue my life’s work on a limited basis. Therefore, I’m insulted by the fact the major meetings offer little, if any fee. To my many hosts and meeting planners who have been fair and appreciative, I thank you on behalf of my fellow speakers. To my dedicated assistant, Lee Tarvin, who works just as tirelessly to help run my business, to my consultants who do a superb job with clients and seminars, and to my husband, Don who has been supportive through hundreds of evening calls and projects, I thank you! To those who continue to make thousands of dollars per day on the speaker’s ability, I wish them luck in providing quality presentations and seeing an upswing in their meetings of the future.

Just as I don’t feel dentists should be HMO dentists, I refuse to be an HMO speaker. As long as some of my colleagues continue to “give away their services”, the Legends in the business will retire or work for Corporate USA (Dental Companies) that are also pulling back from the major meetings.

This major shift has taken its toll on Universities and State Meetings. It will soon be truly apparent in Regional and Major Meetings. With HMO Speakers who appear to have good topics and good marketing materials, they are invited twice. The first time they and their topics draw big crowds, the second time, they draw poorly, and the third time the meeting planners get hundreds of complaints and even folks who want their money back! Many of these HMO Speakers have actually copied the works of many of the speakers before them, not realizing that a speaker has to LIVE their material to effectively give it.

They say speaking, modeling and athletics have a 20-year span. I’m past due to retire with 23 years behind me! In 2003 I will give 30 lectures, (with over a third of them presently booked). In 2004 and 2005, I will reduce my schedule to 20 dates per year, and by 2006 I may do ten dates per year if my health remains good. I can honestly say, I enjoy the work that I do even more today than I did ten years ago. Getting to see old friends like at the Nations Capital Meeting in DC Thursday, going back to Seattle King County for the 13th time since the mid 80’s, as I will do next Friday, and re-visiting my clients like the ones I will see next Tuesday in NM, makes it all worthwhile.

Following are the Q&A Series I do monthly for the Seattle King County Dental Association Newsletter. I hope these questions and answers will be helpful to you and your staff.

Question 1 Best way to deal with parents bringing siblings of patients into the practice, which is disruptive to other patients and the office staff?

Answer 1 Not only is this disruptive, but it is also dangerous to have small children running around the office grabbing things, especially in treatment rooms.

If you have an e-letter or newsletter that goes out monthly, this would be one medium for getting the word out that “you’re concerned with the safety of young children who accompany their parents or siblings to the office for appointments.”

You may also mention, “as a courtesy to other patients in the reception room; please bring only the child or children who have appointments.

The final solution is to turn the young child visitor into a marketing advantage. One practice in Massachusetts that practiced in a restored 100-year-old house had a playroom in his office stocked with every toy imaginable. He hired someone for 10 AM – 3 PM (the less busy hours) to baby-sit all children in the fully carpeted (even the walls) room. It became his most productive part of the day when the word got out to young mothers who enjoyed the free childcare appointments for themselves. The lady who baby-sat also answered the phones during the lunch hour. NOTE: Check your state childcare licensing law before offering this service.

Question 2 How do you deal with the new patient on the telephone when you are not a provider of their insurance company, but you still process the forms and let the patients be reimbursed?

Answer 2 In a very positive response say to these patients, “Mrs. Davis, our office sees many families on your plan but we are not considered providers. What this means is; we still file your claims as a courtesy, but our patients pay us and are reimbursed directly. The good news is; we accept Visa/MasterCard or Discover in addition to cash and checks. This means if you pay by credit card, your reimbursement check will more than likely be there before your credit card statement.”

If they prod further and ask why your doctor is NOT a provider, your response can be; “Mrs. Davis, our doctor made a commitment to our patients and to his profession of dentistry years ago. He refuses to do dentistry at reduced fees. He refuses to compromise the care of patients to the degree comprised fees would eventually dictate.

Question 3 What is the best way to bond with patients to get them to be committed to their pre-appointed hygiene appointments?

Answer 3 Contrary to what a few people think, pre-appointing does not cause broken and changed hygiene appointments. There are several factors that do.

A) Patients who owe the practice a balance are most likely not to keep appointments. “Clear up your A/R problems and you also clear up broken appointments.” B) The lack of positive communication chairside creates a higher degree of no-shows and broken appointments in hygiene. Make sure your hygienist and dentist both remind the patients of the importance of their next preventive care appointment. “Mrs. Jones, you’re doing much better on your home care, but I’m still concerned about the pocket depth on that lower right side. This is the area we’ll check first in six months”. (Make sure your clinical notes state the same).

Stop using the words “check-up, cleaning and recall”. They are unimportant and insignificant. Use; “preventive care, follow-up care or continuous care”.

C) One of the main reasons patients fail appointments in hygiene is because they have been talked-down to by the hygienist (scolded or reprimanded) as if they were a child regarding their lack of home care efficiency.

D) Last but not least, patients learn to respect the practice time to the same degree they feel the practice respects their time. Getting the patients in and out on time, treating them with respect, kindness and quality care is key in patient retention.

Besides my 32 dates this year, I am writing my third book, which is due out, this fall. I am also planning my 2003 SunFun Cruises for the entire team and a couple’s cruise of dentists and spouses, (dates and ships to be announced soon). We are making plans to do more Dental Business Conferences as the one March 22 and 23 is oversold in Virginia Beach. I hope to see each and every one of you in 2002. Continue on the upward swing for the remainder of the year. Dentistry’s still the best profession to be part of in spite of the ups and downs we all experience.

Linda Linda Miles, CEO LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com

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 – Mar 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

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Happy Valentine’s Day on the 14th

Wednesday, February 6th, 2002

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

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Happy Valentine’s Day on the 14th. I hope your New Year is off to a great start in spite of the slow-down most practices experienced over the last quarter of 2001. They still had a good year, but compared to the last quarter of years past, it was a down quarter for most.

The seminar I did for our local dentists’ Wednesday night addressed the tell-tell signs of a declining economy and how to use these slower times as a springboard for better economic conditions. The four major signs are:

1) FEWER HYGIENE PATIENTS. Patient retention is the foundation to a solid practice and a solid economy. Because many patients view preventive care as something they can postpone when money is tight, making sure the hygiene department stays healthy is a must. Contrary to what a couple of consultants preach about not pre-appointing, the other 98% of us know that NOT pre-appointing is the kiss of death six months from the time it stops. Who wants to hire another employee to call, call and recall patients, which gives your practice a look of desperation? I wish I could count the number of dentists who have told me in my courses that it will take them two years to get back the losses of non pre-appointing their hygiene patients! As far as the myth that it causes broken appointments, I will gladly match my client patient retention rate with any practice in the country, as will the other consultants who stand by the pre-appointing System. Our theory is “if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it”. Some theories are obviously, “if it isn’t broken, let’s break it, so I can help you fix it!” If your new patient numbers are 200-400 per year and your number of hygiene patients are not increasing year after year; there’s more dentistry on the shelf than is being done. When Hygiene increases $3000 per month, total practice goes up $8,000 to $10,000. When hygiene increases $5000 per month total practice goes up $12,000 to $15,000 per month. Check your patient retention today. Assess your hygiene number of patients monthly in a comparison with the last few years.

2) INCREASED ACCOUNTS/RECEIVABLES. When times get tough, the tough gets smart in A/R management. The priorities of the paying public are; necessities first, which include mortgage or rent, car payments, food, insurance, clothing and entertainment. Their second priority is; those things with interest such as credit cards, and retail stores. Their third and final priority is; the rich dentist or physician who doesn’t really need the money and performs these services out of the goodness of their heart. Having firm yet friendly policies for collections, with the doctor standing behind these policies is a must. Offering creative financing, increasing the staff communication skills in the presentation of fees and discussion of financial arrangements is also key during economic downturns. And finally, giving the staff time during the week to make collection calls from an organized system is paramount. A/R management is easy when everyone in the practice realizes this is not just the Financial Co-ordinator’s job, but a total team effort. A/R balances over one month’s production is a serious problem that only gets worse in a sluggish economic state.

3) CASE ACCEPTANCE PERCENTAGES DECLINE. Are you using your computer-generated reports to track number of dollars presented daily versus number of dollars scheduled or performed? If not, please know that in an economic slump; case acceptance typically declines with people losing jobs or a fear of losing it. In the research I did for this seminar, “When Times are Tough, the Tough Get Smarter”, one dentist on the AADPA Forum actually reported an influx of patients in his city who were having cosmetic enhancement dentistry because they in fact were back on the job recruitment scene. They wanted to look their best while interviewing! In a practice with several hygienists, one was very good at chairside communication and the other two thought that all needed dentistry should be given by the dentist, while their job was to clean teeth. We developed THE HYGIENE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABILITY FORM, which each hygienist filled out daily. It was amazing to see that the two who did not participate in setting the stage for case acceptance by enthusiastically educating patients had 38% and 41% acceptance, while the third hygienist had 87% appointed from the dentistry presented that month. Patients accept dentistry because they understand the benefit to the buyer. They also accept dentistry based on being treated special by people they like and trust. Money is only an obstacle when communication skills are poor and enthusiasm is weak.

4) PATIENTS WANT ONLY THE DENTISTRY THEIR INSURANCE WILL COVER. When times are tough, those practices with insurance co-dependency will notice the problem worsens in a weak economy. While I think going insurance free is the ideal model, many practices pull the rug out from under their solid foundation by listening to a speaker or reading an article that states “there is no other way in which to practice dentistry”. Making it easy for patients to do business with you is key and collecting all co-payments if you are accepting assignment, is a must. I do not advocate being on plans that do not allow co-payments unless you enjoy working about 10-20 days for free for the insurance companies! In our monthly client monitors, the red line is gross production, the blue line is net production and the green line is collections. All three lines are very close together in a healthy practice. The farther the space between red and blue, the more you work free, The farther between the net production and collections line, the more you are not collecting. We also know that “people who owe you money don’t like you”, something I learned from Omer Reed in 1976, in my first practice management seminar in Williamsburg. We can also add to that, “people who owe you money break appointments”, and “people who owe you money do not refer to you, and if they do, they refer others looking for free care”. Let your patients know their benefit plan covers basic care, (basic preventive and restorative). Let them also know that 95% of all adults need more than basic care. If the insurance companies had kept up with inflation, patients allowable benefit today would be between $5000 and $7000, not the same as it was 30 years ago!

If you have new staff or would like to refresh your practice management skills, register today for our two day Dental Business Conference in Virginia Beach at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference on March 22 and 23. The class is limited to fewer than 100 attendees, so call 800-922-0866 from 8:30-12:30 Mondays through Thursdays to get your names on the list. An overflow class is planned for late August. This two-day experience can fast forward new staff to excellence, which would take more than 6 months in-office with a busy schedule. Our breakouts will be for the Exceptional Dental Assistant, and Assisted Hygiene. One of our March attendees from Dr. Desiree Palmer’s office in NC couldn’t wait to get back to NC to try out her newly acquired telephone skills. She immediately started doing “courtesy calls” rather than confirmation calls by saying, “this is Tonia from Dr Palmer’s office, this is your courtesy call to let you know we’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10″. She said one of their new patients told her husband that she was anxious to go to the practice tomorrow, as from the call she knew they were nice people who cared.” It’s amazing how small changes in communication result in big dividends. Sounds so much better than “I’m calling to remind or confirm”.

During a five-day break in Cancun last week I put the beginning touches on the extensive workbook for our 6th Annual Speaking/Consulting Network. From the many inquiries we’ve had over the past few months, this will be the most power packed of all six. In addition to the regular format, which brings people back year after year, we will be doing hands on speech writing, and group consulting with actual cases in practice management. Don’t miss the fun and excitement of Las Vegas and this 3-day Network May 17th to 19th. One of our members, Kathy Metaxas will be coming back from Perth, Western Australia for her third year. Kathy is an independent consultant who owns Platinum Management of Australia, and is a certified presenter of the LLM&A Dental Business Conferences throughout Australia.

Watch for our full-page corporate ad in the March issue of Dental Economics introducing our two newest consultants, Susan Kulakowski and Janelle Kent of FL. Also check out our Menu of Services. We will be setting the dates soon for our 2003 SunFun Seminars, so get those continuing education incentives started now so you can learn and play at sea in 03.

Over the summer I’ll be writing my 3rd book with a release date by the fall. This is something I’ve wanted to do for years and my overly busy travel schedule did not allow it. Now I work hard January through May and September through October so I can enjoy the creative side of my business and spend more time with my family in Virginia Beach in the summer and around the holidays. My typical office day consists of 7-8 hours of telephone calls and 5-6 hours per day of computer time. I really must travel to get away from the work! But I love it, so it really isn’t work. My thanks to my meeting planners and clients in Toronto, Chicago, York, PA, Charlotte, NC (in St Thomas), Las Vegas, Houston, Virginia Beach and D.C. for keeping me busy the past 8 weeks. Until next month,

Linda

LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com

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 – Feb 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

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The New Year started with ten inches of snow for the Virginia Beach.

Sunday, January 6th, 2002

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

January 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

The New Year started with ten inches of snow for the Virginia Beach area. This is a huge surprise as the Atlantic Ocean usually keeps the snowfall west and north of our region. Being snowed in for three days can actually be a good omen, as all the creative and organizational chores one puts off for a rainy day can become snow day priorities. As you look at the year before you, mostly a rather clear calendar of events at this time, make a list of all the fun things you’d like to do that have been postponed for one reason or another. My advice, especially after the 9-11 attacks on America, is to break your professional and personal lives into colors. Just as we recommend color coding your treatment appointments, color-code your life. At our annual Speaking/Consulting Network for new or experienced speakers, consultants and writers, one of the best pieces of advice I have given my colleagues is to look at the year ahead and mark the days in blue you are available to consult, red indicates the lecture dates, green is for marketing and business management, yellow is for creative time such as articles, course preparation, ad designs, client reports, etc. Then I ask each network member to also add purple which is the 3-4 days break they will take every six weeks for fun, family and relaxation breaks. The business of speaking and consulting is very much like dentistry. You constantly strive for perfection and think of others daily. Even when you are not working, you are thinking of work! The 9-11 events make us realize that we are often so focused on making a living, we have forgotten how to live. Most of my clients have had a fabulous year in 2001. The report I hear most often is, “you told us that taking more time off was actually part of growth and success. Look at these numbers and know that we FINALLY believe you.” The reason for short breaks being so important is that while you rest; you sharpen your axe! You and your staff will become slaves to your patients and the practice as a business. You will burn out, and the cracks of the foundation will eventually crumble. This business of dentistry is tremendously seductive and will drain every ounce of your fun and family time if you allow it. Sit down with your staff and family and design some “purple time” on your 2002 calendar of events. Plan staff CE and a fun outing each quarter. If you, (the owner of the practice), are not a socially creative person, bestow this fun task on the team and see what they can come up with for office “purple time”. Sit down with your spouse and family and have them assist you with planning exciting and fun things to do every six weeks. It doesn’t have to be elaborate and expensive. Otherwise, 2002 will be just another year of working to live, not living.

Our Client of the Year for 2001, is Dr. Chris Cooley and his team of top professionals from the Memphis, TN area. Dr Cooley has been a client of LLM&A since the mid 80’s. Linda last visited their practice two years ago and they attended the LLM&A Caribbean Cruise last year. Linda is slated to revisit their practice for a one day focused seminar in April 2002. If Linda searched for the words “perfect client office” on the Internet, Dr. Cooley’s practice would be there. Besides high quality, comprehensive dentistry, Dr. Cooley’s new office is state of the art. He also has a very caring, dependable team of highly skilled professionals, which make his practice rank in the top 1 percent of solo practices worldwide. We have so many “model” practices that we are privileged to work with, it was difficult to select only one. While I have slowed down my consulting assignments and acceptance of lectures by design, (purple alert), we at LLM&A continue to follow the trends and the trendsetters like Dr. Cooley.

Watch for my new article in Dental Economics starting in January entitled “Positive Resolutions”. It’s all about the little issues in a practice that can start off small and escalate into serious morale destroying episodes. Your feedback to Joe Blaes, Editor and me personally will be greatly appreciated. Have an issue you’d like addressed? Just send it to Pennwell and it will appear anonymously in a future article.

Many of you often ask where I get my inspiration, who are my mentors? One of them is my National Speaking Association buddy, Dr. Alan Zimmerman. It is amazing how “on target” this young man is about life in general. With that, I will attach Alan’s New Year’s Day Tuesday Message from last week. If your study club or association is in need of a speaker, do your group a favor and talk to Alan. Also please turn to our LLM&A Speakers’ Bureau listing of speakers for your next meeting. I am privileged, through my SCN annual meeting, to meet and work with the upcoming stars of this business. Visit them on our web-site at www.DentalManagementU.com

Our March 22,23 two day Dental Business Conference is filling quickly. If you wish to bring or send your team, call today to register at 888-507-8757 (PMG Management). Pauline Grabowski, Owner of PMG, Annie Seela, Lee Tarvin and I look forward to having you with us at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel right on the Chesapeake Bay. I will be presenting most of the two day class with Pauline and several guest speakers presenting break-outs on computers, the exceptional dental assistant, assisted hygiene, time management, staff: your greatest asset, and leadership. This course is second in value to our One Year Practice Enhancement Program. Call today for a free brochure or more information.

Our team of consultants stand by to assist you and your staff with practice obstacles that can rob you of the joys of practicing in a stress-less work environment. Call Lee Tarvin, (800-922-0866) 9-Noon Monday through Thursday EST if we can be of service or write to me personally at lindamiles@cox.net. Have a Happy New Year. With more “purple” the best is yet to come! Sincerely, Linda Miles, CEO, CSP, CMC For a sample of feedback questions to go along with Alan’s message on customer feedback, include these questions.

1. Do you feel you were well treated personally and professionally in our office on past visits? ____________________________________

2. What do you enjoy most about being a patient of record?______________________

3. What do you enjoy least about our practice? (We can only improve with honest feed-back.) __________________________________________

4. How do you feel about our staff? Is there any one on our staff that stands out most in your mind? Good, bad and why?_____________________________________

5. How would you rate our communication? Telephone______________, chairside patient education_____________, and regarding your financial obligations_______.

6. Do you recall the names of patients you have referred to us in the past?_________________________. When you tell others about our practice, how do you describe us?_______________________________________

***********Tuesday’s Tip with Dr. Zimmerman************

#81

January 1, 2002

Tip:

Business goes where it is asked and stays where it is thanked.

Dr. Alan Zimmerman’s Comment:

The famous singer, Roger Williams, was on tour and stopped by a nursing home to visit his mother. Unfortunately, he got lost looking for her room and was wandering around somewhat confused. It was at that point that an elderly woman came up to him and looked at him with an intensely curious, but recognizing, stare.

After a moment, he broke the awkward silence by asking; “Do you know who I am?” Surveying him from head to toe, she replied, “No, but if you go to the front desk, they can tell you.”

Roger Williams asked a great question. In fact you should be asking a similar question when it comes to your business and your customer service. Do your customers know who you are?

The answer to this question will make or break your business. And the answer isn’t so difficult to get. As the elderly lady said, just go up to the front desk and ask. Or in the case of your business, just go out and ask your customers for some feedback.

The problem is, SOME BUSINESSES DON’T ASK THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR NEARLY ENOUGH FEEDBACK. OTHER BUSINESSES DON’T BELIEVE IT OR HEAR IT. And any one of those mistakes can seriously affect the success of your business.

Some businesses “don’t ask” for the feedback until it’s too late. An important customer jumps ship, and all of a sudden, the business is calling that customer, groveling, asking for another chance, wanting to know what it would take to get back their loyalty. Good luck. It seldom works.

Other businesses “don’t believe” it. In other words, they don’t believe there’s any adverse feedback to collect from customers. Afterall, if there was any negative feedback, they figure they would know about it.

Wrong! Research has repeatedly shown that for every 100 unhappy customers a business has, only 4 will ever tell that business. Most people don’t say anything because they don’t think it would be worth the hassle.

So be careful. Just because you’re not hearing a lot of negative customer feedback, don’t assume there isn’t any. Smart businesses, prosperous businesses beg their customers for complaints.

Still other businesses “don’t hear” it. Oh, they may ask their customers for feedback. But the business doesn’t get it. They don’t really hear it. They don’t hear all that is being said or left unsaid by the customer.

It’s like the man who conducted an experiment to find out whether people really listen to one another. Whenever he got a phone call, he responded to the standard question of “How are you?” with a simple, “Oh, feeling.”

Then he kept score of what people said back. The responses were, “Good…Great…or…That’s nice.” Nobody paid any attention to what he said, except once. The fellow at the other end perked right up. “Oh!” he exclaimed with interest. “Anybody I know?”

So what should you do? You should find out what your customer needs, meet those needs as best you can, and then ask for feedback on how well you delivered.

To do that, you need to ask two kinds of questions, preventative and inventive. Preventative questions focus on preventing wrong. In other words, they gather information from your customers on what you have to do so you don’t accidentally screw up or turn off your customers. They gather information about your customer’s likes and dislikes.

The two most common preventative questions you should be asking your customers are: “What did you like about our products and services? And what didn’t you like about our products and services?”

In essence you’re trying to figure out why your customers keep buying from you. You’re trying to prevent some things that would make your customers stop buying from you.

As telesales trainer Art Sobczak says, “This is so incredibly simple, yet it’s rarely used by companies.” You may think your product or service offers a particularly wonderful benefit for your customer, but that “benefit” may not mean anything to your customer. He or she might buy for a totally unrelated reason.

For example, my financial planner might like to believe that he gets my business because of all the superb economic analyses he does for me. The truth is, I’ve stayed with him simply because he calls more often than the other financial planners I’ve used. Of course, he may not know this because he’s never asked why I do business with him.

Ask your customers why they keep buying from you. Try something like, “Betty, I want to make sure we’re providing you with what you want. So please, tell me why you keep doing business with us?”

Then ask your customers some inventive questions. Unlike preventative questions that help you prevent wrong, inventive questions help you invent right. Ask such questions as, “What would you like from us in the way of products and services?” and “What should we do differently?” Whether you use customer score cards, telephone calls, focus groups, or just ask your customers informally, face to face, you’ll get a gold mine of good ideas.

When you ask for customer feedback, you’ll also get a few complaints. So you may think it’s better to not ask for any customer feedback. You may think it’s better to leave well enough alone rather than encourage customers to vent.

Not so! Most research says that customer satisfaction actually goes up if you “respond” to customer complaints in 24 to 48 hours. Mind you, I said “respond,” not “resolve.” Customers don’t expect you to resolve all their problems immediately, but they are delighted if you take some action and get back to them as quickly as possible.

Today’s tip says, “Business goes where it is asked and stays where it is thanked.” I’ve been writing about the first part. You’ve got to ask for customer feedback. But you’ve also got to show appreciation.

To show appreciation, I would suggest you follow the advice given in the famous poem, “And Then Some.”

And Then Some

“These three little words are the secrets to success. They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. The top people always do what’s expected…and then some. They are thoughtful of others. They are considerate and kind…and then some. They meet their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely…and then some. They are good friends and helpful neighbors… and then some. They can be counted on in an emergency… and then some. I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world more livable. Their spirit of service is summed up in these little words…and then some.”

Action:

Select three of your customers and ask each of them a couple of preventative and inventive customer service questions. Really listen to what they are saying, and then take one action that will exceed your customers’ expectations. In other words, use the feedback.

Have a fantastic week! Dr. Alan Zimmerman

===========================================================

========CREATING CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPIONS===========

If you want to get serious about getting and using customer feedback, get a copy of Dr. Zimmerman’s book on “Creating Customer Service Champions.” It’s a massive, 3-ring, 275 page training manual that has an entire section on just this topic.

It’s an expensive $295 training system, but just this one section on customer feedback will pay for itself in a matter of hours. Click here http://drzimmerman.com/products_ccsc.htm or cut and paste this address into your web browser for a complete outline of everything in this manual and information on how to order your copy.

============================================================

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Alan Zimmerman is a full-time professional speaker, who has given more than 3000 keynote, half, and full day programs across the country and around the world. His high energy, high content, high involvement programs help: 1) create more positive work environments, 2) where people are motivated to give their very best, 3) while working with colleagues and customers as a team.

When you hire Dr. Zimmerman, you will receive an outstanding program that your participants will love. They will learn skills they can use immediately – on and off the job – to get better results immediately. And they will have fun in the learning process.

Click here http://drzimmerman.com/programs.htm or cut and paste this address into your web browser for Dr. Zimmerman’s complete list of programs.

Feel free to call Dr. Zimmerman or his staff to discuss your program needs or e-mail any questions you might have. He would be happy to respond.

=============================================================

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman, CSP Tel: 952-492-3888 Fax: 952-492-5888 E-mail: Alan@DrZimmerman.com

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============PLEASE FORWARD THIS ISSUE=====================

If you enjoy these Tuesday Tips, would you do me, and a few friends a favor? Please forward this issue to several people in your address book — co-workers, vendors, friends, anyone who could benefit.

Better yet, tell them they can sign up for their own subscription. All they have to do is go to my web site to sign up.

Your goal, like mine, is to make a positive difference in the lives of as many people as possible. They’ll thank you for it, and so will I.

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==============COPYRIGHT AND REPRINTS=====================

Reprint permission is granted when the following credit appears: “© Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman, CSP, 2001. Reprinted with permission from ‘Dr. Zimmerman’s Tuesday Tip,’ a weekly internet newsletter. For your own personal subscription, go to www.DrZimmerman.com”

LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com

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 – Jan 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

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