DYNAMIC DATA NEWSLETTER tm Fall 2003

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, FALL 2003

Dear Doctors and Staff,

I keep hearing the phrase, “where did the summer go” from clients, family, neighbors and friends. Rainy weather over the entire east coast this year made outdoor activities less frequent (except for mowing the grass). Maybe as we get older time passes faster, but even young people have asked, “where did the summer go”? Now it is back to school for the children and the time for getting very serious about one’s business before the end of the year holidays. For dentists and other business owners, this means taking a good look at the first eight month figures knowing they have only four months left to make this year one of their best years ever. While many practices in my audiences have been only “holding their own” for the year, the majority of our active clients, (those we monitor monthly), are doing fantastically well. Our firm, which is normally slower in the summer months, has had the busiest summer of the past five years with many new projects evolving from the distribution of my new book, DYNAMIC DENTISTRY. Our fast forward press releases will begin mid September in over 1000 business journals, newspapers and news stations. As much as we look forward to interviews about business in general and dentistry in particular, our year could get even busier. Thanks to the first year book sales, my alliance with the American Dental Assistants Association and the military dental clinics worldwide, we are feeling very blessed and extremely honored. And above all else, hearing from dental practices across the country (and some locally) that are doing so well, makes us even happier.

One of the highlights of my summer was speaking at the ADAA House of Delegates and their membership meeting in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel. I was also awarded the coveted US Army Dental Command coin at this meeting. The ADAA proudly provides educational opportunities for military personnel and it’s heartwarming to see their participation at the ADAA annual conferences. If your dental assistants (clinical and business) don’t belong to the ADAA, it is time to encourage their membership in this wonderful organization. (Also your hygienists to the ADHA). I hope that each dentist reading this will also consider paying their assistants’ dues in ADAA, which are less than $150 per year, depending upon the state in which you practice. It is only by networking with others who do their job that your staff realize it is not a job but a very rewarding career. With the offer to pay their dues come certain expectations. Doctors, you should not just pay their dues as a gift without expecting a nice return on the investment. The stipulations should be: “You must attend at least 80% of the functions in your local dental assistants organization. And, you must bring back at least one good idea that can help our practice from the monthly meetings you attend.” Without expectations, it becomes just another benefit. You will quickly learn who on your team is career-minded and who has a job only when you make this part of your employee benefit package. Attending the ADAA annual session and networking with the leading assistants from all states made me proud to say I came from dental assisting to where I am today thanks to a dentist offering to pay my dues many years ago. Thanks, Dr. Wilson.

While in Nashville I also addressed the American Association of Women Dentists with an excerpt from my new seminar, Women Working With Women”. That was another highlight of July. I am encouraging every female dentist who is not a member of AAWD to become involved. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but was more than pleasantly surprised with the women dentists I met. They are true leaders in dentistry, not just AAWD, and enjoy the camaraderie of networking with like-minds who share their joys as well as frustrations. The mentoring process is alive and well at AAWD with the older dentists having such an impact on the younger ones and the students who were there with their instructors from several schools.

Speaking of the WWWW seminar, our Vegas seminar was a huge hit with the only negative comment, “I wish I had brought my entire staff”. Our second and third WWWW seminars for 2003 are Saturday, September 20th in Atlanta and Friday, November 14th in Chicago. To register or for more information call Lee at 800-922-0866. Having happy and accountable employees who get along well is the main objective of the WWWW program. I hope to see you and your staff at one of these seminars soon.

Our weeklong Alaskan Cruise was an incredible trip with perfect weather at the prime early July sailing. Don and I enjoyed a few days in Vancouver before setting sail on July 5th.   As a bonus, we had in attendance Veterinarians as well as dentists, spouses and staff. Interestingly, the vets’ practice management and staff issues are no different than those of the dentists, so it was a fabulous experience for all in attendance. I especially enjoyed the mini-consultations with every doctor during our time at sea and feel we made some new “forever friends” on the cruise. Thanks to our travel agency and management staff, especially Peggy Shandy, for making every detail of the trip memorable, smooth and exciting. Also, thanks to Bent Ericksen for his Friday morning presentation on staffing issues. If you have not experienced a LLM&A SunFun Cruise, set sail with us March 11-15 for the newest SunFun topic “APPRECIATION—(The True Key to Success)”. Offices with a high degree of appreciation for the dentists/employers, associates and coworkers have the highest degree of success and the lowest degree of turnover. Too many practices do not show true appreciation for patients and the referrals they bring. Leadership includes the appreciation of staff and how to show it. If you are a frequent cruiser, you will again have the time of your life in Key West and Cozumel, not to mention the on-board fun. Many practices in the past, celebrating a good year and in anticipation of a following great year, made the SunFun Package a holiday gift for their team. The presentation of a gift certificate outlining the spring cruise brings exciting responses. Now that’s a gift that will pay big dividends back to you all year! If you are interested in this idea, call Peggy, our cruise director or her staff, at 877-673-4270 very soon. Dental supply sales representatives, laboratory staff, accountants, and office design companies should encourage their clients to be on this cruise. One of our topics on appreciation includes having more appreciation for the above named professionals with whom dentists work who are not part of their office support staff, but who play a significant role in their success. See our ads in Dental Practice Report and Dental Products Report or visit our site at www.DentalManagementU.com

So many dentists are totally unaware of one of the major problems facing their practices this decade. That is having VOICE MAIL answer their phones during patient hours. In many offices, the staff love the idea of not having the phone as a priority but it’s a known fact that the telephone is the lifeline to the outside world and patients expect to have a live person accommodating them immediately. Patients hate going through the “electronic receptionist” as VM is called. In making a dozen or more calls per day to dental practices across the country, I’m amazed at the high percentage of offices that are too busy to answer the phone. The ONLY time you should consider VM is when your practice is as large as you want it to be. If your practice has had a declining year (or years), learn whether this is a problem in your practice. Because family members use a private line to call in, many spouses of dentists aren’t aware this is happening. Do you really think the staff will say,  “oh, by the way doctor, seven patients today complained about not being able to reach a human when they called the office?” NO WAY!! Or, “doctor I’m sure you’d want to know that 6 of 7 times the VM took calls today, the caller hung up”. And remember for every person who complains there are eight to ten who simply left the practice. Some staff love not being interrupted with the phone. What they don’t realize is that the phone is their paycheck next month. Not having the phone as a priority this month could mean a definite decline and the losses come right out of the doctor’s back pocket, not anyone else’s. I’ve hesitated writing on this subject because our office has so many calls daily that it is impossible for our staff to answer them all personally. Therefore sometimes you will get our VM. You may say that is the same as your office. But because we don’t deal with dental emergencies and all of our calls can be returned, it is different. After 25 years, I’m not into GROWING my business, but maintaining it with a smaller staff and fewer people. When your practice reaches this stage, you may then use VM on occasion but not until it is at that stage.

One of the telephone communication tools I am however VERY in favor of is TELEVOX. The TeleVox list of products includes HouseCalls, an electronic confirmation system, Vox On-Hold Messages if you need to put a caller on hold for a minute or two, and Web Services. HouseCalls integrates with practice management software to deliver customized appointment reminders, account notices, birthday wishes, or any message the office chooses such as a relocation of your office notice. HouseCalls lets the staff focus on your in-office patient care, such as answering the phones live. With over 5000 customers, TeleVox takes its commitment to service and support seriously. For more information and how its products can benefit your practice, please contact Laura Ehlert, Marketing Manager at 800-644-4266 toll free, 251-633-9252 ext. 1326 or laurae@televox.com Also visit TeleVox on the web at www.televox.com Dentists who are TeleVox users, especially for those time-consuming confirmation/courtesy calls, love the idea that the important incoming calls can be given a new priority. When a dentist called our consulting division saying his August was down $8000 less than last year’s August, the first thing I asked is “how is the phone being handled”. When I told him of the VM nightmare many dentists are unaware of, he said that lightening hit his phones last week and took care of the problem. He admitted that the calls were on VM and that a patient mistakenly called his home number and was shocked when his wife (a life person answered). The patient told the wife that 9 of 10 times over the past year, VM took the calls. The doctor is also sure that it has been one of the major downfalls.

For CE in the past three months I attended the National Speakers convention in New Orleans for 5 days in July. It was wonderful seeing so many dental friends at NSA. I’ve been a member since 1982 but had not been to the annual convention in several years. I learned so much that I plan to share at our annual Speaking Consulting Network next May 22-24 in Vegas. For any of our readers who are not familiar with SCN, we are in our 8th year. It is an annual conference for seasoned or start-up speakers, consultants and authors who wish to enhance their own speaking, consulting or writing business. Read more about SCN on our web-site www.DentalManagementU.com.  I will also be attending the DENTRIX Symposium the end of September in Provo, Utah. It is an exciting two days of 30 or so dental consultants and the DENTRIX corporate staff putting their heads together to make managing your practice better. I try to stay in tune with the latest updates in technology of the top three or four software companies as well as network with other professionals. This is what makes the entire profession better.

If your chairside dental assistants are in need of additional hands-on training and communication skills, my friends, Sheila and Courtney at EDA (Exceptional Dental Assistants) will be holding their Level I course in Richmond, VA, Friday, September 19 from 9-4 and their Level II on Friday, October 24th. It is not too late to register if you hurry. 804-739-4375. I find that dental assistants are in dire need of four handed skills, laboratory techniques, charting, radiographs, sterilization and maintenance of equipment skills. This is all covered in Level One. Level Two includes the New Patient Experience, chairside communication, temporaries, child prophys, sealants, cosmetic whitening, and laboratory tracking systems. All this for ONLY $215 (1st attendee, and $175 each additional from same office). If these courses are sold out you may ask for their next courses.

For all of the dentists in the US who have ever wanted to go to Australia you may be very interested in attending the Masters of Dentistry Extravaganza in Sydney in October 2004. I will be presenting along with many American speakers for this exciting conference. Log onto the web site for inquiry information and to be placed on the mailing list for receiving a brochure www.mastersofdentistry.com

Even though summers gone, it’s not too late to get your practice improvements in place before year-end. Have your staff all “singing from the same sheet of music” communications-wise, improve time management and scheduling woes, have accountable helpful team players, and improve the net profit and productivity by 20-30%. Call Lee today at 800-922-0866 for one of our consultants (or me) to reserve a half hour complimentary consultation to discuss your practice concerns. Our goal is to send the doctor and staff home on a happy note each day.

Linda Miles, CEO

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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 – Fall 2003

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