Dynamic Data Newsletter - Summer and Fall 2004

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,

The first half of 2004 has been a strong economic climate for our active clients. Some of our solo practices have already reached the million-dollar mark and it’s not even September. Case acceptance has improved dramatically as the staff members and dentists become more aware of WHY patients often said “no” to their custom designed treatment plans. Dentists and staff have become more comfortable with their fees, their financial discussions, and they realize that getting a “yes” means outlining the long term benefit to the patient to accept the dentistry they need.

These outstanding communicators know that another factor in having outstanding case acceptance means defining clearly to every patient (regardless of their income level), the financial options available in the practice. Too often the dentist and staff members feel they may come across as “insulting” to well-to-do patients. Believe me, many of the most well to do patients need financial options more than a person with a moderate income. WHY? Because most affluent families are making four to six times the mortgage payment of a middle income family, they probably have children in private schools, hire others to do their domestic chores, have three or four expensive vehicles to maintain, take expensive vacations and think nothing of having credit card balances per month the same level as a more conservative family charges on credit cards per year! It is in my opinion that the wealthier the patient, the higher the socioeconomic climate in a particular practice, the lower the case acceptance when patients are not offered financial options such as Care Credit no interest in-office financing for six to twelve months. Do your patients a favor. Offer options to ALL patients. You will be surprised by your increased case acceptance rate.

Another not so exciting trend that has worsened over the past year in most of my client areas is the shortage of good chairside assistants and dental business staff. For years there was the hygienist shortage and now it is the total office staff shortage. This has reached an epidemic level in some geographic parts of the US. Dentists are scrapping the bottom of the applicant pool barrel. In some instances, dentists are so hard up for just filling a position after weeks of interviewing, if an applicant breathes, they are hired. I see this not only in dentistry but in medical practices, also in hotel staff, restaurants, department stores, and airlines.

In trying to identify the shift from the “hard to select just one applicant” scenario of years ago to the problem that’s here today, I came up with this theory. Recently, during one of my lectures, I mentioned that employees of large or small corporations are tired of being laid off, and tired of having their benefits greatly reduced. They feel generally treated poorly at work. My justification of the shortage and trend was that employees having gone through this personally (or witnessed their parents being laid off) are in the revenge state. Dentists (and other employers) are interviewing those who felt taken advantage of. So consequently, they are hired with bad attitudes toward middle or upper management. It goes along with my long quoted phrase, “employees treat the consumer exactly the way upper management treats them”. I still believe, to a great extent, this is true.

One of the most noticeable changes in my client practices is the improvement of the work environment. When people are treated with respect they become respectful. When the business owner has professional fun at work the employees follow suit. When the leader is passionate about dentistry, the staff members are as well. In other words, positive leadership creates positive, accountable employees. Some of the staff members in practices I’ve consulted over the years say, “Our doctor is not the same person he/she was before we started working with you”, or “changing the work environment from negative to positive makes everyone in our office so appreciative of one another and the patients we serve”. To me, those types of comments are much more important than, “our production is up 35%”, or “we took home more money”.

A very smart dental spouse in NC offered another twist on why she felt her husband and other employers are having such a difficult time finding employees with great attitudes, and work ethics, etc. She feels, and she has created a believer out of me as, “ I see things through her shades”. She believes that affluent families today make young people unenthused with entry-level jobs. When a teen-ager is given their own credit card, cell phone, vehicle, big allowances, etc., they truly have little desire to start at a job that pays minimum wage. Does this mean ALL young people are like this? NO! Some young people, even from the most affluent parents have been taught that money does not grow on trees and that Bank of Dad or Bank of Mom is closed! I think the worst thing a person can do is spoil their children and grandchildren by providing too much too soon. Materialistic children will never have the same work ethics as those who are from families that struggled to make ends meet. Or those who made their children earn their way to a large extent. While it is natural for parents (and grandparents) to over-indulge children, it is not doing the child a favor for later-in-life work experiences.

One of the best speakers I heard last year was Dennis Waitley at the AADPA meeting. He has made millions as a motivational/inspirational speaker and author. He told the audience of his gift a few years ago when he and his wife invited all of their married children and grandchildren for a family vacation cruise. On the last evening he called them all into their stateroom for a toast. He is a big believer of philanthropy so his toast went something like this: “Your mother and I have decided to give all of you the greatest gift a parent can bestow upon grown children. We are giving our entire estate to deprived children of the world who need financial assistance. The gift we leave with you is the GIFT of EARNING”. As shocking as it must have been to the family expecting an inheritance of substance, it brought home a very strong message to the audience. Are we helping or hindering our offspring by working so hard they won’t have to? Two of my favorite clients (husband and wife practice in DE) gave me a funny pillow that says, “Always Fly First Class, If You Don’t Your Children Will”. I believe there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

If the readers of the newsletter have any other observations on why the applicant pool is so thin, I’d love to read and possibly publish those observations in upcoming issues of Dynamic Data. My message to dentists is: If you have a great team of very hard working, happy employees I hope you show your appreciation for them often. Also: Staff, if you have a great employer with a wonderful group of co-workers, those who pull their weight and are great team players, count your blessings as it is not like this in all dental practices. I tell my clients, “The most appreciative employee you have is the one who was not appreciated in their last place of employment!”

PRACTICE SURVEYS - I’m very excited about the surveys I’ve been doing with practices over the past six months. These are the most complete surveys in dentistry with astounding results for the practice owners. The dentist or staff hand the next 100 patients the survey (not just good patients, but the next 100 they see). The patients use the sealable envelope that goes back to the survey company in New Orleans. Valmont then enters the information gathered from the survey forms into their system that creates bound workbooks for the consultant and the client. In an hour long consultation by phone, the dentist and consultant go over the results discussing how the practice can improve the areas of weakness. They also celebrate the practice strengths of which the owner may not have been aware. If you wish to know the level of Patient Satisfaction in approximately 20 different areas, these surveys are for you. The patient satisfaction areas include: location, responsiveness to your requests and calls, respect for your time, price of services, reliability of services, facility, staff competency, staff attitudes, scheduling flexibility and financial arrangements to name a few. Doctors, the truth is, you can never know, except through the eyes of your patients what your strengths or weaknesses are until you ask. Doing personal surveys do not work as well. Patients will tell the dentist what they think they wish to hear. Having the surveys sealed and mailed to a survey company without fear of being identified is the key. Don’t waste money trying to build your practice until you know WHAT to fix! Staff Surveys (feedback from your staff to the survey company), improves office morale and lets the staff know their employer is interested in creating a better workplace. If staff dissatisfaction or turnover is a problem, end those types of problems now by discovering the real employee issues and more importantly, how to fix them. Surveys are also available for specialists to send to their referring dentists for eye-opening feedback that specialists need to know. Call Lee today at 800-922-0866 for a price list of the surveys and KNOW versus GUESS what’s wrong with your practice. As Norman Schwartzkoff states: “The sign of a great leader is admitting they have a problem. For it is only then that they can go about fixing it”.

DENTAL BUSINESS CONFERENCES -Managing a dental practice is a total team effort. With scheduling chairside the entire team needs to learn effective scheduling techniques. With improved communication chairside and at the desk, the entire staff needs to become effective at treatment stage setting. With defined duties at the desk, each person learns how to be accountable for the areas of practice management that helps the clinical part of the practice run smoothly. Our two-day Dental Business Conferences, the most requested programs we do, are available to Study Clubs and Dental Societies. If you cannot bring your team to Virginia Beach to hear LLM or go to one of the other locations, call Lee at 800-922-0866 to arrange for one of our certified presenters to come to your area. The meeting planners secure the meeting site; they are in charge of breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks. Each doctor saves 20% off the tuition fee and out of town travel is not required. Get your group together. (Minimum of ten practices). See our website for additional information. Our fall DBC in Virginia Beach is filling quickly. Dates are October 15-16. Call today to bring your new staff or jumpstart yourself and the staff who have been with you long-term. As one dental business staff member in a client office in AL said, “If Linda Miles can’t light your fire, your wood is wet” (smiles)

HEALTH ALERT: Periodically I receive a newsletter “Brain in The News” at www.amenclinic.com. It is full of great tidbits on keeping ones brain healthy and well exercised like any other organ in the body. The latest edition stated that children who watch more than two hours per day of television are more likely to have ADD and adults who watch TV more than two hours per day are more prone to get Alzheimer’s. I’m very glad I stay too busy on the telephone and computer to watch TV.

INSURANCE SOLUTIONS, the number one insurance consulting company for keeping teams abreast of the latest CDT 2005 & HIPAA information will be holding three seminars for dentists and staff. Participants will leave with all the tools they need to do better coding, understand coordination of benefits, learn how to tackle the HOT coding issues such as perio, crown lengthening, implants, vertical bitewings, night guards, and cross coding for medical procedures. The dates are: October 15 in Spokane WA, October 29 in Tacoma, and November 5, in Bellevue. To register call toll-free 888-825-0298. Registration fee only $255 for one and $195 for all additional from the same practice. The fee includes one Security Manual and customizable CD per office.

If you are interested in going to Australia in October, don’t miss Masters of Dentistry Extravaganza in Sydney October 22-24. American and Australian speakers will be offering many topics from clinical to hygiene to practice and team enhancement courses. The Gala on Saturday night is going to be a night fit for a King or Queen. Register online by visiting www.mastersofdentistry.com.au Courses in Clinical Excellence, Hygiene Efficiency, Practice Management and Team Development. Our fall is Australia’s springtime. What a beautiful time to visit and tour.

Visit our Exhibit booth at the ADA hosted by Susan Kulalowski and Janelle Kent, our senior consultants and partners of DDS (Developmental Dental Strategies), a division of LLM&A. Kathy Putnam, Susan and Janelle’s assistant will also be at the booth. Three of our consultants will be speaking at the ADA meeting in Orlando (Susan, Janelle, and Char Sweeney of MI). I will be there to cheer them on and to speak at the Academy of Dental Management Consultants Round table for members only on Wednesday before the ADA starts on Thursday. Speaking of our consultants, our clients are having an outstanding year with one solo practice up $46,000 per month (and they were already a strong solo practice to begin with). One practice had a hygiene department increase from $7892 per month to over $18,000 in less than one year. Another hygiene department was averaging $16,245 in 2003; a year later the same practice averages $45,916 in hygiene. These increases are a result of the reduction of BAs, proper reactivation of patients telephone skills, a better mix of services in hygiene and assisted hygiene two days per week. If your practice is in need of practice and staff development or a happier and improved work environment, please call Lee at 800-922-0866 so one of our consultants can call you for a complimentary telephone analysis of your practice needs.

At our ADA Exhibit Booth, complimentary mini-consults will be offered throughout the meeting. Bring your appointment schedule, your major concern, or stats for a 15-minute session with one of our experienced consults. Kathy, Susan and Janelle’s assistant, will be making appointments each day. Also on display for ordering will be our Dental Business Conference series for practice and staff training, my newest Women Working with Women CDs, and my book, DYNAMIC DENTISTRY. See our website for ordering now.

If you haven’t checked out Dental Products Report video clips, please do so soon. Lois Banta, (my co-author for Dental Practice Report’ collections articles), and I were interviewed for a film clip on Staff Salaries and how to handle requests for pay increases. Dennis Spaeth, Dental Products Report Web Publisher, has done a wonderful job of capturing timely topics in a high tech format. Speaking of DPR, I was recently appointed to Dental Practice Report’s Editorial Advisory Board. If you have any ideas for upcoming articles or surveys, please contact Steven Diogo, Editor in Chief, at stevendiogo@advanstar.com

Next month I will be speaking at the MD State meeting in Ocean City, September 17th. Recently I was appointed to the Advisory Board of Center for Oral Health Studies in MD (COHS), thanks to the referral from our wonderful client, Dr. Al Ousborne of Towson. Visit the COHS web site at www.oralhalthstudies.com for my eight-minute interview with Mr. Arthur Eshe, the creator of this exciting new concept in Dental Education.

Here’s hoping that each of you are enjoying your summer. It seems to come and go very fast. It seems that only yesterday school was over for the summer and now it’s almost Labor Day and the beginning of a new school year. We’ve had our share of rain and storms this summer in Virginia Beach. Not good for tourism but great for the malls, and restaurants as the tourists have to do something when it rains. But we can’t complain. Susan and Janelle, two of our FL consultants who live in Punta Gorda and Cape Coral, were in the eye of hurricane Charley. Thankfully, their homes sustained minor damage compared to many of their unlucky neighbors. Their office however was ruined from falling wet ceiling tiles. Being the troopers they are, they relocated their office within 48 hours to another locale and did not miss a beat. With no air conditioning or electricity, they were delighted to go on a consulting assignment less than a week after the storm. Our thanks to their clients in Rochester, NY who made them feel so welcome.

Sincerely,

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 llmiles@ix.netcom.com 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 llmiles@ix.netcom.com.

Miles & Associates – Summer - Fall 2004

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