february 2009 issue of jameson monthly
Business Management Must Knows
12 Critical Factors of the Business of Dentistry
As one of the most impactful courses you can EVER experience for the management aspect of your dental team, Jameson's Business Management Course is specifically designed for dental professionals who want to lead themselves in a positive and forward thinking direction. Dentists, owners and office managers receive three days of interactive exercises, lecture and hands-on training, resulting in accelerated management expertise.
Understanding the critical factors of the business of dentistry; how to construct effective systems; how to develop a super team; how to nurture open, constructive communication among team members and with patients; and how to create monitors that accurately measure the health and well-being of your practice is essential if you are to access success.
Let's look at a few of the major "critical" factors. Please know that these are not all of the critical factors-but some of the major ones. You, of course, may be "on top" of many of these. If you are, pat yourself on the back.
- Production
- Collection
- Accounts Receivable
- Patient Financing Programs
- Overhead
- Scheduling
- Broken Appointments and No Shows
- Case Acceptance
- Hygiene
- New Patients
- Team
- Attitude
In an article we can provide to you, Cathy Jameson outlines these twelve critical factors of the business of dentistry in greater detail. There are many others. However, these twelve are foundational to your practice's health and well being. As you look toward the remainder of 2009, take the time to evaluate your office systems and ask yourself how effectively have these systems been functioning over the past year and then determine what is going well.
Then ask yourself, "How can we do this better?" Be about the business of improving each and every one of these critical factors/systems. Being on a path of continuous improvement is the way to the "road of success". Talk over any new ideas with your coach and let's work to make these 12 critical factors points of great pride within your heart - within your team - within your legacy.
Click here to learn more about Jameson's Business Management Course or to register online.
Position Your Practice for Success
MARKETING TIPS
- Dental practices should invest 4-6% of the previous 12-month collections for marketing. If the practice is in a large metropolitan area, bringing on an associate or promoting a new building up to 10% of the previous 12-month collections should be invested.
- All marketing should be patient (or "you") focused and action oriented.
- There are 46,656 different ways to market & promote any one product or service.
- 30% of all new patients should come from external marketing while 70% should come from existing patient referrals.
- Web sites garner the best results when visitors view a minimum of three pages and are on the site a minimum of three minutes.
- A marketing message must be seen, heard, and/or felt between five and seven times before the prospect will respond.
- Average production per new patient for general practices should be $1,500 and for more advanced cosmetic practices it should be $2,500 per new patient.
- Need-based marketing tends to work better during poor economic times than want-based marketing.
- Photos of existing patients work best in marketing campaigns.
- Repetition and consistency are the keys to success.
To learn more about how to incorporate these tips or how to...
Move patients to your practice... Determine a brand... Make ads stand out... Understand demographics... Successfully track marketing efforts. Think outside the box... And much more...
Then check out...
New Continuing Education Course
What Every Dental Professional Needs to Know
The Jameson team has a continued passion for helping others spread the word about dental responsibilities regarding cancer screenings. As participating member of Friends of Hu-Friedy, an online dental hygiene community for RDHs, dental hygiene students and faculty, our team is excited to support the addition of their newest CE course titled "Gambling With Oral Cancer: What Every Dental Professional Needs to Know."
The 2 CEU course was developed in collaboration with Patricia M. Pine, RDH, a dental hygienist who has practiced in general dentistry over 30 years. The course centers on the importance of performing oral cancer screenings on each patient and sharing information with their patients. Research and statistics show that oral cancer is becoming a disease of the younger generation with the connection of HPV and oral cancer. The course reveals that oral cancer is not prejudice; all patients of all ages are at risk. Participants will study criteria to develop their own technique that is comfortable for screening patients.
We will continue to champion the responsibility of the dental industry to offer this type of cancer screening. For breast cancer there are mammograms, for prostate cancers there are PSA scores, for cervical cancers there are pap smears. Dental professionals MUST educate patients about the advantages of oral cancer screening and incorporate that into a comprehensive practice. Adding advanced oral cancer screening systems can enhance the standard of care in a practice as well as provide additional revenue.
Visit www.HuFriedy.com for more information about their CE course concerning oral cancer, or call Jameson at 877.369.5558 for a proposed phased approach and/or other details about how to create this level of comprehensive care for your patients.
