Good-bye Morning Huddle

For over 20 years we have taught the value of having a morning huddle. We’ve produced agendas. We’ve trained and retrained. We’ve spoken about it at seminars, workshops and on-site visits. Now, in what may sound like a contradictory move, we are officially banning the morning huddle. No more. Don’t do it. Save the time and save the hassle.

Here’s why…

What’s in a name? Sometimes the title or name that we give things implies so much it is hard to get through the real meaning. Yes, teams huddle on the field, but it is a brief meeting where one person calls the play and every yells “break.” Well, dentistry isn’t football folks. In fact, the most effective teams we have worked with don’t have a morning huddle at all. They have transformed the “get together and call the play of the day” morning huddle into something we have coined the “Morning Opportunity Meeting” or M.O.M. for short.

The primary thing that characterizes the M.O.M. is its middle name: Opportunity. The primary focus is uncovering, strategizing, and planning around the day’s opportunities. Done correctly, everyone has a say and everyone has a part to play. Here are some examples of the opportunities we are talking about:

1. What’s the best thing that happened yesterday? If you have attended any of our ToPS seminars or workshops, you’ve heard us talk about this important first topic of any M.O.M. Focus on what worked yesterday that could be an opportunity to duplicate today. Is there something you said that resulted in a “yes” from a patient? Is there something another team member did that was particularly helpful that could be done again today to increase productivity and effectiveness? Looking every day at the opportunities around duplicating what is working is essential. Practices that build upon daily successes stay true to the effort of “constancy of purpose” on which the best offices focus.

2. Unscheduled treatment – doctor’s schedule. Long before the huddle begins, like the afternoon before, someone on the team takes responsibility for looking at the next day’s schedule and reviewing the charts of the patients who are going to see the doctor for restorative treatment. Beyond the treatment that is scheduled, what other potential work do these patients have that is not yet scheduled? Even if it has only been a day or two since they accepted the treatment for which they are returning, things can change. They went home. They thought about things you said. Maybe they have additional questions. Maybe they reconsidered and are teetering on the point of doing more than they originally agreed. You don’t know until you ask:

Mrs. Jones, just checking in with you about those other teeth we discussed that are in the same area where we are going to do the crown today. Like we discussed, while we are there and close, it would save you a lot of time and potential hassle to just take care of them right now as well. Not pushing here, but I just wanted to double check before we get started. Would you like to take care of the other two teeth as well while we are at it?”

The exact words you use are not as important as giving the patient the space to say “yes” to more. It all starts with identifying those opportunities every morning in your M.O.M.

3. Unscheduled treatment – hygiene. Every afternoon before going home, each hygienist reviews his or her schedule and the corresponding charts for the next day. In most cases, those charts are a gold mine of unscheduled treatment. Knowing what is going on with every patient and where the opportunities are to schedule some of that unscheduled treatment is a big part of the M.O.M. Letting everyone on the team know who is a candidate to schedule treatment that has been diagnosed but not performed is a critical ingredient for success. It is a team effort. The presentation around unscheduled treatment in this case can take various forms and directions. The first step, however, is awareness. If you don’t know it is there, you are not likely to act on it. The first step is doing the research so that you and the rest of the team are in the know.

4. Same day treatment. The best type of unscheduled treatment is treatment that you could do today with some minor changes in the schedule. Once you know who has what unscheduled treatment, look at the schedule together as a team to see what could be adjusted in the timing to accommodate existing patients who would like to have it done today. The best opportunities are the ones that can be taken care of right now. Not tomorrow, the next day or next week. NOW! Teams that have refined their M.O.M. strategies are always looking for ways in advance where they can be nimble, adjust in the moment, and open up opportunities that make it easy for patients to say “yes” to something they can do today.

5. Same day treatment - new patients. Another topic of discussion is new patients. A quick review of each new patient’s “New Patient Relationship Form*” will help everyone understand the background and desires of each new patient. Many times the desires that were expressed on the phone when they scheduled will include comments about treatment, problem areas, an interest in whitening, etc. Everyone needs to know where those potential opportunities are in advance. For example, let’s say a patient mentioned on the phone that they are interested in whitening. In case they are a good candidate to have that done today, are there any adjustments you need to make or can make to help them get that done today? What if they mentioned some problem areas? Look at your schedule in your M.O.M. and see what would have to happen in order to accommodate them today if there is something that needs to be done. For most patients, there is no time like the present to get started. Looking for opportunities to help them do that will help everyone get more of what they want.

6. Emergencies. That’s right! Emergencies can be one of the best opportunities of the day. During your M.O.M., the best time for emergencies should always be identified. A day with no time for emergencies is a day that has not been properly planned. Figure out a way during your M.O.M. to take care of emergency patients should they call. An emergency planned for is no emergency for you. It’s an opportunity!

7. Openings in the schedule. Everyone has had the experience of looking at the schedule at the morning huddle and seeing holes. Most get that sinking feeling when they see that. Instead, look at them as opportunities. What can be moved around, adjusted, or moved up in order to free up more opportunities. If there is a hole later in the morning, is there a patient scheduled later in the day who might like to come in earlier? Who are the patients on your “short call” list who might want to come in on short notice? Where are the same day treatment opportunities where you can move a patient into that space that is coming in any way? The best teams always say that some of their best days start out looking like Swiss Cheese, and end up looking like a solid block because they are better able to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves throughout the day.

8. Tomorrow’s opportunities. What is scheduled for tomorrow? Are there any openings in the schedule? If so, today is the time to make sure everyone on the team knows they are there so everyone can be focused on taking advantage of that opportunity of scheduling patients who say “yes” today on tomorrow’s schedule while they are eager.

I could go on because the daily opportunities that present themselves in most offices are numerous. Do you take advantage of those opportunities by accident or by design? A well-planned Morning Opportunity Meeting will uncover the potential daily opportunities on which you can act.

How do you know if your M.O.M. is effective? The true test is if you consistently produce MORE than you had scheduled at the beginning of the day. If so, you know that you identified the opportunities and acted accordingly.

So, say good-bye to the Morning Huddle, and say hello to M.O.M., your new Morning Opportunity Meeting. It will transform your day and your productivity.

* For tips on designing an effective “New Patient Relationship Form” contact the Total Patient Service Institute at 1-877-399-8677 or Answers@TotalPatientService.com

Confirming appointments

Nothing is more irritating and costly to a dental practice than broken or cancelled appointments. We constantly get asked what a practice can do to prevent or avoid cancellations. A recent question on the Crown Council e-mail network (www.CrownCouncil.com) asked, “What is the proper verbiage for confirming appointments.”

Before we get to the specific answer to that question, let’s take one step back and consider a few important details that influence that verbiage.

With all of the communication options we have today AND the limited amount of time that people seem to have, a higher level of "agreement" and discussion needs to take place with every patient regarding their scheduled appointments. Here are some items for consideration:

1. When scheduling an appointment with a new patient, you might want to say: "Mrs. Jones, I am not sure how you have communicated with your previous dental office, but we have several options for you so that we can stay on the same page together. We will schedule your appointment today and you can go ahead and put that on your calendar or PDA just like we put it on our schedule here in the office. That way we all know that we have made a mutual commitment for that time and date. In addition, as a courtesy to our patients, we can communicate with you a couple of days before your appointment so that you will know that we are counting on you. What is your preferred way for us to communicate with you: Phone, e-mail, text, or a postcard in the mail?" (Let them choose.)

2. “Great. So you can expect to receive a (call, text, e-mail, post card, etc.) several days before your appointment. When you receive that, WILL YOU make sure to respond to us so that we all know we are on the same page? We really respect your time and want to make sure we keep everything on track for you as planned so that will really help both of us.”

Depending the on the selected avenue of communication, here are some pointers:

Avoid using the words “confirm” or “remind” in any of your communication. To “confirm” implies that it was not “firm” in the first place leaving them room to back out. To “remind” implies that you are more responsible than they are so you have to follow up with them like an irresponsible child. Just remember, people generally rise to the level of behavior expected of them. Treat them like they are irresponsible and they will tend to act irresponsibly. Raise the level of expectation and they will usually respond accordingly.

If you are going to send them a reminder post card for a scheduled appointment or a 3 to 6 month hygiene visit, make sure they fill out that card themselves. Don’t fill it out for them! Why? All of the studies in this area prove that people respond and act more responsibly when they see something that has been written in their own handwriting. It seems to set off an alarm in their heads that says “That was me that made that commitment.”

The Natural Law of Integrity says: “People want to act consistently with who they say they are.” If I write a note to myself about an appointment that I committed to a few months ago and see that in my own handwriting, the message is clear. I need to act according to the way I said I would.

If you hand them an appointment card with the date and time of their next appointment, again, let them write it down. It has more power. And look at the language you have on that card. Get rid of anything that implies they can call and cancel the appointment just as long as they do it far enough in advance. Instead, replace it with something like this: “Please mark this important appointment on your calendar today. We look forward to seeing you at this time that has been reserved especially for you.” The implied message here is: We expect you to do what you said you would do! This is not just an appointment; it is time that has been reserved especially for you. Somehow a reservation carries more weight than just an “appointment.”

If sending a text or e-mail before the scheduled appointment, work with your electronic communication provider to rework the language that is used in the message. It could say: “We are looking forward to seeing you for your appointment on June 1 at 9 AM. Please reply to this message today so that we will know that you have this important scheduled noted on your calendar.”

3. If they select the phone call, the appropriate message would be: "Mrs. Jones, this is Brenda calling from Dr. Dentist's office. Dr. Dentist asked me to give you a call about your appointment in our office on Tuesday at 3 PM. Would you please call our office at 777-777-7777 today regarding your appointment? I look forward to hearing back from you."

Remember, you are not calling to “confirm” or “remind.” You are calling “about” the appointment. The other magic is the use of the doctor’s name. That carries a lot of weight and you will receive a higher response.

A couple of other thoughts: with all the options available today, it is essential that we give patients a choice in the method of communication. They need to know how they are going to hear from you and what you expect in return. You have to train them how things work in your office as well as make it convenient for them.

So make sure to do the following:

1. Give people options as to the channel of communication you use to communicate with them.

2. Create the expectation that they will do what they said they would do.

3. Make sure all of the written communication is congruent with #2 above. Make sure you communicate in clear terms that when you make a commitment to your patient for a date and time that the patient can count on you and you expect to count on them.

4. Work on the specific verbiage the team should use when communicating with the patient when scheduling and following up about their scheduled appointments.

Keep in mind that with all of the tips above, there is no 100% solution. As long as there are human beings, there will always be exceptions! The goals are to increase consistency and reduce variation and then keep doing the things that work day in and day out.

The Black Bucket Strategy

My friend, Gantt Bumstead, is the President of United Supermarkets, owners of the Market Street (MarketStreetUnited.com) grocery store brand. Market Street is a different kind of grocery store with a unique blend of natural and modern food and merchandise.

I ran into Market Street this week to grab some flowers in a vase and a card. As the very attentive florist arranged the flowers and filled the vase with water, I could not help but think, how am I going to drive with the full vase of flowers and water without spilling it? I’ve been there before, trying to steady the vase with one hand with the other hand on the steering wheel. It’s not the safest way to drive!

Just as I was about to object to the full vase, the florist surprised me by saying, “I will go ahead and put the vase in this black bucket so it will be stable in the car and won’t tip over.” I was thrilled. Why hadn’t any other florist thought to do that for me before? It was at that moment that I made a decision, the Market Street florist is going to be MY Florist from now on!

The Black Bucket: unexpected and needed to help me with my biggest problem with the use of the product I was buying. The florist did not charge me for the bucket, although, I would have gladly paid for it in order to have the convenience and safety for my drive. What was important was that she thought beyond the flowers and anticipated my biggest challenge with using the product she was selling me. I call that pretty astute. Not just thinking about the product being sold, but how the product would really be used. It is as simple as a black bucket!

So what is your “black bucket?” What is the biggest problem customers have using your service? Anticipate that need and you may become the provider of choice. While others in your market space may choose to ignore these problems and chalk it up to inconveniences that patients just have to put up with in dentistry, a few “black bucket” thinkers will go out of their way to remove the biggest problems patients have.

Here are some simple “black bucket” solutions to problems patients have with traditional dentistry:

The numb look dumb. I don’t know very many patients who like the feeling of being numb for sometime after a procedure. They can’t talk and they don’t want to be around others for hours. The “black bucket” in this case might be OraVerse (www.OraVerse.com) that will more quickly reverse the effects of anesthesia so that patient can go back to normal work and play.

Don’t call me, I’ll call you. We have now hit a state of “over communication” in our culture. The last thing most busy people need is another phone call from the dentist’s office to schedule or confirm an appointment. The “black bucket” here might be an “V.I.P. Appointment” service where you schedule your patient’s appointment with “no hounding.” The patient dictates what type of follow up or reminder they want, phone, e-mail, text, to minimize the quantity of communication in exchange for a commitment to show up!

Express checkout. No one likes to wait, especially at the front desk after a long appointment. Why not do like the hotels do and arrange an express checkout service where you deliver the bill to the patient in the treatment room at the end of the appointment with the balance being charged to their card on file unless they have questions. 80% of patients will be thrilled to avoid the checkout counter and be less likely to over scrutinize their bill.

The black bucket. It is all about thinking beyond the obvious to extend the benefit of what you provide to make it easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable for patients to use your service.

So what is the biggest problem patients have with the use of your service? Why not ask them and then work on a few “black buckets” of your own?

A Piece of the Pie or of the Universe?

Do you remember when you were a kid and Mom took a hot pie out of the oven? You couldn’t wait. But if you were like me, the last of 6 children, you might have had some concern if you would get any pie at all. After all, it looked like there was only so much pie to go around.

The “Pie” mentality – that there is only so much to go around so I have to get mine while I can, is one of the most destructive attitudes in dentistry and business. As you look around, it might seem like there are only so many patients to go around, only so many good team members available for hire, only so many good places to advertise or position yourself in the market. Despite those appearances, more often than not, the universe is one of ample supply typically providing more opportunity than meets the eye. The “Universal” mentality is one that believes that there is plenty to go around for everyone if you know where to look and have the right attitude.

Here are some common examples of a “Pie” mentality that are in reality “Universal” in nature. It all may be in the way you look at it:

1. Who is your competition? This is a question I often ask groups of dentists. The easiest, most common response is “The dental office down the street.” But, look further. When you consider that only about 50% of the population goes to the dentist on a regular basis, you’ll realize that ½ of the available market does not have a current supplier! Now there’s opportunity. What can you do to attract those who are not currently going to the dentist? It is a HUGE market. But if you only focus on the piece of “pie” that your neighbor has down the street, you’ll miss the “universe” of available patients that are just waiting for someone to make them an attractive offer to come to a quality dentist and improve their health.

2. Clear Choice. In many major markets around the country, Clear Choice has moved into town offering immediate load implants to the market and spending thousands of dollars in advertising to attract patients. Other dentists in the market who offer implants might be tempted to see this as a competitive threat because Clear Choice is taking a big piece of the “pie.” But think again. Maybe Clear Choice is not taking a bigger piece of the pie, but baking a bigger pie! With all of the marketing dollars they are spending, they are educating thousands of people who otherwise might not have ever considered implants. As a result, those patients start asking questions to their own dentist who then has the opportunity to further educate them and give them what they have just discovered that they want! In other words, a large competitor that is willing to spend the dollars to educate the market can many times benefit the entire market by creating a larger “universe” of prospective patients for the service.

3. Powerful Position. A dental office down the street grabs a powerful position in the market that commands attention and gets the office noticed. Many might see that that as a big piece of the pie that has just been gobbled up. But maybe they just created a whole other pie for you! When one business takes a position in the market, it opens up opportunities for others to grab an opposite or different position. Think about it, you can’t be everything to everyone. For every patient that is attracted to a practice that has grabbed that initial powerful position, there are probably 10 others who have no interest. They are, however, good prospects for someone else that has a different market position with a different set of patient benefits. There are a lot of niche markets in dentistry.

So which do you have, a “Universal” or “Pie” mentality? The good news is that it is a choice. So catch yourself the next time you find yourself grabbing for what you think is the last piece of “pie.” Maybe there is a much larger pie out there. On the other hand, maybe it is not a pie at all. Maybe there is a vast “universe” out there that is so big and so filled with opportunity that you would never run out of market if you just looked at it for what it is: An unending “Universe” with vast supply for the person who thinks creatively and acts accordingly.

Have a great week in this exciting “Universe!”

Hygiene Re-care Activation

In response this week to an inquiry about re-care activation scripts, I offer the following short list of suggestions:

Preface: If the right system is in place, a hygienist will know enough about each patient that will be documented in the chart that she will be able to talk to the patient's heart, not just the head. They really don't want to come in and get their teeth cleaned! They do want something that they perceive the cleaning will give them...health, peace of mind, no pain, etc. All of that should have been discovered when the patient came in the first time. If that is not in place, then there are some prerequisites that need to be added to the practice protocol in order for any re-care program to be successful.

Script:

Step 1: If someone from the office calls and has to leave a message, the message simply says: "Mrs. Smith, this is Pam from Dr. Dentist’s office. Dr. Dentist asked me to give you call. Would you please give us a call back at: (Phone #)"

It is important that she says it just that way. The call needs to have its origin with the dentist. Patients will take it more seriously that way.

This accomplishes 2 things:

1. It is HIPAA compliant. You are not disclosing any sensitive information in case anyone else hears the message. (Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it is a good reason to do it this way.)

2. Most people are going to return a call to the "Doctor" especially if the reason is unknown.

Step 2: Conversation with the patient:

"Mrs. Smith, this is Heather from Dr. Dentist’s office. How are you? Dr. Dentist asked me to give you a call to schedule your necessary dental hygiene appointment and check up. Do you have your calendar handy? Which day of the week, Monday thru Friday (or whatever days your practice is open) are more convenient for you? Are mornings or afternoons better? Great, we have ___ o'clock next ______ available or _____ o'clock on _____ available. Which one of those would work the best?"

A couple of points here on why we do it this way:

1. Again, the call is originating from the highest authority in the office - the doctor. Most people are going to be more respectful of a request that is coming from the highest authority they trust in this area.

2. Assumptive close. Don’t ask them if they want to come in, assume that they will schedule by stating the purpose of your call and then asking if the person has a schedule close by. More people will respond to this than the tentative alternatives to this.

3. If more information is available about the patient, use it during the conversation. For example, if it is a perio maintenance appointment, then a discussion can be had about the importance of staying on track with the regularly scheduled appointments in order to do everything possible to prevent more extensive perio treatment in the future, etc.

4. Always give them a choice, not a chance. At every step in the conversation, choices are going given between alternatives:

“Which day of the week?”

“Would this day or this day work better?”

“Morning or afternoon.”

Those are just some tips that come from a much bigger system. There is as much to learn here as there is about many parts of clinical dentistry. Everyone can benefit from some great training in this and all the other related areas of case acceptance training. It makes a HUGE difference every day when everyone on the team is trained in the best ways to help the patient say “yes!”

Success for Our Youth

Nearly 20 years ago, we launched our first youth seminar at a summer camp in Hunt, Texas with the goal of giving high school and college students a 7-year “leap” ahead in their career and their life. Like most things I have experienced in my life, I have learned more from these programs than I think people have learned from me! As one example, The 13 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make and How to Avoid Them (www.MistakesParentsMake.com) was the book produced after nearly 14 years of working with youth in our seminars. It contains 13 “mistakes” prevalent in the lives of many youth that can easily be avoided or prevented early in life by parents and other positive influences in a young person’s life.

Today, the ideas, techniques, and systems we have taught young people to use to get ahead in life are taught in the LEAP Foundation program (www.LEAPfondation.com)

Dr. Bill Dorfman (www.BillDorfman.com) and I established the LEAP Foundation just a few years ago as a non-profit education foundation to provide a unique, 6-day experience for young people who are eager to get ahead in life.

Part of the mission of the foundation is to provide sponsorships and scholarships to deserving youth around the country who desire to attend the program. Through the generous donations of Crown Council members (www.CrownCouncil.com), donations from James Malinchak (www.Malinchak.com) and his seminar participants and many others, youth can attend the LEAP program on partial or full merit-based or need-based scholarships. Scholarship applications can be found on the LEAP Foundation website.

Whether you have a young person in your life that could benefit, you would like to sponsor a deserving young person, or make a donation to benefit a deserving youth, the LEAP Foundation and its programs are changing lives.

This summer’s LEAP program will be held at the UCLA campus August 9-14, 2010. Hundreds of youth from all over the country will attend for 6 action-packed days of learning from mentors who will show them how to:
• Dramatically increase their study effectiveness, study less and make better grades.
• Set goals that become reality.
• Find successful mentors in any field who will share how they did it.
• The secret of the top 20 percent in any field.
• Become a top communicator to get results.
• How to land the best job in any field without using a resume.
• A secret tool that will get you in any door for a scholarship, job, or any key position.
And much, much more.

My favorite part of the LEAP program is the Mentor Roundtable where we assemble over 50 successful mentors from different professions and disciplines that sit around a large ballroom where the students can go and interview them to learn from their experience. Based on the idea that it is “easier to copy genius than it is to create mediocrity,” students learn how to ask the best questions in order to gain from the experience of others so they don’t have to take as many years learning from their own trials and errors!

So, consider this an invitation to spread the word about LEAP. We are looking forward to a great program this summer with outstanding youth and mentors who will come to share the best of what they have done for the benefit of the next generation.

Just go to www.LEAPfoundation.com for enrollment, sponsor and scholarship applications and we’ll look forward to seeing your youth this summer for a LEAP ahead in life.

3 Secrets of the WOW! Experience

Everybody knows that the most powerful form of marketing in dentistry is word-of-mouth marketing: People telling people about your practice.

I am frequently asked how one can generate more word-of-mouth marketing or how they can get more referrals from their patients.

How?

With a Wow!

Create such an amazing experience that patients will be compelled to tell everyone they know about you.

Consider these three areas where you can make an every day experience in your office into a WOW experience that people will talk about:

1. Services. The dental treatment you provide and how you provide it. Clinical excellence that starts with dental work that looks good, feels good, and lasts a long time. That is the first step in the dental services you provide. Then consider how you deliver it: Painless injections, a gentle touch, sedation, etc. Do you provide the dental treatment people are looking for and do you deliver it in a way that is comfortable and easy?

2. Amenities. What do you provide your patients beyond what they expect? Relaxing chairs, warm towels, neck pillows, videos, or anything that makes the experience more comfortable. The amenities add an extra personal touch that makes the experience special.

3. Personal treatment. Far more powerful than anything you do to create a WOW! experience is the personal service you provide. It is what we call Total Patient Service. Total Patient Service is focused on meeting patients where they are emotionally, exceeding their expectations and then moving them forward toward life-time care. It is how you interact with the PERSON that will ultimately determine the WOW!

Consider this example that happened this week at one of the offices with which we work: I had personally referred a business acquaintance to this practice. It was close to her home and I knew the team would WOW her. And WOW her they did. Within moments of her departure from the office, I received a text message which said:

“They were awesome and definitely made me feel comfortable! I’ll send my husband and everybody else over there.”

That’s the ticket! If a patient walks out your door and immediately starts thinking of everyone they are going to tell about you, you have scored a WOW! And the referrals and word-of-mouth will come.

So how can you increase the WOW factor in your office?
• Services

• Amenities

• Personal Treatment

They all contribute to the WOW! It is the personal treatment is the multiplier.

Sit down with your team this week and review the three areas of the WOW experience. How can you improve in each area? Simple improvements in each department may yield huge returns in case acceptance, patient retention, and word-of-mouth.

WOW!