Practice Growth Strategies & Tactics – Scaling for Success

In this blog:

• Pillar 1: Optimizing Systems and Efficiencies: Creating a Well-Oiled Machine
• Pillar 2: Maximizing Patient Flow: Beyond Just "New Patients"
• Pillar 3: Cultivating Team Development: Building Your Dream Team

Growing your dental practice can feel like navigating a complex maze. You're juggling patient care, managing a team, and keeping up with the ever-evolving landscape of the dental industry. It's no wonder so many dentists feel overwhelmed and struggle to scale their practices to their full potential.

At Fortune Management, we understand these challenges. In fact, helping dentists achieve sustainable growth is probably the top reason they seek us out. A common scenario? Dentists approach us thinking they have a specific solution in mind – maybe it's just more efficient systems they think will solve all their challenges. While streamlining workflows is important, it’s often just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

That’s why, after 35 years of experience as the most established and trusted team of coaches in the industry, we want to share the three fundamental areas we believe every dentist should focus on to unlock true, sustainable growth: Optimizing Systems and Efficiencies, Maximizing Patient Flow, and Cultivating Team Development. These aren't just isolated strategies; they're interconnected pillars that support a thriving and profitable practice.

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The Three Pillars of Dental Practice Growth

Pillar 1: Optimizing Systems and Efficiencies: Creating a Well-Oiled Machine

Efficient systems aren't just about saving time; they're about maximizing profitability, reducing stress on you and your team, and ultimately, providing better patient care.

Think of it like this: imagine a race car pit crew. Every action is precise, coordinated, and designed to get the car back on the track as quickly as possible. A successful dental practice operates in a similar way, and that’s why systems are so important.

What are Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are detailed, written instructions that outline how specific tasks should be performed consistently within your practice. These can range from how to answer the phone, to cleaning treatment rooms, to processing insurance claims.

Why are they important? They are the backbone of efficiency. They ensure that everyone on your team is on the same page, performing tasks in a similar way, and leveraging best practices. This eliminates confusion, reduces errors, and frees up your time to focus on more strategic aspects of your business.

Harnessing the Power of Digital Workflow Integration

Digital technology is revolutionizing dentistry, offering incredible opportunities to streamline operations and boost efficiency. But simply buying the latest gadgets isn’t enough. The key is to ensure seamless integration between all your systems, because, as Aimee Nevins puts it, "Every time you have to do an extra click, that time adds up!"

Consider digital impressions using tools like Primescan. Moving away from traditional impressions can significantly reduce turnaround time, improve accuracy, and enhance the patient experience.

Integrate your practice management software, imaging systems, and lab communication platforms. When everything "talks" to each other, you eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and speed up processes.

We often see practices that try to cut corners by purchasing less expensive, but poorly integrated technologies. Sure, the initial investment may be lower, but the long-term costs in terms of wasted time, frustration, and lost productivity can far outweigh the savings.

Putting People First: The Teamwork Factor

Technology alone won't solve all your problems. You can have the most advanced equipment, but if your team isn't properly trained and working together effectively, you're not going to see the results you want. Your team is the backbone to the success of systems in your dental practice.

That's why consistent and standardized training is absolutely critical. Investing in your team's skills and knowledge ensures they can confidently operate the technology, follow established procedures, and work together seamlessly.

Address systemic issues that affect workflows. By taking a step back and identifying how your teamwork program is running, you can begin to make it more efficient and profitable for the team as a whole.

Actionable Steps You Can Take Today:

• Audit your current workflow: Identify bottlenecks and areas where processes can be streamlined.
• Invest in integrated software: Prioritize solutions that work seamlessly together.
• Implement a structured training program: Ensure your team is proficient in all relevant technologies and procedures.

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Pillar 2: Maximizing Patient Flow: Beyond Just "New Patients"

Many dentists come to us asking, "How do I get more new patients?" While attracting new faces is essential, maximizing patient flow is about much more than just acquisition. It's about nurturing existing relationships, encouraging treatment acceptance, and creating an overall experience that keeps patients coming back.

Aimee Nevins uses a great dating analogy to illustrate this: "The dentist is looking for new patients because the grass seems to be greener over there." However, before you chase after the "greener grass," focus on cultivating the relationships you already have.

The Power of Patient Retention

Focus on Recare

Do your patients come back for their Recare appointments? Make sure you and your team are encouraging your patients to book their next appointment when they have finished their current one.

Retaining Existing Patients: Patient reactivation is a crucial, and often overlooked, aspect of growth. Reach out to patients who haven't been in for a while, remind them of the importance of regular checkups, and offer incentives to re-engage with your practice.

Cultivating Existing Relationships: By focusing on the relationships you have with your patients, you can improve retention and encourage them to accept more treatments. This helps the practice to grow as a whole.

The Patient Experience

So many dentists were taught to educate their patients, but let's be honest, most patients don't come into the dentist to get a lecture on dentistry. That's where coaching comes in. Instead of telling patients what's best for them, engage them in a conversation and ask questions.

One of the key questions to ask is, "What's most important to you in your dental care today?" Some might say comfort, others might focus on aesthetics, longevity, or even just simple function.

By tailoring treatment plans and presentations to align with the patient's values, you create a collaborative approach that fosters trust and increases acceptance rates. Your patients will really feel heard!

Actionable Steps You Can Take Today:

• Implement a patient reactivation campaign: Reach out to inactive patients with personalized messages.
• Train staff on asking effective questions: Equip them with the skills to understand patient values and tailor their communication accordingly.
• Audit treatment acceptance rates: Identify barriers and develop strategies to overcome them.

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Pillar 3: Cultivating Team Development: Building Your Dream Team

Your team is the heart and soul of your practice. Their skills, attitudes, and level of engagement directly impact patient satisfaction, efficiency, and overall profitability. Cultivating a positive and supportive work environment is therefore essential for growth.

Build a United Team: Align Everyone Towards the Same Goals

When everyone is in line with the same goals, it improves the likelihood of your team succeeding in the practice. Everyone should be pulling in the same direction to promote growth!

Empowering Your Team Through Development & Training

Instead of just telling the new employee what to do, try asking them questions to ensure that they really understand the project at hand.

Our training blueprint is a real key to creating scalable training and making sure that they understand the ins and outs of every task that they're doing. For example, ask "What does a great job look like, and why is it important to do it that way?"

Offer opportunities for professional growth, learning, and continuous training. Invest in workshops, conferences, and online courses to keep your team up-to-date with the latest advancements in dentistry.

Recognize and reward their contributions with bonuses, recognition programs, and opportunities for advancement. When team members feel valued and appreciated, they're more likely to go the extra mile for your practice.

Future-Proofing the Practice

When the team is committed to always growing and improving, the likelihood of your practice succeeding and being able to pivot at any time, is greatly improved.

Actionable Steps You Can Take Today:

• Implement a formal training program: Create a structured curriculum that covers essential skills and knowledge.
• Introduce a team bonus structure: Tie incentives to specific goals and performance metrics.
• Conduct regular team meetings: Foster open communication and collaboration.

Addressing Systemic Issues & Future-Proofing Your Practice

Growth isn't just about adding more patients or increasing revenue. It's about building a sustainable and resilient practice that can thrive in the long term. This requires addressing any underlying systemic issues and proactively preparing for the future.

Identifying Systemic Issues

One of the first ways to identify issues affecting your workflow and growth is to “take a step back and take a look at Key performance indicators, or KPIs,” notes Aimee. Many practices are familiar with this, so we recommend working with services such as Dental Intel. These softwares will create a dashboard where you can see all the analytics in your practice and see when there are arising issues.

Lag Indicators vs. Lead Indicators:

Lag indicators often tell us things that have already happened, whether production started to go down, or new patients started to drop.

Focus on lead indicators, such as, reactivation calls, and what the case acceptance rate is.

Analyzing Systemic Issues

At Fortune, we usually take practices through the five different business engines to look at how they’re doing in those areas:

• Marketing
• People
• Financial
• Clinical
• Systems
• Fee for Service

Is your practice insurance based, or Fee for Service?

A lot of clients come to us looking for a pathway to dropping their dental insurance. When you get to the point that you are ready to go fee for service, really make sure that your team is very confident about communicating the benefits to the patient. It provides better service!

Benefits to the patient: higher standard of care, better quality materials, more time with the dentist, and their insurance company is not going to be dictating their treatment.

Other Key Points to Consider

• Multidisciplinary Approach: By bringing in specialists, this gives them an opportunity to offer multiple specialties to patients.
• Good Digital Workflow: Having things streamlined and integrated in the practice.
• Good network of trusted advisors: Your Patterson representative, your Banker, and working with a Fortune Management coach.

Ready to Take Your Practice to the Next Level?

Growing a successful dental practice is an ongoing journey, not a destination. By focusing on optimizing your systems, maximizing patient flow, and cultivating team development, you can create a thriving and sustainable business that provides exceptional patient care and fulfills your professional goals.

At Fortune Management, we're passionate about helping dentists like you achieve their full potential. With 35 years of experience, we're the most established and trusted team of coaches in the industry. Our expert coaches, like Aimee Nevins, don’t just know dentistry—they’re trained in the art of coaching, ensuring you get real guidance from real professionals.

If you're ready to take your practice to the next level, we invite you to contact us for a consultation. Let us help you build your dream team and achieve the growth you deserve.

What are you waiting for? It is time to make your dental practice the very best that it can be.