Failing to search for innovative solutions
Did you ever try something and it didn’t work the way you thought it would, so you just went back to what you knew because it was easier and seemed safer? Do you suffer from results ADD: when something doesn’t work immediately, you move on to something else, all the while never knowing whether the first thing didn’t work because it was truly ineffective or if you just moved on too fast?
Is “Good Enough” Sufficient for Your Practice?
When your time is limited, your systems seem to be working, and you’re considering how to grow your practice, you have to make tough decisions about where to allocate your resources. It’s easy to decide that what you’re doing is working well enough, so why waste money and time that you don’t have messing around with new systems?
However, you must ask yourself if there is a better way of doing things… a system where you could do less but make more, create referrals and get rid of insurance company restraints.
Do you believe you have no choice but to use insurance and the insurance fee system? Would offering dental savings plans and packages would cause you to lose revenue, rather than gain it? If so, you are providing the same thing every other dentist provides – which really means you have nothing unique to offer. Worse, the economic downturn has caused patients to tighten their budgets and forgoing treatment.
Make Your Practice Stand Apart from the Competition
Ask yourself: how can I help my patients in this difficult time? How can I help myself?
New business innovations must be made a priority. Otherwise you won’t have anything provocative or unique to attract new patients to you. No distinct way of doing business, no marketing, no innovation and no simple way of communicating with existing patients to ensure you’re always on their mind will leave your business stagnant.
The Solution:
Recognize now that systems that don’t offer innovative solutions which can be easily implemented into the way your existing business runs are not for you. Programs that grow your revenue, set you apart from other practices and were designed with your unique business model in mind are.
So don’t be content with running your business the same way you always have just because it feels comfortable. Now that you know to offer your patients something of value that sets you apart, greater production is within reach. The key is to implement the right programs and systems rather than investing in the wrong ones.