Start Your Dental Practice

A few weeks ago, I shared some of the best strategies, tips, and lessons I've learned from talking to hundreds of practice owners in various stages of their practice.

It was without a doubt one of the most popular episodes on the Start Your Dental Practice Podcast.

Today I'm excited to expand on some of those ideas and share some actionable steps you can take to continue to grow your practice.

I had a blast doing this and am confident you'll come away with some new insights you can apply right away.

At the end of the episode, I'll also share some more information about the 2nd opening of my exclusive dentist practice mastermind.

I'll share a little bit more about the mastermind and help you decide if it's right for you. Be sure to listen to the end as spots are extremely limited.

If you enjoyed today's show, you'll also love my free guide "15 Numbers That Will Make Or Break Your Practice." Click here to get today's episode bonus.

Here are a few things you'll learn…

• Why good leadership is essential for your practice.
• How to systematically become a better business owner, even if you're not a "natural born leader."
• 3 barriers that are holding your practice back, and how to overcome them.
• The best investment you can make for the future success of your practice.
• The exact things you need to track to see success.
• 3 key things you should do that have the most impact on your bottom line.
• Why now is the best time to grow your practice… But why it won't last long.
• How to make marketing your ally, instead of a giant headache.
• Why the most successful dentist practices don't spend a lot on marketing
• How to avoid the "15 million dollar mistake."
• the "capacity problem" and how to avoid it.
• The secret to getting the most of your day, without any additional stress.

Bonus

Thanks so much for listening to today's show! As you know, overcoming just one barrier can have a tremendous impact on the success of your practice.

As a special bonus this week you're getting access to my free guide, "15 Numbers That Will Make Or Break Your Practice".

Once you download you'll also get a chance to setup a free strategy session to talk about your dental practice and to see if the upcoming Ambitious Dentist Mastermind is for you.

This is your chance to join myself and 15 other ambitious practice owners where we will hold each other accountable and share what's working and what's not.

Registration closes once we hit 15 members or November 1st, which ever one comes first. So don't wait. We would love to have you join.

Sign up here.

Quotes:

"Your team, is the way your business grows" – Jonathan VanHorn

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Whenever I talk with a practice who is struggling to get where they want to be… The first thing we look at is how they answer their phones.

It's deceptively simple, but can often make all the difference in the world.

Listening to your phone calls isn't "sexy" but it can often give you tremendous insight on areas to improve.

Today's guest, Matt Prados founder of MessageMetric, has spent years mastering the art of phone tracking and knows exactly how to transform your front desk into a referral generating machine. You definitely don't want to miss today's episode.

If you enjoyed today's show, you'll LOVE the bonus Matt has put together on how to get started with call tracking, and a few tips and tricks your front desk will love. Get that here.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• How to know EXACTLY where your customers are coming from.
• Why you HAVE to call track in your practice.
• Why you should NEVER have your phone go to voicemail during business hours.
• Why you're never too busy to listen to your phone calls.
• An intelligent way to respond to insurance questions over the phone.
• The secret to being an "effective executive."
• How "whisper messages" can transform your practice.
• How to improve your staff training with a simple step.
• Why you're never too busy to listen to your phone calls.
• A simple way to reduce your patient acquisition cost.
• Why reviews are essential, and how to get them more.
• Why more data isn't enough.. And how to execute on your information you track.
• How the average front desk wastes 50 percent of the leads."

Free Episode Bonus:

If you loved today's episode, then you're going to enjoy the bonus I've prepared for you.

There are tons of business and dental podcasts out in the wild, so today you're getting access to the top 5 dental podcasts for young dentists or existing dentists looking for high-quality shows.

Click here to access that now.

Quote

• "I want you to talk to the person on the other side of the phone like you talk to your mother." - Matt Prados

Resources

• Matt's Twitter
• Message Metric - Call Tracking Platform
• Message Metric Contact
• Message Metric Telephone - 1 949-383-4022

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this show wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

It's no secret that virtually every potential patient for your practice spends hours online searching for the "perfect dentist" before picking up the phone.

Taking your website seriously can truly be the difference between struggling month to month or having your phones ring nonstop.

Today's guest Mike Pederson, founder ofAznetmarketing.com, has helped hundreds of practice owners perfect their website and make them stand out online.

He know's exactly what it takes to build a website that stands out and brings in clients day after day. In our conversation we dive deep into SEO, Facebook marketing, and online marketing strategies.

If you like today's show, you'll LOVE Mike's FREE Dental Marketing Report that covers the essential elements and strategies for the perfect website. Get that here: http://startyourdentalpractice.com/bonus

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• The mindset of the average customer browsing the web for a dentist.
• How to position your phone number to skyrocket your SEO.
• The importance of "call to actions" on your website.
• How to know if your website is designed for success.
• The most important metric to track for your website.
• One minor tweak that can significantly improve your website.
• Why generic stock photos could hurt your business, and what photos to use instead.
• The type of media you NEED on your website.
• 3 usability Issues your website probably has and how to fix them.
• How Facebook marketing could drastically your business.
• The most important page on your website.
• Why your website is essential in building trust.

Free Episode Bonus:

If you enjoyed today's episode, you'll love Mike's Free Dental Marketing Report Bonus. In which Mike breaks down the essential elements and strategies of the perfect website and online marketing strategy.

Go here to access that now.

Quotes:

"Your website is your online storefront." – Mike Pedersen

Resources:

• Follow Mike On Twitter
• Mike's Website – Aznetmarketing.com
• Mike's Linkedin

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Running a dental practice is one of the most fulfilling things in the world. It's also one of the toughest. Not to mention.. It can get a little lonely.

Which is why I'm so passionate about building a community where practice owners can come together and share their knowledge and skills to help each other succeed.

Here at Dentist Metrics, we like to focus on the good guys (and girls) who go above and beyond to share their knowledge and passion for the world of dentistry.

Bottom line…

We think it's important to give back.

Today I'm excited to share with you my conversation with Dr. Richard Low founder of SharedPractices.

His podcast helps aspiring and veteran practice owners take control of their practice by guiding them through the ups and downs of practice ownership.

Each "season", he dives deep into a specific area of dentistry helping you rise to the top.

If you like today's show, you'll enjoy Richard's 8 Season To Dental Practice Ownership – A Roadmap from Graduation To A Success Practice. Get it here: http://startyourdentalpractice.com/bonus

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• Should Your Dental Practice Start A Podcast?
• The Importance of Having Tough Conversations.
• What Makes A Successful Dental Practice Owner
• The Difference Between A Startup And Acquisition.
• The Importance of Giving Back To The Dental Community
• The Best Books That Will Help You In Your Dental Practice
• Why You're Not As Good of A Leader As You Think
• Why Understanding Your Overhead Can Make Or Break Your Dental Practice Business
• When You Should Scale Your Marketing

Free Episode Bonus:

If you loved today's episode, then you're going to love Richard's 8 Season Roadmap To Dental Practice Ownership — based off is highly successful podcast.

Richard gives you an up to date snapshot of the world of dentistry, and his Roadmap will guide you all the way from graduation to successful practice ownership.

Go here to access that now.

Quotes:

"People are willing to share… you can avoid years of doing the wrong thing by learning from others." – Dr. Richard Low

Resources:

• Shared Practices
• The Shared Practices Podcast
• The E-Myth Revisited
• Scaling Up
• Start With Why
• Crucial Conversations
• [email protected]

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

The one thing that separates the just OK dental practice from the top performing dental practice — is a great front desk.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to get this right. New employees come and go. Front desk training is often neglected. There are a million of other things needing your immediate attention.

Yet the reality is, your front desk is often the life of your dental practice. It's the first touch point for new and old clients alike.

Today's guest has mastered the art of front desk training, and has helped hundreds of practices improve their bottom line through intensive online front desk training.

Laura Hatch is the founder of Front Office Rocks, an online education training program, designed to help dental practices train their front desk staff. With over 180+ videos it's one of go to resources if you're looking to train your front desk staff.

If you enjoyed today's episode, you'll love the New Patient Flow Guide from Laura Hatch. Get that here.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• The one thing you should NEVER say when answering the phone.
• Why most dental practices fail in customer service.
• The secret to having great staff meetings.
• How open door communication can make or break your dental practice.
• Why good dentistry is like a "performance."
• The importance of an "always be improving" mindset for your team.
• How to reduce resistance when implementing new procedures or training.
• The biggest mistake most front offices make and how to fix it.
• Why your "numbers" shouldn't be your main focus.
• How to get the staff to "buy in" your your dental practice mission.

Free Episode Bonus:

Ready to improve your front office's systems and processes?

Then you're going to want Laura's 'New Patient Flow Guide'.

Click here to access that now.

Quote:

"People have more expectations from dental offices than ever before….. You need to remind them why you're great." – Laura Hatch

Resources:

• Front Office Rocks
• Ask Laura
• Contact Laura

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Today's show features a pioneer in dentistry and to dental podcasters.

Dr. Alan Mead is the master behind Mead Family Dentistry and the widely known Dental Hacks Podcast.

Dr. Mead grew up around his dad's dental practice and quickly found his passion in running a practice of his own at a young age.

Just like with any dental practice business, Dr. Mead has seen his fair share of ups, downs, and everything in between.

There's something for you in this episode if you've been running a practice of your own, wanting to start one, or if you're in the startup phase.

To access Dr. Alan Mead's top 5 dental hacks episodes, go here. Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• How Dr. Mead basically "stole" a practice from someone else
• What happens when you think you're a terrible business person (and what to do to combat this)
• The mistakes you DON'T want to make when running your own practice
• The advantages of owning a "dive" practice
• What to do if you're brand new, fresh out of dental school, and looking to start a practice
• The best skill you can have when opening up your first practice
• What to look for, demographics-wise, when opening up a practice in a new geolocation
• An event you need to attend, if you're serious about dentistry, to meet some of the biggest names in the industry

Free Episode Bonus:

A special thanks to Dr. Mead for sticking around longer and providing incredible insights into his background in creating a successful dental practice and podcast.

As you know, there's such a flood of information these days in dentistry, which is why I'm excited for you to dive into Dr. Alan Mead's top 5 Dental Hacks episodes.

Click here to access that now.

Quotes:

• "If you can not buy into the marketing of what a dental practice 'should be'. You can save money in the bigger decisions." – Dr. Alan Mead

Resources:

• Mead Family Dentistry
• Dr. Mead's Podcast
• Dr. Costes' Podcast
• The Skeptics Guide To The Universe
• Muggle Cast
• David Mallolly's Podcast
• Voices of Dentistry | Dentistry's First Podcaster Summit (use code "START" for 20% off)

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Running a dental practice is hard.

Every day you have thousands of things that are vying for your intention.

And sometimes, in our desire to make things happen we neglect the the basics.

Which is why I'm so excited to have Kerry Straine, the CEO of Straine consulting on the show today.

Kerry has helped hundreds of practice owners master the fundamentals and take their practice to the next level.

Go here to get today's bonus – a complimentary one-hour consultation and Discovery Tools through the Strain Dental Practice Analysis with Kerry [/su_note]

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• How a single lunch changed Kerry's career.
• The largest expense for dentist practices today and how to soften the blow.
• How to calculate supply and demand for your practice and why it matters
• Why picking the "Low Fruit" is so important for your practice.
• The importance of finding your "number" to thrive.. Not just survive.
• Discover the "patient flow litmus test"
• The number one indicator of dental practice success.
• How to use the profit formula for your practice.
• What makes a good business owner in general and how to apply to your practice.
• When to expand your practice to multiple locations.
• How to make the most of your dental practice
• Why your balance sheet matters more than your income statement.

Free Episode Bonus:

As Kerry mentioned, you must master the basics to really move the needle in your dental practice.

Today's bonus is exclusive for Start Your Dental Practice listeners.

It's a complimentary one-hour consultation and Discovery Tools through the Strain Dental Practice Analysis with Kerry.

Go here to access that now.

Quotes:

"If you don't have a plan in place, you're planning to fail." – Kerry Straine

Resources:

• Straine Consulting
• Kerry Straine's personal cell phone number – 916-765-7200
• Strain Consulting Contact
• The Strain Consulting Blog

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

I'm excited to share with you my findings from an analysis of the financials of 25 separate dental practices.

The main purpose of this study was to see if I could find any commonalities between practices that were profitable and successful at what they were doing.

I highly recommend going through your practice's financial statements to understand better where you are generating revenue and where your expenses are going.

In this episode, I will be sharing with you a summary of my analysis of these 25 separate dental practices, the similarities that I found in the 2 groups and things that you might want to start paying attention to if you want to improve your cashflow.

Go here to receive a copy of the successful practice analysis that we discussed today. This tool is definitely helpful whether you are opening a new practice or have already owned one for years.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• Why does some practices make over a million dollars while some struggle to break $500k.
• The co-relations between expenses and revenue – where are successful dental practices spending their money?
• Which areas should you pay attention to if you want to increase your revenue
• What is the one thing that you can change to make the biggest difference in your revenue
• How much should you be paying your associates?
• How to make more money through analyzing revenue for your own dental practice

Free Episode Bonus:

If you enjoyed today's show, don't forget to get your copy of the successful practice analysis that we discussed today.

This tool is definitely helpful whether you are opening a new practice or have already owned one for years.

Click here to access that now.

Quotes:

"The trends and revenue show me that once you pass the $2 million dollar mark, you have a better chance of being successful." – Jonathan VanHorn

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

The right team can determine a practice's success or failure.

Having the right people to operate a business is key in ensuring that you are moving in the right direction.

A leader is one who talks to his team, one who understands what is happening in the different departments, and one who finds solutions to help improve flow of the business.

Today's guest is on a mission to help doctors so that they don't die broke.

Andre Shirdan is the founder of the CREW process. He has been a practice manager and consultant for almost 20 years and has a lot of intimate knowledge with the world of dentistry.

Since 1989, Andre has worked with thousands of practices helping to create systems for treatment planning, staff training, goal attainment, internal and external marketing, and computer systems integration.

If you like today's show, you'll enjoy the bonus following. It's the Stat-Ck protocol to create a Hygiene Crew that meets the needs of your patient flow with clinical excellence, correct insurance billing, and better production. Get that here.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• Why did he start doing practice consultation?
• What are some of the things that the old practices do that he wishes the newer practices would follow
• Are great leaders born or created?
• How to become a leader in your team that people would follow and respect
• The best ways to implement new changes in a practice with staff that are resistant to change
• If he was to start a new practice today, what would he do to build his business successfully

Free Episode Bonus:

If you like today's show, you'll enjoy the bonus following.

It's the Stat-Ck protocol to create a Hygiene Crew that meets the needs of your patient flow with clinical excellence, correct insurance billing, and better production.

Click here to access that now.

Quotes:

• Some people need to be successful some place else. – Andre Shirdan

Resources:

• Andrew's Cell number: 484 437 5562
• The Crew Process Website
• Andrew's Email: [email protected]
• Find Andrew on Facebook

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Imagine for a moment that you're standing in front of a future patient.

But you're not the only one there. You are joined by two other dentists who want the business just as much as you do.

What will get that patient to choose you over your competition?

Although you may not physically find yourself in this situation, this is the reality when it comes to growing your business.

People get bombarded with ads every day.

How will you stand out?

What will set you apart is the word choice in your advertising, and your lead-conversion strategy.

Today's guest will help you in those areas. He specializes in copywriting and sales funnels.

Jeremy Reeves is the CEO of Kaizen Marketing Inc. He is also host of the Sales Funnel Mastery podcast, where he shares what's working and what's not when it comes to creating automated sales funnels.

Jeremy's insight and strategies has helped numerous business increase their bottom line revenue. Some of his past clients include Mark Hansen (co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul), Than Merrill (real estate investor and cast member on A&E's hit show, Flip This House), and Loral Langemeire (author of The Millionaire Maker).

If you want to learn more about the impact that sales funnels can have on your business, you'll enjoy the bonus following. It's a free copy of Jeremy's report, Constructing A Million Dollar Sales Funnel. Get that here.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

• The two most common mistakes that dentists make with their direct mail marketing
• A simple exercise to help you write sales copy that works
• How to narrow down your target market so that you market to the people who are most likely to buy (and where to find them)
• How to decide the delivery method for your marketing
• The one question to find out if the person or company in charge of your marketing is doing a good job or not (if they can't answer this, get rid of them immediately)
• Why it's a good idea to understand marketing even if you're paying someone else to do it for you
• What separates good copy from bad copy

Free Episode Bonus:

As you'll learn in this episode, you have the ability to increase your ROI on your marketing dollars by making some adjustments to your current systems.

As a bonus for today, you can download Jeremy's free report called Constructing A Million Dollar Sales Funnel. The information in this report applies to all types of businesses, but you can take these principles and integrate it into your own dental practice marketing strategy.

Click here to access that now.

Quotes:

"If you're getting okay results, you can do so much better." -Jeremy Reeves

Resources:

• Visit Jeremy's Website
• Listen to Sales Funnel Mastery Podcast

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn't exist.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please go here to give the show an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve the show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.