Take Action: Treatment Coordination for a Successful Dental Practice

Episode #294 with Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca

You don't need to spend a cent to grow your practice — you just need to take action. To teach you how to improve your treatment coordination as a dentist, as a team, and as a practice, Kirk Behrendt invites Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca to discuss the contents of her book, Take Action: Treatment Coordination for a Successful Dental Practice. She will teach you how to promote your dentistry, take the lead with patients, and how to follow up with them so that you can improve your treatment coordination process. For tips on growing your practice without spending money, listen to Episode 294 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Have a weekly strategy meeting for accountability.

Know your numbers and have clear goals.

Treatment coordination is not just a one-person job.

Don't wait for the patient. Take the lead and say, “Let's get started.”

Don't give up on your patients. Sometimes, it takes years.   

Follow up with your patients until you get a yes or no answer.

As soon as you hear “yes” from the patient, schedule their appointment.

Your job is to help patients get started and make it easy for them.

Quotes:

“If I can share one game-changer from [Traction] that I learned and implemented in my own practice, that is to have a weekly strategy meeting . . . Meetings are the moment of accountability.” (06:17—06:51)

“Know your numbers, because numbers are the language of business. Once you know your numbers, running a business almost becomes like a game.” (07:28—07:38)

“In dentistry, it’s very common to use the word “treatment coordination” because we actually never are taught to use the word “sales”. Somehow, “sales” has become a forbidden term, so we use the term treatment coordination. But once you wrap yourself around that topic and understand that it is sales that you are actually dealing with, then you can really study every aspect of sales.” (09:02—09:38)

“It doesn't really matter who is in the room with you when you do the initial exam. What matters is that someone capable is in the room and that you thoroughly review the diagnosis treatment plan, go over the financials, but then you say the magic words — and this is the most important thing — ‘Let's get started.’ That's what it’s all about.” (12:21—12:52)

“[Patients] are coming to you for help. And that is your obligation, to help them get started with what they need to do.” (15:15—15:24)

“If you're working in a dental office and you're not promoting your dentistry, using your dentistry, selling your dentistry, why are you there? That's your whole reason to be there, is to help people get the dentistry that they need, and you're there to provide it for them.” (16:27—16:44)

“I have had a patient start Invisalign who came for their exam nine years ago. It took him nine years to get started. And I've had another patient start orthodontic treatment . . . It took her five years to get started. And actually, when she got her braces on, she said to me, ‘Thank you, Dr. Gorczyca, for not giving up on me.’” (20:33—21:04)

“This is really important, for the dentist and the treatment coordinator to not unsell their own treatment. Don't say too much, because the patient came in wanting treatment. You don't want them walking out not wanting treatment.” (26:31—26:54)

“As soon as you hear the “yes” response, that's when you should stop and go towards scheduling the appointment to get started. Don't go into more detail. Don't go into how long it’s going to take. Just stop and make the appointment.” (27:37—28:02)

“Another thing that I highly, highly recommend, which is very effective, is the social proof of showing other cases exactly like the...