Each week we receive calls from dentists throughout the United States asking why their practice isn’t growing. They express this question in different ways but in the end they want to know one thing. Why can’t I grow my practice?
The top three reasons that your practice does not grow.
1. You don’t have the right systems
It does not matter what you do, what lecture you go to, what webinar you watch or consultant you use if you do not have the right systems your practice will not grow. But most dentists do not understand and cannot see the headwinds that are pushing back against growth. Increased competition, higher inflation, patients who want to spend less, flat insurance reimbursements, the emergence and growth of DSO’s all contribute to headwinds pushing back against your practice growth. You can’t see it and can’t even really feel it, but if you do not have the right step-by-step systems that allow for growth, the practice will remain flat.
When I talk about systems, I literally mean exactly how you run your office step-by-step in every area throughout the day. It may sound hard, but I can assure you that it is much easier than you think. You simply start with one system at a time, put it in place using the most advanced methods that allow your practice to grow. Simple concepts like getting more new patients sooner, starting all large cases within 7 to 10 days, submitting five times the number of insurance appeals every year, will all increase your production.
2. Get serious about your staff
When I say serious I really mean serious. No more tolerating bad behavior, bad attitudes, toxic people, or people whose personal problems are keeping them from doing the job. Working on a dental team is a job. We want it to be fun, motivating and even inspiring. But tolerating anyone who blows up your culture and holds back the practice will keep you from growing. I’ve spoken to many dentists that have held onto problem team members who should’ve been released long ago, and they don’t even know why.
A great team is a prerequisite to having a great practice. When everybody knows their jobs, practice is easy. As I’ve explained in many seminars, you need your team members to know what to do, when to do it, how to do it and the expected results. Then and only then can they manage themselves and once they start to manage themselves, the practice will grow and life becomes easier.
3. Eliminate waste in your practice
In this case I’m not talking about overhead although there is waste there as well. I’m referring to the waste of time. Open chair time, no-shows, last-minute cancellations, appointments that take much longer than they need. Saving just 10 minutes of treatment time an hour adds up to two extra months every year of doctor production time. That’s equivalent to six years of extra doctor production time in a 36-year career. Do you really want to give that away? Of course not, but it’s very hard to see what you are not getting, and most practices do not realize the incredible waste of time that takes place month in and month out.
Why isn’t your practice growing? Because you are not doing the right things. It all comes down to the right systems, the best people and the most efficient us of time.
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in The Bottom Line with Dental Economics, the newsletter that will elevate your inbox with practical and innovative practice management and clinical content from experts across the field. Subscribe here.
