Success requires you to be a leader

This issue of Dental Economics has many articles on one of my favorite topics - veneers. My favorite seminar is a two-day, hands-on course that I present about four times a year on diagnosis, tooth preparation, shade selection, making provisionals, and cementation. I also answer questions about case selection. I think this gives me an opportuntiy to really make a difference in the lives of the people attending the course. Please take the time to read Dr. Alan Grodin’s article, “The Road to Success,” on Page 87. Alan took my course, and then went back to his office and did everything I told him to do.

Dr. Grodin joins a group of dentists who were willing to suspend their disbelief and put their egos on the shelf during the course. I think you will agree that Alan’s results are staggering - and he is doing it out of a small office in a strip mall setting. Last year, he placed more than 600 veneers for patients who paid for their treatment before it was completed. What makes him different from you? He had a dream and acted on it! He is the leader in his practice.

Dentistry can be a very stressful business. As our practices become successful, we find ourselves filling so many different roles. We are the CEO, CFO, COO, HR directors, and the chief producers in our businesses. That’s a lot of different hats to wear each and every day! How we react to stressful situations is a major part of what makes us good leaders. I can speak as an expert on this subject, because I usually react so badly. I take everything much too seriously, and simply add more heat and confusion to an already pressure-filled situation. Yes, some problems are serious (like cementing a veneer on the wrong tooth), but there is nothing to be gained by exaggerating their importance.

I have heard the happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. I have really seen the results of this in my travels! I have watched as people rant and rave at airline gate agents, flight attendants, even pilots about delays. While these people are venting, I’m on my cell phone calling the airline concierge desk, finding out what my options are, and making the best choice to serve my needs.

This is what Dr. Alan Grodin did with his practice. I have met the people who work with him, and they are fiercely loyal and devoted team members. That certainly makes your day more fun and productive. You can go home with a smile on your face.

Don’t miss the articles by Dr. Chris Pescatore (Page 92) and Dr. Wes Urich (Page 72) in our “How to Profit From Veneers” section. Both make some great points that should make your practice of clinical dentistry easier and more profitable. They offer some practical tips for your esthetic dentistry practice.

This month, Dr. Matt Bynum really hits the nail on the head with his Soapbox column on Page 128. Last year, after a hands-on veneer course, one of the dentists attending asked to speak to me alone. We walked into the hallway where he told me that he presented a lot of esthetic dentistry, but his acceptance rate was not very high. He wanted to know if I thought the condition of his own mouth had anything to do with that. You will find my answer when you read Matt’s column.

I will close with a quote from “Leadership ... With a Human Touch.” Benjamin Franklin’s method of persuading others to his point of view took patience and endurance. It assumed people are won over slowly, often indirectly. If you don’t win the bargain today, Franklin would say, go after it again tomorrow - and the next day. Here are some of Franklin’s bargaining tips:

1) Be clear in your own mind about exactly what you are after.

2) Do your homework, so that you are fully prepared to discuss every aspect and respond to every question and comment.

3) Be persistent. Don’t expect to “win” the first time. Your first job is to start the other person thinking.

4) Make friends with the person with whom you are bargaining. Put your bargain in terms of his or her needs, advantages, and benefits.

5) Keep your sense of humor!

Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor - email: joeb@pennwell.com
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