Is Automation a Good Idea for Patient Communication?
During dinner yesterday evening, one of my doctor clients asked me for my opinion on the use of an automated reminder system that uses a combination of automated phone calls and/or texting an a follow-up and appointment confirmation tool. Do I think that this is a good idea? Absolutely yes – and absolutely no. It […]
Motivation and Top-Performing Employees
Some years ago, I gave a retention test to a group of 100 sales professionals following a three-day course that I conducted at their company. I have taught graduate-school curriculum in the past and this test was comparable to my final exam; thirteen pages long and taking about two hours to complete. The test scores […]
A Mother-of-Pearl Communication Tip
In my work in the field with orthodontic practices, I regularly see new, innovative ideas that contribute in a small way to the success of a practice and the care of its patients. Once in a great while, I see something that is a real game-changer – a “mother-of-pearl” idea. I had this happen recently. […]
The Rocky Horror Practice Show
Recently a client staff person asked me an interesting question: What is the worst thing a practice can do when it comes to attracting new patients? That’s an easy one. I googled the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show for this article and found this quote: “I would like, if I may, to take you […]
The Statistics of Lost Cases
I had an interesting discussion with a client practice last week that seems to validate a point I previously made about the relationship between financing terms and case acceptance. This practice has an office manager who maintains meticulous records when it comes to case acceptance rates. They also utilize a credit scoring system, popular within […]
When Training Won’t Produce Results
Early in my business career, I supervised a team of about 10 sales people that provided financial services to the business world. The company I worked for provided an excellent employee training program, and if an employee would follow that program, they would invariably have good success. The logic was that doing what other successful […]
How to Have 100% of Patient Payments on Auto Draft
One of the wisest financial decisions that your practice can make is to make automatic draft of funds not an option, but rather, standard operating procedure for payment. The main benefit here is control – specifically, control of when you get paid for your services. Furthermore, because your profession typically has tepid penalties for not […]
How Important is Personality to the TC Role?
A request that I have had doctors make of me in the past is to give my opinion on whether or not a TC has the right “personality” for the job. While, to a point, personality is important, it is hardly at the top of my list when evaluating whether or not the TC role […]