3rd of 3 BIG ways to adapt to this economic climate...

Hey,

Thought I'd say "hey" this time. I hope you had a great weekend.

Today I'm going to cover the third of three phenomenal pieces of
advice from marketing and business building legend Dan Kennedy.
This series is designed to help you weather the current economic
conditions with confidence at the very least, and generate a
truckload of more moolah.

Just as I did with Strategy #1 (sell something different) and
Strategy #2 (sell to someone different), I'll directly tie-in
Dan's suggestions with how you can apply them to the business of
dentistry, and more specifically your practice. (If you missed
the last two messages, go to www.DentalInsiders.com/diablog
to find them so you can get caught up.)

Remember, what worked well "then" with regard to "successful sales"
in your practice most likely is either working less, or not at
all "now". Spending is down, and people are being much more cautious
with their discretionary income. To achieve better results than
you got last year, you're gonna have to make some changes...but
you're a nimble small business. You've got a great team to help
you carry out the necessary steps, so go for it!

Strategy #3: "Sell DIFFERENTLY"

This concept is a "big whammy", because it forces you to rethink
your current systems and processes, looking for ways to improve
and grow.

How exactly do your "sales systems" work? What's working and
what's not working? Where are the holes that allow patients to
slip through the cracks?

How can you alter your processes to increase your conversion
rates...from prospect to new patient...from new patient to
fully committed, long-term referring patient...from "not right
now" to "when can we start"? That's what I'm talking about.

Example #1: Although I do a fair amount of external marketing,
it's not all done the way you may think. For the past year I've
had a part-time "Public Relations Coordinator", who is actually
also a patient. She visits the offices of many physicians,
professionals, and other small businesses here in Charlotte.

Her goal of course is to drive more referrals to my practice
through the development of stronger relationships with these
other businesses. By identifying how we can help their patients
and clients, we've become a "trusted resource" for many of them.
As a reciprocal gesture, we also look for opportunities to refer
TO them as well.

We're "selling" the practice to these businesses differently
than we have before, and differently than anyone else!

Example #2: Several months ago I was noticing that more of my
patients were commenting that they "can't afford to" move
forward with treatment (at this time). In most practices, and
during most times, there could be a whole host of reasons why...
and very few actually have anything to do with money! But
although we're certainly not immune to problems in our treatment
acceptance protocols, I really felt that "affordability" was
the true issue here (for obvious reasons).

So I had my team simply alter the ORDER of financial options
they present to each patient. Instead of presenting the whole
fee first, they began with the lowest possible monthly payment
(Springstone, Chase Health Advance, DocPay, etc). Then they
presented higher payment amounts for shorter terms, and
ultimately the entire case fee, with prepayment savings of course.

The result: an almost immediate increase in acceptance by our
patients! Once they understood that they could make affordable
payments, they were more open to the full fee, and even payment
in full in advance. The gradual "step up" in payment options
has been working better for us lately than opening the financial
arrangements with the full fee and going down from there.

Again, what can you do DIFFERENTLY to get better results? This
is perhaps the most difficult strategy to implement, because
it requires accurate, objective, unemotional thinking and analysis
of your practice systems. However, when you do arrive at the
right changes, they can make a BIG difference!

All my best,
Chris

PS: Dental Insiders Alliance Members, please NOTE: your NEW
copy of Dental Insider Secrets newsletter is now posted at the
member's website for your convenience! You'll be getting the
physical copy mailed to you within about 10 days, but you can
download and print it now if you wish. Enjoy!

PPS: If you're not a DIA member, but you'd like to "kick the
tires" a bit, you should take advantage of my "Patient Attraction
Collection" offer, which includes a bunch of great content on CD's
as well as 2 ~FREE~ months of Preferred Membership. This offer
is being pulled within a couple weeks, so you may want to jump
on this now. Go to www.DentalInsiders.com/patientattraction
for all the details!

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
www.DentalInsiders.com

"Just the facts, ma'am"...ALL the facts, that is...

As an extension of yesterday's message, I mentioned that I would
describe today the importance of including ALL relevant information
when helping patients make good decisions about their dental health.

I barely remember seeing reruns of the old TV show "Dragnet",
where two detectives would always investigate a crime. The
only quote I remember from the show is: "Just the facts, ma'am."

The detective knew that he usually couldn't solve the crime until
he had all the relevant facts...and only the facts. Many times
the same is true with your patients. They often can't (and won't)
arrive at the best "dental decision" unless they have access to
EVERY fact related to their situation.

And it's up to you and your team to be SURE they have all the
facts at their disposal. After all, no one else has the
professional dental expertise to guide your patients through
the important decisions they must make about their health...
except you and your team.

I'd even contend that your MOST important job is to ensure
that your patients have all the info, every time. It's much
more important than that one remaining little speck of tartar.
Have you ever had a patient call with a "tartar emergency"?

Patients have little chance of making smart dental decisions
if they don't have all the data. Most important among the facts
usually is a detailed explanation of the RISKS involved in not
moving forward with treatment. A realistic assessment of the
risks of losing more tooth structure, the whole tooth, or needing
more extensive and expensive procedures than they need now is
critical, helping patients understand the urgency of their problems.

If patients aren't having symptoms, the perceived urgency is
low. Add to that the natural tendency to avoid or put off "going
to the dentist", and you're starting with an uphill battle at
best.

Even if they said "no" or "not now" last time, they deserve the
same opportunity at EVERY visit to REvisit that decision. And
at every visit they need a COMPLETE review of all the details!

Please don't think they'll remember what you told them last time.
And don't think that they'll automatically say no this time if
they said no last time, because that will influence your
presentation of the facts.

I'd rather have the patient say, "Yes, I remember that photo,"
than for him/her to say "I didn't know that tooth was cracked"
the day it breaks...and you told them a year ago but not most
recently.

Fact is, people aren't sitting around all day thinking about their
teeth! I know it's hard for us to swallow that, but it's true.

I know it gets boring sometimes to have to go over the same things
again and again...but it's a NECESSITY to do so, period. And it's
best BY FAR if it starts with the team, and then the doctor
verifies the findings as the "second opinion" in your own office.

When you and your team are in the habit of communicating with
patients about their dental conditions consistently, as if
each interaction were the FIRST interaction, your CONVERSION
RATE to "yes" will reach its optimal level.

So again, give your patients the opportunity to say yes or no
every time...but make sure they have all the info first.

All my best,
Chris

PS: Next week my Dental Insiders Alliance "Summer Blitz" Teleseminar
and Webinar Series begins, with two exclusive learning events:

1- "How To Profit From Your Own Dental Assisting School"
Tuesday, July 21 at 8:30pm EDT (7:30pm CDT; 6:30pm MDT; 5:30pm PDT)

Join my expert guest Dr. Mark Costes, as he takes a concept
you've probably heard about to the next level. Dr. Costes is
helping dentists across the US demystify the DA School process,
so they can start profiting rapidly. Even if you've heard
about this additional stream of revenue before, you'll be
impressed with how Dr. Costes has literally reversed the weaknesses
of previous DA School systems and turned them into opportunities.

2- "Instant Team Meetings - Your Formula For Success"
Wednesday, July 22 at 8:30pm EDT (7:30pm CDT; 6:30pm MDT; 5:30pm PDT)

Back by popular demand! Yes, the first time I did this webinar it
was filled with technical glitches. So I did the "Mulligan" version
of the webinar, and the digital recording somehow got botched by
the webinar service. Sheesh!

Still, the reviews were great, and I've had more requests for an
"encore" presentation of this content-packed webinar. So I'm
doing this once again, for the LAST TIME. Registered attendees
will have access to the recording, which I'm committed to capturing
this time (I'm using two sources!).

During this webinar I'll reveal my 7 CORE Patient Attraction
Strategies that have helped me grow my practice into the exact
business I want, spinning off plenty of profit in the process.
Also, I'm including specific content that you can literally use
the next morning in your own practice for immediate results.

Reviews on this presentation are among the best I've received...
so don't miss it!

Registration information will be sent to you tomorrow, but I
wanted to let you know about these events now. Stay tuned.

Dr. Chris Bownman
Dental Insiders Alliance
www.DentalInsiders.com/patientattraction

Join us for a Webinar on June 16

Join me, Dr. Chris Bowman, as I reveal how you can...
Turn Your Team Meetings Into "Power Hours"!

During these challenging economic times, the difference
between practices that continue to grow and those that
struggle is the IMPLEMENTATION of effective, proven systems
and strategies that promote positive outcomes. And the
best way to ensure that doctors and team members are on the
same page is to have regularly scheduled team meetings.

During this unique webinar, I'm going to share how I've
learned to take what WERE ordinary, dull team meetings...
and transform them into what I call true "Power Hours"
that immediately impact our practice revenues in a BIG way!

Do you currently have regularly scheduled team meetings?
If so, do you get frustrated when you spend a full hour or
more together, yet very little if anything seems to get accomplished?
Worse yet, do your team meetings sometimes turn into
tense, unproductive "gripe sessions" that leave everyone
tired and irritated?

Still worse, have you abandoned team meetings altogether
because they seemed to be nothing more than a "waste
of time"?

If your answer to any of those questions was a YES, then you
really should make a point to be on this call! I'll show you how
you can take advantage of my new Instant Team Meetings strategy
to train your team effectively and consistently...month after month...
for STUNNING profit increases!

When you put this simple yet powerful strategy to work in your
practice, your team meetings will never be the same again. You and
your team will emerge from future team meetings energized, focused,
and motivated to IMPLEMENT new concepts, systems and strategies NOW!

The result: an IMMEDIATE positive impact on your bottom line!

Register now for this Dental Insiders Alliance webinar. You'll be
glad you did.

All my best,
Chris

Title: Instant Team Meetings: Your Formula For Success!

Date:Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Time:8:30 PM - 10:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=ECEMN&m=1ZW3_jG07FhxOT&b=cq4_qYp_lnSbFT71GuYWIw

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now!
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=ECEMN&m=1ZW3_jG07FhxOT&b=cq4_qYp_lnSbFT71GuYWIw

"Flat Fee" Success! Plus, My "Webinar Mulligan"...

I've got TWO things for you tonight...yes, tonight, mainly because
I just couldn't get this out to you earlier today. This 3-day week
has been a little hectic, although mostly in a good way. Except
for the "drama queen" patient I saw today and the new patient
whose teeth "itch" yesterday (someone HELP me with that!), we've
been quite productive. Two "10K+ Days" (both over $16K actually)
plus a $9K "close call" make almost any situation a little more
tolerable.

OK, so here, as Dr. Seuss would say, are "Thing 1" and "Thing 2":
an announcement and a KILLER idea.

Thing 1: My "Webinar Mulligan"

If you tuned in to my webinar last night (Instant Team Meetings...
Your Formula For Success) you witnessed perhaps the worst technical webinar nightmare I've ever experienced!

PowerPoint and virus protection software issues plagued me from
the start, as my presentation kept closing and opening all by
itself. I was forced to switch to an alternate P.Point Viewer
software, which prevented me from utilizing many of the live web
examples I had planned to share. Even though I did manage to get
most of my content out, no question it was a MESS.

So...I'm taking a "Webinar Mulligan"! I simply can't allow that
sad excuse for a webinar last night serve as a representation of
me and Dental Insiders Alliance. And, I want you to get ALL of
the content I had intended to share with you last night, but
couldn't because of all the glitches I had to deal with.

For all these reasons, I'm going to REDO last night's webinar
for you! Whether you were there or not, you'll get a second chance
to attend MY second chance at "Instant Team Meetings...Your Formula For Success". [Be on the lookout for the announcement of the date and time, coming very soon to your inbox.]

And, don't make the mistake of assuming that this webinar is just
about team meetings. FAR FROM IT! Those who attended last night
and "stuck it out" with me would testify under oath that I unloaded
a TON of real, usable, "Monday Morning" content. Plus I revealed
the absolute BEST method for IMPLEMENTING it consistently over
time. And I'm going to do it all over again. You do NOT want
to miss it.

Thing 2: Flat Fee Success!

I conducted an informal TEST this week in my practice. (HOLD IT!
That fact alone is a lesson. You should frequently and actively
test new concepts and strategies in your practice, always looking
for better ways to do things. I hope you caught that.)

I decided that, instead of constructing my treatment plans the
usual way, with my usual fees adding up to whatever...I would
present all treatment plans in a FLAT FEE format. The reason I
did this was to SIMPLIFY things for my patients, making my fees
easier to understand.

Why? Because the confused consumer buys NOTHING! If you haven't
noticed, most people are ALREADY more nervous and confused
nowadays about the economy, their jobs, their businesses, etc
than they were a year ago. The last thing you want is for them to
be confused about their dental problems, your recommendations,
and worst of all, your fees.

Here's what I did. I picked a flat "per tooth" fee for:

- small fillings (like "Diagnodent" sized)
- big fillings (incl. multi-surface)
- ANY indirect restorations (onlay, crown, veneer)
- ANY root canal

Then I simply added everything up on the spot for each patient
based on their needs. Using this approach I was able to arrive
at a TOTAL fee easily and IMMEDIATELY.

But here's the most important part. I explained this new "Flat
Fee" approach to each patient, including the REASON WHY I chose
to do it. I told them that I wanted to make my fee structure
simpler for them, and that I wasn't going to NICKEL & DIME them
with extraneous added fees for anything else, like laser
gingivectomy, build ups, etc. They LOVED that!

Don't worry...my flat fees were a little HIGHER than my typical
average fees. So I wasn't giving up hardly any gross revenues
by using this fee structure. I estimated that, at most, I
would end up charging about $100 to $200 less per quadrant on
average. HOWEVER...

A. I got more YES's...at least two this week who specifically
stated that they APPRECIATED me simplifying things and SAVING
them some money. And these two also mentioned to Kim that they
were not planning on moving forward, but the flat fee approach
was the MAIN REASON they said yes!

B. One of the two "extra yes's" was a $3800 quadrant. The other,
a $10,900 anterior case! You think it was worth it to "give up"
a few hundred dollars here or there to acquire these cases?

C. Although anecdotal so far, the reaction from my patients was
100% overwhelmingly POSITIVE. As "dicey" as things are out there
these days, they seemed somewhat relieved that I had adapted
and tried to make things easier for them. That's a HUGE
"intangible", and a potential reason for them to REFER others to
my practice. You can't underestimate the value there.

I can't say how long I'll keep this going, but I can confidently
report that, early on, my new Flat Fee approach has been a big
SUCCESS. Give it a try for a week or two in your practice, and
let me know how it goes.

That's it for now. Have a fantastic weekend!

All my best,
Chris

PS: Have you looked into my new "10K Day" Coaching & Mastermind
Program yet? If you haven't, or if it's been a little while
since you've seen the website, you should go there now and learn
about it while it's fresh on your mind. I'm only accepting a
maximum of 16 doctors into the program, so don't put it off any
longer:
www.10KDay.com

PPS: Don't forget about my "Webinar Mulligan", when I redo the
entire "Instant Team Meetings...Your Formula For Success" webinar
in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement.

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
www.DentalInsiders.com/patientattraction
www.10KDay.com

Can you "go it" alone?

Can you "go it" alone?

What I mean is: Can you take on the challenges of growing
your practice perpetually to new heights without seeking the
help and guidance of a mentor or coach?

My answers may surprise you...yes, two answers. The first is
simplistic but leaves out precious information. The second is
perhaps a little more jarring.

Answer #1: SURE you can. You indeed can take on the challenges
of navigating your practice though its "growth journey" on your
own, without the help of any other experts or guides.

Answer #2: Wrong question. The better question is: SHOULD you
"go it" alone? My answer here is a resounding NO!

- In my experience, even the highest achievers never reach
the epitome of success without first aligning themselves with
an insightful coach that can keep them on track and moving
toward their goals FAST.

- Even if you are "doing well" going solo, you're most certainly
leaving big money on the table in missed opportunities without
a strong mentor to help you uncover those unforeseen treasures.

- It's not only about the money...it's also about the STRESS
REDUCTION and CONFIDENCE that comes with following the advice
and recommendations of a coach who can help to inspire and
motivate you to keep moving forward.

- And don't forget the ACCOUNTABILITY factor! When you have a
coach to whom you must periodically report your progress, you'll
accomplish more, period. It's all too easy to be easy on yourself
and thus fail to reach your goals as quickly as you can.

- Lastly, the UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP that you build with someone
who's SOLE PURPOSE is to help you succeed is PRICELESS. Someone
who's not afraid to push you and tell it like it is...who also
SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE you speak...with whom you can identify when
it comes to you and your practice.

So...can you see why you'd be crazy not to seek and find a
coach for you, your practice, and your team. You spend the
majority of your revenues on your business, right? You spend
at least a third of your time IN your business, right? Well,
you might as well MAXIMIZE all that you get out of that commitment!

If you are ready for the immense benefits that a solid, well-
grounded Coaching and Mastermind Program can provide for you and
your team and your family, then follow these messages very
carefully over the next 12 days. As I had stated previously,
on May 12, 2009 I will launch my new program. It's called:

The "10-K Day" Coaching and Mastermind Program

Tomorrow I'll outline my reasons for the name, and the basic
structure of the entire program. Then in future messages I'll
lay out in more detail what exactly to expect from such a program.

See you soon.

All my best,
Chris

PS: Wait till you hear where we'll be holding our Mastermind
meetings. I think you'll love it!

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance

"The Greatest Good..."

I'm BAAACK! From Destin, FL that is. Woody Oakes and
his gang put on a fantastic seminar this year, and
I was blessed with the opportunity to speak twice.
What a blast to share my ideas with a live and interested
crowd, in such a beautiful place.

[By the way, my wife and the kids had an awesome time
too. Reid and Kenan loved all the pools at our oceanfront
condo...and Olivia said her favorite part was the
"thandcathels" she built beside the ocean!]

It was great to meet dozens and dozens of dentists and
team members. And it was also flattering to have many
of them tell me how much they enjoyed my presentations. I'm
thrilled to know that I was able to help a bunch of dentists
and team members get motivated to excel and grow!

That brings me back to where I left off last week.

Over the next several messages from me to you, I'll
be outlining my new Coaching AND Mastermind Program
that I'll be officially launching in just a couple of
weeks. I'm working on the website now, which will go
live on "Launch Day". It's there where you'll find the
application and all relevant information. Stay tuned.

Some of you have asked me: "Why are you launching a
Coaching and Mastermind Program?" I'm clearly very busy,
with a full-time practice and family life, plus Dental
Insiders Alliance. Well, the answer lies in this quote
from the legendary British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli:

----------------------------------------------------------
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to
share your riches but to reveal to him his own."
----------------------------------------------------------

That's why. Through my experience in coaching dentists
and dental teams throughout the U.S. and Canada, I've
experienced tremendous satisfaction in helping them
exceed lofty goals that they perhaps thought were way
too high initially. My strength is UNCOVERING OPPORTUNITIES
that are either lying dormant within your dental practice
(the best kind, because they're FREE!), or out there
for the taking, if only you knew where and how.

I realize that many of you want more than the content
delivered here, and via teleseminars, webinars, and
newsletters. You want MUCH MORE. Some want more access to me
for CUSTOM advice on how to grow their practices. Others
want more focused TRAINING on marketing and business systems.
Still others want to make big BREAKTHROUGHS, and they want
an environment where other, like-minded dentists who share
common goals can meet and "synergize" their ideas.

Some are struggling in this challenging economic climate...
new patients are becoming harder to acquire, as are the
necessary "YES's" from their existing patients. They need
help, and they need it NOW.

Others are actually still doing well, but they want to grow
MORE, and take advantage of every opportunity before them.
These high achievers believe in the "Slight Edge", and they
understand that ANY edge they gain in their business is
PRICELESS...especially during a recession. They want it NOW.

This program is for BOTH the struggling and the thriving,
and anyone in between. One primary REQUIREMENT to be
accepted into my Coaching and Mastermind Program is the
DEDICATION TO GROW, PROFIT, and SHARE in the success of
yourself and others.

As I said in my previous message, this program will have all
the benefits of a Coaching program, plus the unique advantages
of the Mastermind group, all rolled up into one great program.

The only limiting issue is that because of the time-intensive
structure of the program, I'll only be able to accept 16 doctors.
On "Launch Day", scheduled to be Tuesday, May 12th, I will
begin accepting applications from those doctors who are committed
to achieving more than ever thought possible...perpetually into
the future.

So now you have the Launch Date...Tuesday, May 12! Be ready
to act if you believe you want to be a part of this.

Tomorrow I'll send even more information, including the
actual NAME of this Coaching & Mastermind Program! I know
the name's not everything, but I think you'll find it
interesting...and your feedback on it is welcome.

Lastly, I'll be posting a brief survey soon to find out
what preliminary questions you may have about this new program.
Many of your questions will be answered as I reveal more
information, but I do want to know what may be on your mind.

Stay tuned for all of the above...and have an AWESOME day!

All my best,
Chris

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance

Advanced Dentistry of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC