I'm not working today. I didn't work yesterday. Well, sort of.
You see, several months ago I blocked out yesterday and today so I could "not work"...in my practice, that is. In actuality I AM working, but I'm working ON my business instead of IN it!
I know you've heard about this before, but have you actually ever done it? If not, you're really missing out on a KEY to major growth.
Trust me, any perceived "lost revenue" from not "doing dentistry" during these two days will be MORE than made up for by the results that come from what I accomplish AWAY from the practice!
So, what am I doing today? Wanna peek behind the curtain?
Here's a partial list:
STRATEGY: I'm mapping out my end-of-year strategy for 2008. This includes what aspects of the practice I want to focus on and grow.
Right now I'm zooming in on sleep apnea treatment, sedation dentistry, comprehensive restorative dentistry, and periodontal disease therapy. With elective dentistry on the decline over the past several months, I've shifted my emphasis to more "need based" services than "want based" services.
That doesn't mean I've stopped letting the world know about elective cosmetic dentistry. NEVER stop completely! I've just rearranged the order of my marketing mix. Things change very quickly, and it's critical to be NIMBLE with strategic decisions.
MARKETING: Although I'm always thinking about marketing, today I'm putting projects on the calendar. [WARNING: this aspect of your practice is the most variable, and you should always be adjusting as necessary.]
INTERNAL: The overwhelming success of my recent "Freedom Promotion" (July 4th) has actually packed my schedule through August and into early September. The entire campaign was sent in one step via Send Out Cards (www.SendOutCards.com/fordentists). My projected return, counting all scheduled appointments with SIGNED financials, is $18,752 from $545 spent...or a whopping 3404% ROI!! Cool.
So...my next move will most likely be right around Labor Day. I'm anticipating a "Back To School, Back To Work" promotion, which ties in nicely with what's on everyone's minds at that time.
From there I'll begin my "End Of Year Insurance" campaign, which should not be missed by ANY dental practice...even if you DON'T accept insurance assignment. Just because you may not doesn't mean your patients don't still want to use it up!
Also, I've set the date for my 4th Annual Patient Appreciation Event in October. Final arrangements will be made from there, including the multi-pronged invitation campaign consisting of postcards, email, and voice blast to my patients. Our goal this year is 350 attendees, up from about 230 last year.
Lastly, I'm working on a few additional projects, including our new Patient Rewards Program (more on that later!), my newest referral initiatives, and a resurrection of our monthly patient newsletter, including a multi-format approach! Other than that, not much going on!
EXTERNAL: I'm going over my current direct response print ads to see what changes I want to make, and if I want to expand into other media. You should always be looking for new "vehicles" to carry your
marketing messages.
Next month I'm beginning a new DIRECT MAIL campaign utilizing a proprietary system I'll be revealing later this year. I can't say much about it now...but I can say that I'm VERY excited! I've invested a TON of money in the technology, and within a few months you'll be able to take advantage of it for pennies on the dollar! I'll keep you posted.
I'm TESTING other media that until now has been virtually UNTAPPED by dentists! In some arenas it's still the "Wild Wild West", and there are patients to be had...and money to be made...using entirely NEW marketing strategies. As usual, once these approaches are "ready for prime time", my Dental Insiders Alliance members will be the FIRST to know, and will save the most. If you're not yet a member, take advantage of my 2 Months Free 'Test Drive' here:
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive. If you're only on this list, you'll still be ahead of the curve.
[NOTICE that I'm spending more time and energy now on INTERNAL marketing. During slower, more uncertain times, external marketing is costlier and more difficult. My response is twofold. First, I turn more internally than usual. Second, I RAMP UP my external campaigns. Always TRACK your results, and keep ALL "break even" or better campaigns going!! (More on that tomorrow.)
CE: I've already taken the majority of my CE for the year. But I have an in-office hygiene seminar to block out for 2 1/2 days, probably in November. Since the end of year is especially busy, careful planning of these days is a must. You'll already be missing enough days for the Holiday Season, so you want the working days to be maximally productive.
Miscellaneous: This and that, stuff I seem to never get to...it's gotten to yesterday and today.
OK...now do you see why these days are SOOOO important? I hope so.
Later today, while it's still on your mind, take a good look at your office schedule. Pick 1-2 "normal" working days and BLOCK them out. Give your team a list of "catch up" tasks to accomplish, or at the very least get a fill-in dentist to check hygiene.
Get AWAY from your office one every 3 months MINIMUM...and work ON it. Just like anything that receives regular maintenance, you'll enjoy better performance EVERY DAY!
All my best,
Chris
PS: Don't forget the links:
www.SendOutCards.com/fordentists (Send Out Cards)
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive (DIA membership)
Jul 29, 2008
Jul 18, 2008
Are you calling me on Tuesday night?
This is your reminder for this month's Dental Insiders Alliance "Executive Insider" Teleseminar. Unlike almost all calls that are "Members Only", this call is open to non-members too. If you're not a member, here's your chance to experience one of DIA's best monthly benefits. Then you should just join!
Title: People Hate Dentists...But They'll Love You!
An Interview With Mac Lee
Join me on Tuesday, July 22 at 8:30pm EST as I "grill" Dr. MacHenry Lee, one of dentistry's most legendary communicators.
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, July 22nd at 8:30pm EST
(12:00pm CST; 11:00am MST; 10:00am PST)
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast)
PHONE #: 218-486-3696
PIN #: 970926#
For Webcast, CLICK THIS LINK...
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3485064
"Mac" has appeared on national TV with medical celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was made famous by none other than Oprah Winfrey. He is also the author of the brilliant book, "I Hate Dentists!", which in reality serves to help reverse dental fears by connecting with and educating patients about
dental health issues.
Dr. Lee has helped dentists and dental teams nationwide with his innovative coaching programs that emphasize the utilization of the Patient Care Coordinator. He is also spearheading a massive movement to educate children about dental health at an early age. His organization Dentists Who Care is leading the charge to reduce tooth decay in school age children.
Dr. Lee will share with us his most profound secrets to success that have allowed him to consistently collect more than twice the national average among dental practices.
By the way, he does this with a "massive" team of...3...in the tiny town of Edna, TX. He commands astronomical fees in a rural community named after a lady!
Listening to Mac is always a learning experience, and this opportunity will be no exception. Here is a small list of what he and I will discuss on this learning event:
- How he established his working relationship with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Oprah's darling heart surgeon
- Why he wrote the I Hate Dentists book...and what he learned from the public's reaction to it
- Mac's answer to public education about dental health, and why it's so important
- Why thinking differently than most dentists is crucial to success
- How to divide your patient base into separate "income centers"
- Should the dental team really help with communication, education, treatment plan explanations, etc...and if so, how much?
- The difference between diagnosis, patient education, and treatment presentation (it's not what you think!)
- Do dentists (or team members) really know what's going on in the practice?
- What the TRUE PURPOSE of the practice should be...and what is required to achieve it
- The crucial importance of protocols in the practice...and how to set them up
- How to (and not to) operate team meetings for maximum productivity
- How to monitor the practice...and who should be doing it
...and much much more!
Again, here are the call in details:
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, July 22nd at 8:30pm EST
(12:00pm CST; 11:00am MST; 10:00am PST)
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast)
PHONE #: 218-486-3696
PIN #: 970926#
For Webcast, CLICK THIS LINK...
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3485064
We'll "see" you then!
All my best,
Chris
Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
2 Free Months of Preferred Membership at:
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive
Title: People Hate Dentists...But They'll Love You!
An Interview With Mac Lee
Join me on Tuesday, July 22 at 8:30pm EST as I "grill" Dr. MacHenry Lee, one of dentistry's most legendary communicators.
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, July 22nd at 8:30pm EST
(12:00pm CST; 11:00am MST; 10:00am PST)
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast)
PHONE #: 218-486-3696
PIN #: 970926#
For Webcast, CLICK THIS LINK...
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3485064
"Mac" has appeared on national TV with medical celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was made famous by none other than Oprah Winfrey. He is also the author of the brilliant book, "I Hate Dentists!", which in reality serves to help reverse dental fears by connecting with and educating patients about
dental health issues.
Dr. Lee has helped dentists and dental teams nationwide with his innovative coaching programs that emphasize the utilization of the Patient Care Coordinator. He is also spearheading a massive movement to educate children about dental health at an early age. His organization Dentists Who Care is leading the charge to reduce tooth decay in school age children.
Dr. Lee will share with us his most profound secrets to success that have allowed him to consistently collect more than twice the national average among dental practices.
By the way, he does this with a "massive" team of...3...in the tiny town of Edna, TX. He commands astronomical fees in a rural community named after a lady!
Listening to Mac is always a learning experience, and this opportunity will be no exception. Here is a small list of what he and I will discuss on this learning event:
- How he established his working relationship with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Oprah's darling heart surgeon
- Why he wrote the I Hate Dentists book...and what he learned from the public's reaction to it
- Mac's answer to public education about dental health, and why it's so important
- Why thinking differently than most dentists is crucial to success
- How to divide your patient base into separate "income centers"
- Should the dental team really help with communication, education, treatment plan explanations, etc...and if so, how much?
- The difference between diagnosis, patient education, and treatment presentation (it's not what you think!)
- Do dentists (or team members) really know what's going on in the practice?
- What the TRUE PURPOSE of the practice should be...and what is required to achieve it
- The crucial importance of protocols in the practice...and how to set them up
- How to (and not to) operate team meetings for maximum productivity
- How to monitor the practice...and who should be doing it
...and much much more!
Again, here are the call in details:
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, July 22nd at 8:30pm EST
(12:00pm CST; 11:00am MST; 10:00am PST)
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast)
PHONE #: 218-486-3696
PIN #: 970926#
For Webcast, CLICK THIS LINK...
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3485064
We'll "see" you then!
All my best,
Chris
Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
2 Free Months of Preferred Membership at:
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive
Jul 17, 2008
Here’s the answer to Question #2
The other day I answered the first of two great questions I got shortly after my previous message about my "Freedom Promotion". This second question speaks to a few important issues I want to point out to you...some direct and some indirect! Here's the question:
Hi Chris,
What happens to the patients that were already scheduled for treatment and received the card? If they call, Do you honor the discount for them as well?
Thanks,
Dr. Ronald J Sherstoff
[This type of question is what I call a "What If" question. I'm going to comment about that type of question in a minute, toward the bottom.]
Wouldn't ya know it...the first 2 people that called about my 4th of July "Freedom Promotion" were patients that were already scheduled for treatment. And to be scheduled in my office, financial arrangements are already signed, with a deposit made to secure the appointment time (another topic, another day).
They asked a reasonable question: can they save more than they were saving by prepaying already? Well, probably not. In the text of the greeting card it says that this offer can not be combined with other offers. VERY important! In some cases the savings listed would be a bit more than the 8% they were saving, in which case we allowed the higher savings. But they couldn't have both.
Now, you may be thinking it's dumb to give away more than you've already agreed to. If you think only in the near term, you're right. But if you think LONG term, that chunk of change will come back to you many times over in the form of a stronger relationship, more referrals, etc.
Another caveat is that we stated on the card that "full payment is required to receive savings". In other words, patients couldn't use the savings as a "credit" to lower their balance...UNLESS they were paying it off in full!
The limitations of the offer were clear, but we did not overwhelm the offer with rules that diminish its impact. That would not be good! How many times have you seen or heard a great offer in an ad, only to be followed by about a page worth of legal gobble-de-gook? Dumb.
OK...here's the BIG, indirect point I want to make about what I call "What If" questions. First, anyone has every right to ask questions like this... and they should so they can think through the possibilities of what COULD happen. Sounds like Dr. Sherstoff is ready to act, and he wants clarification on a particular circumstance. Very smart.
Here's what you must watch out for with "What If" questions. You can't let them BOG YOU DOWN! It's so easy to get caught up in the "What If's" that you never make any progress. Of course that did NOT happen here, but it reminded me of this principle called "analysis paralysis".
In the past I would stew over every conceivable scenario that I'd delay getting going, or sometimes not get started at all. That was until I realized that the "What If's" will ALWAYS be there, and it's impossible to think of them all.
So my rule now is: if I feel confident that anything I do in my practice will work for 85-90% of my patients, then I do it NOW. I don't worry any more about "that one patient" that may do this or that. It's very liberating, and I get a whole lot more done nowadays.
Do we run into "that one patient" occasionally? Of course we do. But the benefits we got from moving forward always far exceeded any headaches we may have suffered from the "What If's"!
All my best,
Chris
PS: We've had a rush of dentists checking out Send Out Cards in the past few days. If you have any trouble getting through, just wait about 10 minutes and try again. Here's the link to learn more:
www.TheReferralMovie.com/fordentists
PPS: If you've already looked and you're ready to sign up, go to:
www.SendOutCards.com/fordentists
Hi Chris,
What happens to the patients that were already scheduled for treatment and received the card? If they call, Do you honor the discount for them as well?
Thanks,
Dr. Ronald J Sherstoff
[This type of question is what I call a "What If" question. I'm going to comment about that type of question in a minute, toward the bottom.]
Wouldn't ya know it...the first 2 people that called about my 4th of July "Freedom Promotion" were patients that were already scheduled for treatment. And to be scheduled in my office, financial arrangements are already signed, with a deposit made to secure the appointment time (another topic, another day).
They asked a reasonable question: can they save more than they were saving by prepaying already? Well, probably not. In the text of the greeting card it says that this offer can not be combined with other offers. VERY important! In some cases the savings listed would be a bit more than the 8% they were saving, in which case we allowed the higher savings. But they couldn't have both.
Now, you may be thinking it's dumb to give away more than you've already agreed to. If you think only in the near term, you're right. But if you think LONG term, that chunk of change will come back to you many times over in the form of a stronger relationship, more referrals, etc.
Another caveat is that we stated on the card that "full payment is required to receive savings". In other words, patients couldn't use the savings as a "credit" to lower their balance...UNLESS they were paying it off in full!
The limitations of the offer were clear, but we did not overwhelm the offer with rules that diminish its impact. That would not be good! How many times have you seen or heard a great offer in an ad, only to be followed by about a page worth of legal gobble-de-gook? Dumb.
OK...here's the BIG, indirect point I want to make about what I call "What If" questions. First, anyone has every right to ask questions like this... and they should so they can think through the possibilities of what COULD happen. Sounds like Dr. Sherstoff is ready to act, and he wants clarification on a particular circumstance. Very smart.
Here's what you must watch out for with "What If" questions. You can't let them BOG YOU DOWN! It's so easy to get caught up in the "What If's" that you never make any progress. Of course that did NOT happen here, but it reminded me of this principle called "analysis paralysis".
In the past I would stew over every conceivable scenario that I'd delay getting going, or sometimes not get started at all. That was until I realized that the "What If's" will ALWAYS be there, and it's impossible to think of them all.
So my rule now is: if I feel confident that anything I do in my practice will work for 85-90% of my patients, then I do it NOW. I don't worry any more about "that one patient" that may do this or that. It's very liberating, and I get a whole lot more done nowadays.
Do we run into "that one patient" occasionally? Of course we do. But the benefits we got from moving forward always far exceeded any headaches we may have suffered from the "What If's"!
All my best,
Chris
PS: We've had a rush of dentists checking out Send Out Cards in the past few days. If you have any trouble getting through, just wait about 10 minutes and try again. Here's the link to learn more:
www.TheReferralMovie.com/fordentists
PPS: If you've already looked and you're ready to sign up, go to:
www.SendOutCards.com/fordentists
Jul 16, 2008
Yes, I'm runnning for President!
Well folks, the cat's out of the bag. I am indeed running for President of the United States.
After much deliberation, I decided that what America needs is a solid, plain talking, values based DENTIST to lead this great land. And who better to guide the U.S. of A. in the right direction than me...if I may say so myself. NOW is the time to abandon the politics of old and support the dawning of a new era. Join me and "We the People" will bring America back!
Here's the first of many press releases to come:
All my best,
Chris
Dr. Chris Bowman (Indep.)
Dental Insiders Alliance
After much deliberation, I decided that what America needs is a solid, plain talking, values based DENTIST to lead this great land. And who better to guide the U.S. of A. in the right direction than me...if I may say so myself. NOW is the time to abandon the politics of old and support the dawning of a new era. Join me and "We the People" will bring America back!
Here's the first of many press releases to come:
All my best,
Chris
Dr. Chris Bowman (Indep.)
Dental Insiders Alliance
Answers to 2 great questions
Within just a short time of shooting out yesterday's E-Alert, several savvy doctors went straight to the link (www.thereferralmovie.com/fordentists) and checked out the Send Out Cards system. Very smart. If you haven't done this yet, you need to!
I also got 2 great questions from subscribers, and I wanted to share them with you because they're both instructive in more ways than one. Question #1 is addressed in this message...question #2 will be covered tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled.
Question #1- Dear Chris,
Very interesting, I was wondering if you can show the percentages of discount based on the dentistry performed. It'll give me a better idea of how to work my future promotion.
Thanks,
Dr. Joe Simaie
Great question...better reason for the question! Dr. Simaie sounds like he's ready to IMPLEMENT my idea now. I'm guessing that he would apply a similar promotion to an upcoming "reason why" date or event, and not wait till next year. That's a mini lesson itself.
My answer has a couple parts, and is instructional too. First, the savings in this promotion are:
$50 off $500-$999; $100 off $1000-$1499;
$150 off $1500-$1999; $200 off $2000 or more
So, the most I'm giving away is 10%, down to about 5%. Guess what...I routinely give away up to 8% for those patients who pay in full one week in advance! So, I'm not giving up much more than normal, and in some cases less.
When the savings from the promotion is less than the savings acquired by paying in full one week in advance, we always offer the higher savings. Another "victory" for the patients.
[By the way, my fees are POSITIONED high enough that I can afford to offer savings like this to my patients. Everyone loves a sale. When you put your fees on sale, you stimulate more "YES's" from your patients.]
Here are the bigger lessons. First, a promotion like this will act as the TRIGGER that causes a patient to act on a decision to move forward. The results are greater when patients are aware of their problems, and have been presented the solutions. This is the "nudge" that pushes them to call us.
Second, some patients prefer to pay only their portion of the total fee, and have their insurance pay us the difference (you MUST estimate low, low, low benefits from insurance). When they see how much they can save, they often SWITCH to prepaying us in full, one week early. Cool.
Lastly, the fact that I've reached out to them with a tangible, compelling offer TIED TO a reason for contacting them is something that BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP with them. Remember that I thanked them for choosing us to be their dental office in a 4th of July card. Even for those who don't respond, I've "touched" them, and they'll remember me for it.
OK, that should get you going! Stay tuned for tomorrow's message, when I answer question #2...which is VERY important.
All my best,
Chris
PS: Here's the link once again for Send Out Cards info:
www.TheReferralMovie.com/fordentists
I also got 2 great questions from subscribers, and I wanted to share them with you because they're both instructive in more ways than one. Question #1 is addressed in this message...question #2 will be covered tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled.
Question #1- Dear Chris,
Very interesting, I was wondering if you can show the percentages of discount based on the dentistry performed. It'll give me a better idea of how to work my future promotion.
Thanks,
Dr. Joe Simaie
Great question...better reason for the question! Dr. Simaie sounds like he's ready to IMPLEMENT my idea now. I'm guessing that he would apply a similar promotion to an upcoming "reason why" date or event, and not wait till next year. That's a mini lesson itself.
My answer has a couple parts, and is instructional too. First, the savings in this promotion are:
$50 off $500-$999; $100 off $1000-$1499;
$150 off $1500-$1999; $200 off $2000 or more
So, the most I'm giving away is 10%, down to about 5%. Guess what...I routinely give away up to 8% for those patients who pay in full one week in advance! So, I'm not giving up much more than normal, and in some cases less.
When the savings from the promotion is less than the savings acquired by paying in full one week in advance, we always offer the higher savings. Another "victory" for the patients.
[By the way, my fees are POSITIONED high enough that I can afford to offer savings like this to my patients. Everyone loves a sale. When you put your fees on sale, you stimulate more "YES's" from your patients.]
Here are the bigger lessons. First, a promotion like this will act as the TRIGGER that causes a patient to act on a decision to move forward. The results are greater when patients are aware of their problems, and have been presented the solutions. This is the "nudge" that pushes them to call us.
Second, some patients prefer to pay only their portion of the total fee, and have their insurance pay us the difference (you MUST estimate low, low, low benefits from insurance). When they see how much they can save, they often SWITCH to prepaying us in full, one week early. Cool.
Lastly, the fact that I've reached out to them with a tangible, compelling offer TIED TO a reason for contacting them is something that BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP with them. Remember that I thanked them for choosing us to be their dental office in a 4th of July card. Even for those who don't respond, I've "touched" them, and they'll remember me for it.
OK, that should get you going! Stay tuned for tomorrow's message, when I answer question #2...which is VERY important.
All my best,
Chris
PS: Here's the link once again for Send Out Cards info:
www.TheReferralMovie.com/fordentists
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