011: A Big Reason Most Patients Don't Follow Through with a Comprehensive Treatment Plan and a Few Things You Can Do About It
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On today’s episode, I discuss reasons some patients may be wary of pursuing further treatment or seeing their treatment plan through. I also outline ways to ensure that they feel comfortable, understand the importance of dental health, and return to the practice regularly. The goal of ensuring return visits is not only to fully serve the patient, but to also ensure the health of your practice. You don’t have to stress about adding new patients to the roster if you ensure existing patients feel compelled to follow through with care. Today’s Topics: Identifying and refining patient goals...
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010: Three Reasons to Make Learning a Core Value in Your Practice
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
Today I discuss why it is so vital to make learning a core value of your practice. In a time when demand for dental services and profits are flat, frustrations run high. As such, it is important to manage personal and team stress. The way to do this is to advance your practice through learning. A practice that is not evolving is one that may ultimately deal with not only a frustrated team, but frustrated patients. Listen in as I talk about how learning and (in due course) change improves the culture of a practice. Today’s Topics: Dealing with change Managing your team’s stress...
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009: The Best Part of the Elephant to Eat First- A Guide to know what to Focus on when you are Overwhelmed by Running your Practice
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On this brief episode, we delve into which part of the elephant to eat first. Namely, I break down how to tackle the many issues that arise at a practice. When you have a team, patients, and finances to deal with, it’s hard to know where to put your focus. Today, I help you determine which problems to deal with first and how. Today’s Topics: Team issues/drama and how to resolve it Improving patient care Making key management decisions Links and Resources: I would love to hear your feedback on today’s episode. Send me a message at . If you enjoy listening to this show, please leave a ....
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008: Why an Anchor is More Important Than a Drill in Your Practice When it Comes to Health and Profit
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On today’s episode, I talk about an important aspect of every dental or medical practice: I discuss anchoring. Namely, framing patients’ expectations and understanding various procedures and the costs they may incur. It’s extremely important to communicate clearly with patients and to make sure they understand why they need a certain procedure. If you don’t frame the problem in an effective manner, the patient may only consider the monetary costs and not the cost to their health. Listen in as I explain ways to engage your patients and anchor problems effectively. Today’s Topics: ...
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007: A Better Way to Answer the Question "Why is Dentistry so Expensive"?!
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On today’s episode I cover a topic that comes up so frequently in the life of a dentist. Namely, I discuss the issue of how to change the perception that dentistry is expensive. Dentistry is commonly perceived as an expensive or unaffordable health care cost (even with the help of insurance). In actuality, it is not preventative dental care that costs the most. Listen as I discuss emergency dental care, tending to your patients’ financial needs, and shattering perceptions. Today’s Topics: The initial sticker shock felt by emergency patients How to manage sticker shock and...
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006: A Patient Refuses to Pay - A Simple Tip to Increase Collections of Your Over 90 Day Accounts
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On today’s episode, I discuss the often uncomfortable topic of collections. Specifically, I underline ways to stress the importance of your relationship with your patient, while successfully collecting on most, if not all, of your overdue accounts. Creating a successful practice comes with many pitfalls and the last thing you want to do is create a strain on your relationship with patients. Listen in as I emphasize the importance of working with patients to pay off debts and not alienate them in the process. Today’s Topics: Steps for dealing with past due accounts Writing effective 90-day...
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005: One Way to Tell If You Have the Most Welcoming Dental Practice in Your Area
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
On today’s episode, I discuss simple ways to build your business through relationships within your community. More often than not, tips about building your practice involve gimmicky, short-term ideas that ultimately do not bring in the type of business for which one would hope. The best advice I can offer, while simple, is not always obvious. Today’s Topics: How to gauge the perception of your practice Using the delivery person as a resource How to go about building relationships within your community Remember: your goal is to get your patients to health and keep them there. It becomes...
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004: How I Used Dental Insurance Advice to Win Over a Girl Who Was Way Out of My League
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
Most of what you’ll hear nowadays encourages...
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003: What an Amazing Hibachi Chef Knows That Could Totally Change Your Practice Number
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
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How TJ Maxx Nearly Ruined My Practice
The Dr FriesWithThat Show
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info_outlineThe usual advice about growing your dental practice isn’t about people; it’s about short term, impersonal, gimmicky transactions.
“Dr. Fries With That” is a show about strategies to increase both health and profit at your practice, without feeling so greasy.
This is episode two, and this edition is about how spending too much money at TJ MAXX as a new dentist nearly ruined my practice startup.
When you’re a young dentist getting started, one of the most challenging things to your success is your own self-consciousness about how you’re perceived by patients.
The funny thing is that at least in my case, I wanted to change my patients’ perception of me. That led me to spending a bunch of money, time after time, and I was so focused on how I would be perceived that I was kind of missing the boat.
I kept thinking that if I could adjust the way I looked and acted, that it would have some huge impact on the patient’s experience.
Nowadays what motivates me to get into the office is something totally different, and I’ve actually done myself and my practice a big service using the method I explain today.
“I feel that patients trust us most when we deeply get invested in understanding who they are and where they’re coming from, and it’s even more convincing when the rest of your team is the same way.”
The difference hasn’t been in maintaining some sort of professional appearance; the difference has been in learning to get involved with the patient and understand them, and it’s also been just as much about helping our team do the same for our patients.
That's my tip for today: lots of young dentists feel offended when people don't’ believe them or take them seriously, and it’s not to be taken personally.
I feel like this is an important note, and in this edition, I explain how it made a distinct difference between the beginning and later phases of my professional career.
“When I’ve seen profound growth, it’s because I’ve grown my interest in my patients.”
That might seem like a bland recommendation, but there are some very specific things you can learn about the patient that will absolutely help you while partnering over time.
You want to know what’s important to them; for some people appearance is everything, and for others it's not.
“What I really care about is doing a good job and helping our patients achieve their goals.”
All I can say is the easy way to do it is included in today’s episode, and once you start applying it, I can almost guarantee your success will never be higher.
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This podcast is sponsored by PracticeWater, providing online training and other products to implement health and profit strategies in your dental practice. Visit PracticeWater to learn more!