2 Simple Ways To Increase Practice Growth In 2016

GET RID OF THE SHINY OBJECTS AND CREATE YOUR 2016 GOALS

It's that time of the year...clear mind, blank sheet of paper...wheels spinning...asking ourselves questions like:

What do I want to accomplish next year?
Can I serve more patients than I did this year?
What new products or ideas will help take my practice to the next level?

It's that one time of the year when we all get an opportunity to reset the dial and set up the year for success. Here is the million dollar question though: Why do we fall short of our New Year's goals, even as soon as three months into the year?

Experience has shown me that with all of the daily distractions that we face, it is human nature to let the "shiny objects" steer our attention away from what matters most.

Think of a pilot flying from Atlanta to the Bahamas (nice thought huh...ok, sorry was focusing on a shiny object!) and how off course and distracted they would get if they did not first put in their starting and ending coordinates. How in the world would they be able to get to their destination? Do you know where you are headed in 2016? What's your destination? Do you know how you are going to get there? Sometimes, by just identifying where you are now, where you want to be, and how you are going to get there is more than half the battle! Just ask a pilot, they do it every day. Make this your mantra in 2016: "Death to the shiny objects that take us off course and move us further and further away from our destination!"

In an effort to keep things simple, minimize the things that can get you off track and help you bridge the gap between what you would like to accomplish and what you actually accomplish.

Here are 2 ideas to assist you in making 2016 even MORE productive and rewarding than 2015...

Idea #1

Start by asking yourself these 4 simple questions. Think G.O.A.L. (Growth-Organic Opportunities-Accountability-Leverage)

Growth: Have you identified specifically what % you would like to grow your practice in 2016? Why that %?
Organic Opportunities: What existing opportunities do you have in your practice right now that could help you hit your growth goal?
Accountability: Do you have the proper accountability measures in place to ensure that you are staying on track to hit your growth goal?
Leverage: In an effort to leverage your assets, what investments can you make in your people, your practice and your products?

Idea #2

Combine your thinking above with the answers to these more detailed questions below and then build yourself a GOAL Map.

Growth

What is your personal production growth goal? How about the hygienists growth goal? Have you identified a goal for your assistants and front office team? What type of tool will you use to ensure that you are staying on track with your growth goals?

Organic Opportunities

Do you know how many of your patients have unscheduled treatment that need to be done? Do you know how many of your active patients are overdue with their hygiene treatment and are NOT coming in twice a year? Are you running your schedule or is your schedule running you? Does your team understand the difference between "busy" and productive"? Are you being as efficient as you could be in order to see just 2-3 more patients a day? What financial creativity are you using in order to help your patients pay for the treatment they so desperately need? How many Care Credit or other patient financing applications did your team fill out in 2015?

Accountability

How are you tracking, measuring and following up daily on the 5 organic growth opportunities listed below?

Unscheduled Treatment
Overdue Recall
The Schedule
Efficient Flow
Financial Coordination

If you had to pick just 2 of these to focus on all year, which 2 would make the most impact in your practice?

Leverage

If you added just 1 new skill to your tool belt in 2016, which one would have the biggest impact?

If each one of your team members added just 1 new skill to their tool belt in 2016, which ones would have the biggest impact?

What 3 new products, if you invested in and purchased in 2016, would have the biggest impact on your practice and your patients?

Take the answers to these questions and build yourself a GOAL map...your road map for what you want to accomplish in 2016!! Get started now!!

About The GUEST AUTHOR

John Stamper is an inspirational and passionate professional with over 22 years of leadership, business, people development and entrepreneurial experience.

John’s 13 years and unique blend of experience in the Dental Industry has taken him down a path where he has learned and worked in every corner of the dental practice. He moved from sales rep to sales manager to executive at one of the largest dental instrumentation companies in the industry, Brasseler USA. He then had the opportunity to work as a practice performance coach for Mortenson Dental Partners, one of the industry's largest and most respected dental groups.

Recently his entrepreneurial spirit drove him to co-found TheDentalExchange.com, a web platform full of tools and resources that help dental professionals take their careers and professional development to the next level.

John loves spending time with his beautiful wife, Hilary, and their son, Quint, as well as his three sons Niko, Aleks, and Ivan. Rumor has it that they finally have a girl on the way.

You can learn more about john at his website: www.jrstamper4.com