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725: The Long-Term Value of Great Relationships in Dentistry – Dr. Bill Robbins, Dr. Jim Otten, & Dr. Gary DeWood

Without a support system, dentistry can be incredibly lonely. What you need are long-term relationships that last your entire career. But where and how do you find people to connect with? To answer that question, Kirk Behrendt brings in three of his favorite people in dentistry, Dr. Bill Robbins, Dr. Jim Otten, and Dr. Gary DeWood, with their wisdom and advice for finding the people you need in your life. Don't wait for them to come to you — seek them out! To learn about the best places where the best people gather, listen to Episode 725 of The Best Practices Show!

 

Learn More About Christina, Miranda, & Dr. Straub:

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

Episode Resources:

Main Takeaways:

  • Start with data. Track capacity percentage and patients’ behaviors.
  • Get out of the habit of saying, “It’s okay,” when patients cancel.
  • Stop chasing patients who have a history of cancellations.
  • Appointments are confirmed when they are reserved.
  • Make sure patients know why they need to show up.
  • Language matters. Reduce minimizing language.
  • Always have a cancellation fee, but never use it.
  • Never make it easy for patients to cancel.
  • Don't accept email or text cancellations.
  • Teach patients it’s not okay to cancel.
  • All cancellations start at the chair.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

2:21 ACT’s TTT, BPA, and coaching.

9:31 Why this is an important topic.

12:24 The two types of cancellations.

14:22 Stop saying, “It’s okay.”

17:39 Make sure there's a firm reservation.

19:59 Appointments are confirmed when scheduled.

21:36 Take advantage of automated reminder systems.

22:29 Q&A: Do you typically request a confirmation reservation deposit?

23:59 Create high value for patients.

25:37 All cancellations start at the chair.

26:04 Avoid minimizing language.

27:53 Q&A: Do you ever remove patients from the automated reminder system?

28:45 Never schedule patients at six months.

29:21 Language matters.

31:04 Start coding patient behavior.

32:33 Define what things mean for your practice and draw boundaries.

35:05 Communicate and calibrate with your team.

36:14 Have a cancellation fee, but don't use it.

38:55 Don't make it easy for patients to cancel.

41:28 Q&A: Is there any good language in place of, “It’s okay”?

42:23 Put patients on hold when they cancel.

44:12 Put the onus on patients to call you.

46:39 Q&A: Preservation fees.

53:27 Q&A: How do you hold constantly canceling patients responsible?

55:12 How to recover lost time.

1:00:14 Know how your software tracks broken appointments and cancellations.

1:02:06 Track capacity percentage.

1:03:29 ACT’s Capacity Tracker version 1.0.

1:06:28 Final takeaways.

1:08:44 Q&A: Only A patients will actually pay the cancellation fees.

1:09:35 Q&A: Get good at asking good questions.

1:11:10 Q&A: Where to register for Miranda’s admin course.

1:11:22 Q&A: How can we do reservation fees for patients getting treatment with no copay?

1:14:51 Q&A: More opportunities to learn from ACT.

Christina Byrne Bio:

Christina Byrne has been involved in dentistry since 1985. Over the years, she has held many positions on the dental team, including dental assistant, business office, and dental hygienist. Christina’s extensive knowledge of the front office and clinical procedures is a great asset, and she loves to impart her knowledge to guide dental teams do the best they can to achieve a Better Practice, Better Life!

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH Bio:

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH, has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.

Dr. Barrett Straub Bio:

Dr. Barrett Straub practices general and sedation dentistry in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He has worked hard to develop his practice into a top-performing, fee-for-service practice that focuses on improving the lives of patients through dentistry.

A graduate of Marquette Dental School, Dr. Straub’s advanced training and CE includes work at the Spear Institute, LVI, DOCS, and as a member of the Milwaukee Study Club. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Dental Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Marquette Dental School 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. As a former ACT coaching client that experienced first-hand the transformation that coaching can provide, he is passionate about helping other dentists create the practice they’ve always wanted.

Dr. Straub loves to hunt, golf, and spend winter on the ice, curling. He is married to Katie, with two daughters, Abby and Elizabeth.
ACT Dental Team

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