Schedule Your Way to More Profit with These 4 Hacks

Every dentist has those days where they leave the office feeling exhausted and that they could have been more productive. However, you can eliminate these days by focusing on one crucial aspect of your practice—the schedule. Your schedule is more than just a schedule—it’s your blueprint for the day that determines how efficient and productive you’ll be. When you approach your schedule with intention, it empowers you to take control and make your time work for you, instead of vice-versa. 

Managing your time is the key to a Better Practice and a Better Life, because like Kirk says, “Time is the new rich,” so seize control of your schedule with these four tips! 

1. Always schedule to your Daily Production goal

If you want to earn more, you need to plan more, and that means planning your day based on the revenue you want to generate. Instead of merely filling in slots, align your schedule with your target production goals for the day! A surefire way to accomplish this is by utilizing block scheduling—to help you get started, check out this free resource! By creating color-coded blocked time, you can improve your predictability, prevent overbooking low-production procedures, and prioritize those high-revenue procedures you want more of!

2. Schedule your high production early

It’s no secret that your body and mind are freshest in the morning, so capitalize on that by scheduling your crowns, implants, larger restorative work, or any other high-production treatments within the first five hours of the day. There are a few benefits to this approach:

• You’re giving your maximum energy and focus to these procedures
• When you complete the majority of your production early, you’re more likely to achieve your daily goals

After an incredibly productive morning, you can schedule follow-up appointments and lighter treatments in the afternoon, which will keep you from burning out while still maintaining productivity throughout the day.

3. Clearly define “Doctor Time” and “Assistant Time” 

If you aren’t paying attention, it’s easy to double book the doctor, so it’s important to set definitions for what time is the doctor’s. And by doing the same for assistants, you can maximize their role in chairside procedures, resulting in a doctor-assistant team that’s working at its highest capacity. For example, you can schedule it so the assistant is making a temporary and providing post-op instructions to the patient while the doctor is starting a crown appointment on the next patient—dovetailing the day like this will create an incredible amount of productivity!

4. Block time for New Patients

New patients are a vital resource for every practice—they bring in revenue and contribute to the sustainability of the practice—so it’s crucial to devote time specifically for your new patient consultations and examinations. By blocking this time, you’re ensuring that you have the space to see new patients within 7-14 days, quickly giving them the attention they need.

These four scheduling hacks will help you maximize your time, giving you improved efficiency and productivity, but remember, you don’t need to jump in head-first. Start small by implementing one or two—you’ll be amazed at the difference they make! From there, you can go all-in and seize control of your schedule to make it work for you!

To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Gina!

Tune in next time and learn why adding more chairs isn't the answer to your profitability problems!