Three news items crossed my desk in the past month. All seem to point to a future for dentistry which features more specialization around managing the cause of poor oral health. One news item was a video interview with a number of dental opinion leaders in Minnesota, about the emerging role of dental therapists. Dental … Read more
4 ways to enhance patient satisfaction…… Patient communication is more likely to succeed when there are more positive interactions than negative interactions. Luckily, we as humans have a unique ability to turn negative thoughts and emotions into positive ones. Here are a few more ways to hit the magic ratio and positively enhance patient satisfaction … Read more
The key to improving patient satisfaction…… People are porous. They tend to absorb and reflect the atmosphere and motions around them. According to Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, we experience approximately 20,000 individual moments in a waking day. Each moment may only last a few seconds, but each is important. Dr. John Gottman’s pioneer research … Read more
Paradox = conflicting or contradictory trends. So what might be the paradox in dental services? On the one hand we have this movement to cosmetic care. A recent survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry says that more and more dental practices are conducting this kind of care. 74% of respondents said they … Read more
Very recently, there have been 2 announcements in the US about training physicians and nurse practitioners to look after oral health problems. The first announcement emanated from the University of California at San Francisco and the latter announcement from Harvard and Northeastern Universities. Serious stuff. The reasons behind this development appear to be twofold: (a) … Read more
Discover the power of the right words……. The vocabulary you use plays a powerful role in whether your patients choose to accept the treatment they need. In Transitions Group’s experience with coaching hundreds of dental practices across North America, we have found these key phrases to be very valuable: We now know … Latest research … Read more
“People today are about 10 percent heavier than people were in the 1980s, even if they follow the exact same diet and exercise plans.” This was a disturbing conclusion of a recent study of American adults, which has also been reported in The Atlantic. What might be the reasons? First, people are exposed to more … Read more
Turning inquiries into appointments.. Dental administration team members are truly the “Directors of the First Impression” for new patients, and they have approximately 17 seconds to “make it or break it.” Many new patient phone calls start with the patient asking: “Do you take my insurance?” While your first instinct is to provide an immediate … Read more
When I was surveying adults in the waiting rooms of dental practices in the UK some time ago, I wondered if these patients wanted to participate in the assessment of their future oral health. So I added a question to the survey which posed the major risk factors for poor oral health, and then asked … Read more
The impact of today’s technology on your business… Social Networking is the dialogue used by one or all of the above to converse, communicate and contribute online. Social networking can re-connect someone with their past, update today’s world on your daily events, share opinions, experiences and insights to a virtual friendship that can reach many … Read more
Your critical area of focus… In today’s fast paced world of change, competition and customer (patient) sophistication, it is critical to focus on your service, reputation and referrals. Also critical, is to know how your patients feel about you, talk about you and express their dissatisfaction. A dissatisfied customer will tell 12 other people A … Read more
Attached are 2 photos of our recent annual trip in January 2015 to Quesada, Guatemala. This is part of an official Canadian charity (12+ yrs going) called Health Outreach (founded by Dr. Tim Lee, Mississauga), where the volunteers (dentists and support personnel), provide free dental work to needy children. In our 6 days of work, … Read more
In his blog titled An Ounce of Prevention, Dr. Ashish Jha of the Harvard Medical School recently reported on his twitter poll of “what makes the best doctor.” The results had very little to do with health outcomes or technical skill, and more to do with the patient interface. See the key attributes of a … Read more
2015 Dental Marketing Trends You Need to Know By Andrea Walker-Chief Creative Officer & Susanne Kimball, Chief CS Marketing Officer Every year marketing evolves and the rules of the web change. That leaves dental professionals like you wondering where to invest marketing dollars. We understand that with changes that happen so fast, it’s hard to … Read more
The digital revolution has ensured that most of the public relations activities are carried out online. It increases the reach dramatically and reduces the costs of a PR exercise to nearly zilch. However, PR activities can still be time-consuming, and as a busy dentist you may not be able to spare enough time and attention … Read more