5 targets for a successful practice -- Part 1

By Roger P. Levin, DDSSetting specific, measurable targets for your practice and implementing the systems to achieve those goals are critical to creating a successful practice. Targets motivate you and your team to improve performance. When supported by step-by-step systems and Value Creation Scripting^™, targets are one of the best management tools for jump-starting growth and increasing production. Aim for these five targets in your practice:1. Schedule 100% of new patients within 7 to 10 days. If you make patients wait too long, they will seek dental care elsewhere or — worse — they won’t seek care at all. If patients are requesting your services, you don’t want to make them wait. With too much time on their hands, patients will become demotivated. 2. Reduce no-show rates to 1% or less. Neither the patient nor the doctor benefits from a broken appointment. Obviously, you can’t treat a patient who isn’t there. Train your team to build value for appointments and recommended treatment. Confirm all appointments 48 hours in advance via cell phone, texting or email. 3. Achieve 90% case acceptance. Patients who say “yes” will have better oral health outcomes, and your practice will experience greater success. Enhance the verbal skills of your team. Implement Value Creation Scripting^™ and role-play scripts during morning meetings. 4. Collect 99% of your adjusted production. You deserve to be paid for the work you perform. Remember, you only have what you collect, not what you produce. Don’t try to play “banker.” Use patient financing from a company knowledgeable about the dental profession to eliminate collection problems. 5. Spend 98% of your time on patient care. Delegate administrative tasks, such as scheduling and collections, to your well-trained staff who use step-by-step systems. Remember, you went to dental school to provide patients with the highest levels of oral health care. You didn’t become a doctor to answer phones and run the schedule — that’s why you have a capable team!All practices should use targets to motivate team members and improve performance. These five targets will help put your practice on the path to growth and increased production!Visit Levin Group’s Resource Center at www.levingroupgp.com for a wide range of educational materials, including the Tip of the Day, newsletters, and white papers. You can also connect with Levin Group on Facebook and Twitter (Levin_Group) for tips, news, and sharing ideas. Author bioRoger P. Levin, DDS, is chairman and CEO of Levin Group, a leading dental management consulting firm that is dedicated to improving the lives of dentists through a diverse portfolio of lifetime services and solutions. Levin Group may be reached at (888) 973-0000, or www.levingroupgp.com.