Dear RDH eVillage:
I never received an individual bonus for my sales presentation or my sales (treatment) acceptance. I always insisted on being part of the overall office bonuses. I did not want a bonus because I feel it is part of my job description as a health-care provider to do treatment presentations. I help the people who come to the dental office where I am entrusted to work and do what the doctor feels is in the patients' best interest. I educate, motivate and help influence patients to pursue their dental wants and needs.
This is how I see it. The dentist pays for the education to do dentistry and open a business. The dentist goes into massive debt to equip the office with all the needs and wants to provide treatment. Next is the cost of overhead (both hard and soft). The dental office spends a fortune in marketing alone to bring patients in the door. Then there is staff, including the person who answers the phone to get patients in the office, and the closer, who must close, secure the financials and schedule patients.
Let's not forget all the costs associated with the actual treatment — materials, supplies, lab, doctor and assistant salaries, etc. It can be overwhelming if one really thinks about the big picture and not just the contained world of one department.
There is much more cost associated with selling than just selling. There are people who come to the office as my direct referral, and I receive a 5 percent to 10 percent bonus, but only if I bring the patients in with no cost to the marketing.
All businesses have hourly rates and benefits, including dental. Staff benefits are typically 15 percent to 20 percent of the hourly salary. As an example, let's use 18 percent. If the hygienist earns $32 an hour, then the hourly rate including benefits is $37.76. One needs to calculate the salaries plus benefits of everyone involved in the procedure, then multiply that figure by the amount of time it takes to perform the procedure and complete the treatment (hard and soft costs).
My recommendation is:
• Be able to do what you are supposed to do
• Make yourself invaluable, be worth more than you think you should be
• Get educated about the business of dentistry and dental hygiene
• Get a great compensation package
A) go on commission and get the exam fee included
B) stay on salary and find ways to make yourself even more valuable to the team and get on their bonuses.
• Track everything you do, say, and discuss. Write it down and have open discussions about it. Fact is that if it is not tracked, then it is not fact.
I hope this helps.
Deborah Dopson-Hartley, RDH
Ms. Dopson-Hartley is an international speaker, writer, consultant and
product evaluator. Before becoming the Hygiene Professional Manager for
Zenith Dental, Deborah was known as one of the most profitable hygienists in the country. She can be reached at (201) 894-5500 or by email or visit her Web site.
