“What’s the best way to improve how my practice is run?”
There is no single thing you can do to help your patient numbers grow and make things run more efficiently. All practices must evaluate from the bottom up how they’re running things and look for opportunities for growth and improvement.
Read on to learn 7 great practice management tips to help grow your practice
Know what your unique selling proposition is
Before onboarding any new practice at our agency, we ask the following questions:
• What makes your practice unique?
• Why should a patient choose you over other dentists?
• What do you offer that other dentists don’t?
• How do your experience and services benefit your patients?
• What pain points does your practice solve?
Identifying what makes you different helps you develop your unique selling proposition. Not only will it help determine how you can compete in a crowded market, but it will help you develop a winning management strategy.
Develop your practice’s culture
Office culture is defined by the way you run your practice, how your team collaborates, and the patient experience you provide. A positive dental office culture boosts productivity, retains your best employees, and keeps patients coming back.
Every practice develops a culture whether you plan it or not. We recommend getting ahead of it by molding your culture to fit your USP and overall practice goals. Do this by outlining your practice’s…
• Personality and character
• Leadership style
• Systems
• Behaviors
• Values and beliefs
• Communication style
• Physical environment and atmosphere
Every part of your practice should be focused on delivering an incredible patient experience and environment.
Use online scheduling software
Online appointment booking software provides better patient flow, maximized productivity, and lower stress for your staff and patients. It also provides a superior patient experience.
This adds flexibility and efficiency to your practice and makes sure your patients have a great experience from the moment they schedule an appointment through appointment follow-up.
Use reputation management software
An online reputation management software monitors popular review sites like Google My Business, Yelp, Healthgrades, and Zocdoc, and helps your practice:
• Solicit reviews from patients to be posted on these review sites
• Monitor what people say about you online
• Dictate conversation surrounding your brand
• Resolve conflicts, address patient problems, and change how patients think of your practice
Offer simple financing options
Worrying about how to pay for expensive treatments can drive away patients. Helping patients understand the cost of services and offerings modern financing options will help patients feel more comfortable working with you.
There are a few options to consider implementing:
• Automated billing
• Online payment portal
• Payment plans
• Cash discounts
• In-house savings plan
• Financing plans like CareCredit
We recommend speaking with your accountant or financial advisor to find options best for your practice. However, work towards keeping things simple and transparent for your patients (and yourself).
Offer texting options to patients
In today’s modern communication landscape, integrating text messaging into your patient communication strategy is crucial.
Some effective methods dentists incorporate text messaging into their practice management include:
• Appointment reminders
• Text message rescheduling
• Post-op care check-in
• Text billing
• Simple two-way messaging
• Text messaging provides better and faster communication, proving your patients with a better experience.
Work with an online dental marketing partner
An online dental marketing company will help you increase new patient opportunities by helping people discover your practice and drive more profitable patients to your doorstep. These efforts might include:
• New website design
• Onsite optimization and ongoing website maintenance
• SEO content to clearly communicate your voice and values and help your practice stand out from the competition
• Local search and Google Maps optimizations
• Strategically targeted paid advertising campaigns
Read More