AT ISSUE: CHAIRSIDE PRODUCT SALES by Sally McKenzie, CMC

An Intriguing Possibility … for Some Practices, That Is If you’re looking for my advice on whether or not you should sell products in your office, don’t expect a simple yes or no. While it’s true that well-executed product sales can mean a considerable windfall to otherwise static or declining profits, it is not the right answer for every practice. How will you know, then, if it’s right for you?

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“…don’t make the mistake of asking staff if they
want to sell products chairside … It’s your call ...”

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To start with, hold your finger on your own pulse for a moment. Are you a true believer? What I mean by that is, do you believe that there are products available to you that would be of benefit to your patients? Do you believe that you, your hygienist or clinical assistant might further benefit your patients by demonstrating how such products might best be used?

For purposes of this article, let’s assume that you answered positively to the above, in which case we should also assume that you’re pretty much sold on the idea that by selling products, you would be providing some advantage to your patients, and might improve your profit margin in the process. Don’t get me wrong here. This doesn’t need to be love at first sight. You need to approach it objectively, take a test drive over a period of time, and see how it goes. Let me caution you, though, don’t make the mistake of asking staff if they want to sell products chairside. You know human nature … the uninitiated, uninformed, or inexperienced will more than likely pull back and rebuff any new idea. It’s your call, Doctor, go for it. Clinical Know-How Transformed into Sales Savvy?

If you’re haunted by visions of snake-oil hucksters, relax. Of course, we’ve all heard stories of the charlatan who’d sell his dying mother a 12-year supply of vigor-generating vitamins. But that has nothing to do with you and is no reason to refrain from selling products chairside. The sale of legitimate products to patients who’d benefit from them, is a practice-building arrangement that’ll be appreciated by many … and disregarded by the rest. No skin off anyone’s teeth, right?

When handled as it should be, chairside product sales should not amount to the lowering of anybody’s standards. Hype and arm-twisting are left out of the mix completely. Instead, it’s staged more like “here’s the product that’s helped some of our other patients and here’s why.” Straightforward and plain-spoken – if you want it, we’ve got it.

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security, though. Success is a team effort, and as such, when you direct your clinical staff to sell products chairside, you have the responsibility of making sure they’re properly trained to do so, and can heartily buy into the products they’re endorsing. They, on the other hand, have the responsibility to do their part – demonstrating that they are champions of both practice and patient – without ever showing a smidge of attitude.

Clinical Staff as Shareholders, So to Speak When a practice sells products, the typical mark up is about 50%. For whatever reason, some clinical staff are embarrassed by that, finding it objectionable. What these naïve individuals are forgetting is that this profit margin is in line with markups on crown and bridge as well as other services that they already encourage patients to take advantage of. Just as important, though, there is nothing embarrassing about a dental practice making money. And if they expect to get paid, they’ve got to understand that the practice is a business, not a philanthropic organization. Any question?

Clinical staff also need to know that product sales can do more than help pay salaries … which in some practices is no small task. In more successful practices, there may be a commission system in which clinical staff receive a percentage of what they sell. They might also be shareholders in other perks such as: bonus systems, profit sharing, trips to dental meetings, continuing education, and staff retreats.

Sally Says: Product sales, once again, aren’t for everyone. But if you think they might be for you, don’t worry about your staff being up to the task. It’s remarkable how quickly people can get up to speed when some measure of a pot of gold is in their line of sight.

Sally McKenzie, Certified Management Consultant, is a nationally-known lecturer, author, and consultant to the Council on Dental Practice of the ADA. She is President of McKenzie Management and Associates, which provides in-office analysis of the business, clinical, and hygiene department; conducts on-site staff training; and offers a full line of educational management books, audio tapes, and videos. For more information call Sally toll-free at 877-777-6151. Visit her web sites at: www.mckenziemgmt.com   www.practicemanagement-online.com   www.dentalcareerdevelop.com