Ortho Blog

Keepin’ It All in Perspective

2010-08-09T16:08:00.001-04:00

Just finished reviewing the preliminary data for the 2010 Dental Economics / Levin Group Annual Practice Survey (which will be published in November DE) and one thing is very clear—dentistry as a profession is in really good shape.

Practice production and doctor income remained about the same as in 2009. “How is that good?” you might ask.

In spite of one of the worst economic crises ever, practices on average managed to stay the course. While it might not be time for marching bands and fireworks, I’m seeing the data as a very positive sign, especially when you consider how many other industries have been slumping for the last 12 months.

To move forward, you need both the right attitude and the right actions. The right attitude starts with keeping things in perspective. When you do that, you’re in the best position to seize opportunities to grow your practice.

The Solution For Ortho Growth

2010-07-21T13:42:00.001-04:00

It’s true. On the subject of what grows ortho practices, my answer never changes—it’s systems, systems, systems!

Sure, systems may not seem exciting but what they accomplish for your practice is! Systems can maximize production and profitability while decreasing overhead and stress. In short, they make all the difference.

Levin Group ortho clients had an amazing year in 2009 and are off to another great year in 2010. In fact, their results aren’t typical in the profession. Need proof? Have a look at what doctors are saying about their production in ADA quarterly surveys for the last 16 months. Most reported declines in production.

How do Levin Group ortho clients do it? I think you know the answer—systems. Systems that deal with issues such as increasing GP and patient/parent referrals, correcting scheduling issues, eliminating last-minute cancellations, reducing overdue payments, increasing collections and, of course, properly implementing patient financing.

Is there one magic bullet or pearl that makes all the difference? I would say, “no.” But revamping your systems is by far your best chance to increase production—period!

Learn more about systems...

“Orthodontists are born leaders.”*

2010-06-03T13:42:00.003-04:00

Nobody is a born leader. Not really. That’s like saying people are born orthodontists.

Like every skill you have, leadership skills are learned. Leadership, like dentistry, is a learned skill.

Sure, you might have some inclination to leadership, but often those are skills or techniques you learned from your parents, friends or others. Leadership is not one skill, but a series of skills you develop by interacting and leading your team.

Expand your leadership skills through training, reading books and articles, and going to seminars. No one is a born leader, but anyone can become a a good leader.

Consulting—It’s More Than a Job to Us!

2010-05-05T10:59:00.001-04:00

Every day when I go to the office, I get excited… I mean really pumped up about helping orthodontists grow their practices. Despite a tough economic environment out there, our clients are growing and it’s a great feeling to know Levin Group has helped them to do it!

When a consultant rushes into my office to relate how one of his or her clients just had the best month they’ve had since they opened their practice… well, I’ll tell you, it’s hard to put into words what a great feeling it is for us.

Part of what keeps us excited are the continuous improvements and enhancements we make to our consulting programs. For example, our Practice Production Generators™. These powerful tools have been designed to give clients the best and most productive consulting experience possible. They are part of our unending commitment to you!

If you want to know more about Practice Production Generators™, give us a call at 888-973-0000. We’d love to tell you all about them!

Avoiding the Down Payment Trap

2010-04-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

In today’s economy, people are watching their money closely. This means many parents are delaying orthodontic treatment for their children until things improve.

One hurdle for many potential parents/patients is the high down payment many practices require. If the typical ortho treatment costs $4,000 – $6,000, asking a parent to put down 25% can seem financially overwhelming.

Two solutions that Levin Group ortho clients have successfully implemented are:

A lower down payment. Practices have found a 10% down payment with higher monthly payments has worked for some parents/patients.
Outside financing. Using a company like CareCredit allows parents/patients to create a payment schedule more in line with their budget. By offering outside financing, more patients are able to accept treatment.

Today’s economy has slowed growth for many ortho practices. The first step to jumpstarting production is giving patients different options for down payments.

Something Has Changed!

2010-03-26T08:36:00.003-04:00

In 25 years of lecturing, I have never witnessed the level of excitement that my newest seminars are generating.

Orthodontists are craving new models and ideas to help their practices grow despite the current economy. The philosophy of my newest seminar, The Principles of Maximum Ortho Production, is this… what you did before is simply not good enough. Just imagine having more starts, growing your GP and patient referrals like never before and a host of other radically improved Key Practice Expanders™.

I think the reason this has been so exciting for orthodontists is that they are finally ready to reach for their practice potential and not simply “get through” this year. This thinking will create a situation where more and more orthodontists can improve the quality of their lives, save more for their long-term retirement and lower their stress along the way. My suggestion—join me on June 17-18 in Las Vegas and learn The Principles of Maximum Ortho Production!

Your Mission, More New Patients

2010-02-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

Word-of-mouth is the best advertising that exists. It’s compelling, it’s free and it works!

Superior customer service and outstanding care make patients and parents stand up and take notice. It also makes them tell their friends, neighbors and family members about your office.

That said, sometimes people need an additional prompt to “take the plunge.” A small courtesy can be a great way to turn potential ortho candidates into actual patients.

• Invite siblings of current patients for a no-cost consult with ongoing observation
• Offer a 10% courtesy for patients who come only in the mornings
• Offer 10% courtesies for siblings or family members who undergo orthodontic treatment together (We have many clients where up to 10% of parents accept orthodontic treatment)

How Do People View the Dental Profession?

2010-01-04T13:50:00.003-05:00

In a recent op/ed column in The Washington Post, George F. Will was discussing the federal government when he concluded his piece with the following statement, “Like the Fed, dentists are always important and urgently desired when pain is intense. But they are rarely objects of their patients' affections.”

Politics aside, I was struck by what this implied about perceived notions about the dental profession. It seems that dentists and specialists need to redouble their customer service efforts to change perceptions such as these.

As the New Year dawns, make a resolution to take your customer service to the next level. Treat patients like gold—it will always serve you well!

An Incredible Weekend in Orlando

2009-11-29T11:44:00.006-05:00

I had the honor of teaching more than 60 doctors and their spouses at the First Annual Life Plan Summit earlier this month in beautiful Orlando. Life Plan is about turning professional success into lifelong personal success.

The energy and the passion that Life Plan participants brought to the seminars and workshops was just amazing. Seeing so many committed professionals focused on unleashing their true potential is what Life Plan is all about.

“Life Plan was great. It provides clarity beyond the office,” said one participant.

The Life Plan Summit was open to doctors who attended a previous Life Plan course. The next course will be offered June 25–26 in Chicago followed by the 2nd Annual Life Plan Summit, November 5–6, in Las Vegas. For more information, send an e-mail to customerservice@levingroup.com with “Life Plan” in the subject line.

Free Online Seminar

I recently had the honor of presenting the premier podcast of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists. Click here to hear this revealing discussion of orthodontics in today’s challenging environment. Learn how to assess the financial state of your practice. Find out how best to work with your patients’ new financial situation. Just create a free profile at the PCSO site to listen!

Referral Programs—Valuable in Good Times and in Bad

2009-10-22T16:19:00.001-04:00

A report was recently put on my desk that shouted, “Industry net income is down!”

I began reading the study and, sure enough, the ADA’s findings confirmed that approximately 76% of orthodontic practices decreased or remained flat.

While this information was alarming, it meant 24% of practices are still growing! Among the 24% of growing practices, 100% are likely using a referral marketing program to promote their services.

Marketing is the driving force of almost every business. The same is true for orthodontics. During strong economic conditions, many practices found that marketing wasn’t necessary. More growth led to less outreach. Then, we transitioned into recession. Production changed. The climate for new patients went cold and practices began to flatten or decline. For the first time, many orthodontists had to scramble for patients.

I expect production to increase as the economy begins to rebound. As we all get back on track, it is important to remember the value of referrals—in good times and in bad.

Accountability and Leadership

2009-09-30T14:05:00.001-04:00

I was recently talking to one of our new orthodontic clients who was having trouble getting his team to perform their required duties. After a series of questions, it became evident that the orthodontist wasn’t leading effectively as he might. This created a lack of accountability throughout the office.

One solution is to have clear job descriptions that list responsibilities and accountabilities. It is also necessary to have daily checklists for each position in the practice. Bear in mind that there are also monthly, quarterly and annual checklists that must be developed as well.

The best businesses have the clearest understanding of measureable accountability for each team member. In a world where individuals join ortho practices with less training than ever before, accountability is increasingly essential.

Once this client instituted job descriptions and trained his team on their duties, his staff began performing at a far higher level.

Do You Have an Orthodontic Treatment Coordinator?

2009-08-20T14:37:00.002-04:00

An orthodontist’s time is best spent chair-side treating patients. That’s your bread and butter… that’s what you were trained to do… and that’s where you are most productive.

Leave the non-clinical tasks to your team. That’s why we recommend using a treatment coordinator to handle the administrative aspects of orthodontic care, including scheduling consults and appointments.

This approach allows the doctor to focus on providing excellent patient care and remain productive. For case presentation, the treatment coordinator often serves as “the set-up person” for the doctor. Levin Group clients with treatment coordinators experience high orthodontic case acceptance rates as well as increased patient satisfaction.

Practices smarter… make an orthodontic treatment coordinator a part of your team!

Step Away from the Practice

2009-07-15T15:12:00.001-04:00

Doing the same job day-in day-out can be challenging, especially for an orthodontic team.

The fast pace… the volume of patients… noncompliant teenagers… demanding parents… unsupervised siblings… tiffs between staff members… these all can wear everyone down after awhile.

Sometimes you just need to get away. And so does your team!

Taking your team to a clinical seminar or practice management seminar is a great way to recharge everyone’s batteries. You learn new techniques, breakthrough strategies and up-to-date information on the latest advancements. The entire team gets to take a collective deep breath and put things in a better perspective.

Returning to the practice, everyone often feels re-energized and refreshed… the challenges seem more manageable… and the team feels more like a team once again.

If you haven’t scheduled any training for your team, seats are still available for my Six Steps to Total Ortho Success™ Seminar on July 24 – 25 in Las Vegas and my Orthodontists Have Had Enough Seminar on Oct. 8 – 9 in Cambridge, MA.

Do You Have a Vision Statement?

2009-06-15T15:00:00.001-04:00

Nearly every orthodontist has a vision… yet the majority of doctors haven’t created a vision statement. There’s a huge difference between the two.

A vision is often an idea of something you want to achieve… but you have no plan for making it happen. It’s vague and fuzzy often for years until you decide to do something about it.

A vision statement, on the other hand, is the first step in making your vision a reality. You’ve thought about what you want to achieve in the next 3–5 years and made the decision to put it down on paper… in black and white. Now it’s a commitment… a reminder… a promise between your present self and your future self. That’s a good way to get things done.

If you want to realize your potential, start with a vision statement!

Referring Dentists and You

2009-05-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Referral relationships need to be cultivated. Think about it… your referring docs are responsible for a significant portion of your production. If you ignore and neglect them, they may eventually respond in kind. And you don’t want that to happen!

Ten years ago, maybe you could get away with meeting your referring dentists once a year and sending a gift basket at the holidays, and that was enough. Not anymore!

Things have changed… orthodontics is more competitive… more GPs are performing orthodontics… and more patients are shopping around. And then there’s the economy, which isn’t making anything easier for anybody.

Your referring doctors are key to your success. Build strong relationships with them—and your practice can ensure growth for the lifetime of your practice.

Get the referral strategies that work at my upcoming seminar on June 4-5, in Chicago.

Referrals And The Economy

2009-04-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

“Will orthodontics be the same after the economy begins to recover?” asked an orthodontist at a recent Total Ortho Success™ seminar.

“In some ways, orthodontics will remain the same,” I said. “Most orthodontic offices will stay solo practices, but other things will change.”

I believe that the single largest change will be a major shift in referrals and referral sources. Too many orthodontists rely mainly on patient referrals. The truth is that strategy leads to an early plateau, as many orthodontists are now finding out.

To reach their full practice potential, orthodontists need both patient referrals and doctor referrals. Why put your eggs all in one basket? Why not have multiple baskets?

In our more than two decades of consulting to orthodontic practices, Levin Group has never seen a greater shift in referral patterns as we are seeing in the current bad economy. This is a time of both danger and opportunity for many orthodontic practices.

If you have relied almost exclusively on patient referrals, now is the time to focus on building stronger relationships with the dentists in your area.

The Measure of Success

2009-03-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

The other day I was talking to one of our client’s orthodontic treatment coordinators. This team member is an absolute superstar. However, when her practice first enrolled in the Total Ortho Success™ - Management Program, she was only closing about 60% of the new patient consults. Now she’s at 90%!

How did she get so good? One simple word—measurement! After receiving training on Greenlight Case Presentation™ and Stage III Customer Service™, she also began to measure her performance daily, including:

Number of patients seen
Overall starts
Close rate during initial consults
Close rate for “fence-sitters” after follow-up contact

By seeing what techniques worked, she was able to continually improve her case presentations. Three months after her Levin Experience™ began, her numbers skyrocketed!

Knowledge is critical, but measurement is just as important. Remember, as business guru Peter F. Drucker once said, “What gets measured gets done.”

No Life Plan? Better Get One!

2009-02-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

What’s your plan? When I ask this question, I’m very serious. Where do you see your practice in 5…10…15 years? Where do you see your life in that same amount of time? These questions can be hard to answer, but necessary if you’re going to grow and achieve the practice and life you desire.

Ask yourself…

Do you know how to get where you want to go?
Is there balance between your practice and personal life?
Do you have a vision statement?
Do you know how to delegate?
Do you have the right advisors?

We all get busy and often lose sight of professional and personal goals. I teach a course called Life Plan for doctors who want to get the most of their lives. The course covers all of these important questions. To learn more about my Life Plan course, email me at:customerservice@levingroup.com with Life Plan in the subject line.

Systems Make All the Difference

2009-01-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 24 years, Levin Group has improved the lives of thousands of orthodontists. And the #1 factor in creating greater practice success is, without a doubt, systems.

Nothing else comes close to the power of systems. Documented, step-by-step systems allow orthodontists to master the marketing and management of their practices. It’s really that simple.

Today, our clients count on Levin Group systems such as Power Cell Scheduling™, Greenlight Case Presentation™, Stage III Customer Service™, The Immediate Collection Process™ and a host of others to gain complete control of their practices while seeing consistent, significant growth.

Your most valuable investment is your practice. Documented systems can help you ensure your maximizing the value of your investment while securing a more lucrative and brighter future!

What Do Orthodontists and Astronauts Have in Common?

2008-12-19T13:00:00.003-05:00

What do orthodontists and astronauts have in common? Surprisingly, a lot. You see, it occurred to me while watching one of my favorite films, Apollo 13, that astronauts and orthodontists are quite similar.

In the movie, there are three strategies Tom Hanks uses to prepare his team for launch:

1) He and his team consistently practiced the procedures that would ensure a successful launch
2) He had his most valuable tools right at his fingertips
3) He stayed in constant communication with his team

The outcome? The astronauts were cleared for launch because they executed these vital methods each day, consistently.

Just like astronauts, you as an orthodontist must implement procedures and strategies to ensure your practice’s successful growth. I call this process “frontloading”—the consistent execution of methods and strategies that position your practice for success.

Some of the 15-20 ways to frontload your practice are to:

Institute a patient referral program
Contact inactive patients and reschedule them
Promote comprehensive orthodontics to every patient
Establish flexible payment options for patients
Have a debond wait of less than two percent
Identify the percentage of interval time between payments and patients who will finish treatment in less than 24 months
Effectively communicate with your entire team about practice goals

I talk a lot about frontloading in my seminars… click on the link below to attend one in 2009!

http://www.levingrouportho.com/ortho_seminars.html

It's the Economy, Stupid

2008-11-28T15:01:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember when Bill Clinton was running for President he ran on the platform of, “it’s the economy, stupid.” In that case he meant that the election would be won or lost based on the economy.

Today it is not the same old “it’s the economy, stupid.” The economy is decimating portfolios and stifling practice production. Orthodontists who get up every morning thinking about the economy get up to play defense. All of their decisions are filtered through defensive decisions that typically lead to paralysis. Why focus on the things you can’t control? Instead, direct your energy where it can have the greatest impact—and that’s your practice!

Here is a powerful solution: do not participate in economic defense. Instead, you should begin every day by saying, “I am not playing defense against the economy today.” I know this sounds illogical, but in fact, it is a very logical tool to assist you in pushing your practice forward.

If you follow football, you know that you cannot come back from a 30 point deficit by playing really good defense. At some point you have to play offense, which is often your best defense.

Move your practice forward by making positive decisions. Otherwise you will find that you are paralyzed and ultimately paralysis leads to no decisions, which are the same as bad decisions.

The Volume Factor

2008-10-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

As a specialty, orthodontics has a greater production potential than virtually any other area of the profession. I call this the volume factor, which means that orthodontists can see a significant number of patients, resulting in high levels of production and profitability, without increasing overhead.

I realize that the economy is slowing many practices down. However, orthodontic practices that have ongoing referral marketing programs are still attracting a huge number of referred patients. After years of working with orthodontic practices, I have developed a tremendous respect for what they can accomplish. There is no question that a high-volume, low-stress practice can be achieved. This often provides orthodontists with three-day workweeks, six or more weeks of vacation a year, and financial independence by their early 50’s.

Best of all, these orthodontists really enjoy the specialty. What could be more fun than being great at your job and loving what you do?

Can You Grow Your Ortho Practice in a Bad Economy? Yes!

2008-09-16T14:11:00.002-04:00

Think that providing excellent orthodontic care and hiring nice people ensures practice success? Guess again! Your success isn’t guaranteed—far from it! A healthy number of starts this month could easily drop off significantly by the end of the year. Many orthodontists tell us this is already happening. Instead of seeing patients 15 days a month, you could be seeing them 20 days a month.

In today’s economy, you have to plan for practice growth. You can’t simply “coast” and hope for it to happen because those days are gone for good!

Grow, flatten out or decline—ultimately, it’s your choice. The practices that grow exponentially in an economic downturn are those with highly effective management and marketing systems in place.

To get your orthodontic house in order, you need to look with a critical eye at your practice systems, including:

Referrals – GPs referrals are your lifeblood. However, are you devoting enough time to cultivating relationships with them? You better!
Collections – Bad times mean delayed payments, look out!
Overhead – If it’s high, it’s not good (in any economy).

Your ortho practice has huge potential. You just need to tap into it. Levin Group has consulted to many ortho practices that have grown exponentially in tough economic times. It can be done. In each case, we helped orthodontists implement highly effective management and marketing systems that have translated into ortho practices growing 25%, 30% or more!

Remember, you can grow your practice—no matter what happens in the economy!

The High-Performance Team

2008-07-19T18:10:00.000-04:00

Team building is critical to the long-term health of the orthodontic practice. The orthodontist — no matter how talented — cannot run the practice alone. To achieve a high-performance practice, orthodontists need to build high-performance teams. The benefits of a strong team are numerous—less stress, increased productivity, and greater profitability.

Levin Group has guided thousands of orthodontists in helping create superior orthodontic teams by implementing expert systems, training the team on those systems, and empowering staff members to fulfill their potential. Remember, training is an ongoing process — it should not stop once new staff members have passed their 90-day probationary period. Orthodontics is constantly changing, and the best teams are able to adapt to those changes.

The Power of Goals

2008-06-01T21:30:00.000-04:00

Do you want to be more successful? Of course you do! To reach the highest levels of success, you need to set and achieve goals throughout the life of your orthodontic practice.

Identify What Is Most Important

Write down the 20 or 30 things you would like to accomplish during your life. Even if the goals may seem frivolous or unreachable at the time, write them down anyway. Levin Group has worked with many orthodontists who presented us with goals thought to be unreachable. Yet, only a year later, these orthodontists had achieved many of the goals they set.

Move Forward

Once you have written down your goals, the next step is to classify them. Which of these are short-term goals, meaning you can achieve them within the next 12 months? Review your short-term goals daily. Doing so will not only keep your objectives clear but also allow you to stay motivated. Your long-term goals will usually take more than a year to accomplish. These goals should help define your Life Plan, both personally and professionally.

To achieve success, you should review your long-term goals on a weekly or monthly basis—keeping in mind that you will not achieve any of them overnight. It may be helpful to jot down notes about your progress toward each goal.
Every orthodontist wants to be successful. Setting and achieving goals will get you there!