Dental Sales Pro e-newsletter for May 2011

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Permalink Reply by Justin Goodwin on May 24, 2011 at 4:10pm

http://www.chuckbauer.com

 

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Permalink Reply by Dental Sales Rep on May 24, 2011 at 7:44pm

Justin, what's the story on Chuck Bauer?  Has he been a good mentor.  Would like to hear more.  We all need help when it comes to sales.

 

Bill

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Permalink Reply by Marc Daichman on May 24, 2011 at 4:17pm

Cannot agree more; All of us are relying on an industry whose business owners(dentists) (most business owners) hate change,allow insurance companies to dictate their financial policies, and are generally not confident to present (let alone close) a large($5000 &up) case.

Our company is promoting the learning of internet marketing, learning managment/selling skills, and utilizing their staff better,all to build their businesses.

I have (as you have) seen the difference between successful practices and hurting practices, and unfortunately, it has nothing to do with their clinical skills; It has a LOT to do with their leadership,people,and business skills.

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Permalink Reply by Dental Sales Rep on May 24, 2011 at 7:48pm

I agree Marc!  Thank God there is not more insurance pressure or government intervention in dentistry, but that may make dentists and the industry think smarter.   Right now there is still a "whatever" attitude, (does not apply to Dr. McManus) in the industry.  I am closer now than I ever have been to the medical side of things and they are extremely innovative... 

 

I realize this post may get me in trouble:)

 

Bill

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Permalink Reply by maurice cooney on May 24, 2011 at 4:32pm

Stop trying to sell him stuff and learn more about his business (Dentistry) than he does. Once he knows that you can help him with the challenges of managing his practice, he will buy "the stuff" from you unconditionally.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Daichman on May 24, 2011 at 7:48pm

YES,now that's powerful, I happen to be taking 'techie' lessons every week,learning about SEO, Google Analytics,etc, and obviously as a laboratory,we have spent years learning everything we can on a dentalpractice, from endo,to bonding, to tons of things not even related to our laboratory,for the sole reason that our customers 'want' to be affiliated with us because they know they have a resource available to them on almost anything.

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Permalink Reply by BRUCE on May 24, 2011 at 5:05pm

Ya know...I have embraced this philosophy for 29 years and have always directed my advertisers to modify their ads whenever I see something that will adversely impact their response. That has (and will remain) the foundation of our business and ultimately, it is what assures our continued success. If an advertiser makes money then they'll continue to advertise, if they don't...then they blame the publication and move on. You want satisfied customers because the WORD OF MOUTH marketing they provide is global now (thanks to the internet). Advertisers rarely blame their own ads for nonperformance.

But it is not easy. I recently had an advertiser become so upset with my "suggestion" that they replace their headline that they are now asking about cancellation of their contract. The headline was an "announcement of an announcement" to be made at a tradeshow that was 3000 miles from the publications regional readership. Not a good idea right?

My take is that the advertiser in question is the exception to the rule and that it is always best to place the needs of the customer first and if they are happy...the money will follow. Above all be honest, ethical and professional. I will likely lose this one advertiser but it'll be only the second time in 29 years I have lost one because I tried to help them. Can't please everybody...but you can please the majority if you place their interests first. Here's the proof: http://thedentaltrader.com/testimonials.htm

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Permalink Reply by Jim Smith on May 28, 2011 at 1:49pm

American dentistry is in danger.  The danger is clear and present.  It is because the nation is teetering on the brink of yet another man-made national disaster.  This is not some conspiracy theory, gloom and doom prediction or rank scaremongering that politicians use.   It is an easily demonstrated, scientifically legitimate fact based on hard incontrovertible evidence.

Ignored and mismanaged for decades, the driving forces of catastrophe are close at hand and have already become visible. Based on the latest data from the gold-standard federal study, the US Dental Services Industry suffered a shocking crash in 2009. What's even more alarming is that nobody seems to know what happened and why this event is critically important to respond to with vigorous action. This event is a classic, textbook signal that the US Dental Services Industry is at the critical point of a paradigm shift and revolutionary, violent change.

American dentistry has been moving through its natural life cycle. This event demonstrated that the mature stage is ending and the next stage is starting. The clock is running. Dentists in private practice are in a race against time. The next stage is the decline stage and once this stage triggers, the industry will take a nosedive that will be difficult to reverse.

Leadership at all levels refuses to acknowledge this looming threat.  Groupthink is widespread.  Historically such denial precedes major disasters.

Mismanaged for four decades, the very same phenomena that propels avalanches, wildfires and deep, violent stock market crashed has been building and threatening since 1972.  Despite numerous warnings of this threat, industry leaders, industry pundits, academics, dentists themselves and their business handlers, repeatedly ignored these legitimate warnings.

Based on the latest data from the gold standard, blue-ribbon federal study, started in 1960, that is the veritable “bible” on the economic history of medicine, including dentistry, it is easily demonstrated that very recently the industry experienced a big crash.

However, because of the 100-year management knowledge-gap, and because this violent catastrophe occurred in the “deep structures” of the industry the painful economic symptoms that are now being felt have been blamed on the current economic recession. It’s a tragic misdiagnosis. This predicament makes the entire industry vulnerable to the slightest provocation or minor “jolt” such as a scandal or negative media event.

Because of decades of official whitewashing, elitist, bureaucratic foot-dragging, authoritarian scapegoating, universal Groupthink, inept leadership, and a shocking lack of appropriate government oversight, public awareness of this looming tragedy is zero.  Public readiness for this impending catastrophe is also zero. These two circumstances alone make the predicament desperate.

American confidence in the national and regional healthcare leadership has literally collapsed, based on the gold standard Roper Survey started in the 1960s. Today, the stakes are astronomically high. The mega-trillion dollar American investment in a critical institution (medicine including dentistry) is facing certain ruin and time is running out.

It’s true. A weary and reluctant nation now faces yet another man-made national disaster. Like the preceding disasters, namely the crash of the US Housing Industry and the financial “meltdown” and the BP Gulf Oil Spill, this looming, man-made national disaster is rooted in gross mismanagement.

But, the news is not all bad.  Even though negative forces are attacking from all angles there is opportunity for dentists to thrive.  The industry is in the mature stage of its life cycle. It's been in the mature stage for 24 years, a very long time. In the mature stage, practices have only three choices:  Bailout, Shakeout or Breakout.  Practices must make the paradigm shift by making the right moves and managing the right action through innovation.  It’s because innovation drives the breakout into the new paradigm and the new life cycle.

Organizations that do not, or will not, make the breakout will fail. Those firms that can successfully manage the innovation-diffusion process can enjoy great success. The simple truth is that those who do not, or cannot, make the transition fail.

Evolutionary forces of natural selection are the process that removes “species” that cannot compete in the new paradigm. Such species cannot adapt to the emerging environment, the new paradigm. They cannot innovate. The level of management sophistication to successfully implement the innovation required now to make the breakout simply does not exist because of decades of a industry denial.

Making the paradigm shift by implementing innovative, value-added, practice-based, disease prevention and health promotion products and services will enable and empower private practice dentists to escape the looming disaster and enjoy permanent prosperity.

Plus, this approach insures the private practicing dentist real Independence from the prevailing negative national forces. By implementing value-added, timely, clinically indicated, policy advocated, cash-based products and services a dentist achieves complete control of their own destiny.

We, as a society are transitioning from a predominantly “curative” to an emerging, predominantly “preventive” model of healthcare. The opportunity to implement innovative, cash-based disease prevention and health promotion product and services in the dental setting is huge.

For example, a solo dentist implementing the menu of cash-base disease prevention screening and health promotion value-added services that have already been developed would easily add $10,000.00 to $15,000.00 in cash revenues to the practices income stream. The global effect of this activity will put the US Dental Services Industry back into the growth stage of the industry life cycle.

What’s more, implementing cash-based disease prevention and health promotion products and services will enable the practice organization to achieve the highest level of patient service and service quality. In addition, the implementation of this approach will enable dentists to promote the advocated health policy of the nation as presented in the Surgeon General’s initiative, “Partnerships for Health in the new Millennium”.

It is in no way an overstatement to claim that time is running out; the mature stage of the industry will not last forever!

The way is clear.  Now one only needs to take action.  As Dental Sales Professionals you have a vested interest in a thriving, growing and successful dental industry.  Learn all you can about value-added partnerships and innovation.  Be consultative and help guide your clients into a successful and lucrative future. Invest the time to learn that time, precious time, is rapidly running out. It's "action this day."

Jim Smith
Frank Toto
Private Practice Prevention Services
714-797-6382

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