Practice Plan Regional Support Manager, Josie Hutchings, shows how achieving practice growth can be more about investing time and effort than money.
Often when practice owners think about growth, they picture major investments in things such as additional surgeries or expensive marketing campaigns. Yet some of the most successful practices we work with have achieved growth by focusing on getting the basics right and making small improvements consistently over time rather than spending lots of cash. They have concentrated on refining what’s already there rather than chasing the next big thing.
Here are five small changes that can have a surprisingly significant impact.
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1.Stop chasing more patients and look after the ones you already have
A common trap practices fall into when growth seems to be slowing is to think they need to focus all their attention on attracting new patients. What they don’t seem to realise is there can be huge, untapped potential in the patients they already have.
Loyal patients who attend regularly, trust the team and understand the value of their care are far more likely to accept treatment recommendations and refer friends and family than a new patient who has no history with the practice. Yet it’s surprising how often practices dedicate more time and resource to attracting new patients than nurturing their existing relationships.
Nurture your patients by keeping in touch with them between appointments. Make sure they’re aware of all the services you provide. If that’s not something you do regularly you may be surprised by how many say, ‘I didn’t know you offered that!’ It’s also good practise to keep reminding your membership plan patients of the benefits they receive.
Retention may not be as exciting as acquisition, but it is often where the real growth can be found.
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2.Create five minutes for your team every day
Over the years I have found that practice owners find communication their biggest challenge. Communication is fundamental to ensuring everyone is pulling in the same direction. This is something that can be improved quite easily through regular short meetings.
Having a brief morning huddle every day can make a real difference. It brings everyone together so you can share that day’s priorities, highlight any opportunities, discuss patients who may need additional support and flag any diary issues. Having everyone there for just that 5 or 10 minutes ensures a more co-ordinated approach across the practice.
It also helps underline the fact that growth is not simply the responsibility of the principal alone. Receptionists, nurses, hygienists, treatment coordinators (TCOs) and associates all contribute to the patient experience and the success of the practice. When everybody understands the goals and what’s expected of them, they’re far more likely to help achieve them.
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3. Make it easier for patients to say ‘yes’
If your treatment acceptance rates are lower than you’d like, then perhaps it’s time to look at how you’re presenting the options to your patients. It’s seldom the clinical recommendation itself that’s behind the lack of acceptance. More often patients need more time, more information or greater confidence before going ahead. If they’re rushed through conversations or leave with unanswered questions, then it’s understandable that they may feel hesitant.
Fortunately, small changes can make a difference. Providing clear information about the treatment, following up after consultations and giving patients the opportunity to ask questions can all improve acceptance rates. Practices that have a consistently high treatment acceptance rate tend to focus on helping patients make informed decisions rather than ‘selling’.
Nobody likes to feel pressured into doing something, especially if it involves spending lots of money. Helping them to understand the benefits of the treatment you recommend and building their trust has a much greater chance of success.
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4. Pay attention to the moments that matter
There are key moments that influence how patients feel about their experience at a practice. That might be how they’re welcomed by the front desk team or it could be the way a complaint is handled. For some it’s a follow-up call after treatment that demonstrates genuine care. On their own, they may not seem that significant but collectively, they are what shape your reputation.
While clinical excellence is important, it’s often the human moments that patients remember most. Consider your own experiences as a customer. The businesses you recommend to others are rarely the ones that just gave you what you expected. The ones that stand out are those that made you feel valued. That goes the same for dental practices.
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5. Challenge the way things have always been done
Sometimes the things that stand in the way of growth are processes that nobody has questioned for years. The ‘we’ve always done it this way’ methods.
However, without casting a critical eye over things every now and then you risk blindly sticking with something that may not be serving you well. For example, could there be gaps in your recall system? Are your appointment books being managed as efficiently as they could? Are admin tasks getting in the way of supporting patients?
Successful practices develop a habit of stepping back and asking a simple question: is there a better way? Sometimes the answer will be yes, but not always. However, when you do find areas for improvement and address them, the benefits soon begin to stack up.
Growth doesn’t usually come from just one game-changing decision but rather from aggregating marginal gains, which means hundreds of small decisions made well.
Growth need not mean reinvention
In my experience, the practices that continue to thrive are those that focus on the fundamentals: strong patient relationships, engaged teams, effective communication and a willingness to keep improving. These require little or no financial investment just attention, consistency and a commitment to making small changes that, over time, can deliver remarkably big results.
