1. Testing: Much of marketing involves testing, which is a fancy word for trial and error. Try different marketing actions to see what produces the best ROI. What will work in one town may not work in another. A discounted new patient exam might produce a response or not. If it does not, perhaps a teeth whitening offer will. It's all about testing. 2. Practice name: Unless your name is well known and respected in your town, it's a bad marketing decision to use it for your practice's name. Instead you want a name that is memorable and clearly tells patients what...

Comparing monthly production/collections year to year has value, especially in snowbird states, pediatric practices (August being normally quite busy,) and the hectic holiday months (Nov/Dec). Stat management tip: If you wait until the end of the month to notice that none of your plans were implemented or effective, expect your team to get upset. When it comes to coaching your team to excellence, you must be active and timely with your observations and feedback. If on the first day of the new month, you have added $1,500 in new treatment to the schedule, you need to praise your team's progress, analyze...

1. Make sure your deposit slip matches the cash/checks for the day. This is where you are most vulnerable.  2. Signs of embezzlement in end of day adjustment report are a. Patient refunds b. No cash payments c. Non-approved adjustments/write-offs. 3. Put refund checks in the mail yourself.  4. Lock down your credit card terminal with a code so only the practice owner can issue refunds (thanks Alex).  5. Take note of any employee working unusual hours, living beyond their means or who rarely takes vacations. They may also be unusually territorial or evasive when discussing practice finances.  6.  All staff...

The whole concept of "apprenticing" an employee has virtually disappeared with most practice owners vastly underestimate what it takes to effectively train staff. It is an on-going process and often requires having the patience of a saint. A couple training tips: 1. Just because you showed someone how to do something once doesn't mean they will continue to follow the procedures you've shown them. You have to perform some quality control checks.  2. An invaluable training tool is to tape record the person even if just a role playing-training session. Listening to oneself speeds training up remarkably and can be a...