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Start Your Dental Practice

In every episode, we aim to demystify the “how to start a dental practice” problem by bringing on world-class influencers and consults in the dental industry to pick their brain about how to get past the barriers involved from no practice, to practice owner, to successful practice.
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Now displaying: Page 5
Jan 6, 2016

When chaos strikes in your dental practice, what happens?

For most dentists, that means:

  • flustered assistants and hygienist
  • stress on you from having to tend to demand instead of working on growing your dental practice
  • And worse, frustrated patients who may never return

 

Your team plays a huge role in your practice – second only to where your dental practice is located.

That means that by having a method to find, recruit, and keep high-quality people you earn an unfair advantage at growing your business.

If you're struggling to find the right people (and you want to set your dental practice up for success), then meet Dr. Gina Dorfman.

Dr. Dorfman is a dental practice owner and a practicing dentist.

Dr. Dorfman is also one of the founders of YAPI, a practice automation software designed to help dental practices become more efficient and productive with streamlined routine business tasks and improved team and patient communications.

She's here today to help you streamline your business.

Click here to access today's bonus from Dr. Dorfman (exclusively for Start Your Dental Practice listeners) called, "Best Practices For Appointment Confirmations: Scheduling for patients so they actually keep their appointments".

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • The most important thing to growing a successful practice (second to location)
  • How to hire amazing employees (and the psychology you need to have to find and keep great people)
  • The advantage to asking weird questions in the hiring process (and the single question that identifies true leaders in a group interview)
  • The advantages (and disadvantages) of being a dental practice owner
  • How teamwork can lead to disaster (and what to do if you want your team to be a well-oiled machine)
  • The two types of procedures in any dental practice (and how to perfectly automate this one type)
  • The “front desk octopus”
  • Why your existing patients aren’t rebooking with your practice (this could add tens of thousands of dollars to your bottom line each year)
  • Why most practices miss 40% of incoming phone calls
  • A simple thing you can do to recoup past-due accounts
  • The most important thing you can do (especially if you’re just starting a practice from scratch and never owned a business before)

 

Free Episode Bonus:

If this episode resonated with you for your practice – then get the free resource Dr. Dorfman just mentioned, called “Best Practices For Appointment Confirmations: Scheduling for patients so they actually keep their appointments”.

Click here to access today's bonus now.

Quotes:

  • "People support what they help create." - Dr. Gina Dorfman
  • "It's terribly inefficient to do something very efficiently that doesn't need to be done at all." - Dr. Gina Dorfman
  • "Humans leverage technology to be more efficient and profitable." - Dr. Gina Dorfman
  • "Create your own economy." - Dr. Gina Dorfman

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Dec 22, 2015

There are many ways to get your website ranking higher in dentistry today.

You’ve probably heard plenty of SEO strategies – even some that “break the rules”.

But there’s one method that’s highly underused in the industry…

And that’s getting your patients to do it for you.

Chances are they’re already talking about your dental office – and many potential patients are searching the internet for their next appointment.

Well, by implementing this powerful SEO strategy we’re about to cover, you’ll have a high-converting SEO presence courtesy of your customer.

Showing us how to properly us this strategy to grow your online presence is Dr. Leonard Tau.

Dr. Leonard F. Tau maintains a full time private practice in Northeast Philadelphia focusing on general, cosmetic, reconstructive and implant dentistry.

He’s a wiz when it comes to the patient experience, and is about to show you one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your Google rankings in dentistry today.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • How to get 40-60 new patients to your practice (without taking insurance, charging low fees, or asking for referrals)
  • What happens to your conversions online (PPC and paid ads) when you don’t have reviews
  • How to get patients to leave your a positive (and honest) review
  • Why “reputation management” is the wrong way to approach reviews for your business
  • What sites online matter most for reviews (Dr. Tau stumped me on this, can you guess why?)
  • The “buying cycle” that takes place when a potential client looks for you (and how to avoid being invisible online)
  • What “citations” are and how they help Google (and your patients) to trust you
  • Why most “SEO Experts” are ruining your reputation online (and why you don’t want to pay these people a single cent of your hard earned money)
  • The ONLY question you should ever ask right after your patient has gotten out of the chair and approached the front desk after their appointment
  • The right way to ask your patients to leave you an honest review (even when life gets in the way)
  • The word you want to AVOID when asking for reviews (and the word you should use instead)
  • How to incentivize members on your team to explode reviews for your practice

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Dr. Tau didn’t want to leave you empty handed.

So, if you’re excited to implement today’s episode in your practice to get more leads with reviews – then you’ll want the bonus Dr. Tau created.

It’s called “Strategies To Get Reviews On The Site That Matters”.

It’s great if you’re going to take action or if you’re going to hand this task to someone in your business who handles marketing.

Click here to download that now.

Quotes:

  • “The best place to hide a body is the second page of Google.” – Dr. Leonard Tau
  • We always overestimate the amount of change that’s going to take place in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10 years.” – Bill Gates

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Dec 9, 2015

Ever heard this?

"Intelligence is your ability to adapt to change." - Stephen Hawkings

It's as true in life as it is in your dental practice...

In fact, it's the practices that don't adapt to new "intelligent" technologies and methods that fade away.

But, by knowing what's going on in your business (at a highly detailed level), you know where to focus your attention to get more patients (and revenue) to your practice.

Meet Curtis Marshall.

He and the Dental Intel team equip dental practices with the tools to adapt to change – and avoid fading away like many other practices who fail.

When you have a system behind you (like their "Intelligent Board") smart enough to know where to double-down on your efforts, you can make informed decisions that multiply your time and money.

Want to see what your dental practice looks like under the hood? Get your own snapshot (completely free) courtesy of Dental Intel.
 
Click here or visit startyourdentalpractice.com/bonus to access this now.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • How to become the number 1 dentist in a specific area your target market lives in
  • Why you should use a secret word (like Oklahoma) to keep those around you sane
  • What to look for to project your dental practice’s growth with exact precision
  • The real-life “crystal ball” (that any dentist can use and access) to know exactly how to be a better clinician
  • A huge-downside to technology in the dental field that’s greatly overlooked
  • How to find balance between being CEO, a good business person, and offering great patient services (without losing money and diminishing profits)
  • How to avoid getting charged thousands by consultants who “help” you find where you should focus in your business
  • Why reports are just like driving a car forward while looking in the rear-view mirror
  • The pitfall most dental practice owners fall into when you stop measuring every aspect of your business
  • The four main parts of a dental practice that you MUST understand

 

Free Episode Bonus:

If you wanted to see your dental practice on the "Intelligent Board", you'd normally have to pay a sign up fee and sign up for Dental Intel's service.

(which still completely worth it, in my opinion)

But Curtis made an offer I haven't heard anywhere else to listeners of the show.

So to get a look at your business on the "Intelligent Board" with zero up-front cost or need to sign up, then here's what you need to do:

Click here and let me know you're interested.

You'll get a response from me with directions for how to take advantage of this before they decide to stop.

Quotes:

  • "It's difficult to track by hand everything that's going on in your business." - Chris Marshal
  • "Whats managed is improved. What is not measured is not improved." - Jonathan VanHorn
  • "You can either change people... Or change people." - John Meese

 

Resources:

  • Dental Intel
  • 801-380-7070

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Dec 2, 2015

There’s a huge issue when it comes to finances that almost every dentist will have to deal with.

And knowing how to handle this can be the difference between saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year…

Or being on the radar of the IRS.

That difference:

Having the right CPA or accountant.

With so many options out there (and sharks wanting your money), it can be intimidating to know the right way to handle your books.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • What you can expect from a dental accountant or dental CPA (and why they exist in the first place)
  • What exactly is (and isn’t) a dental CPA
  • The number 1 reason why you should avoid a “generalist” CPA (that can cost you tons and puts the CPA in a position to NOT communicate with you)
  • Why it’s nearly impossible to decipher a good CPA from a bad CPA
  • The 5 things to consider when you’re looking to hire a CPA for your dental practice
  • Who would you need to know before you get involved with a dental accountant or dental CPA
  • How to avoid getting steered into crazy situations by this specific type of financial predator
  • How they can be a part of your career long-term

 

Limited Time Offer:

Getting your business finances in order shouldn’t be complicated and full of the runaround.

As a listener of Start Your Dental Practice, I’d like to offer a free 15 minute consultation to see how we can help your practice and answer any questions you have…

But I can’t do it forever, so I won’t be taking any of these beyond December 15th.

Click here to book your free consultation before time runs out.

Quotes:

  • “Dentists spend about 15,000 hours learning how to become a dentists, and 0 hours learning to become a business owner.” – Jonathan VanHorn

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Nov 23, 2015

In 1997, the internet was understood by few, and utilized for it’s marketing potential by even less.

Seeing the opportunity at hand, today’s guest went all-in on his online marketing efforts and went on to create a multi-million dollar a year dental empire.

Dr. Williams is in private practice working two days a week in the group practice he founded, Suwanee Dental Care.

He is highly productive (averaging over $15,000 per day in the office) and teaches other dentists to be more capable of doing the same.

His coaching and consulting firm, Solstice Dental Advisors, helps dentists discover how to double their practices by implementing proven marketing, management, efficiency and leadership skills.

His new book, Marketing the Million Dollar Practice, debuted in 2014 and went to the top of Amazon.com as the #1 Best Seller in Dentistry and #15 among all books on marketing.

He runs the Solstice 5M Masters Academy and the 5M Dental Mastermind. He is a partner in the Dental Implant Marketing Formula, a system for generating high end, big case dentistry patients. His expertise is in dental systems and dental marketing.

Click here to get today’s episode bonus: A FREE section of Dr. Bill William’s bestselling book, and information about his exclusive mastermind.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • The danger of only getting good at one thing (and why you may want to consider diversifying your dentistry skill set)
  • How to start a dental practice from scratch (with no existing customer base)
    Why you need to start building a funnel for your practice right now
  • The power of investing in your marketing early on (and how it draws the right customer into your practice)
  • What’s working RIGHT NOW in marketing (and exactly how it works)
  • The downside to some types of masterminds that you want to avoid (and the type of mastermind that actually provides helpful information without competing with other members in the group)

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Dr. Williams was gracious enough to offer a FREE section of his bestselling book Marketing The Million Dollar Practice as well as information about his exclusive mastermind.

Access today’s bonus by clicking here.

Quotes :

  • “You stack a bunch of different tools on top of each other and eventually there’s nothing you can’t do.” – Dr. Williams

  • “I believe you should good at one thing, then get good at another thing.” – Dr. Williams

  • “You’ll double the speed at which you grow if you become a pillar in the community.” – Dr. Williams

  • “One of the secrets to success is not saying no all the time.” – Dr. Williams

  • “Plans are worthless. But planning is essential.” – Winston Churchill

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Nov 12, 2015

It’s common thinking in business that you should pick a location with tons of people – but that can be misleading.

Yes, you want access to a lot of people you can potentially help…

But what if there’s a lot of competition already there?

When it comes to starting your dental practice, you have to be strategic with where you setup or take over a dental practice.

That’s one of the many things I love about today's guest, Dr. Howard Farran.

Dr. Farran started his dental career by thinking strategically and opening a practice in a community that numerically made sense...

With $0 down.

He’s no small name in our industry as the founder of Dental Town – the premier forum for the dental industry to collaborate.

On top of that, Dr. Farran has achieved high acclaim over the years for his philosophy and efforts to fluoridate the waters of the Phoenix community.

You’ll quickly know why Dr. Farran is such a sought after name in the dental industry.

In today’s bonus, you’ll get the highlights from Dr. Farran’s advice, and action steps to implement immediately.
 

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • The “sandbox” event that led to the creation of Dental Town
  • How Howard used insanely basic market research to find the exact target market he wanted to work with in his practice
  • How to get your first dental office and ALL necessary equipment for $0 down
  • How Howard and his team know exactly what dentists around the world are dying to read and know about
  • The lesson Sam Walton taught Howard about how to treat demographics (and how to best serve a target market)
  • How to ethically charge more (and double your profit in the process)
  • The brilliant location strategy Howard used that made “veteran” dentists laugh at him (at first)

Free Episode Bonus:

Dr. Farran absolutely full of great business and dental wisdom that I wish everyone was exposed to.

In today’s bonus, you’ll be able to remember the highlights of Howard’s advice and start implementing it immediately.

Get access to that here.

Quotes:

  • “If you get 100 dentists in the room, everyone’s a student.” – Howard Ferran
  • “Not one dentist has the answer to everything.” – Howard Ferran
  • “People say I got lucky because I found a town 1,000 away and signed a lease without ever being in the city before.” – Howard Ferran
  • “Get out there and run for mayor.” – Howard Ferran
  • “Customer service is always innovated in the rural areas.” – Howard Ferran

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Nov 5, 2015

Today’s guest has seen it all.

Marilee Sears comes from a “dental household” and watched her father run his dental practice as she grew up…

Which gives her a unique advantage and perspective.

Nowadays, Marilee uses her strengths to specifically help dentists put the right systems in place so they can focus on what’s really important: work, family, and friends.

Marilee helps dentists through private and group coaching to break through the 7 figure mark while reducing stress and making the process as fun as possible.

Today’s bonus: Exclusive access to Marilee’s “The Future Of Dentistry” Interviews (not available anywhere else). Click here to get those now.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode: 

  • How Marilee’s father played a HUGE role in her becoming the “systems” person to dentists across the world.
  • The thing that was said in front of dental students at a local event that upset the industry (and the problem posed by corporate dentistry having a presence in dental schools)
  • Why it’s a GOOD thing that the dental industry is highly competitive (and why you can still make a ton of money if you go about it the right way)
  • Natural leadership as a dentist. Is it natural or a teachable skill?
  • The breakthrough moment Marilee had that reshaped her career, business, and life.
  • One of the biggest ways to get further as a dental practice owner (and why this was the best investment Marilee and I have made).
  • What sets apart the dentists who succeed from those who don’t

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Marilee hosts a show of her own, called “The Future Of Dentistry”, but handles it a little differently than I do this podcast.

For instance, you can’t get your hands on these interviews anywhere.

Marilee was extremely generous during our interview and decided to give exclusive access to all 23 of her interviews, just for Ambitious Dentists.

To get access, click here or the image below.

Quotes:

  • “Don’t think that schools are inviting people with your best interest in mind.” – Marilee Sears
  • “The defining factor of successful dentists is that they’re focused on becoming great leaders.” – Jonathan VanHorn
  • “The opportunity for both personal growth and profit is huge… And the two go hand in hand.” – Marilee Sears
  • “I believe that every practice problem is actually a personal problem that’s been magnified.” – Marilee Sears
  • “We have more power than we realize we have.” – Marilee Smith
  • “If you’re doing it on your own, and your working too hard, you’re doing it wrong.” – Marilee Sears
  • “You don’t climb Mt. Everest in a day.” – Jonathan VanHorn
  • “Each of us is here for a reason… that reason isn’t just to drill and fill. It’s to connect with people and touch people. And thats the best thing that happens in dentistry.” – Marilee Sears

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Oct 30, 2015

Do you know the numbers that matter in your dental practice?

Today’s show is a clip from a past interview where I was featured on Howard Speaks with Howard Farran - the founder of Dental Town.

I went over a few things that I don’t normally cover in interviews on this show, and I go in-depth on the metrics that drive a successful dental practice.

In today’s bonus, I’m sharing a quick exercise you can use to get a grasp on the account in your business so that you can see where your practice is headed.

Go here to get today's episode bonus: The "Know Your Numbers" Litmus Test.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • Appointment by appointment: Are you making money or losing money?
  • What sets apart million and billionaires in terms of the roles they have on their employee teams
  • The business quote that Bill Gates lives by that’s applicable to dental practice owners
  • Which accounting software and practice management I personally recommend to my private clients
  • How I spot embezzlement in a non-traditional way (this is how sneaky employees get away with stealing thousands of dollars from your practice)
  • Metrics in your business. Do I personally believe in having transparency around the numbers that matter in your practice (and should employees know how much is in the bank?)
  • How to read your balance sheet (and why this is critical to building a successful practice)

 

Free Episode Bonus:

When you know what numbers you need to focus on to drive your dental practice, everything else becomes clear.

Access the "Know Your Numbers" Litmus Test I mentioned in today's episode so that you can easily grasp (and stay aware of) your key metrics by clicking here.

Quotes - Click To Share On Twitter:

  • "Accounting is the language of business." - Jonathan VanHorn
  • "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten." - Bill Gates

 

Resources:

  • Skype
  • Open Dental

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Oct 23, 2015

In all previous episodes of Start Your Dental Practice, we’ve featured the best and brightest names in the dental industry.

Today, I’m it switching up.

(you’ll find out exactly why at the beginning of today’s episode)

There’s a huge problem with today’s up and coming dental practice owners:

They’re more debt averse than ever before.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing…

But, chances are you’re going to need help from the bank if you want to acquire or start a practice of your own when you complete dental school.

If that’s the case, you probably have a lot of questions about the right (and wrong) way of going about working with the bank – and that’s why I made today’s episode and bonus.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • My personal business philosophy on debt (and why you should adopt this thought process)
  • The different reasons why you’ll want a bank loan
  • What kind of loans exist (and the features in each)
  • The moving parts of loans that you need to be educated and aware of
  • My NUMBER 1 takeaway from doing business with the bank

 

Free Episode Bonus:

In today’s bonus, you’ll get access to the top questions I get asked by readers, students, and my email list around dental banks and the exclusive interviews I held with 6 banks to discover the ins and outs of dental practice loans.

Click here to access that now.

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

 

Oct 16, 2015

For several years, Dr. Colin Lathrop has honed his skills working as a dentist in the Houston area and built up a loyal clientele who appreciate his friendly chairside manner and outstanding skill in all aspects of dentistry.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dr. Lathrop’s approach, his philosophy is to treat each patient individually — not according to a cookie-cutter “one-size-fits-all” dental regimen.

His simple, but effective approach to his patients also rings true in his business and his marketing.

Dr. Lathrop and I had an incredible conversation about the brass tacks of his marketing strategy.
 
I received permission from Dr. Lathrop to reveal this behind the scenes conversation in today’s bonus.
 
 
Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:
  • Why you might not want to start your own practice or buy into one at the two-year mark out of school
  • How to find the perfect location for your dental practice and family (that creates a one of a kind connection with the community)
  • The top things that can contribute to the growth of your practice (and how to get an unordinary amount of exposure)
  • What not to do with your Facebook marketing (miss this, and you’re sure to come off as boring and scare off potential patients)
  • How to make it fun for your staff to contribute to your marketing (and how to know who on your staff can help drive your social media efforts)

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Before sitting down to record this interview with Dr. Lathrop, we had an incredible conversation about the brass tacks of his marketing strategy.

Dr. Lathrop gave me permission to reveal this behind the scenes conversation in today’s bonus.

Click here to access that now.

Quotes:

  • “If they like you, then they’ll accept treatment from you.” – Dr. Lathrop
  • “You want to show that you’re fun, nice, and trustworthy. You have to be unique about it.” – Dr. Lathrop

 

Resources:

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Oct 9, 2015

In our last episode, Dr. Jarett Hulse joined us and went above and beyond to share his experience and road to becoming an owner of a dental practice.

In part two of our interview together, he took it even further and went in-depth to share what it’s been like for him as a dental practice owner.

This is where you’re going to gain a high-level perspective of best practices, do’s and don’t’s, and tips from someone who’s “been there” and “done that”.

I said it a few times, but I truly wish every interview on Start Your Dental Practice.

If you are, or know someone who we should feature on the show, send me a personal note to jonathan@dentistmetrics.com so we can find out if it’s a fit.

Go here to get today’s audio bonus: How to make better and faster decisions as a dental practice owner.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode: 

  • The mistakes Dr. Hulse made early on his practice (and what he would’ve done differently)
  • The problems that signing up for multiple insurance companies caused later in Dr. Hulse’s practice
  • Why there’s nothing new under the sun, and why that’s important to your advertising and marketing campaigns
  • How Dr. Hulse handled the marketing of his practice
  • The dirty little secret, called being “retractable”, that large corporate dental practices do that you need to be aware of
  • Corporate Dentistry – is it a road you should go down before owning your own practice?

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Want to take action on today’s episode and start making better descisions as a practice owner?

Then click here or the image below to access today’s bonus now.

Quotes:

  • “That’s the thing about dentistry–most of us aren’t very good at business and manage to make a very good living.” – Jarett Hulse
  • “By leveraging someone else’s experience, you greatly reduce your chance of error.” – Jonathan VanHorn
  • “You’re never going to be ‘done’, you’re never going to be ‘perfect’.” – Jarett Hulse
  • “That’s a demon at lot of dentists have – they try to be perfect.” – Jarett Hulse

 

Resources:

 
Oct 2, 2015

If you have experience beyond starting your own dental practice, and have been in a practice for some time – then you know the struggles…

Starting and running your own practice isn’t always the easiest thing in the world, to say the least.

Sometimes practice owners out there want it to seem like roses and butterflies, but that just isn’t reality.

You have to have grit.

You have to push through.

And, you have to do a lot of on-the-fly-learning.

The other day I sat down with Dr. Jarett Hulse – who isn’t your average practice owner (you’ll learn why by listening to today’s interview) and he shared EXACTLY what can go wrong in the journey from school to practice owner.

To be honest, I wish every interview could be like this, so it was refreshing…

In fact, we went on for so long that I’m going to split up our chat into two episodes, so be on the lookout for part 2 next week.

I’ve put together my own thoughts in a bonus clip to share how you can overcome adversity in your situation that was inspired by today’s episode. Click here to access that now.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

  • The important lessons Dr. Hulse learned about burnout, and how he evolved as a dentist to avoid it altogether
  • How buying a $5000 TV right after quitting his job, with no clients, and deferring loans, forced Dr. Hulse to figure his career out
  • The economic situation that drove Dr. Hulse from being a dentist in the heart of New York City to choosing middle America as the best place to set up his new venture

 

Free Episode Bonus:

After hearing today’s episode, I was inspired to share some of my own thoughts about overcoming adversity in any situation.

To get access today’s bonus audio clip, simply click here.

Quotes:

  • “You have no on to rely on but the people who are selling you stuff.” – Dr. Jarett Hulse
  • “It is not a “do a, b, and c process. It’s “do a, b, c, f, and g” all at the same time.” – Dr Jarett Hulse
  • “You can’t do one thing at a time, and that was a hard thing for me to wrap my brain around.” – Dr. Jarett Hulse
  • “It was seven years out of school before I opened my own practice.” – Dr. Jarett Hulse

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Sep 25, 2015

The biggest pain at the front desk of any dental practice is easy to notice, but hard to solve: The phone system.

When you think about it, having a reliable method for your customers to call in to is essential – and the difference between having business and being booked solid.

Jared Rodman is one of the people pioneering a solution to this problem as a whole.

Jared has been working on Weave, aimed at being a "better phone system for your practice, since he was a student at the University of Utah, where he graduated with degrees in Philosophy and Japanese in 2011.

He and his team are focused on relieving the phone-system-pain-point, and I knew I had to bring him on to share his ideals with those starting a new practice or wanting to create a better system in an existing practice.

I see services and products like Weave as a necessary part of creating an amazing user experience in every practice.

For today's bonus, I've collected a handful of additional resources you NEED to check out. Click here to get that now.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • The number one reason why patients rebook with your office
  • The interesting thing about human nature that makes the quality of your dental practice services less important than your connection with patient
  • What the golden rule of sales is and why it's so important to your dental practice
  • The first thing you need to do if you want to strengthen your customers experience
  • Why you’re probably hiring and handling employees the wrong way, and how to make it right so that it doesn’t affect your bottom line in a negative way
  • How to get a 30% increase in rescheduling overdue patients
 
Free Episode Bonus:
 
Every practice needs systems and tools in place to maintain the patient-experience.
 
Today's bonus precisely helps you with that! Click below to download that now.
 
The 5 Technology Tools You Need To Create an AMAZING Experience for YOUR Patients. 
 
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Resources:
 
Support The Show:
 
Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.
 
This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.
Sep 18, 2015

There's been a rising trend over the last few years of big corporate entities gobbling up almost every practice in town...

Leaving the few remaining dental practices to dry up without a big ad spend budget, awareness, and marketing strategies.

How can the "little man" survive??

I've always been a fan of the little guy, and honestly, I don't really like the fact that these corporations come in and push everyone around.

That's why I brought on today's guest, Trevor Maurer from Smile Source, to share his efforts to take on corporate dentistry.

Click here to get today's episode bonus: A FREE practice evaluation from Smile Source.
 
Smile Source gives solo dental practice owners the benefits of a group practice while remaining fiercely independent. As the Smile Source site puts it:
We are a network of extraordinary dental care practitioners who strive to provide our patients with the best care available. We are also dedicated to preserving the elite business of independent dental care and providing highly personalized services delivered through a unique heritage of shared expertise.
 Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:
  • The surprising statistics that are changing are pushing the retirement age back and making dentistry competitive
  • The HUGE financial and marketing benefits that come with group practices
  • The legal dangers of oversharing with other local dentists (and the smart thing that Smile Source does to avoid repercussions)
  • Why you should be saying “no” to certain patients
  • What “cooperative advertise” is and the benefits of taking advantage of it
  • Why mistakes are a part of business, and your responsibility as a business owner to handle them
 
Free Episode Bonus: Trevor was gracious to offer a free evaluation for your practice.

To take advantage of his offer, click here or the image below.

 
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Resources:
 
Support The Show:
 
Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.
 
This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.
Sep 11, 2015

I notice some trends when it comes to marketing practices out in the wild.

And to be honest, I can immediately tell how well a practice is, or will be doing right when I see how they handle this one thing:

Marketing.

Some are doing an amazing job...

And many have an opportunity.

A lot of newer dentists are "all in" on social media, while others completely shy away from it.

Some practice owners don't do a drop of marketing, while others hop at every opportunity.

When it comes to marketing your practice in the modern world, newer dentists have an advantage because they're typically more familiar with modern marketing practices...

Or willing to figure them out.

I brought on Nina Hershberger for today's interview to share what's working for dental practices internationally to attract massive amount of new, high quality patients.

[ Go here to get access to today's bonus, the EXACT piece of mail one of Nina's clients sent to a small list that returned $18K in revenue. ] 

Megabucks Marketing founder Nina Hershberger has been in marketing throughout her three decade professional career—even when her job description said otherwise.

After earning a marketing degree from Indiana University, she worked in positions as diverse as Director of Output Services for a very large financial company and in Procurement for the University Notre Dame.

A born marketer, Hershberger added value to her organizations by initiating ideas that increased sales by hundreds of thousands of dollars (and in some cases, millions), added profitable new business services, and raised the companies’ profiles.

In 2006, Hershberger launched Megabucks Marketing to leverage her innovative ideas into concrete results for clients. Her specialty?

Leading companies away from the popular but ineffective “cold call, hope, and wait” approach.

Thanks to years of experience in direct response marketing, Hershberger has developed a unique method for dentists to stand out from their competition and become the local celebrity expert – even if they just started their dental practice.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • How Nina got involved in direct marketing… And how that lead her to bringing business to many dentists worldwide
  • The number 1 mistake Nina sees every practice owner make when they start mailing directly (and what you need to do to fix or avoid it)
  • The thing about lists that make them imperfect (unless they are this kind of list)
  • The direct mail piece that brought in Nina over $18,000 (you get this as a part of today’s bonus)
  • Advice I give practices over and over (and what I recommend to them when they want to pay me monthly)
  • Why the 5 senses play a MAJOR role in every dental practice (and the insanely smart thing one of Nina’s clients bakes behind the front desk that doesn’t make sense at first)
  • The game and reward system you NEED to have in place (and the items to bring it to life)
  • Why reactivation is the most important factor if you’re new and just bought a practice (and what you can learn from the auto-repair industry when it comes to getting return patients)
  • Nina’s easy (but not often implemented) tip to “cleanse” the mailing list that came with the practice you’ve taken over
  • Why social media is tough for practice owners (and one easy thing one of Nina’s practice owners does with YouTube to make their patients feel special)
  • The credibility-building secret that the youngest practice owner in North America did (and how you can produce the same warm, fuzzy feeling for your patients if you’ve acquired an existing practice)
  • The single most effective way to get your patients to know, like, and trust you (even if you’re a new or young practice owner)
  • The simplest, easiest, and cheapest thing that most practice owners WON’T do that brings in highly-targeted ideal patients in your area
  • Why the National Inquirer should play a role in your practice’s marketing message (even if you disagree with the direction of the content)
  • How to overcome being a young in the dental industry (and why it’s actually your biggest advantage when it comes to marketing)
  • Avoiding the trash can when mailing direct mail pieces
  • What happens when you send the wrong piece of direct mail to potential patients
  • How to make your marketing truly unique (and the impact that setting yourself apart can make to your patients)
  • What to do if you want to own your local area, work 20 hours a week, and earn a 6-figure income as a dentist
  • The $180 million dollar lesson you can take away from the ‘funeral trust’ business
  • The first marketing thing Nina would do if she was to start up a new practice (and a free resource she’s giving away completely free)
Free Episode Bonus:

As you heard, Nina has a genius mind and an incredible amount of experience when it comes to marketing in the dental industry...

Nina mentioned a simple yellow postcard one of her dental clients mailed to a list of just 3,000 people that brought in an additional $18,000 in revenue. To get free access to that exact piece of mail, simply click below.

Download Nina's "Yellow Dental Postcard."

 

Quotes - Click To Share On Twitter:

 

Resources:

 
Support The Show: Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes. This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Sep 4, 2015

... but one thing I've noticed is that it's hard to find people and companies that will tell you what you DON'T need.

Enter Jeff Gladnick.

When it comes to websites in the dental field, he's the go-to guy.

As you know, the mission of Start Your Dental Practice is to give you - the Ambitious Dentist - the tools necessary to start, and run, a successful dental practice.

There are many aspects that go into a website that actually attracts your ideal patients, and today, Jeff gives us the rundown on EXACTLY what that looks like.

Click here to get today's episode bonus: A step-by-step walkthrough for how to content market with your website

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • The weird way Jeff initially got started making websites, and how he started automating the process to help more dentists
  • The referral conversation your ideal patients inevitably have, and how your website can negatively or positively affect how many of those ideal patients show up to your practice
  • Why your social media channels should match your website (and the psychological trigger that fires when they do)
  • Which should come first... your practice? Or your website? (and what timeframe you should follow)
  • How Google will treat your site in the first 90 days (and why this is important to launching your site and new practice)
  • How to get your site ranked #1 in Google (without “hacking” the search engine”)
  • How to avoid having your practice mislisted in the wrong city or state
  • Why you shouldn’t rely on a one-person operation (and what could happen to your site if you do)
  • What happens when you don’t use the terms your ideal patient uses to describe your services
  • What you need to know to avoid losing your site and content forever
  • The red flags you need to look for when trying to find a website development firm
  • The cons to having contracts involved in your website
  • How to handle a website when you’re acquiring a previously established practice
  • How to avoid losing “seo juice” when transferring a website from one owner to another
  • The ONE vital thing every acquired practice website needs to have so that your visitors don’t experience site errors
  • How to avoid looking like every other website in your market
  • What “duplicate content” is and why you want to avoid posting it
  • The right (and wrong) way to make sure your site appears properly on mobile devices

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Jeff and his team went above and beyond for you guys.

For today's bonus, you can get access to a step-by-step video series for how to use content marketing with your website to attract your target market.

Get that video series for free by clicking here.

Quotes - Share On Twitter:

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Aug 28, 2015

For most dentists, starting out is the hardest phase…

You may be an apprentice, trying to find an apprenticeship opportunity that may lead into a partnership, or trying to create your business plan for starting your own dental practice.

Today’s guest, Dr. Graham Dersley has been there, and he sat down with me to share his wisdom with the Ambitious Dentist community.

Dr. Graham Dersley is a prosthodontist who has had a unique first decade in private practice.  

 
From being a frustrated associate, to an owner of a small FFS specialty practice, to now an owner of a growing multi-location general practice that he started from scratch, he has had the good fortune to experience a variety of practice styles.  
 
He has a passion for the business of dentistry and frequently posts on Dental Town about the topic.  
 
Today’s episode bonus takes the advice offered by Dr. Dersely and will help you put it into action… Download the FREE video for How To Set And Align Your Personal And Professional Goals here.
 
Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

 

  • What appealed most to Dr. Dersley about dentistry
  • How Dr. Dersley went about taking over and owning his first practice
  • The tough legal conversation Dr. Dersley had to have when taking over his first practice (and some ideas for how to avoid or overcome this problem)
  • Dr. Dersley’s thoughts on setting BIG goals that are a stretch to accomplish
  • How setting big goals can sometimes lead to a feeling of disappointment
  • Why Dr. Dersley sold his first practice and decided to focus his attention elsewhere (even though business was booming and things were good)
  • What Dr. Dersley looks for in markets when he’s starting a new practice (this is for you if you are wanting to start a new practice)
  • The key thinks Dr. Dersley took away from running a successful practice, that allowed his next venture to be a success
  • The mistakes Dr. Dersley made with staffing that he had to fix in order to grow his practice and business
  • The ONE thing Dr. Dersley focuses his energy on when starting a new practice
  • How Dr. Dersley created a team that matched the culture he wanted to create in his practice
  • Why most practice owners think managing a staff is a disadvantage (and why that’s actually a HUGE leg-up as a business owner and operator)
[ YOUTUBE VIDEO GOES HERE]

Free Episode Bonus:

 
Today’s episode bonus will help you take action on what you just heard, and it’s a personal video from me I’m calling “How To Set And Align Your Personal And Professional Goals”.
 

Quotes – Click To Share On Twitter:

Resources:

 
Support The Show:
 
Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.
 
This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement. 
Aug 21, 2015

Dr. Phelps is an entrepreneur and general dentist who owns multiple practices in the Charlotte, NC region.

He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998 with a BS in Biology and in 2003 he graduated Magna Cum Laude from the prestigious Nova Southeastern University, College of Dental Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.

From 2003 to 2010 his passion for business and his flare for marketing and promotion showed through when he increased the revenue of his practices ten times.

For 2013, when most of the dentists were struggling to produce what they had from the year before, Dr. Phelps’ practices grew by $2,000,000.

One of his secrets was a passion for the Science of Persuasion and how to ethically use Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Influence to set the stage for his patients to say YES to the requests he and his dental team ask of them.

Having received the honor of being named a Certified Trainer in Dr. Cialdini’s Method of Influence, Dr. Phelps offers an exciting two-day course to educate you on the principles, show you how he uses them in his practices and how you can incorporate them into your business.

=================

Go here to get today's episode bonus: This is a quick exercise to help you find and identify your target market to create networking events they’ll love.

=================

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • How Dr. Phelps discovered educational seminars, his journey to mastering the skills (and how he used wine and cheese to pack his events)
  • The interesting thing Dr. Phelps discovered by asking strategic questions to attendees at his seminars
  • How Dr. Phelps leveraged social events to spread the word about him and his practice
  • The method Dr. Phelps uses to figure out how to get more clients, find patterns in his existing clients, and understand their mindset so that he can find more clients like them
  • The questions you NEED to ask yourself when identifying your target market
  • How to know the exact type of events your patients would want to attend
  • Why you absolutely need to have multiple avenues of sources to attract your ideal clients
  • Why you should feel safe being in front of your target audience in the places they hang out
  • The conversation that's uncomfortable (but necessary) to have with clients who didn't use your services
  • The decision you need to when starting a new practice (BEFORE you create your business)
  • How to spend one hour of your time and $135 a month to get 30-50 new patients
  • Why you need to be spending money on marketing your practice
  • The type of marketing you need to be doing if you're going to be spending money on growing your practice
  • How to separate the good from the bad in finding a good partner in marketing
  • Why marketers might not give you the actual truth to justify the expense of hiring them
  • How your team affects your marketing spend (and what you need to keep on eye on internally to track and measure it)
  • The WRONG way to go about marketing when you're investing in growing your business
  • How Dr. Phelps "scratched his own itch" by creating a call tracking system
  • Why Dentists are naturally bad building relationships with marketers
  • The interesting statistic Dr. Phelps spotted discovered missed calls with one of his private clients (and the simple change that caused that client to get 20% more clients practically overnight)
  • What fact Google discovered when running a study about missed calls from new clients (and what those potential clients end up doing)
  • What happens when you don't capture your target markets attention the FIRST time
  • Why you need more than 1 phone and phone line per front desk employee
  • The problem caused by other call trackers that are based on speculation and not factual proof
  • How Dr. Phelps reverse engineered the problem with missing calls at dental practices and went on to solve the problem with Call Tracker ROI
  • The powerful thing Dr. Phelps figured out by sharing call data with your team that causes accountability and improved metrics (by double or triple the amount)
  • The easy way to ease-out poor performing employees that don't plan on advancing your business
  • The number 1 thing dentists don't do that creates a bad work environment, poor treatment acceptance rate, and a stagnant business
  • How to avoid making our team 'freak out' about tracking metrics and working towards improving big business practices (and how to get them to make a powerful commitment)

 

Free Episode Bonus:

Dr. Phelps is a marketing genius, and I was taking a ton of notes while he was sharing his insights into how to find, select, and market to your target audience.

I’ve re-listened to the show from today, combined it with my notes, and created a quick exercise you can do RIGHT NOW to put Dr. Phelps advice into action.

If you'd like that sent directly to your inbox, simply click below.

Go here to download that now.

 

Quotes - Click To Share On Twitter:

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please go here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.

Aug 14, 2015

Today’s show features Dr. Tuan Pham.

Tuan is a real life practicing general dentist and the creator of Dental Maverick, a training series designed to teach you to become THE leader, communicator and manager that your dental practice needs to succeed.

Tuan maintains a general private practice in Austin, TX where he practices 4 days a week seeing an average of 4 doctor patients a day and has an office production of 1.2 million a year.

Learn how you can become a Dental Maverick at www.dentalmaverick.com

Tuan’s course, Dental Maverick, is an online – 48 week video series designed to improve your communication, define your vision, transform you into a leader & manager and ultimately lead you to your personal definition of success.

He has had research published on the cover of Compendium, has a provisional patent on a forthcoming dental device, is the head of the Dental Products Division of the School of Invention which aids in bringing your dental inventions to patent stage and beyond, is the co-founder of Monstapreneur (a group for entrepreneurs, c-level executives and business owners with the mission of Relax, Reset, Refocus) and a leader of local mastermind groups.


In his free time, he walks his dog, goes fly fishing and drinks beer while watching SEC football.

As a special bonus for today’s episode, Dr. Tuan has created a special video where he does a step-by-step walkthrough of how to increase your treatment plan acceptance for tough procedures. Click here to access that free video now.

Here are a few things you’ll discover in today’s episode:

 

  • Why most Dentists excel with procedures, but suffer with business management and leadership
  • The ‘commitment issue’ facing mosts dentists
  • What the average dentists wishes their practice looks like
  • How employee issues can boil over and cause catastrophic damage to your practice
  • Why you need to take action and voice your issues
  • How to spend less than 5% of your time on management in your business
  • Why there’s no “magic bullet” that’s going to have a huge impact in your practice
  • Why it’s the business owner’s fault (at the beginning) when there are breakdowns in operating procedure
  • The ‘pros’ of having errors in your practice
  • The most important thing to understand in dentistry
  • Why patients want to be told what to do versus being asked
  • What to do if you don’t feel like a great leader in your practice
  • Why YOU are the biggest limitation in your practice
  • What happens when you don’t have a vision for your business and career
  • The biggest problem that dental businesses owners come across when implementing systems with their team
  • We answer the questions of : Should you hire general staff based on personality or technical skills?
  • The differences between Wal-Mart and Target that plays a big role in your patient’s experience
  • Why “likeability” is a huge factor in your patients choosing you over another practice
  • The two things your patients will always remember about their experience at your practice
  • Should you, as a practice owner, be interviewing new employees?
  • Why an unhappy team equals a financially poor performing practice
  • The financial benefit that comes along with knowing how your clients think
  • What Dr. Tuan would do differently if he were to start his practice all over
  • How Dr. Tuan defines “pressure” in his life (and how he overcomes it)
  • How to mold your mindset through successful (and unsuccessful) dental practice owners

 

Free Episode Bonus:

 
This is where we describe the bonus, build the value, and end by doing some variation of clicking here.
 

Quotes – Click To Share On Twitter:

 

Resources:

 

Support The Show:

Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please click here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.

This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement. 
Aug 6, 2015

What sets your practice apart from others?

Your “brand”?

Logo?

Name?

If that’s the case, those things don’t have an impact on what ultimately matters to the patient:

Their experience.

Today’s episode features THE expert on building the customer experience from the ground up, from the customers point-of-view.

Today’s bonus is a cheatsheet with the highlights from this episode you NEED to implement to create the “ultimate customer experience” in your practice. Click here to download that directly.

Dr. Moffet is the creator of The Ultimate Patient Experience, which is a simple set of very specific, “common sense” patient service steps being used by dentists all over the world to create unique experiences for their patients.

These experiences dramatically enhance patient visit values and increase repeat visits.

The UPE is Dr. Moffet’s “Secret Weapon” that allowed him to personally bill $1,826,445 in services in 2011, his last year of full-time work working only 4 days a week, for 37½ weeks (while he was vacationing all over the world the other 15 weeks!)

Dr. Moffet has refined and perfected this system over the last 17 years, to the point where it’s as reliable as a Swiss watch — no matter where you’re located or what kind of practice you are running.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • Designing a "customer service experience" in your dental practice
  • How Dr. Moffet has handled a shoulder injury as a clinician
  • How to know if you have a good patient experience (or setup one up if you’re new to practice ownership)
  • How patient loyalty allowed Dr. Moffet to take time off from his practice for two-three weeks at a time
  • What happened when Dr. Moffet originally tried selling his practice that created local competition to his practice
  • How Dr. Moffet’s competitors were able to siphon off personal information about his practice and use it against him
  • The difference in revenue Dr. Moffet was able to earn by finding the RIGHT consultant for his practice
  • The tough decision Dr. Moffet had to make between his families home and growing his practice
  • How Dr. Moffet sold his practice and made $2.75 million (and an additional $2 million in shares)
  • Plugging holes in your business that are leaking patients through exceptional customer service
  • The first steps Dr. Moffet would do (and measure) if he was a new Doctor entering a practice
  • The 6 critical metrics you NEED to keep growing as a practice owner
  • Which type of patients to focus on over time to grow a “patient pool” (that results in endless referrals)
  • Taking your patients from patient to friend (and how this benefits you when times get tough)
  • Why you don’t want TV’s on in your waiting room (and the negative effect they create)
  • Why your patients may be getting the wrong message from your practice (and how to correct it)
  • Matching your message with the patient experience
  • The importance of creating an environment of service and pleasure (and what your patients will think)
  • How patients will react (and what they’ll realize) when your message matches your practice’s experience
  • Why you don’t want to rush your patients out of the door after their appointment
  • Do you know what’s best for your clients? A few tips to know if so.
  • Making your core competencies stronger.
  • Why you shouldn’t base your fees on your competitors (and what to base them on instead)
  • How to charge 50% more than your competitors
  • The ONE thing Dr. Moffet would do if he were entering the dental field today (from scratch)
  • What you should look for when you’re bringing on (or inheriting) new staff members
  • How to attract patients who treat you as a service (instead of a commodity) by applying the 80/20 principle
Free Episode Bonus:
 
My head was spinning with some of the advice and numbers Dr. Moffet threw out there today - $4.75 million for a practice? Incredible.
 
I want you to be able to take action on his advice, and not just watch or listen passively.
 
You’re listening now, so I know you’re not that type.
 
For today’s bonus, I’ve collected some of the main points David made and put them into a nice cheat-sheet you can use to start taking action now.
 
If you don’t have a practice yet, you’re going to want to save this in a nice place with a calendar reminder to look at it when the time comes.
 
 
Quotes - Click To Share On Twitter: Resources:
Support The Show:
 
Without you, Ambitious Dentists, this should wouldn’t exist.
 
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please click here to give me an honest rating and review in iTunes.
 
This allows me to evolve that show as it goes on, and also helps spread the word to other podcast listeners since iTunes promotes shows with active engagement.
Aug 4, 2015
In 1989, David Harris started investigating embezzlement in dental practices...

... And by 1990, computers took over and brought stealing a 'click' away.

Since them, the numbers have kept climbing.

From paying utility bills, to dipping in the 'gold jar', David has seen it all.

I was taken back by this conversation and couldn't wait for you guys to give it a listen.
 
 
Click here to get today's bonus: Checklist - How To Avoid Embezzlement In Your Practice

Here's a bit more about David Harris:

Overcoming a troubled adolescence, David Harris has become the world’s leading expert on dental office embezzlement.

He is the CEO of Prosperident, the world’s largest dental embezzlement investigation firm. Prosperident’s team of specialized investigators is consulted on hundreds of frauds annually committed against both general dentists and dental specialists. David has had the distinct pleasure of hearing cell doors slam shut on many embezzlers.

David is a licensed private investigator with a graduate degree in applied mathematics and a CPA. David is “dual certified” in fraud investigation – he possesses both the Certified Fraud Examiner designation from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Certified in Financial Forensics designation from the American Institute of CPAs.

David is a Mensa member and belongs to several organizations for dental consultants and speakers.

David has been interviewed on the subject of embezzlement by many leading dental publications and organizations. He is also a prolific writer and authors or co-authors a dozen or more articles annually that appear in major dental publications.

David has lectured at several US and Canadian universities in the faculties of business, law and dentistry.

David has spoken at regional, national and international dental conferences.

He is a highly entertaining and engaging speaker who draws on a vast amount of experience in his field.

Here's more of what you're going to get in today's episode:

  • 3 types of organizations that are most vulnerable for embezzlement
  • What made the numbers in embezzlement climb higher than ever before
  • Why embezzlement doesn't just mean stolen cash from your office
  • The mental shift that happens during a buyout transition that can cause embezzlement to start happening in your practice
  • The number 1 price of advice David would give to a new office that's just starting to hire team members
  • Why most dentists don't enjoy the hiring process and what happens after a new hire joins that you NEED to avoid
  • How to properly run a background check on new employees (and why you may not want to had t the process off to an online service)
  • Why it doesn't mean that someone is "hirable" just because a background check comes back as clean
  • What things won't appear on a typical background check that you need to be aware of
  • Why you should never bother calling persona references
  • The ONE kind of reference that's actually valuable
  • Why you shouldn't ever call listed reference numbers on a resume
  • A trick a potential new hire used that could negate your reference check process (truth is stranger than fiction)
  • What questions to ask when you get former employers on the phone for a reference check
  • The ONE question you CANT get wrong when asking a reference about a previous employee
  • How to properly ask cross-references for dates of employment
  • What to do if you're buying a new practice
  • The legal impediments you can run into during a background check (and why you'll want to see legal advice during this process)
  • The two pieces of advice David would give to someone taking over another practice
  • How a dentist may embezzle another dentist
  • How to protect yourself when buying into an existing practice
  • Why, when information in an appraisal is present, it doesn't make it true
  • Why most doctors don't want to pay COA's to do their due silliness
  • What "concealment" is and where it usually happens
  • What most practicing dentists misunderstand about embezzlement
  • Which category of employee does more embezzlement: New hires or existing employees?
  • The biggest mistake dental practices owners make (especially first-time owners)
  • The way thieves act when they’re stealing from you
  • The behavior of someone who’s embezzling from your office
  • When most stealing is done from dental practices
  • The biggest embezzlement David ever saw that resulted in over $600,000 in stolen funds
  • Why dentists get stolen from frequently
  • Why David would describe most dentists as perfectionists
  • What an embezzler will promise you that enables them the ability to steal from your practice
 
Episode Bonus:
 
For most of us, the success of our practice represents our retirement, ability to pay the bills, quality of life, and our kids being able to go to college.
 
I personally want to avoid those things, and want that for you, as well.
 
For today’s bonus, I’ve collected some of the main points David made and put them into a nice little checklist you can keep around in your practice.
 
I’m putting a recurring calendar event to come up every quarter to review it in my own accounting practice, and highly advise you do the same.
 
If you haven’t started your practice yet, you’re going to be ahead of the game from day one if you download this resource - a huge advantage over those of who have been doing this for years and may have already been victim to theft without knowing.
 
Click here to download the checklist for free.
 
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Resources Mentioned:

 

Get in touch with Dr. Harris:

Aug 4, 2015

Is there a "one-size-fits-all" model to starting or running a dental practice?

If so, today's episode, and guest, busts that myth.

For most of us, we have a similar path to practice ownership. School, apprenticeship, and then on to find a practice to take over or start a new one all together. Where we all differentiate is the problems we'll face along our individual journeys.

Dr. David Maloley, if anyone, knows problems and adversity along the journey.

Click here to get today's episode bonus: A behind the scenes clip where Dr. Maloley covers how he consumes content, and a round-up of books he recommends to stay on top of marketing as a practice owner.

Dr. Maloley attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and later his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
 
As an undergraduate, he had the opportunity to work as a student athletic trainer on the sidelines for the Cornhuskers during the National Championship seasons in 1994 and ‘95.
 
In 2003, Dr. Maloley completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, then served as a Dental Officer in the U.S. Army for the next five years.
 
While in the army, Dr. Maloley was stationed at dental clinics in Giebelstadt, Germany for two years and Vicenza, Italy for two years, providing general dentistry services for the local military communities.
 
After he returned to the U.S. in 2007, he worked at a private practice near Charlotte, NC for two years before relocating to Colorado to open Vail Valley Dental Care.
 
Dr. Maloley is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and a member of the American Dental Association, the Colorado Dental Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
 
Since graduating from dental school, he has completed over 1,000 hours of continuing education.

Here are a few things you'll discover in today's episode:

  • How Dr. David found out when the time was right for him to be a dental practice owner
  • What an unwanted war-time assignment in Europe taught Dr. David about mindset, politics, and religion
  • The process Dr. David went through to start his own practice
  • How Dr. David used intuition (instead of the highest population-to-dentist ratio) to find the perfect location for his practice
  • The importance that “lifestyle design” played in David setting up his ideal life and business
  • What Dr. David would do if he could do it all over again and David’s advice if you’re just starting up a practice
  • The problems Dr. David didn’t know he was going to have to overcome.
  • What happened when Dr. David’s back was against the rope in business and his personal life
  • What happened when Dr. David experimented with direct mail
  • The ONE piece of advice Dr. David would give himself if he was starting a practice all over again
  • How momentum helps you make progress in starting up your own practice
  • Why, as a practice owner (or future practice owner), you should be a student of marketing
  • How the Golden Rule applies to your clients
  • Should you be friends with your clients?
Free Episode Bonus:
 
Dr. David mentioned something interesting to me while chatting... And it was about how he learns and consumes content. He went on to make some BIG recommendations, so here's what I'm doing...

I'm going to make a special audio clip available where David covers his methods for staying on top of marketing in his business, along with some amazing book recommendations you HAVE to check out.

I've heard of a few of these, but am excited to dive into his other recommendations. Get the bonus audio clip, along with a list of personal recommendations Dr. Maloley shared by clicking here.

 
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Jul 31, 2015

Welcome to Episode 1 of Start Your Dental Practice.

This is the show for existing and aspiring dentists to start or take your dental practice to the highest possible level.

In every episode, we'll be demystifying the “how to start a dental practice” problem.

This show will feature world-class influencers and consultants in the dental industry to pick their brain about how to get past the barriers involved from no practice, to practice owner, to successful practice.

Today's inaugural guest is Jayme Amos.

Click here to get today's episode bonus: What I would do step-by-step to start a dental practice in a resort town.
 
Jayme is the bestselling author of Choosing the Right Practice Location, host of the Dentistry’s Ideal Practices Podcast and founder of HowToOpenADentalOffice.com where thousands of readers visit his blog each month.
 
You can find his publications on Dental Town, the quarterly ADA Newsletter, Dental Entrepreneur Magazine, Ignite DDS and other prominent outlets in dentistry.
 
Jayme’s firm works across the country helping dentists step into practice ownership.
 
His consulting team guides doctors through all 13 Stages of opening new dental practices. Over the last 10 years, he’s worked with dentists and recognized their choice of “location” as having the most impact on a practice’s potential for growth.

Here are a few things you'll learn in today's episode:

  • How to break free from financial ties and earn what you're worth
  • The biggest thing holding back most dental practices owners back from advancing in their business and lives
  • How to tell when you’re ready to make a big move in your practice (this applies even if you haven’t opened your practice yet)
  • Why knowing just the next step or two is critcle to overcoming fear as a dentist (and business owner)
  • How Jayme discovered his calling in the dental industry (and went on to help small business owners with his passion)
  • How to protect yourself in an associate-to-partner relationship (and not get screwed over at the last second)
  • What to do when you think you’re ready to be a practice owner
  • What step most new practice owners skip when starting a practice
  • The "perfect path" to take and what metrics will help guide you to opening your own practice
  • The step most doctors don’t spend enough time on when it comes to their target market
  • How to find your ideal patient (and the technique you should use to help you pursue that person)
  • How identifying your target market helps you attract MORE people just like them
  • The “population to doctor ratio” (and why the old adage doesn’t have it right)
  • How to serve your patients (and staff) properly
  • What the Constitution says about you and your practice (and why it gives you value and motivation)
  • Why you shouldn’t start your practice by finding a location
  • How to create smoother path to practice success, fulfill your life goals, have a greater impact on people’s lives, have a better financial outcome, and spend less marketing dollars to find new patients by having the right location strategy
  • Why having good people on your team helps you drastically improve your life and business
Free Episode Bonus: After sorting through today’s episode, I thought it'd be helpful to provide a real-World scenario for finding a location.
 
So if you'd like to know exactly, step-by-step what I'd do to start a dental practice in a resort town, click here and you'll be given direct access to a bonus audio clip.
 
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Resources Mentioned:
Jayme’s Resources:

 

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