Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Dental Practice Loans


Howard Shultz, cofounder of Starbucks, has created one of the largest and most successful ‘total experience’ outlets ever! Its original Seatle shop was a few streets away from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market- And if you haven’t ever read the staff motivational book Fish! Then you had better buy it now! So easy to read and will inspire you to work more effectively with your staff again. A true dose of staff renewal after the Bank Holiday…


Anyway Starbucks have rewrote many of the conventional rules of management. Took a mundane product and transformed it into extraordinary success.


Yes you may have heard the over used phrase “extraordinary”. But is your practice EXTRA ordinary or many more extras than the ordinary practice? If you read my newsletter last week you may remember I mentioned a dentists mission statement. “”Doing the things other dental marketing practices don’t do”


And my comments: What a fantastic mission statement if I ever did see one. I would like to keep it a living mission statement. So here is how I would reposition this…


“Doing 10 New Things Every Month That Other Dental Practices Are Too Lazy and Stupid To Do.”


So adding lots of extras is where you become Extra Ordinary. By constantly surprising your patients every 6 months you are adding value. And when you add value? You create Ultimate Patient Experiences. Which will motivate patients to tell others, pay more and stay more.


Coffee Was Uninspired Customer Ritual…


I remember going to my local dentist which was Jon Swarbrigg one of my top spending clients. I would got a boring recall letter through the post for my 6 monthly and even though I literally lived behind his practice. It was still an uninspired patient ritual.


But not know though…


So Starbucks are masters at how to get a customer to give up her regular routine while getting her to pay six or 8 times more for rich, exotic coffee blends when ordinary is all she’s ever known.


And this was true for me as a patient. I had only known sterile dental surgeries all my life. Something I would rather avoid at all costs. Even when at need. I had my front tooth knocked out on my 21st Birthday by a one of the dressed as an Austrian Milk Maid.


So how then has Jon put up his prices 5 and 6 times in the space of a few months. But also doing this 4 times a year?


Well, he has changed into a Total Experience Practice. Doing as Paddi Lund would call the Critical Non Essentials. In my Abundant Referrals System watch over 15 minutes of video showing you how to create an Ultimate Experience Practice.


In your next installment in a few days time. Find out what are the lessons to be gleaned from Starbucks? That can be applied to dentistry.


Starbucks opens 5 new stores a day, 365 days a year. Good investment- stock rose 5,000%


And how Starbucks captures a unique warmth that sets it apart from the first 2 places in most peoples lives; work and home. How to make your practice the 3rd place.


Did you know Starbucks customers return 18 times a month?


What do its managers know that the dental profession could learn about patient retention?


The partners (staff) help to create a unique and personal experience for it’s customers.


So how do they get buy in from their staff?


1. They share profits with their people
2. Starbucks constantly spends more on training than advertising
3. 120% less staff turnover than industry average
4. Employees respect and create and experience for one another


“store experience is basically a family” said former partner


So the first step is to get your staff bought in. Because it is they who will have to manage the “total patient experience while you are busy doing it, doing it, doing it.”


Creating the Starbucks experience for customers


People flock there for the total experience even though their prices are 8 times the norm.


They all talk about meaningful connections. So every touch point has to be a connection. From the moment they touch your practice door to walk in; they have to connect. From the moment they step on your practice floor; they have to connect. From the moment they see your staffs face; they have to connect. From the moment they smell your practice; they have to connect. From the moment they wash their hands in your toilet; they have to connect. Get the picture?


Connections are won or lost with all senses.


• Skinetics ( touch, handshake)
• Visual
• Kinesthetic ( heart, feelings)
• Auditory (what patients here when they walk in)


So let me give you two areas most practices fail dismally at:


Audio: do you have mood enhancing music within your practice or is it like a waiting room? No patient should ever be waiting. They should be hesitant to get up from their (comfortable) seat when they are called because they are having such a good time reading and listening.


Toilets: Smells? Do you have different fresheners for the season you are in? Did you know you can buy smell machines for your practice? Do you have great smelling and visually inspiring soaps? Are your toilets checked every hour for cleanliness?


In my Abundant Referrals System there is a video on how to create Extreme Critical Non Essentials.


Give patients positive uplifting experiences…


Is your practice inviting just like Starbucks is?


You must capture a unique warmth that sets it apart from the first 2 places in most peoples lives; work and home. Make it the 3rd place. Do this and you will be a WINNER!!!


Howard Shultz- the success of Starbucks demonstrates…that we have built an emotional connection with our customers…We have a competitive advantage over classic brands in that every day we touch and interact with our customers directly. Our product is not sitting on a supermarket shelf like a can of soda. Our people have done a wonderful job of knowing your drink, your name (and your kids names)


One final point…


Starbucks have a bulletin board packed with pictures of staff and customers- a sense of community and belonging. How much time would it take you to put up a cork board and start connecting with your patients. They need to know WHO you are not WHAT you are.


In summary…


For Starbucks it happens by creating systems to hold leadership and staff accountable for that commitment, sharing the reward of hard work. By projecting a vision of the optimal customer experience and helping partners realise that vision.


Have you mapped out your patient experience by walking through your practice? Try walking in your patients shoes once a month. Not only in the practice but also get people to phone the practice. Is your phone on fax machine because your staff are doing something else and do not want to be disturbed by new patients looking for a practice?


Till next time…get your dental marketing on power drive!




Dental Practice Loans

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