Every dental practice wants to experience healthy growth. It is important to continue working on ways to improve and grow your dental practice. Patient satisfaction and safety are the goals, but financial success and the satisfaction of your team members are also important for success! Some tips include setting short and long-term goals, investing in your team, maintaining a positive work environment, and increase or change your marketing strategies. Let’s explore these in more detail.
Set Goals
Identify what needs you have in your practice. Notice trends and analyze data. One business blog suggests using tools to assess your needs, such as SWOT analysis, benchmarking, market research, trend analysis, and attending webinars. Once you have identified your needs, set your goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T. goals). Always set a time frame to achieve each goal and prioritize your goals for orderly pursuit and success.
In order to achieve a goal, you need a plan. How much time do you expect to need to achieve your short and long-term goals? Obtain resources, set your budget, and assign responsibilities to those participating in the process. It is helpful to measure results throughout the process as well as at the end. Measuring results can assist in the setting of new goals. Never stop asking, “How can we do this better?”
Invest in Your Team
Team members should be adequately trained for the position they hold and have the tools needed to perform efficiently. This could include leadership training, sales training and human resource training. Don’t forget opportunities for professional advancement. Having good and open communication with your team allows them to communicate their workplace needs. Well-trained employees can make all the difference in a successful thriving business.
Investing in your team does not just apply to their training, however. Treat your team members with respect. Invest in what will make them satisfied working at your business. Show them appreciation often and be sure to inquire about what would help the workplace morale. Happy team members are more likely to invest time and effort into their work, leading to increased revenue and patient satisfaction for your practice. What are some ways that you are currently investing in your team? How could you improve?
Maintain a Positive Culture
A positive work environment is essential to a successful business. Your team should be clear on expectations and standards. Positive culture should carry over to patient care. Patients then should also be clear on expectations and standards. Positive work environments can be obtained by keeping a positive attitude, having open communication with team members, and maintaining a culture of respect. Allow for your team members’ feedback – good and bad! Prioritize respect, diversity, and inclusivity.
Maintaining a positive culture also means ensuring that you are hiring the right team members into your culture. When hiring new staff, keep your current staff dynamics and needs in mind. It could be helpful to do peer interviews and invite your team members’ opinions on the potential hire. Hiring the wrong person could have a negative effect on your practice culture. Your practice’s culture is what you make it!
Increase Marketing
News flash! You need patients to have a dental practice! Your biggest marketer is a body of satisfied patients; with this dynamic at work, your business will grow through word-of-mouth advertising, which is really the best form of marketing. As a dental provider, you need to ensure that your current patients trust you to provide them with quality care and invest in their health.
Take it up a notch and do follow-up personal calls to patients or send personalized mail. Begin a regular monthly email newsletter to keep your patients informed. People value trust and respect, especially with their health care providers. Direct connection establishes loyalty. Loyal patients will continue investing in your business and market your business, as well. Social media is another popular way to market your business.
If you do not already have a website, get one and keep it updated with the services you offer, schedules, and even a bio profile of your employees to make it personable. Promoting ads on social media platforms is another option. According to an ad by Forbes, social media marketing is critical, with almost a third of 16-24 year-olds learning about new products and services through paid ads on popular social media platforms. It goes on to state that social media is a popular way that customers hear about new products.
Get Professional Help
A professional company to assist in marketing your practice is also an option. Some companies can not only assist in marketing but also provide training and marketing strategy management. If you are not familiar with managing a website or social media, consider hiring a professional to do so. It can make all the difference when looking to gain new clientele.
Strategic Practice Solutions is your one-stop shop for assistance with training your team, setting your goals, and being proactive in growing your dental practice. Do not settle for mediocre when you can accomplish more with the help of a team of experts. We are ready to help you be successful! Contact us today and start growing your business!