Friday Finish – March 20, 2020
My wife and I have a group of friends who get together once a month or so on a weekend for “Game Night.” This often consists of mostly talking, socializing and eating treats, but it does involve different card or board games played as teams, either in couples or as men versus women. Megan usually outscores me at most games, except for games on trivia or memory which is my strong point.
Game Night is really about the social aspect and eating sweets together. Someone usually brings a big tub of peanut M&Ms which are a crowd favorite. Although not my top pick, I have begun to enjoy them more over the years.
In growing your practice, there is an M&M formula on how you should spend your time and initiate a culture with the right attitude and team members. This formula is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. However, it is vital for your success in reaching your desired destination, whether you want to be a single doctor practice, multi doctor practice, or sell your practice to a bigger group or corporation.
One-half of your business is dependent on the first “M” – Marketing Systems. The other half of your business is dependent on the other “M” – Mindset.
Let’s break each one down. Marketing Systems are not advertising. Marketing is the formula that gets someone interested in your services to raise their hand and ask questions, and then marketing becomes your solution for getting them to their destination or desired results. The way you set up your treatment rooms for your patients is a system. The way you recruit and hire team members is a system. The way your team answers your phones is a system. The way you decorate your office is part of your system. All of these factor into your marketing system or RMAP (Relationship Marketing Action Plan), or how you position yourself as a dental leader in your community.
Whether you have perfected them or not, the systems you have (or the systems that are broken in your office right now) are a mirror reflection of you personally and professionally. It’s your name on the door. It’s your culture that you build (or neglect to build) that is felt by your team and patients inside those four walls.
Mindset is your thinking, your daily routine, and your outlook on your practice’s future. Without it, you are dead in the water. Without the right mindset you’ll change directions every year when the emotional challenges of practice ownership come your way. You may be influenced by insurance pressures, slashing your fees, giving in to patients who do not fit your culture. You may give in to poorly managing team members or worse yet, not helping them reach their optimum potential. You have the power to provide the influence and growth mindset to take your practice to the next level, and to attract the right people to grow with you.
There is a concept about mindset that has been described by renowned speaker and coach Lee Millteer, who was quoted as saying “when you ask yourself a question, your brain-which is literally a computer-searches for resources answers to that particular question.” Use this to your advantage. Get proper exercise, rest and diet into your daily routine to keep that computer functioning properly. As described in the book Deep Work, you do some of your best problem solving when you aren’t focused directly on those problems. It’s the higher neuronal capacity of your unconscious mind going to work for you.
Right now, as the world is a crazy, shaken up place, working on sharpening your mindset is more important than ever. Use this downtime as an opportunity to focus your clarity and vision and re-evaluate your long term goals. I promise you’ll come out on top stronger than ever once this is over. Fortunately, spring is here and we can be outside more with more outdoor activities available. Before we know it the hot summer will be here and (hopefully) most of this is behind us. All of your patients will be lining up at the door by then for the treatment they had to postpone, providing a whole new set of (good) challenges.
Have a wonderful weekend!
If you would like to receive more information like this or provide your feedback, simply send me an email at twilliams@yourpracticegrowth.com and put “Friday Finish” in the subject line.