During my senior year of high school, a bunch of the guys we’re over at a friend’s house. Her parents were going through a divorce. So her mom was organizing and cleaning out the garage. There was a pile of odds and ends from which her said we could take what we wanted. The only item that was off limited to keep were some old-fashioned fire extinguishers. She told us that we could borrow them, but not keep them. Of course, we were drawn to the thing that we couldn’t have because it was the most interesting.
Before I knew it we were filling it up with water at a local gas station to see how much pressure it could hold. When I younger, my dad told me about the old-fashioned fire extinguishers that you had to fill on your own with water, before the modern pre-filled red containers were available. These “old school” extinguishers released enough pressure to knock a kid off his bike. Next we began cruising around the neighborhood in my friends car with the filled tank, seeing what we could find to hit with our new water cannon.
First we pulled up to a stop light next to a couple of girls about our age. They laughed as they rolled down their window. As soon as the light turned green, I shot a burst of water into their slightly cracked drivers side window and they sped off, giggling a bit and the chase was on!
These was far superior to any squirt gun or Super Soaker I had as a child. Following our first test, we drove by a Super Target store where a group of employees were hanging out in the parking lot, just getting off work. Some of them were sitting in the back of the parking lot in a truck. They kind of yelled at us, but because we came in and out of the parking lot so quickly, they had no chance of catching us. The drive by water rifle worked like a charm.
We had no idea that they (or someone nearby) had made a call to the local police station about some teenage punks with water guns. In the meantime, and ironically, that first set of girls we squired pulled up right next to us again (not to far away from the first location) stopped again at another light. This was a one-in-a-million change of happening.
We took it a little slower this time and signaled for them to roll down their window to talk. After some brief back and forth chatting, I grabbed the handle on the extinguisher and shot a full blast burst of water ammo through the driver’s side window, which was all the way down. It ricocheted off the passenger side window, and created an interior whirlpool of cold water inside their car. That was our last chance to put our weapon away.
After just a few more stops and squirts, we noticed blue and red lights behind our car, and the next thing we knew the police were pulling us over confiscating our new toy…
Our friend’s mom wasn’t too happy about the situation, but she kind laughed, almost like she knew what was going to happen when she let us borrow the extinguishers. She was really pretty cool about it, and was willing to go to the police station in the early morning hours to regain her impounded property.
I was never the type to go out and party, and I never got into any real trouble with the law. We just enjoyed spreading a little bit of havoc like many teenage boys do. This time, a little too far.
The next day, one of my friends who worked at Target after school, heard some of his coworkers talking about it. Of course, our parents soon discovered the truth, as did other classmates. This was my first time turning something that was previously sitting idle in someone’s garage and transforming it into an unused viral asset. This was something that many would write off as “boring”, that we turned into something new and uninteresting for us.
The Question
What idle, dormant assets do you have lying around your office or practice that can be repurposed into something new and exciting, or dusted off and reintroduced into boosting your production?
It may be an intraoral camera that you’re not using anymore, but should be to increase your case acceptance.
It’s possible that you bought a Laser and it’s been put away in a drawer somewhere, unused and unproductive. You could use it to help your patients save more of their teeth, stop bleeding gums, and eliminate bad breath.
These ideas and many others are simple ways to boost the value you give to your patients, especially something could make as a free or discounted exclusive benefit for patients who are enrolled in your in-office membership plan.
There really is nothing new under the sun, and the sooner you realize that old saying is true, the better off you will be. The sooner you make a difference in someone’s smile or health, the sooner you can see a massive increase in your bottom line with almost no additional overhead (the best part!).
Everyone knows about Amazon Prime, but most people forget that in the 1950’s, you could call your local grocery store and your groceries by phone. Then you would back your station wagon up to the front door of the store and have it delivered to your vehicle, never setting foot in the store.
This came along way before Door Dash, UberEATS, or online home delivery services existed. The concept is not new. The reason for the change to in-store purchases, is that grocery stores discovered that when you go inside to get your groceries, you spend a lot more. So the phone to car delivery faded away, but now it’s back as strong as ever. Even though now you use a smartphone or iPad to order, the idea is exactly the same.
During the holiday season, take some time to reflect on what you’re thankful for and what you’re grateful for. Your team, your patients, your office, and your dusty assets that are being underutilized. Spend some dedicated down time in organization and planning with your team, and be sure to spend some time planning out your 2022 calendar. When you put together a calendar, a lot of power is unlocked.
While you’re at it, check to see what assets you have in your closet office that can be reintroduced to help you finish the year strong.
Have a great week!
Dr. Tyler Williams
“The Membership Doctor”