Five Ways to be the Best Associate

When I was in dental school, we were told tons of scary stats about being associates and the number of associateships that don’t pan out. It can be easy to get overwhelmed. Below are five recommendations that will pay dividends for your entire career and allow you to get the most out of any job.

1. Communicate—Everyone has heard the saying communication is key; this is my number one tip for a reason. Every patient should be educated on his or her situation. They did not go to dental school, so you need to talk on a level that they understand and inform them on what has, is, and could happen. I make sure that every patient understands that my job is to educate them on what they have and/or need; and if they want, I will fix it. Most of those patients appreciate the fact that I say, “these are your options and needs, what do YOU want?” I typically do not have to sell treatment once I have educated the patient and sold the patient on me as a provider.

2. Sell yourself—Teddy Roosevelt said, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” An easy way to jumpstart the process of showing you care is simply using the patient’s name. Some patients want a dentist that will talk to them about life. Some want one that will coddle them. Others want you to be candid and joking. It is important that every patient has a personal experience and feels special. Service with a smile is just the beginning of a very pivotal aspect of your career.

3. Win the staff—Throughout a long career, you will encounter all sorts of staff. They will all need to see you as a leader and respect you. Lead by example to win the staff’s respect and loyalty and show them appreciation. The staff will generally work harder and go out of their way to make your life easier once they believe in you. And if all else fails, just buy them food. Who doesn’t love free food?

4. Set goals—Being goal oriented is a natural incentive for both you and the staff, which allows you to lead with metrics. Once you have a goal in mind, print it out, share it with the staff, and make sure everyone is on the same page. This is another area where you as a leader must set the example and show them the standard. If they see you sell a nightguard or braces, they will understand that you are making the effort to help them get their incentives. This “team mentality” lights a fire under them when they see you working to help them.

5. Be present—It is hard to be a leader from behind your office doors. Being there for your staff is a simple way to show that you care about the practice in general. It starts with showing up on time and staying until close. A simple rule to help you would be never asking your staff to do something you would not do. Make sure that they know you are always on their side and willing to step in and stand up for them if needed.

A happy staff leads to a happy life. If you set clear goals, communicate them, and then execute them in front of your staff, all while serving the patients, then your office and associateship will prosper. It will be a fun and professional environment. Everyone will be more productive and happier once you set the foundation with these five tips.



from The Dental Geek® https://www.thedentalgeek.com/2018/01/five-ways-to-be-the-best-associate/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Help! My Child is Terrified of the Dentist

Image
If you’re the parent of a young child, you know their brains are similar to sponges that soak up everything around them—especially in their first five years, which neuroscientists say is when they’ll do the most learning and developing in their entire life. At this formative time, your child may amaze you with what they notice: your facial expressions, the different tones of your voice, and your habits. If your habits include regular dental visits and an excellent oral hygiene routine, they’ll notice and want to emulate you. If you happen to feel anxious about your dental visits, or you groan when you’ve got to floss and brush, they may synchronize and feel your dread. This could lead to dental fears that stick with them for years—potentially a lifetime! Kids Can Be Courageous If you’re feeling guilty right now, go ahead and put that away as it won’t serve you or your little one. Everyone has some room for improvement, and Coastal Pediatric Dentistry® is here to help show you an
Read more

Going for the Gold?

Image
On the left is the older allow, on the right the new one that my lab has chosen to use The cost of a penny weight of pure gold is currently $79.53. The cost of a penny weight of pure palladium is $130.6. It used to be that palladium was added instead of gold to the precious metals often used for pfms, but now laboratories are finding that palladium is no longer affordable. The lab that I am using has just changed the formulation of the metal it's using to one that has more gold than palladium. I really do not mind, but metals with more gold are softer and often easier for a dentist to accidentally polish off delicate margins. It is important when polishing "higher gold" formulations to exert less hand pressure when performing the final polishing of the crown's margins. Other wise there should be no problem with this change. Traditionally labs have chosen alloys with higher gold percentages for optimal esthetics, since alloys with higher concentrations of
Read more

Tongue Ties: What Parents Need to Know

Image
For a long time, people just didn’t seem to know much about tongue ties. In the early years of my practice, few of my patients had ever heard of a tongue tie. When I pointed out that they or their children might be tongue tied, I was often the very first practitioner who’d mentioned it to them. When I told them that a tongue tie might actually be the root cause of their oral myofunctional issues, or even their sleep apnea , I’m sure that some of them thought I was crazy. But in the last few years, things have changed so much! Initially, there was a small increase in the number of patients who were contacting me specifically about tongue ties. Dentists and orthodontists also began reaching out more frequently to discuss the application of myofunctional therapy exercises to tongue tie treatment. But in the last year or so, that little bit of interest has become a surge of awareness. Tongue ties and their effects on health and craniofacial development are finally becoming mainstream.
Read more