How your staff approaches referrals can become second nature by asking patients their opinion, and if it's positive, then asking for that all-important new patient referral.

1. Set either a monthly or quarterly goal. 2. The goal is based on what is commensurate with 25% or less payroll percentage. Example: Say your payroll is normally around $20,000. Collections must be over $80K per month for there to be any kind of bonus. 3. If the goal is exceeded, a bonus is given. How much you bonus and how the bonus is split among the staff will vary from office to office. It can be an arbitrary amount of $200 to $400, or be specifically calculated on how much "bonus sum" is available, i.e., the difference between 25%...

1. Testing: Much of marketing involves testing, which is a fancy word for trial and error. Try different marketing actions to see what produces the best ROI. What will work in one town may not work in another. A discounted new patient exam might produce a response or not. If it does not, perhaps a teeth whitening offer will. It's all about testing. 2. Practice name: Unless your name is well known and respected in your town, it's a bad marketing decision to use it for your practice's name. Instead you want a name that is memorable and clearly tells patients what...

Comparing monthly production/collections year to year has value, especially in snowbird states, pediatric practices (August being normally quite busy,) and the hectic holiday months (Nov/Dec). Stat management tip: If you wait until the end of the month to notice that none of your plans were implemented or effective, expect your team to get upset. When it comes to coaching your team to excellence, you must be active and timely with your observations and feedback. If on the first day of the new month, you have added $1,500 in new treatment to the schedule, you need to praise your team's progress, analyze...