President's Address Fall 2001

Welcome to the fall edition of Success Strategies. I hope you have enjoyed a relaxing summer and are geared up for a busy fall season of dentistry. Every summer I choose a topic of interest for personal growth. My topic this summer was (CRM) customer relationship management. John Maxwell's book entitled "The Winning Attitude" had an interesting survey that showed statistics of why clients leave a service business. Knowing that dentistry is a people - service business, I was not surprised by the results and how they relate to what happens in many dental practices across the country.

The reason why a customer quits (attrition) is: 1% die, 3% move, 5% other friendships, 9% competitive reasons, 14% product dissatisfaction, 68% because of indifference
Indifference is defined as: "Absence of weight and significance, absence of anxiety or interest, not making a difference, mediocrity, unconcern, apathy and coldness".

The practices that have the most success with client retention and don't have clients leave because of indifference are the ones who continually work to communicate the value of dentistry and exceed service expectations. Your clients are more then just a "hole in the centre of the face" with procedures to deliver on their teeth. They are human beings with feelings they want to share, anxiety they want you to overcome and emotions around their financial investment. It is as simple as taking the time to interview each client with open-ended questions and listening with empathy to their individual situation. Get to know your clients on a personal level, their behavioural tendencies, their dental IQ combined with clarity of their expectations and dental health goals.

Transitions clients are achieving 80-90% retention of their active client base because they have moved from the tooth business to the people business. Patients become clients, tooth dentistry becomes comprehensive care and an appointment becomes an experience. Make a difference in the lives of those you serve It is easy to get caught up in the procedures, tasks and time management of daily operations and overlook the importance of how every person has a direct impact on another. Remember the words of Dr. L.D. Pankey. "Never treat a stranger," Ask yourself, how well do you know your client base? Can you review your clients for tomorrow and as a team, discuss each persons dental goals, expectations or what service means to them? Do they trust you and would they refer their friends?