Business Booster Program by Henry Schein ANZ

AUGUST 2022 BUSINESS BOOSTER

For many, we expected to be getting back to normal in 2022 and hoping we could put the disruption of the past 2 years behind us, but instead as leaders and business owners, we are presented with a whole array of new challenges from recruitment and staffing shortages to patients failing to attend or from case acceptance to managing costs and minimizing financial risk. To help support your practice, we have partnered with a number of industry leading business solution providers to bring you our Business Booster program, aimed at helping you navigate through the recovery and open doors to new opportunities for your practice.

GR O THRIVE & IN CASE YOU MISSED OUR PREVIOUS RECOVER, THRIVE & GROW PUBLICATION, CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE.

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At Henry Schein we remain committed to our mission to improve the lives of all Australians by focusing on practice care, so dental professionals like yourself can focus on patient care. As you are aware we do this by supplying industry leading dental products, through our passionate and knowledgeable team of Relationship Managers, Specialists and Customer Care Agents, but also by providing innovative software and business solutions to help your practice.

The Business Booster program was created to give you a snapshot of some of the advice, tools and services that are out there to support your business. The program includes an 8 part series of live webinars held throughout August and September, culminating in a live online panel discussion with our experts where you can grill them with direct questions about their field of expertise. Read more from or experts in this magazine and watch out for upcoming The series includes experts from Prime Practice, Cinch Dental, Humm, Experien Insurance, Dental Wallet & Henry Schein One and supported by the Henry Schein360 loyalty program. page 26 - 27 to find out more about the upcoming webinars

3henryschein.com.au Business Booster Series 09/08 Building your practice by building the right patient base 16/08 The changing insurance landscape for Dentists and options available 17/08 Increasing patient acceptance for higher value treatment plans, to attract and acquire new customers 23/08 Delegation and support: the keys to successful practice management 25/08 Why a changing patient base needs a new communications paradigm 06/09 The better way for dental practices to pay bills, earn points, access rewards and fly 13/09 The Great Resignation

• Hone skills of best practice and EXACT with expert guidance and resource

At Henry Schein One, we’re dedicated to providing software solutions to dental practitioners that enable them to deliver high-quality dental care and grow their business.

Our products do more than help dentists deliver great care

Trustedseamlessly.bythousands of dental practitioners worldwide, Dentally enables practices to be more flexible and agile in their approach to the business of dentistry: providing remote telephone triage, reporting smarter, empowering patients to book online, maintaining safe contactless reception areas and ultimately giving dentists more time for what matters, patient care - all you need is an internet connection, access to Google Chrome, and you can quite simply ‘chrome and go’. It really is as simple as that.

• Discover how automation can streamline admin tasks to free up your team’s time

Keeping your dental practice in good health and navigating the current myriad of challenges is part and parcel of the dental industry in recent times.

Simplicity is at the heart of what we do. That’s why if you are switching to Dentally from another software provider, setting up a new practice or taking the decision to move from a paper-based workflow to digital, onboarding at Dentally is a smooth process from beginning to end.

Introducing Dentally from Henry Schein One

• Optimise practice workflow efficiency

MyPracticeCloud, EXACT provides dentists all of the tools and data they need to make their patient experience better and their practices more profitable. Not to mention the customised support you will receive along the way in the form of your very own dental business coach as part of our customer success programme to:

• Empower patients to take control of their contactless journey

Having been the market leader in dental software for over 30 years, our EXACT software provides you with a powerful tool to help you exceed patient expectations and build a thriving dental Withpractice.acombination of innovative on-premise dental practice management software, best practice insight and a dedicated experienced team, EXACT will help you to future proof your practice and unlock the full potential of your Frombusiness.Online

Getting the right support and advice at this pivotal point is the key to unlocking success. To find out more about how EXACT can help grow your practice, visit www.exactdental.com.au

This year, we are pleased to introduce you to Dentally, the market-leading cloud solution for faster, simpler dental practice management in Australia. With no need for expensive hardware or servers, Dentally leverages the power of cloud technology, allowing you to work from anywhere, whilst managing your team and practice admin

That’s why this year we’re proud to be introducing you to two of our practice management solutions, EXACT and Dentally, as we support you and your team on your software journey. EXACT, the complete practice management solution

Booking and Patient Portal to

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Our collaborative staged approach means we can assist you to alleviate any nervousness about the change that your team may have, working with you to help employees learn the new system so they can embrace it, understand how easy it is to use, as well as get the best out it so they (and you) can enjoy the benefits that it will bring to your patient management. We will guide you through every stage of the onboarding process and beyond. Interested? Visit www.dentally.com.au/ or book a demo today or email us at hello@dentally.com.au to discover how we can help you build the practice you want with our easy-to-use cloud-enabled practice management solution.

Dentist Portal enables practice members to drill down on individual KPIs, including patient numbers and recall effectiveness, without having to request or sift through copious amounts of reports and records. Paired alongside MyPractice Cloud, both you and your associates can view how individual performance fit into the overall success of the business – in turn, promoting staff empowerment, morale and focus!

EXACT In a period of extreme dental demand, it’s clear that action needs to be taken, and soon, to meet the oral health care needs of the nation – this is where the discussion of staff retention and attraction comes in. To get to the root of how you can attract talent, you need to ask the following question: ‘what are people looking for in a dental role?’ In times where the largest proportion of the working generation are millennials, we can draw on several conclusions – people are looking for: 1. Variety in their working day

In December 2021, it was recorded that there was a ‘20 to 25 per cent shortfall in the number of dental hygienists, assistants and other practice staff’ in Australia needed to meet the increased need for dentistry services post-pandemic - meanwhile, more and more patients are hitting the headlines as they turn to so-called ‘DIY dentistry’.

3. Financial return

Progression opportunities with performance transparency To progress in any role, you need to be able to demonstrate any strengths and ‘wins’ in your performance. Keeping track however in a role as demanding as dentistry can be both timeconsuming and challenging, however, at Software of Excellence we want to streamline this process so your team can prioritise growth and development with performance transparency.

The Great Resignation

Financial return with a thriving patient base

• A website that is fit for purpose

• Effective and automated recalls

2. Progression opportunities

So let’s break this down... Variety with task automation As the world opens back up post-lockdown, there’s no denying that the popularity of cosmetic dental services has skyrocketed. As dental leaders, investing in the right technology that will support the delivery of a wider range of high value treatments is absolutely vital in not only attracting in-market patients, but potential employees too. With tools such as Online Booking able to optimise the clinician team’s diary, your team will feel confident in their time capabilities to drive a wider range of high-value treatments which can ultimately benefit both your staff and practice:

• Higher income revenue for your practice

• Greater staff engagement, particularly associates

The success of your practices replies on retaining existing patients and attracting a steady flow of new people, without this, your team simply cannot undertake the work they strive for and may turn to look for employment elsewhere with greater financial return. Optimising communication with your patients via:

• Customised, multi-channel messaging

• Powerful reviews

• Well thought out marketing campaigns

7henryschein.com.au Will equip not only your clinical team with the patient base they require but your admin team with effective, sustainable workflows. Discover more about how you can build and maintain your greatest asset with EXACT – get in touch with our team today by www.exactdental.com.auvisiting

An instalment product like humm affords the dentist and patient alike freedom to talk about the clinical merits of the treatments without the stigma or stress of the money conversation. All the debt is carried by the instalment provider and managed by them through the life of the Thattransaction.means the dental practice gets paid immediately. Money in the practice now, can mean more staff, latest dental equipment, and more business growth sooner. Flex to meet a changing financial climate

More and more Australians are choosing products and services that offer manageable instalment options. ‘Buy Now Pay Later’(BNPL) as a payment option grew to prominence around 2015, but only in the past 12 to 18 months are we starting to see its potential within essential services, such as dental treatments.

The economic climate is changing, and the demand for flexible payment options is increasing as customers deal with higher energy costs, mounting interest rates and rising inflation. The list of increasing expenses is long, and the job market will take time to adjust to salaries that keep up with the climate. Life is expensive.

Crush cash flow issues and drive debt down Pressure on practices to manage debt, balance books and maintain profitability has traditionally been exacerbated by patients who could not afford the full payment on the day of treatment.

HUMM

The majority of people are conflict averse, and the discussion of money, payment or finances evokes anxiety in a customer. The pressure on a patient to make a snap decision on a pricey procedure is immense, and depending on their financial position, providing the facility for a patient to break down their treatments into manageable chunks puts an affordable lens on a tricky conversation.Patientswho may have avoided the dentist altogether may be more likely to seek treatment because of the affordable payment options available, and those who may delay treatment might be swayed the other way. Over 40% of the reasons why people avoid the dentist involve cost. Every practice should have available a solution for patients to be able to afford dentistry and find a way to implement transparency for the patient. An increase in Average Treatment Value (ATV) With flexible finance options the question of affordability gets tucked away, and patients now may look to maximise their treatment potential, as the payments will be spread manageably over time. This may mean a lower cost but more drastic treatment like an extraction, could be upgraded to a root canal and a crown, keeping the patient’s smile and bank balance intact. As dental service providers, you will be able to confidently bring all available treatment options to the patient’s attention and recommend the most suitable course of action which, all combined, makes for a better patient experience.

The question of cost

Bite sized payments making patients & practices smile

9henryschein.com.au Make your practice humm In the dental industry, instalment provider humm already supports more than 2,000 practices across Australia and New Zealand, providing instalment plans for patient treatment of up to There$30,000.isa 26% lift in recall when humm is integrated into a quote, practices saw 94% of patient applications approved on the spot, and an ATV of $4,398. Over a 12-month period they approved over 25,000 dental transactions with a total value of over $100m. That’s $100m in the practices’ bank accounts.

10 HUMM Partnering with humm today will mean your practice will enjoy: • $0 joining fee • $0 ongoing monthly fees • Discounted Merchant Service Fee (MSF) • Potential reduced debt and debt management • Potential Increased ATV • Access to a pre-approved humm customer base of over 2.7m • Meanwhile, patients signing up and paying with humm will benefit from: • 85% approval rate • 0% deposit so they can start their treatment today (up to $12k) • Fast and easy application process • Flexible plans and easy budgeting with a set and forget direct debit • No interest ever* • asy to use app based self-service *Approved applicants only, fees, T&Cs apply, including $30 - 110 Establishment Fee, $29 Repeat Purchase Fee, $8 Monthly Fee. If you’d like more information on how humm could help your practice or simply sign up, please connect with: Tiffany Wright St Clair National Business Development Manager - Dental 0460 309 tiffany.wrightstclair@humm-group.com966

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With COVID-19 restrictions easing, travelling abroad for a holiday is at the top of the agenda for many Australians. Pay bills. Earn points. Access rewards. Transfer to fly With Dental Wallet, proudly supported by Henry Schein, you can earn points and convert them to Frequent Flyer points with selected airlines to cover the cost of your next holiday or use towards upgrading your flights.

Registering

What’s more, if travelling abroad isn’t at the top of your bucket list, Dental Wallet points can be redeemed for rewards with leading brands.

• Education and tuition, such as private school fees and further training course fees Are you dreaming of your next big holiday to visit loved ones? Or do you simply want to escape from dental practice life and fly business class to your favourite destination? do I sign up to Dental Wallet? for your free Dental Wallet account takes less than a minute. Register online www.dentalwallet.com.auat Add your preferred payment method to your Dental Wallet Pay any bills quickly and securely through your Dental Wallet (program and payment fees may apply) Earn and redeem your points your points and rewards goals here for more information on Dental Wallet, or click here to register for free. existing Dental Wallet users, click here to log in and start paying your bills. dreaming big and reach your points and rewards goals sooner with Dental Wallet!

• Business expenses, such as new equipment and consumables

How

Reach

For

sooner Click

12 Dream big and accelerate your rewards points with Dental Wallet DENTAL WALLET

Dental Wallet gets even better as points can also be used to pay future business and personal household bills. What bills can be paid with Dental Wallet points? Some examples of bills that can be paid through Dental Wallet that will earn points, include:

• Charges from Government agencies, such as your tax bill and council rates

Start

• Utilities, such as water, electricity and internet

13henryschein.com.au Pay bills. Earn points. Access rewards. With Dental Wallet, you can earn up to 3 points per dollar and use your points like cash... Register for free at www.dentalwallet.com.au

Professional indemnity insurance for dentists

Experien Insurance Services (Experien) helps thousands of dentists to arrange life and disability insurance, professional indemnity insurance and business insurance. These are complex categories of insurance where they have helped their clients to get claims paid from a wide range of insurers amounting to over $100m. In an environment of low (but rising) interest rates and rising inflation, Experien discuss trends in these classes of insurance and options available.

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Life and disability insurance Income Protection Insurance is a category of disability insurance and it’s very commonly held by Dentists. We have helped many dentists to claim on such policies for reasons such as cancer, injury, heart attacks, mental illnesses and more. And we have seen how important they have been to those who have claimed. Unfortunately claims have risen significantly over time for many reasons such as a rise in mental illness related claims. This, plus low interest rates (which negatively affect insurers) has led to significant price increases on existing and new policies. If affordability of existing Income Protection is a concern, then you can discuss your options with Experien as the product is very flexible with many options available. There has also been many changes to the life insurers offering such products. Some have closed down and many have been sold. If you have lost touch with your previous adviser or are unsure who your insurer may be, then you can also contact Experien for a complimentary review. Business (dental practice) insurance This is another important category of insurance for Dental Practice owners and provides protection against risks like property damage or from financial liabilities such as from management actions or injuries to patients at the practice. We have also helped many dental practices with business insurance claims and many of these relate to water damage. An insurer recently noted that more claims emerge for water than from fire for businesses operating in an environment like a dental Businesspractice.Insurance can be a complex product with many insurers offering more than 10 types of product sub options, like business interruption cover. This can be confusing, mistakes can be made, and a broker like Experien can guide you through the choices you need to make. We also see mistakes made when a self managed super fund of the Dentists owns the business premises of their dental practice but not the trading entity (which typically owns equipment and machinery). Mistakes are made when the business insurance policy components are not held in the correct name of each owner of the item of property, machinery or equipment owned.

The changing insurance landscape for dentists and options available

Like Income Protection insurance, we have seen significant price increases in this category of insurance. There are only a few insurers offering this cover including one that works exclusively with Experien. Some insurers mainly work through Associations where membership is either required to access the insurance or to avoid a higher price. We have also seen very large rises in premiums for General Dentists doing Orthodontics and Implants and also higher prices for Dentists in NSW than in other states. We have seen a rise in the number of Regulatory Notifications which in turn lead to professional indemnity insurance claims and also some high cost claims relating to Extractions that have led to issues.

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Practice owners should consider holding Professional Indemnity Insurance for their trading entity (and not just for their individual coverage) as many legal cases are brought against the trading entity (with or without action against an individual dentist). This is more likely in a practice with more than one dentist and where there are additional staff in the practice. Practice Indemnity Insurance arranged by Experien can be bought in one convenient package with individual cover without needing to bother with separate policies. Visit Experien at www.experien.com.au or call 1300 796 577 to find out more This is General Information that is not based on your personal circumstances. Life insurance and Financial Advice services are provided by Experien Insurance Services Pty Ltd (EIS) ABN 99 128 678 937 and Experien Financial Services Pty Ltd (EFS) ABN 32 631 346 757. EIS and EFS are a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 320626 and No. 1274354) of Affinia Financial Advisers Limited ABN 13 085 335 397 AFSL No. 237857. General insurance services are provided by Experien General Insurance Services Pty Ltd ABN 77 151 269 279 AFS Licence No. 430190 (EGIS) trading as Experien Insurance Services. Always read the Product Disclosure Statement of an insurer before considering to buy insurance.

Australian business Cinch Dental, in collaboration with Dental Health Australia has developed a world-first software-based breakthrough specifically to enable Dental Professionals to easily and affordably self-create verified video content that can be immediately sent to patients and prospects by email or SMS.

Breakthrough. Personalised video messaging to Dental patients

Co-Founder Ric Lazar said “Every Dental Professional will be reviewing all aspects of their marketing spend to see where Cinch can replace or enhance current activities that are more expensive and time consuming and less effective than the Cinch solution”

CINCH

Benefits Cinch Dental delivers include further deepening relationships and trust with current patients, unearthing new patients who are looking for the services our professionals prefer to deliver and big savings in time and money for the practice owner, while simultaneously improving the dental and thereby general health of patients through engaging educational video information

Cinch creator and CEO Alan Engert said “Whilst we are proud of the technical developments and patented technology we’ve created, the most rewarding outcome has been delivering a bespoke solution that overcomes current problems and disruptors faced by Dental Professionals. Our partnership with Dental Health Australia has kept us focused on providing answers to real issues they are juggling as they try to swim in the confusing soup that is dental marketing. Ease of use, affordability and ROI measurement have been at the forefront of everything we’ve developed. This couldn’t have been created without the expert insights provided by the extensive DHA Advisory Board ‘s input. Their expertise extends across Dental Education, Administration, Regulation, Private and Public Practice and Specialisations.”

Henry Schein quickly secured an exclusive agreement to distribute Cinch Dental in Australia and New Zealand with an impressive launch at ADX SYD. The highlight was watching Dental Professionals self -creating highly professional personalised quality video message content on the Henry Schein/Cinch stand in under 2 minutes. Then watching their delight as their ‘SMS message’ alarm pinged on their smart phone just a few minutes later to display a complete edited video with their personal opening and closing segments and a clever educational topic inserted between, and with supers and logo added through the Cinch patented system. ‘The whole process can be done in under 10 minutes and the quality is extraordinary.’ A DHA spokesperson said .’Apart from the obvious cost and time saving benefits and enhanced marketing effectiveness that will improve our industry’s business successes, our Cinch partnership also delivers 2 vital contributions that will enable DHA to deliver on our ambitions of ‘Improving Oral and General Health across the Nation’. The first is that our co-created and DHA verified educational content that is ‘wrapped’ by the Dental Professional’s We all know that the smart phone is the universal tool relied upon by every demographic and industry. You will have noticed that the communications world has turned to video. Research shows that video messages are 9 x more impactful and memorable than static image and written messages. But, video production has always been expensive, disruptive, time consuming, confusing and difficult to send to patients or prospects …… until now.

Secondly, DHA is now partly funded by contracted contributions from Cinch to DHA Charity Foundation, underwriting our further initiatives’.

messaging is sent electronically directly to patients, and carries that extra gravitas as the information is stamped by their own authority and respected, trusted relationship.

The Cinch system is app enabled and linked to a web based secure platform and is priced at under $350/month for unlimited content creations and sends. Talk to your Henry Schein Relationship Manager about how you can start experiencing the benefits of Cinch Dental today.

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Dentists are caught between being expected to give an opinion as to the treatment required, whilst understanding that any attempt to talk the patient into treatment can easily damage the relationship irrevocably. Just because they see you as an expert in your field doesn’t mean they’ll blindly follow your recommendations.

Two Rules of Ethical Dentistry

Embracing the opportunity of “ethical influencing”

1. To offer patients treatment that you would have if you had their conditions (or what you would offer your partner or your parents)

There was a time when it was considered reasonable for a dentist to adopt a didactic and paternalistic role. The patient was given a diagnosis followed by a recommended treatment plan, and they were expected to follow the dentist’s advice.’ But times have changed, and so have the patient’s mindset and their expectations.

PRIME PRACTICE

Most dentists agree that following both rules would be an entirely ethical way to practise dentistry. Those who haven’t practised by these two rules and begin to do so, invariably experience an increase in case acceptance, merely because they’re providing more options than they might previously have offered. So if you don’t have the energy to read any further, you could stop right here and you’d still have some gold nuggets that on their own will make a big difference.Butifyou’re still reading, you’ll also know that rarely (if ever), do any dentists practice these two rules 100% of the time. Why not? Because you’re human.

All ethical clinicians care about their patient’s well-being and it’s entirely reasonable to want the patient to choose the most optimal treatment for the condition. However, the fact that most dental treatment is both discretionary and expensive, and yet most conditions are chronic and painless, makes the dentist’s job all the more challenging. Bridging the gap between what a patient wants (or what they think they need) and what the dentist thinks the patient needs, has become the hallmark of mastery in our industry. And great clinical skills alone are no longer enough to bridge that gap. “The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions” (John Hancock) To influence: to have the capacity to have an effect on the behaviour or actions of someone. Some might suggest that dentists have an ethical necessity to influence their patients towards choosing optimal dentistry. At the very least, you have the choice to develop the skills to become an ‘ethical influencer’. To find a way to influence your patients to want appropriate treatment in such a way that can never damage the delicate and fickle clinician-patient relationship. One place to start might be the…

Primespeak has always been based on two ethical foundations:

2. To offer treatment options regardless of the cost (in other words, without judgment around what they can or can’t afford).

They have greater access to more information (Dr Google); they have more choices (with many more dental practices); they have a greater need to be in control of their decisionmaking; and they’ve become wary of being told what to do and ‘allergic’ to being sold to.

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And sometimes you just don’t have the energy, or the desire, or the communication skills, required.

A new communication paradigm

Knowing the two rules is the first step. Practicing them each day, with each patient, is the next step. And the more you practice them the more you’ll see that without a new communications paradigm to accompany these two rules, you may also get more rejection (again, merely because you’re offering more options). And more rejection will ultimately lead to abandoning or reversal of the rules.

We’ve always maintained that Primespeak is a ‘rejection-proof’ communications approach. That doesn’t mean you’ll get 100% case acceptance 100% of the time, but it does mean that no matter what the patient chooses, they like you, they trust you, and they’ll return to you. And that you can rest easy knowing that you’ve done your job. It’s a big call, but we stand by it.

Some might think that in order for it to be true, they’d need to use all the techniques, strategies and tools in the Primespeak toolbox, exactly as we present them.

20 PRIME PRACTICE In actuality, true mastery lies in:

3. The third stage involves the patient overhearing a conversation between the from dentists and the DA. The language used is simple, descriptive and factual regarding what can be seen. Still, no mention is made regarding treatment.

4. The fourth stage allows the patient to see images of their conditions and is involved in a conversation regarding what they can see. Still no mention of solutions, however the visible facts are indisputable. If we have created appropriate concern about the degenerative outcome of that particular condition, the patient is now ready to explore treatment options.

Essentially, the Primespeak new patient exam goes through several broad stages of ethical influence and none of these stages has any benefit selling:

1. The first stage has the dentist gather information from the patient and build rapport. There is no danger of the patient perceiving a sales agenda, provided that no mention is made of any particular treatment solutions for the patient’s condition.

• recognising that there are no scripts to follow, only concepts;

• using the least number of tools in the Primespeak toolbox; • knowing there’s a sequence, but not always needing to follow it to the letter;

• becoming aware of what you’re saying, how you’re saying it and the impact it’s having on your patients; being willing to change, amend and adapt any concepts to suit your needs and your style. So what is this new communications paradigm and how does it differ from the standard Toparadigm?beginwith, consider that when we want to convince someone to buy or do something, it is intuitive to ‘talk-up’ the positive attributes of what we want them to buy or do. In sales training, this is known as benefit selling. All of us ‘benefit sell’ in one form or another everyday. And in dentistry, focusing on the solution is common because most dentists are hard-wired to determine the right solution for any oral health conditions they find. The issue with this however, is that in the absence of trust (between the dentist and the patient) and ownership (of the damaging results of the existing conditions), the most optimal solutions may fall on dear ears. Primespeak is the antithesis of traditional sales techniques. One reason that Primespeak seems counter-intuitive is that we get better results by NOT benefit selling the optimum treatment.

• working with the counter-intuitive until it becomes intuitive;

• acknowledging that trying anything new will feel clunky in the beginning; • maintaining anything that currently works for you, even if it runs contrary to the Primespeak approach;

• becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable;

2. The second stage requires the transfer of information from the dentist to the patient before the clinical exam. Patients usually need a certain amount of dental education in order for them to be able to make intelligent decisions. The focus should be on the damaging results of an existing condition rather than the solution to a problem. This information should be woven into a conversation that is not specifically about this patient, but a general comment about what can happen with a particular condition. We have not done any benefit selling because we have still not talked about solutions.

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5. The fifth stage involves going through the various options. By this stage, the patient has a deep level of trust with the dentist and a high level of ownership of the problems, so a conversation about the various options is natural and appropriate. The patient can now make an informed decision, totally comfortable in knowing that the dentist will support whatever they choose, as long as the patient is aware of the pros and cons of each option. The absence of any recommendations removes any chance of rejection.

BRETT CHURNIN General Manager of Customer Relationships at Prime Practice

Every dentist has a choice to embrace the opportunity to influence their patients to desire optimum oral health with strong ethical foundations. A deficiency in communications training results in a deficiency to reach the desired treatment outcomes. Primespeak provides dentists and their team powerful communications techniques, tools and strategies to add to their influencing toolbox and create a win-win outcome for themselves and for their patients.

In Summary

22 Primespeak - the unique training and patient communications approach PRIME PRACTICE Recognised as a world-class seminar, Primespeak’s proven communication approach enhances patient retention and increases case acceptance; it bridges the gap between what patients think they need and what you know they need whilst removing any perception of pressure. Virtual Primespeak (12 CPDs) • 25th August, 1st September, 8th September • 23rd November, 30th November, 7th December 1-day Primespeak (8 CPDs) • 8th November in Perth • 12th November in Melbourne • 1st December in Sydney Exclusive offer As part of the free Business Booster Webinar Series, on the 25th of August, Brett Churnin, (GM of Client Relationships at Prime Practice) will share some key Primespeak tips and explore why a changing patient base needs a new communications paradigm. Book into the webinar to receive your special discount code for 25% off. Delivered to thousands of dentists and their teams, Primespeak continues to create successful results for dental practices all over the world. This proven approach now aligns the entire dental team towards a unique patient experience. REGISTER NOW

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What is the PM Network?

By Louise Howlett, Prime Practice PM Community Manager

As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. “Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”.

PRIME PRACTICE

The PM Network is a private community that supports dental PM’s and clinicians or owners who complete practice manager duties. Founded in 2021 by Prime Practice, leaders in dental practice management solutions, the PM Network was created in response to PM’s reporting they needed support to lead their teams skillfully and confidently. While it may be the clinician’s name on the practice door, the PM is very often the glue keeping the practice together. The scope of the PM’s role is vast, managing not only the business of Dentistry but also Human Resources, Infection Prevention and Control, Marketing and Management - otherwise known as the Five Pillars of Practice Management. With so much to take care of, it’s understandable PM’s are crying out for help, and the PM Network is the helping hand they need. Beyond being a reliable and trusted source of information, the PM Network is a community of like-minded individuals where our PMs can connect, ask questions and support each other. Having worked in dental practices myself for over twenty years, in all auxiliary roles, I know that PMs need this resource given they are so often thrown into the role, learning on the job and carrying the weight of the team and business on their shoulders. Not to mention that, at times, being a Practice Manager can be a little lonely.

Now, as the PM Network Community Manager, I work closely with the Prime team of experts and utilise my extensive experience in Dentistry to collate and create practical, trusted information, guidance and resources that help PMs and their teams in their day-to-day roles.

Delegation and support: the keys to successful practice management

Delegation One area where PM’s regularly tell me they need guidance is in the area of delegation, and, as always, the PM Network is happy to provide it. Delegation is a vital skill for any leader, yet it can be challenging to attempt and master. PM’s tell me that when they consider delegating to their team, they often conclude, ‘it’s just easier to do it myself’. Perhaps because of the time it takes to train the task, concern over whether the task would be done correctly, or due to feeling guilty about adding to anyone’s workload. Whatever the reason for avoiding it, it’s vital to view delegation as an essential skill for any successful manager.

You may think it’s easier or friendlier not to delegate; however, does this help your team members to learn and develop?

If you’re like most Dental Practice Managers, you wear a lot of hats, and your to-do list is overwhelmingly long! With so much to do, finding the time and energy to delegate tasks to others successfully can feel like a challenge. However, delegation is essential to creating and maintaining a successful practice and goes beyond simply getting assistance.

Practice Managers, or PM’s, consistently tell me they need to learn more about delegation, so the PM Network is here to help!

Delegation encourages a collaborative environment and reduces the risk of one person (you!) being relied upon too heavily. Many practice managers tell me they can’t take a holiday without getting multiple calls and texts from the team needing answers to questions. Situations such as these aren’t conducive to you having manageable stress levels and having adequate capacity to develop the business. Furthermore, your team are unlikely to feel empowered or inspired about their career progression when they aren’t encouraged to develop themselves or their Whileskills. successful delegation requires time and planning, the long-term benefits make it a worthy investment. Here are some tips for successful delegation:

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When you delegate work to your team, you’re actively developing their skillset, building their confidence and increasing morale by demonstrating your trust and value in them.

Pre-Delegation

By delegating tasks to your team members, you are freeing up your time to work on other essential aspects of the business. Not only will this help you be more productive, but it will also show your team that you trust them and value their contributions. If delegation is something you’re not familiar with or feel uncomfortable doing, don’t worry – these tips will help make the process a little easier for you and your team.

Before you start delegating, it’s helpful first to set an expectation with the team that you may delegate tasks, over and above usual duties, from time to time. You’ll also benefit from paying attention to what interests your team members and their skills and strengths - they may have excellent skills to utilise, and this will help you choose who completes the task. Have a clear plan of when you need the task completed and what information, training, tools and time the team member will need to complete the job. Doing the delegating When it comes to having the delegation conversation, allow adequate time to discuss what you’re delegating - rushed conversations are likely to lead to poor results. Try starting with what needs to be achieved with this task, for instance, “so that we can determine how many of our patients are returning to see us for active maintenance; we’d like you to manage our active maintenance tracking reporting.” Be sure to communicate when you need the work completed and how regularly, as well as what processes will be put in place to ensure the team member can complete this task. Take steps to ensure the team member has fully understood what you expect of them and is clear on the next steps.

Our mission in the PM Network is always to make our members lives easier, and to be their helping hand as they lead their teams to success. Our members love the connection and helpful resources. Karen, a PM from Queensland, recently told us, “‘I love the PM Network for the up-to-date information, the community it has built and the opportunity to connect with other PM’s. Professionally, the PM Network has helped me grow and given me new ideas, personally it has made me feel like I’m not alone. There is a constant stream of information given on a daily basis that touches on all aspects of being a PM.”

26 PRIME PRACTICE

Post Delegation

Following up with the team member is an essential part of the delegation process. It’s important you provide regular opportunities for the team member to ask questions or discuss the task. When the job has been completed, meet with the staff member to discuss the delegation process and to give and receive feedback. Complete the delegation process by acknowledging or celebrating the team members’ success!

We know that by lightening the PM’s load with trusted and helpful resources, providing a community of peers to offer support, and offering new perspectives, PM’s gain an increased capacity to focus on the development of their team, their systems and procedures, and ultimately, the success of the business. You can learn more about the PM Network and sign up for a 30-day free membership trial by visiting managers-networkprimepractice.com.au/prime-practice-

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