Running an orthodontic practice takes putting on many different hats. We need to make many decisions and develop a key strategy that aligns with our vision and core values. I tend to find that we are approached and pulled in so many directions that orthodontists and their teams can become stretched too thin. I like to remember that when I say “yes” to a task or choice, I am saying “no” to something or someone else. Consider your options carefully, as we have limited time and resources. If you spread yourself and your team too thin, then it isn’t easy to do your best work.
We have limited bandwidth in many different areas, yet the temptation is to take on more. Let’s take a look at a few areas of practice where a deliberate focus can help your performance and help you deliver better results:
The New Patient Exam
When we introduce a new patient to our practice, this appointment, and everything that goes along with it, should be carefully choreographed. I find that we often try to do as much as possible in practice and offer too many options. Consider a clear focus on what you intend to achieve at the exam and remove redundancies and excessive choices at this stage. We are in an age where options in treatment and features are abundant. For example, an orthodontic practice can offer fixed appliances, clear aligners, lingual, labial, clear, metal, accelerated, retainer programs, all kinds of financing options, virtual monitoring, etc. This slew of options often leads to analysis paralysis in patients seeking information about treatment.
Instead of throwing possibilities out there, let’s focus on the patient’s motivations and main concerns for treatment. Custom tailor an approach that best fits their needs and wants and deliver an elegant explanation for the recommended option. “Yes, there are many options out there for the care we deliver, but we recommend this.”
Marketing
Do you have a marketing strategy? Or do you follow as much as you can muster? I find many practices keep doing whatever they can to market and gain new patients. Measuring results helps us focus on the areas that do make the most impact. Some marketing makes you look good and feel good, but does it truly move the needle in patient acquisition and conversion? One example of your limited bandwidth relates to your social media strategy. There are many platforms to put out content and gain a following. They all look tempting, but do you have the time and resources to approach all of them? Analyze what social media platform appeals to the typical buyers in your practice and focus more effort on that opportunity. When you spread yourself thin across all the popular sites, you risk losing effectiveness in the areas that truly matter.
Clinical
How many appliance systems do you use in practice? Many practices will offer a fixed appliance option and a clear aligner option. It is great to capture a broader group of patients. But when we spread into many different types of appliances, we lose focus and skill in mastering our core competence. Specialization has its advantages, and it allows our team to focus on critical skills for the delivery of care. Just like a new patient exam can be confused by many appliances and adjuncts offered, consider that this can also stretch your team’s skills and competence and dilute their effectiveness. Think about all your clinical systems and critique them with the lens of limited bandwidth. Where can you gain focus, so performance, efficiency, and effectiveness can improve?
