Becoming a Stellar Business in a Struggling Economy

 

Not too long ago, I was shopping in my local JCPenney. As always, I was counting on getting an outfit for 50 percent off, because they continually have the “biggest sale of the season”. And while the prices are terrific, the service leaves something to be desired. In fact, I've learned that I’m pretty much on my own. Most of the time I wander through and don’t come in contact with a salesperson until I have waited in line and checked out at one of the kiosks—but not this time!

I was sifting through the clothing rack, trying to find a match in my size when a couple of men in suits walked by. They caught my eye, acknowledged me, and asked if I was able to find what I was looking for. I said honestly that I was having trouble, and they both started looking through the rack with me. One of them brought over a salesperson to help in the search, and they stayed with me until I was able to find the right item. My only thought was, "Wow"! I didn’t expect that at a JCPenney.

On that same shopping day, I noticed a higher level of service at several other retail stores. I experienced friendlier attitudes, associates dressed more professionally, and the same kind of attentiveness I witnessed earlier in the day. What changed? I suspect it is the economy.

We all know that household discretionary dollars are scarce these days, and the retail stores know this too. Their sales have been declining, and they have been forced to come up with new strategies for attracting customers and encouraging them to spend. The message that management is sending to employees is that they must step up and give all they can. If they fail, the business fails, and the employees will likely be out of a job. This uncertainty has fueled a new motivation for employees, causing them to put more effort into their work.

Like it or not, your competitor is the JCPenney, Kmart, and countless other tenants at your local mall. Your patients make choices about whether they spend their discretionary dollars for things like clothing, dinner at a restaurant, a night out at the movies, and even cosmetic dentistry. And since they have less to work with these days, consumers are now scrutinizing their spending more closely than ever, meaning it is now more important than ever to make sure you exhaust all efforts to attract customers. 

If you haven’t done so already, you must come up with strategies to compete in the marketplace with these other businesses. Obviously, there are distinct differences between retail, restaurant, entertainment, and dental care. Primarily, dental care requires medical expertise that holds your profession to an even higher standard, which is why it is even more important to represent your practice with impeccable quality and professionalism.

The “front -line” representatives of your practice must reflect a level of passion, care, and professionalism that rises above the norm. I participated in a leading continuing education program recently, and one thing was notable to me. I could scan the room and spot the dentists in the group. They dressed professionally and exhibited more personal involvement. Even within the membership of this highly professional organization, a large percentage of the staff put very little effort into how they looked, including several people who were wearing tank tops, jeans, and sweats. I also noticed several attendees weren’t even listening or taking notes. What's more, they didn’t seem to make any attempt at becoming involved in learning. If I were a dentist who invested in bringing my staff to a continuing education program of this caliber only to witness this kind of complacency from them, I would be handing out pink slips before the end of the day! You can no longer afford a team that is not fully committed and fails to represent you with the highest level of professionalism.

How do you challenge your team to go above and beyond?
First, you must look at the makeup of your staff to determine how they think. We will then address how to help your staff take more ownership of their day-to-day responsibilities.

If your practice is like many offices, a majority of your staff members are female. What's more, many of your employees are likely young and just now entering the work force. Therefore, they have not yet had the life experience to develop a strong work ethic, meaning they require much more feedback and recognition for their effort than their older counterparts. They value their time outside the practice and are less likely to sacrifice their social life. Another group of employees in your office could include young women who have started a family. These are mothers responsible for running a household and bringing in a second income, and in some cases, the family’s only income. They shoulder a significant amount of responsibility outside of their job and are torn between work and family. Then, there are middle-age and mature team members who share similar challenges as your younger staff, but have a slightly different perspective when it comes to work ethic. They’ve been around the block and understand the importance of their work. However, if most of your team members were to win the lottery and become financially independent, most would choose not to work. The fact is they depend on their paycheck to make ends meet. Most of them cannot afford to be out of work and the thought of losing their job, especially now, is not a pleasant one. They recognize the importance of having a steady income, but some of your staff may not have made the connection between their personal struggle to make ends meet and the big picture challenges all businesses face: generate income and stay healthy in a challenging economy. As the business owner, that's what you must help them understand. They must hear that they have a huge influence on the financial health of the practice and, therefore, their own paycheck. You must send the message that the fate of their future lies in the effort and importance they place in their work. Finally, you must be willing to hear their concerns and input. Emphasize that all of you are in this together, and you need their involvement to help the practice stay strong.

You may have seen the commercial for an Internet service provider promoting their wireless connect service where the owner of a landscaping business yells to his crew, “We got the job!," and the whole landscape crew celebrates. They know that if they don’t land the job, it’s likely they will be out of work. When was the last time this happened in your practice? Does your staff recognize that each patient that comes through the door determines the future of their paycheck? Do they understand the significance between patients accepting treatment and their own livelihood? It is your responsibility to convey this entrepreneurial concept to them and create an environment where staff see their role as an essential part of the financial health of the practice.

Five Things You Must Do to Create a Stronger Level of Professionalism
and Commitment

Look at yourself.
Do you represent the highest of professional standards in how you dress, act, and work with your employees? Are you fiscally responsible? You cannot ask your employees to behave any differently. Are there ways in which you undermine the professionalism of the staff by your own example?

Re-establish expectations.
Over time, we all tend to slip. Perhaps it is time to get back to basics. Start by gathering your group together and discussing your expectations. If you have sent mixed messages, admit your mistake and get back on track. Cover everything from the dress code and office etiquette to job descriptions and continuing education. Get everyone’s agreement on the expectations and connect them to the BIG PICTURE: These are the expectations and this is why. Talk about the consequences when those expectations are not met.

Give permission to hold each other accountable.
You cannot oversee everything that goes on in your practice and you rely on your staff to represent you. By giving each person permission to hold others accountable to the standards and expectations you have established, they have more ownership in the outcome. Explain that it should not be viewed as criticism and the goal is to make the practice more successful.

Give staff permission and guidelines for making things right.
Once your staff realizes their role and responsibility for the health of the practice, they will be more empowered to make things right. The goal is to make the patient happy. For instance, if there is a dispute in the amount a patient was quoted and what they owe for a procedure, you might establish an amount the staff person is authorized to write off. If patients are made to wait a certain amount of time, you might establish that the staff can give out gift certificates. Ask your team what permissions and guidelines they would like to have. They will likely come up with some great ideas.

Celebrate your successes.
Find a way to recognize success every day. Involve your staff in celebrating breakthroughs, milestones, treatment acceptance, completion of cases, and individual accomplishments. There should be several successes you can recognize every day.

Good luck!