Under Armour Bite Tech

Thank you Dr. John for my Bite Tech Performance Mouthwear! (That’s a mouthful – pun intended)

I haven’t been writing all summer because I’ve been running. I’m training for the Hartford 1/2 Marathon in October and have been busy hitting the pavement. Today I got what has been described by other athletes as a secret weapon.

I admit I am a skeptic, but also very curious. Over the next few weeks leading up to the race I’ll let you know how my training is going and what effect I think the mouthpiece has. If anyone has any good ideas for a test they’d like to see me perform, please let me know.

I will try it in long distances, mile repeats, swimming, and general workouts. This Sunday should be a good test with a 10 mile trail run.

Sleeping at Night

I spent the end of last week at the 3D Summit in Boston. Throughout the course there was one word that kept popping up – Confidence. Definition: The state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. The question was asked, “Do you have confidence in your ability to diagnose, treatment plan, and ultimately, perform?” The technology that is available today may not be a “necessity” in your practice, but it certainly can help in these areas.

This technology is not cheap, and it’s not for everyone, but there is value in being able to sleep at night. Imtiaz Manji talks about ‘sleeping at night’ as it refers to being confident in your decisions and your ability to perform. When you are in bed at night, it’s nice to not lay awake thinking about the procedures you did that day. It is comforting to know that you performed at your highest potential and that you are satisfied with the outcome.

Do you have confidence in your ability to diagnose?

Do you have confidence in your ability to treat?

Do you have confidence in yourself?

Time to Change the Filter

A filter, simply put, is anything that changes what comes through the other side. We use filters in our water to remove impurities. We use a filter on a camera lens to control the way light appears.

We have filters imbedded in ourselves, too. You probably don’t realize you’ve got one. Maybe several. It may take an interaction with someone else to understand how you’re perceived. We ask for a second set of eyes to help edit a paper. We ask someone, “how does this look?” because not everyone uses the same filters.

Some of us say that we speak with no filters. For example, you may have said this after speaking to your in-laws in a tone of voice you now regret.

I recently heard of a story of a man who was laid off. Every conversation he held with someone after his layoff came across as very negative. He was very much upset with his ex-employer, as well as himself. He dismissed ideas, and ignored any creativity. His filter was his layoff. Everything came through as pessimistic.

What filters do you have?

What about Marketing?

Dental Marketing: Why It’s Getting Big

This is a guest post by Yodle, a leader in local online advertising, the fastest growing locally based online media company in the U.S. (according to Borrell Associates), and co-author of the recently published Local Online Advertising for Dummies.

What challenges do dentists face in the age of Internet advertising?

Dentists are aware that a huge portion of their potential clients are looking online on search engines like Google, when searching for services like theirs. In fact, 82% of US consumers are now searching online to find local services. The challenge for dentists is to attract the right audience and turn them into clients. This of course is easier said than done.

Online marketing has evolved over the years, and it’s gotten more and more competitive and sophisticated from a execution standpoint. Today, there are different channels within online marketing that a dentist can use to attract new clients or better service its existing client base, including Search Engine Optimization, Pay per Click marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Advertising among others. With so many available channels and each needing a different caliber set, it just makes the task tougher.

A dentist can choose to run his online marketing campaigns himself or choose a company to do it for him. If you decide to do it yourself, we suggest using some helpful tools and information, easily available online. Feel free to use some tools listed below. Not to say that online marketing is an easy task even after all that information and help being available. We honestly recommend dentists spend their time doing what they do best, servicing their clients and leave the task of acquiring new patients to the marketing experts for most effective results.

Dental Marketing Resource

Dentists looking to take advantage of the opportunity that online advertising presents can visit the Yodle Dental Marketing website and read the dental marketing blog, which specifically covers the issues dentists face in online advertising. Past topics have included the importance of employing a sales-savvy receptionist, website conversion rates, and how to effectively advertise online for emergency services. Other helpful tools include a patient search calculator to learn how many searches for dentist are being conducted in any zip code, and a downloadable guide on the top 5 most common marketing mistakes.

Happy marketing, dentists!

I Graduated, Now What?

I read a post this morning about giving advice to new graduates who are entering the business world. The advice offered said that just because you graduated, doesn’t necessarily mean you know anything. You are full of potential, but you are just beginning your education. In other words, settle down with your fancy book learning.

My advice to new graduates is to find something you love to do, because even if you love your job, work is work. First of all, I hope you did learn something while in college. For some it may have been easier said than done. I have a degree in communications. Basically, I earned a handshake and a good luck, but I learned a lot and loved the classes I took. I studied nonverbal and interpersonal communication, small groups, public speaking and mass media. It turns out, those are all the things I do now. Ten years later, I’ve even had a chance to think about and revisit some of the concepts of communication that are present in Social Media. Enjoy what you do and cover a wide range of areas.

I know there are experienced dentists and dental professionals who read this blog. Please share some advice you may have for a new dentist just coming out of school.

250,000 MILEStone

For the past few weeks I’ve been watching my odometer turn it’s way towards 250,000 miles. I’ve been getting sentimental about it since I’ve never had a car last that long. I originally bought it because the CEREC could fit standing up in the back. I carried that baby all over the place and had a blast doing it. I made it though several VT winters and and a few windshields. There have been four tire changes, monthly oil changes, and a few flat tires. The best part; with more more payment, she’s all mine.

Driving is a popular metaphor for Life, and in the days leading up to the big moment, I’ve been thinking of driving cliches. I’ve considered the journey, the destination, taking the road less traveled, and looking for adventure. I started thinking about all the possibilities and opportunity the open road offers. Between the twisting country roads, and wide open highways, if you’re not careful, you could get lost or even have an accident.

Then something struck me, I realized that if I continue driving at this pace, I have over a million miles to go. I can use those miles to accomplish anything or go anywhere. Today I’m excited to get back in the car and push on towards 300,000 and beyond.

What would you do with One Million Miles?

4 Areas of Focus for the Manager

If you are the owner, a team leader, the office manager, or any other position where you have some influence, there are 4 areas you should be spending up to 85% of your time (FYI 72% of statistics are made up on the spot).  Putting these 4 areas together can help build a strong team that fits your culture, enjoys work, and outperforms expectations.

1. Recruiting. A good leader should always be looking for strong talent to add to the team.  Even if there isn’t a position available in your organization right now, there may be one next month.  If you are always recruiting the best people, you’ll never have to settle for second best when a position does open up.  Maybe your business has untapped potential, and a new opportunity may present itself if you meet and recruit a dynamic person with a unique skill set.

2. Coaching. Often I think coaching is misunderstood.  When I hear the term “coach”, I picture my little league baseball coach, dressed in classic coach shorts and tube socks, yelling his face off about fundamentals.  A good business coach doesn’t yell or wear tube socks.  They ask the right questions, listening actively, ask more questions, and support self-discovery.  When the team member is “coached” through this exercise, the result is an empowered person that has the confidence and ability to change course.

3. Accountability. This is always difficult to manage.  If your business focuses on goals or targets, it is likely that everyone on your team responds differently to your current system of accountability.  Some see the goals as a minimum, some see it as a challenge, some don’t see it at all.  The rewards are never big enough, and the punishment never harsh enough.  Accountability is personal.  A manager should be in touch with each team member’s sensibilities to help them feel connected to the goal or target.

4. Motivating. Motivating your team goes hand in hand with accountability.  You don’t need a pep rally to get your team fired up.  Instead, you need to know what makes each team member tick?  Why do they show up every day?  What part of their job brings the most joy?  What are their best talents?  What do they think your organization could be better at?  There isn’t a magic bullet for motivation, it comes down to knowing your team and wanting to help them do better in work and in life.

I’d love to hear your tips on the 4 areas mentioned above.  Have a great boss?  Tell us about what makes them special.

The Insider’s Guide to Customer Service

This is a guest post by Siobhain Meacham. Siobhain is one of our fabulous customer service representatives at our branch office in Rocky HIll, CT. I asked Siobhain to tell us a little bit about how to get the most out of your next call to her department.
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My co-workers and I were chatting the other day about helping our customers. Someone turned to me and said “How do you get the most from Customer Service? It’s you Siobhain, it is all YOU. You should write a blog!” Quite frankly that kind of freaked me out a bit. I thought # 1 I am too shy to put my thoughts down, and #2 what do I know about customer service?

After thinking about it, I realized that I actually know a fair bit. After all, I have been on both sides of the fence, and I have inside information that I should share. I was a dental assistant for 19 years and have been with Patterson Dental for the past 4 years answering the phones as a customer service representative.

When I was an assistant, I was the “go to” gal in the office. Like many over worked, over stressed assistants, I made myself available for all kinds of tasks; placing orders being the most daunting. I know that it’s not an easy job being on that end of the phone line. With my 19 years in the dental office, I know about all those unseen pressures in the background. Some of them even have voices, but they all have the same thing in common, they all are demanding.

So now I want to give back and try to help make your day just a little easier. Here is my insider’s guide to a great experience next time you call customer service.

It’s easy. The first thing I want you to know is that we are there to help you. When you are calling in frantically looking for your missing order, or you just opened that last box of gloves, please know that we are going to do whatever we can to expediently and efficiently help you. A sense of humor can be helpful too. Having a laugh always releases some of that tension that you may be feeling.

It’s important to breathe. Relax your shoulders, speak calmly and clearly. When I would call customer service, I would speak in run-on sentences all in one breath. This proved to be a bad strategy as I would have to repeat the information all over again, sometimes for a third time.

Here are the key bits of information that will get you squared away in record time:
1. We first need to know who you are and where you are calling from. We could guess but then the call may take a while.
2. Tell us what’s going on so we know where to start
3. Details. Item numbers are always a plus, but in the event you don’t have one, provide as much info as possible (ie: size, color and manufacturer). The manufacturer’s reference number is also very effective.

There is a sort of partnership with the person placing the order and the customer service rep. Sometimes I feel like I am on a mission, it’s me and my customer against all odds. The only weapons we have are a color, a brief item description, or an illegible product number. Together, we can do it. We have the determination, the motivation, and the information.

Oh So Close

Lately the word “goal” has been showing up a little more in my vocabulary. I’ve seen a couple of presentations now on setting goals, and following through on them. But have you ever thought about your failed goals? You know…the ones you set out to accomplish, but for one reason or another they’re not completely achieved?

5 years ago I set out to have a side job as a kickboxing instructor, but I failed both exams.Last fall I worked toward the goal of finally breaking the 2 hour mark in a half marathon, my official time was 2:07:00. Last weekend I attempted to skim a 92 foot pond on skies, but only made it about half way.

You’d think at this point I would tell myself that I’m either not as athletic as I think I am, or that I shouldn’t set these goals for myself. Well, I won’t settle on either of those answers. If I wasn’t athletic I wouldn’t have had the strength to stand up in front of a group of fitness instructors showing them my jab-cross-hook-upper cut combo. I wouldn’t be able to endure 13.1 miles of running, and I wouldn’t be able to glide 45 feet across water on equipment that was made to glide across something a little more solid. If I didn’t set any of these goals, I wouldn’t learn from any of them. I’m beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, your failed goals are just as important as the ones you accomplish. I believe you learn just as much from the ones you can’t put a full check mark next to, than those you can. You learn to tweak your goals for next time around. You learn to get back on the proverbial horse. You learn what you did wrong, and what you did right.

I now know what to expect from a kickboxing class as a participant, after knowing what goes through the instructors head. I now know how to chop off those last 7 minutes the next time around. And at next year’s pond skim, I think I just need an awesome costume to get me across.

Here’s an exercise to help fine tune your goals:
Write down 5 goals. Create some that are for the near future, and some for the distant future. Then write down 5 characteristics about yourself. 5 things that would describe you. Once you’ve completed these separate lists, compare them. See how your qualities have an effect on your goals. Does one characteristic hinder a goal? Do some of the attributes have a positive effect on your goals? Then rank the 5 goals. Take your top goal, and write down what you’re going to do in the next week, month, and 6 months to accomplish that goal. And remember, if you fail, go back to the drawing board and don’t get discouraged.

3 Steps to Overcoming a Setback

Last week I tweaked my knee during a game in my adult co-ed rec soccer league. Like David Beckham, I was hoping to use this season as a launching pad to South Africa this summer, but unfortunately I too will be left off the roster. The past few weeks I have been so excited about Winter breaking and getting back to running full time. I’ve been loving soccer, building my mileage back up, and have been eyeing a few races. Now, I have to sit, be patient, and try to wait for my knee to feel better. Once I finally get going again, I might be slow getting back up to speed. I’m frustrated.

Overcoming setbacks is difficult. Just a few days after surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon, David Beckham says he is feeling positive and now concentrating on getting back to full fitness over the coming months. A positive attitude is a good start on the road to recovery.

In any business there will be setbacks. In your practice, maybe you lost your best assistant, or even your office manager. Maybe you had an injury or a personal situation that forced you to halt your progress and take a step back. Maybe the economy hit you harder than most. As I mentioned, I’m struggling and frustrated with my setback, but here’s how I’m going to rehab.

1. Stay Positive. This might be the hardest part, especially as you see your colleagues progressing or coming out of the recession a little faster than you. If you are facing recovery in your practice, the first step is to be positive. Your attitude (positive or negative) will be passed on to your staff and to your patients. Keep a good outlook and smile your way through it.

2. Go Slow. This is the frustrating part. You want to go fast, you know you can go fast, but you are limited by your surroundings or situation. It takes time to train a new team member or to implement a new strategy. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Focus on making your practice stronger each day.

3. Learn Something. I learned that my legs aren’t strong enough. Yes, I can run in a straight line at a pretty good pace, but my legs aren’t prepared for the forces that soccer can put on them. I will be adding new strength exercises to prevent a repeat injury. You might need to study up on interviewing and recruiting, take a practice development course, or simply change your schedule. Even if your setback couldn’t be prevented, you can still learn something to better prepare yourself for the future. Use this opportunity to educate yourself and improve your practice.

Anything to add? I’d love to hear from you.