North Texas Dentistry Special Issue 2020 NTD SP ISSUE 2020 DE | Page 27

your rescheduled patients, it will be very
easy to look past these past-due patients
and fail to pursue them. All practice owners
should also consider the potential fear that
patients might have in returning to “normal
life”. There is a chance that dentistry may not
be perceived as safe from your more cautious
or nervous patients. Your team should
consider your specific patient base and
determine the messaging and measures to
take in order to make these patients feel
safe in your office.
Prioritize Positivity and Service. Although
it feels like doomsday, now is not the time to
maintain a negative outlook. It is vital that
you as a business owner and clinician lead
well. In addition to simply keeping a positive
tone and message, take the time to serve
your team. Check on them. Are they
healthy? Are their family members healthy?
How are they handling children and spouses
at home? This has, no doubt, been a stressful
time for everyone. So, check on your team
members individually and make sure they
know that you care. In addition, check on
your colleagues and neighboring businesses.
They too have taken a hit in all of this. It is important
to check on them and show your
support of them. This is a great time to serve
colleagues and local businesses that you
know have struggled along with you.
Your patients also need positivity and exemplary
service during these post-coronavirus
days. As they enter your practice doors, they
will be filled with much of the same stress
that you and your team have experienced in
the last couple of months. With job loss,
financial stress, homeschooling stress, and
health worries, the last thing they want and
need is to walk into your office and interact
with stressed-out team members. Despite
the obvious stresses of re-opening, it’s vital
that you project positivity to your team and
clearly communicate your expectations of
positive performance and service from
your team.
Finally, prepare yourself and your team for
constant changes in the days ahead. There
could be new regulations. There could be
future mandated closures. There could be
new infection control measures. There will
certainly be economic impacts and new
strategies that will need to be developed to
accommodate a contracted economy. You
and your team will need to prioritize regular
communication to address daily stresses,
new regulations, and communication needs.
If you have been lax in the past on team
meetings, it will be important to prioritize
them now and for the foreseeable future.
Communication is critical. Each day might
temporarily provide new challenges. Therefore,
make sure that you and your team have
time to digest these challenges and problem
solve them. While COVID-19 has certainly
negatively impacted many, including dental
offices, in the interim, I have no doubt that
with some intentional effort and creativity,
practices can come out stronger, brighter,
and better than they were before. So, hang
in there, stay healthy, and practice happy!
Bethany Petty is a practice management consultant that breaks the
mold. In an effort to remove herself from the abrasive consultant persona,
Bethany spent time receiving Masters degrees in Adult Education
and in Health Communication, which enables her to present
information in a way that dentists and team members understand
and appreciate. Her unique approach customizes her suggestions
and training to fit the personality and goals of the practice. Rather
than approaching each practice with the same “Fix-It Guide,” she
evaluates the practice, talks with team members, and listens to the
dentist before making any suggestions. Bethany has a legacy of dental
professionals in her family, and she has had the privilege of helping
her father to build, manage, and maintain a successful family
practice. With the heart to serve dentists, she has made a difference in practices all over the DFW
Metroplex. For more information, visit www.hellobethany.com.
For continued COVID-19 practice support, subscribe to
Bethany’s online platform – practicehappy.co
FREE PRACTICE
VALUATION
Know the value of your practice
[phone] | ADStexas.com
Jeremy Brown JD, Joe Piazza DDS, Terry Watson DDS, & Frank Brown JD
Practice Sales & Appraisals
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 27