Embrace Progress: Two Sides of the Coin by Dan Grob, DDS, MS, editorial director, Orthotown magazine

While I was waiting to board a plane for my weekend in Cleveland, I couldn’t help but notice the energetic, well-dressed man next to me who had several awards pinned to his lapel. We started talking and he volunteered that he’d just entertained clients at the Stadium Course at TPC in Scottsdale. I’m familiar with it, because I annually sponsor a hole for a charity event two weeks before Waste Management Phoenix Open; it’s a chance to have your picture taken in front of the 16th hole, without the rowdy fans. (I still shot a 4.)

You need to remember: It’s more than 100 degrees in Phoenix this time of year, and his itinerary was dinner on the day of arrival, golf, dinner the next night, then flying out. I asked what type of business he was in that allowed for a three-day business meeting where all he did was eat two dinners and play some golf to make sales. “Title insurance,” he replied, “and business is good.” Wow! He also said it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounded, with hours and hours of work, and one relationship after another.

He told me the business was all about relationships. When starting, the relationship- building is, of course, on a smaller scale—a phone call, lunch or a rare round of golf locally. Regardless of how much higher up the food chain he went in the insurance world, though, the same was true for every client: It’s all about the relationship. (The higher up you go, he said, the more likely you’ll be playing some golf.) Why didn’t my parents teach me this? Oh, that’s right—we didn’t have the money or time.

But back to title insurance: He explained that there were innovations and disruptions, contact-relation management software and the like, and some salespeople felt threatened from uploading their contact information (because of the potential for anyone to share or utilize it). He appeared unfazed, though. “You still need to do the work, make the contacts even when you don’t feel like it, close the sale, be patient,” he explained. “Software doesn’t sell the product.”

When it was time to board, we exchanged business cards and headed off to Cleveland, where I was on my way to the Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program (GORP), the annual event for orthodontic residents and exhibitors.

One of the most interesting speakers at the event was Dr. Lisa Alvetro. Known on the continuing education circuit for her tips and techniques on Forsus treatment, Alvetro is also a master CEO of her practice.

Early in her career, Alvetro identified what it took to make a practice grow and thrive in a changing economy—and it’s not the bracket that you’re using. It’s the right people. (Her approach to hiring and managing has served her well. How many one-doctor practices do you know that employ 20 people?)

A mission statement is the first thing to identify for all to see, Alvetro explained, because it is the guideline for you, your employees and your business. She’s an optimist who views debt as just a cost of doing business. Her advice: Don’t always stress the big picture; instead, go to work and get today’s job done and prepare for the future. Don’t dwell on it.

Relationships, just as the title insurance salesperson mentioned, are key to your practice. When we combine Alvetro’s philosophy and advice from the salesperson I met, the result is a hybrid that lends itself well to the field of orthodontics: Sometimes the best mission statement you can have is one that focuses on building relationships with people—not just your patients—daily. The future, after all, is not secure unless you have the people you need supporting you along the way. Relationships will challenge you, reward you, be constant (if you maintain them) and be of value (not just in monetary worth).

Most successful businesspeople would agree that a love of being around people is a major key to their success. Even if such a nature isn’t innate, they at least understand the importance of being polite and professional to maintain and build relationships.

One reference that stuck out to me was one from Robert Cialdini, a professor who focuses on psychology and marketing and has written many books on persuasion and influence. Persuasion, as it relates to our industry, is how to get patients to say “yes.” Cialdini identifies six factors that are essential in a discussion for a patient to say “yes”: social proof, liking, reciprocity, scarcity, commitment and authority.

Alvetro’s final discussion at GORP was about utilizing the case-manager system for employees. Instead of having typical assistants who pass instruments and take directions, a well-trained, social and responsible case manager empowers the team to make the best out of the practice and the doctor/patient relationship. The concept might not work for for everyone, but it’s certainly a very interesting one for growing practices in the new world order.

The similarity of various businesses is a wonderful thing. As my corporate attorney once said, “When an attorney, accountant, dentist or other professional realizes that all businesses operate on basically the same proven systems, the sky is the limit.”

Read our GORP recap
Orthotown Editorial Director Dr. Dan Grob shares more insights and findings from the 2017 GORP meeting on p. 48.