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Professional News Articles : FRONT DESK by Mary M. Byers, CAE : Give it away: Build your practice by sharing your expertise

Give it away: Build your practice by sharing your expertise

October 03, 2006

An old adage notes that the “proof is in the proving.” Automakers have long known this—that's why they let you test drive a car before buying, sometimes even encouraging you to take it home and keep it overnight. Famous Amos, cookie maker extraordinaire, grew his business into the giant it is today by giving away free samples of his cookies.

Dental professionals, too, have the ability to let potential patients “test drive” their services. And I don't mean giving away free prophys or fillings in order to let people know you're capable. Professionals let others “sample their services” simply by giving away their knowledge. Following are several, inexpensive ways for you and the other in your practice to help build the practice by giving away your expertise:

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. Contact your local schools and daycares and offer to spend a morning doing oral health education for young people. Younger children are interested in learning about basic hygiene; middle school children respond to learning about streptococci mutans, the bacteria that cause tooth decay.  Junior and senior high kids are interested in learning about topics such as tobacco use, tongue piercing, preventing bad breath, tooth whitening, and how to handle dental emergencies.

Be sure to send home something with the practice's name on it: a tip sheet, a toothbrush, or an activity sheet. This will reinforce the value of your message and enable families to contact the practice easily to make an appointment.

Commit to giving six presentations over the next year to groups like Rotary, Kiwanis and other local service clubs. They are always looking for speakers—and when you're up in front of a group, you have the chance to showcase your expertise. Be sure to customize your message for the audience. Older audiences are interested in implants, how to keep their teeth longer, new restorative materials, and cosmetic dentistry. Members of the audience are all potential patients, and when they see what you know, they'll be come comfortable with you. (By the way, this is how I found my stockbroker. She taught a four-week investing class through a community college. After seeing first hand how much she knew, and gaining an understanding of her philosophy of investing, I decided to turn my money over to her and let her do the work instead of doing it myself!)

Watch for dental-related controversies in your community (such as fluoridation, mandatory mouth guards for sports, and amalgam in waste water) and weigh in with your thoughts, either through a letter to the editor or by contacting the local reporters working on the issue (or both!).

Give back to your community by participating in oral health screenings, volunteering at the local dental clinic, or by contacting a school nurse and asking if you can “adopt” a child or two in the district that would benefit from your care. No matter how wealthy the school district, there are always children who need care that they are not receiving. Tooth decay is the number one chronic illness in children. In poor children with decay, almost 80 percent remains untreated. Though this type of giving isn't designed to increase your visibility, it will remind you how blessed you are to work in a profession that is preventive and focused on healing.

Give the expertise in your practice away freely and without expectation of receiving anything in return, and the practice will grow as a result.

CDS presents Front Desk, a column addressing problems dentists and staff members experience in the office. Front Desk is prepared by Mary M. Byers, CAE, a professional speaker and freelance writer. Ms. Byers may be reached at mbyers@marybyers.com or www.marybyers.com. Send suggestions for topics to be covered to review@cds.org.