#876: Have a Slam-Dunk September

Dental A Team Podcast

Kiera encourages practices to send out end-of-year benefit letters now, just in time for the slow-down in September. As a bonus, she includes the lingo those letters can include.

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Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:00.634)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and welcome I hope you guys are doing so incredible and I hope that you guys just remember how great life is for you and That we're so lucky and blessed to be living in the day that we are and that we're able to be a part of dentistry And it's kind of crazy to be podcasting again. I took a little bit of time for myself I had some things come up and so it's kind of fun to be back to the podcast world and just mad kudos to our team So you guys today I wanted to give you a quick tip

to hopefully help you not have a suck -tem -ber as it has been known in the industry for years. I have an office, shout out to them, they know who they are and they call themselves the slam dunk September. And so how do you prevent that suck -tem -ber now to ensure that you have that slam dunk September? And if it's not September for you, maybe it's October, but typically around fall, things tend to be a little bit more slow. People are getting back to school.

The holidays are coming up and so people are kind of in this funky zone. feel like September is really that like shifting. It's a shifting from summer to fall. It's a shifting from being in summer, going back to school. It's a shifting from summertime into end of your holidays. And so how can we ensure that you guys are truly successful and set up for that? And it's a very simple tip that I think is so relevant for you just to put on your radar and to remind you. And sometimes you may have heard

Sometimes you'll hear things on the podcast that maybe we've talked about in the past I try really hard to give you guys new podcasts all the time But I think one of the most important things is just for us to remember things that we know to set them on automatic cadences So we don't have to remember as much and that we can become very proficient and efficient are the things that I like to do So before we get into that, I just want to say thank you for being a podcast listener. Thank you for being a part of my life Thank you for being people that I know rally in dentistry and are here and committed to

making changes into dentistry. And I just want to ask you to please go leave that review for us. Share this with a friend, put it in a Facebook place, on a post, in an Instagram question, share it with people when they ask questions. You guys know you can always go to TheDentalATeam.com, click on our podcast page and be sure to search any of your questions, any of your topics. And I guarantee you in the almost 900 episodes we have that there will be answers and solutions for you. If you're like me and you prefer it to be a little bit easier.

Kiera Dent (02:20.642)

Be sure to just email us [e-mail]. We can help you, we can reach out with you, you can join our family. We have virtual, we've got group, and we've got one -on -one consulting options for you. So really trying to accommodate all the budgets out there and all the styles and preferences and just really wanting to make sure you feel supported. I know the world can feel a little funny right now. The world can feel a little uncertain. What is going to happen with the election? What's going to happen with our patients? What's happening with insurances?

What's happening with the turnover? Am I going to have a team? I think all those questions really having a coach to guide you to give that guidance. I know I lean on my coach all the time and that's honestly why I'm obsessed with consulting our practices and being on coaching calls today. Just being able to help guide them and give them that sounding board and giving them tips and advice and shortcuts really I think is a helpful thing. And so that's really what we're about at Dental A Team. And if that inspires you, if you feel like maybe there is an easier path we've helped.

offices from startup to selling to transitions to multi -practice ownership. So whatever your path, whatever your journey is, Dental A Team's not a one size fits all. Dental A Team is here to support you, your team and your ultimate goals and desires. And we do it from people who have been there, done that and done it successfully many times over. And so really that's our goal. That's our love. And that's our obsession is you giving you and your team the happiness, the ease. Now that doesn't come without you having to put in the work too. Some people just think that we're a magic diet pill and we're not.

but we do try to eliminate the stress and make it easy for you. today, like I said, let's help you guys not have that September. Let's help you have that amazing September. And one of the easiest things is to, think it's so funny as a society, we send our end of year benefit letters at the end of the year, right? And I thought about it. Most people have already been to the dentist come August, especially mid August. We are past that six month mark. July was

A lot of people's benefits are either partially used, some of them are maxed, but most of them still have some insurance remaining. And I think it's so silly that we send out our end of year benefit letters in October. I did the exact same thing, but then I started thinking, well, if we have a hard September and we're going to be sending out end of year benefit letters in October, could we not combine the two and be able to, utilize that? And so, just something to think about. I don't think there's anything wrong with sending at least seven letters and also incorporating

Kiera Dent (04:40.886)

Phone calls in it as well kind of like our reactivation of two two two. So two weeks two months Excuse me two days two weeks two months is how we like to reactivate patients You could do the same thing with reactivation and we could be sending it out say in August September October November And then we really start hitting it in November harder But something I found when I was sending letters is my October November December are pretty darn busy And it was my September that was very light and so why not send these

mid August. We're going to try and get this released early for you guys. So you're catching this podcast right at the time and sending out these email blasts of a use it or lose it or early bird gets the worm or let's schedule on your time schedule, not when it's packed. Or why don't you take advantage of the benefits that your insurance gave you instead of having it go back to your insurance company or Hey, our schedules get really, really busy or specifically targeting certain cases right now where you can go through your own scheduled treatment plans and look for them.

and see what you can do for them to be able to get them in on your schedules. And I just think it's something where we, I think end of year benefit letters came because our September's were slow. And so I'm like, why not be proactive? Why not set in our schedule that in August every year we start sending letters. And so there are a couple letter templates that we've been doing for some of our offices. And of course our offices get VIP. We share everything with them on the podcast. I will definitely give you guys a sample of it for sure, but.

Like one blast could be like dear patient name. Can you believe it's the end of the year is already approaching Halloween will be here before you know it and we're going to be into fall spice and pumpkin spice and making this up because this one's specifically for the New Year's ball drop. That's a little bit closer to end of year, but you could be saying like right now like truly pumpkin spice seasons about to be upon us knowing that time flies when we're all having so much fun. We wanted to take a moment to remind you that your dental care is a top priority. If you're seeing our practice as a patient with dental insurance now is the time to get

Most insurance plans renew annually, that's what the air quotes, renew annually in January and run on a use it or lose it motto. Don't waste what you've got. If you have a cleaning to reserve or maybe dental treatment that's been recommended, let's help you find the best day and time to use what you've got left on your insurance plan. Like we said, pumpkin spice is going to be here before we know it. Call and reserve your next appointment with us. We want to make sure that we can accommodate your schedule before our schedules get packed. Look forward to seeing you soon. regards, best regards to your dental office.

Kiera Dent (07:04.824)

So something as simple, I love to correlate my emails with the holidays that are coming around. So it could be like, no tricks, just treats. Let's get you scheduled today. Or you could do something around like, it's pumpkin spice day. Be sure to use up your benefits. Or you can say like, it's time to give like gratitude. Could you imagine what your life would be like without teeth? We get to smile, we get to speak, we get to eat. Like all these things like Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without our teeth.

let's be sure we're taking care of them. So you really can play into some fun things, make them fun letters that your patients will be reading, and do something where, again, we're doing a benefit. I understand that it's going to benefit you as a practice for September, but truly as a patient wasting money on insurance, I think is the dumbest thing that they can ever do. Like that is Kiera's rant where I will go off on that because I just think it's, it's so unfortunate. People pay their premiums, people pay for their insurance and yet we don't use our insurance and

What happens is that money goes back to the insurance companies and that patient who paid their premiums, they're not able to maximize it. Now, if your patients have already maxed out, that's okay. Depending upon the state that you're in, some offices, again, it's state laws, so be sure to look into your state laws. Some stay in network, so they'll still honor the insurance fees. And if you're a state that does that, I always tell the patients like, hey, your insurance company gets to change every single year. They get to be doing things differently. And I would hate for

to legitimately have them come up with a policy and a plan next year that doesn't cover the treatment. We know this year, right here, right now, that this is what your insurance company is covering. Let's maximize the discounts that you still get. I explained to patients the difference between dental insurance and medical insurance. Dental insurance is like a coupon. They give us a bucket of money is another way to describe it. And once that money is gone, that's all we can use.

But medical insurance, we pay our deductible and then they cover the rest. so dental insurance is very different and we want to make sure we maximize it, utilize it, and then also get the discounts and benefits that come along with it. Because again, it's just a cute fun plan and let's make sure that we're getting everything on sale. Prices do go up next year for us and also for insurances, not your amount that they're going to cover, but the differences of what they will cover. And they often do change that from year to year. So we know today, we know we've got treatment, more treatments coming next year.

Kiera Dent (09:23.79)

So let's maximize and utilize those benefits. Now, if you're a state that doesn't do that and you actually go into your office fees, totally fine. We let them know we've maximized and utilized all of your benefits. Let's make sure we get the treatment done today because treatment will come up and we don't want it to stack up on you and it will never be cheaper or more predictable than it is today. So really helping your patients realize like we're proactive. I remember when I was dating my husband, I drove a 97 Honda Civic, it was cherry red.

I called her Rosie Anne named after my mower on my family's lawn business. I mowed lawns all growing up and I named my mower Rosie Anne. She was red as well and hence my car became Rosie Anne. I remember my husband, I was in college and like money just felt tight and I remember my window broke one time and I told my husband, said, I just don't know if I want to fix it. And he gave me something that I thought of so much. said, Kiera, always fix it when it happens because more things will break down.

our teeth are like, they're not like cars, but they are continually breaking down. Our bodies are continually breaking down. Cars are breaking down. and he said, always fix it because otherwise it just becomes more expensive. And I thought about that. Think about my window would break and then, you know, the AC breaks and then the clutch goes out and then the windshield wiper needs to be replaced in, you know, when we do it in small chunks, it doesn't seem as drastic, but think about our patients, the patients who come and get their small little fillings fixed. it's, know, a couple hundred dollars here.

versus our patients who have put off dental care for so long, and then they come in and they have these giant treatment plans that are 30 ,000 plus to get their mouths back to where they were. I think being proactive and taking care of them while they're small is something that we can do as a huge benefit to our patients. so helping our patients understand like, no, we wanna help you be proactive because it's smaller, we get to preserve more tooth. And I don't know, I have such a passion for teeth, clearly, that's why I do what I do.

But just helping our patients realize like our teeth like I said really truly are I think the It's funny. I say the mouthpiece to your soul, but it really is it's the way we smile It's the way we communicate the way we eat and enjoy food without our teeth It really would make it quite hard and the confidence that's there with it as well And so I think even if your patients might not prioritize it as much as you do Helping them see that like hey as problems come up because they're going to continue

Kiera Dent (11:48.396)

Our bodies are going to continue to get older. Our teeth are going to continue to age with us. And so let's be proactive on it now. So that's really how I'm able to help patients. And I think as long as we're not basing it on insurance, we're using insurance as a coupon. We're using it as a way to help our patients get the treatment done that's necessary. But at the end of the day, they're worth it. And being able to have that confidence, being able to have their teeth long term. Jason, my husband, his grandma.

gave him some great advice. She was much older and she said one of the greatest things she's so grateful she did for herself was to take care of her teeth. She said, Jason, I want you to floss every night and I want you to brush your teeth. And she died many years later. She was well into her nineties and she had all of her original teeth. And she said she was so grateful because she was still able to maintain a high quality of life. She's able to still smile with confidence. And she said she was so grateful.

that she was able to take care of her teeth. And that's something that she told all of her grandkids to do is make sure you prioritize and take care of your teeth. And so again, I think hearing from wiser generations than us, people that have lived through things, if as we get older, to be able to maintain and sustain our teeth, to be able to take care of them now, to be able to help our patients take care of them while they're small still, small little fillings, different things, really is such a blessing that we can give their older selves as well. And so,

I think right now this is a great time for us to be sending out those end of year benefit letters to help our patients know that now is the time. Let's get you in before our schedules get swamped and we're not able to accommodate you. And then also schedulers, make sure you're proactive. Let's not just throw in any patient because guess what? When everybody wants to come in, we get to pick and choose who we schedule. That's called supply and demand. And if we don't have as much supply of appointment spots, then the demand is for the patients that are going to ultimately

need it and also we prioritize different procedures in there as well. And this is why we start telling them in August, mid August, come in, we want to help you. So when they're calling me in December, my schedule is full. We're not making our lives crazy because I believe that everybody gets to make choices and choices do have consequences and rewards. And so let's reward our early bird patients. Let's get the word out. Let's share them with

Kiera Dent (13:56.514)

That way you and your practice have a slam dunk September, not a September. I would love to hear from you. I'd love to hear how your slam dunk September is going. I'd love to hear things that you're doing to be proactive. Some people are throwing in Invisalign days. Other people are looking for back to school specials that they can do to really start pumping those. But I believe practices who are proactive and prepared are the practices who thrive with ease.

Those who don't are the ones that are reactive and they're always struggling. So which type of a practice are you going to be? Let me know, email me in [e-mail]. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on The Dental A Team Podcast.