How TJ Maxx Nearly Ruined My Practice

The usual advice about growing your dental practice isn’t about people; it’s about short term, impersonal, gimmicky transactions.  “Dr. Fries With That” is a show about strategies to increase both health and profit at your practice, without feeling so greasy.   This is episode two, and this edition is about how spending too much money at TJ MAXX as a new dentist nearly ruined my practice startup.   When you’re a young dentist getting started, one of the most challenging things to your success is your own self-consciousness about how you’re perceived by patients.   The funny thing is that at least in my case, I wanted to change my patients’ perception of me. That led me to spending a bunch of money, time after time, and I was so focused on how I would be perceived that I was kind of missing the boat.  I kept thinking that if I could adjust the way I looked and acted, that it would have some huge impact on the patient’s experience.   Nowadays what motivates me to get into the office is something totally different, and I’ve actually done myself and my practice a big service using the method I explain today.  “I feel that patients trust us most when we deeply get invested in understanding who they are and where they’re coming from, and it’s even more convincing when the rest of your team is the same way.”  The difference hasn’t been in maintaining some sort of professional appearance; the difference has been in learning to get involved with the patient and understand them, and it’s also been just as much about helping our team do the same for our patients.  That's my tip for today: lots of young dentists feel offended when people don't’ believe them or take them seriously, and it’s not to be taken personally.   I feel like this is an important note, and in this edition, I explain how it made a distinct difference between the beginning and later phases of my professional career.   “When I’ve seen profound growth, it’s because I’ve grown my interest in my patients.”  That might seem like a bland recommendation, but there are some very specific things you can learn about the patient that will absolutely help you while partnering over time.  You want to know what’s important to them; for some people appearance is everything, and for others it's not.   “What I really care about is doing a good job and helping our patients achieve their goals.”  All I can say is the easy way to do it is included in today’s episode, and once you start applying it, I can almost guarantee your success will never be higher.   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Make sure to subscribe at Dr. Fries With That and we’ll notify you every time we publish a new episode. Also if you could, please take a moment to rate and review (insert link) the podcast on iTunes; I’d be so grateful. That way, other great people like you can find out about the show, too. Thanks for your support!    This podcast is sponsored by PracticeWater, providing online training and other products to implement health and profit strategies in your dental practice. Visit PracticeWater to learn more!