Motivate Your Dental Team
3 tips to keep your team productive and in good spirits
The coronavirus pandemic has been a stressful period for dentists and their teams. And there is a mix of emotions right now. Most dental professionals are excited and grateful to be back at work. But coronavirus fears still linger. Everyone wants to protect their personal health, that of their families, their teams, and the health of their patients.
It will take time for everyone to adjust to a new normal. However, there are things you can do to help your team feel comfortable, keep them united, and offer guidance on how they can ease patients’ fears.
By taking these steps, you’ll all work together better and that will improve patient retention, boost profits, and foster a positive culture everyone will love – including patients.
Tip #1 – Check In With Your Team
Now more than ever, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open. Team members appreciate hearing from you just as much as patients do. Here are some things to discuss:
- Ask each team member how they’re doing. Do they have specific concerns about being at work?
- Listen to their thoughts and feelings.
- Remain cool, calm, collected. While it may be difficult at times, it’s important to show leadership. Your team looks up to you to show them the way.
- Ensure everyone has access to scripts for common COVID-related patient questions.
Tip #2 – Communicate Your Post-Pandemic Goals
Your post-pandemic goal isn’t to be confused with your dental practice’s overall vision and mission. That doesn’t change. This is the one big goal you’re all going to focus on – intensely – during the recovery phase. Here are a few examples:
“We will increase our case acceptance rate by 10% over the next six months.”
“We will work hard to increase our active patients scheduled rate by 20% in six months.”
“We will get our call conversion rate up to 77 (top 10% of practices) before the end of the year.”
Tip #3 – Offer A One-Time Bonus
If you are, or will be, in a position to reward your team for extraordinary performance during this unprecedented time, consider it. If they achieve any of the goals mentioned in the previous tip, thank them and reward them. A delightful incentive can keep them firing on all cylinders.
Whatever your goals are, everyone must be on board. A major victory will push your practice over this hump and put you closer to achieving your post-pandemic goals. When determining the right bonus amount, you must consider the profit you plan to make. Use money from collections to distribute the bonus.
Conclusion
Your team wants to work together to give patients exceptional care and a positive experience they’ll remember. And they want to be part of your comeback story. Use these tips to inspire them, show you care about their well-being, and demonstrate that you are going to be by their side through it all.
If you’d like additional support, like front-desk training, monitoring, and ongoing guidance, our expert team at Patient NEWS can help. Give us a call at 888-377-2404.