We’re over 85% through this year already.

Likely, the last thing on your mind is planning for 2011.

If it is, I think it might be a grave mistake.

You see, if 2010 wasn’t/isn’t to your satisfaction – whether it’s from personal income or practice income (one affects the other, right?), production, collections, staffing (you’ve got some cancerous folks around you that need to go elsewhere for employment), professional growth and development (you really, really, wanted to start offering implants to your pts but never quite got the training it requires) – then it’s too late to do a whole lot to have dramatic effect.

But, the timing IS ripe for 2010 Game Changing Operations and Planning.

For SofTouch Dental, it starts during Christmas Break.

The staff has a pretty extensive laundry list of things to achieve. Here are a few:

– complete inventory or all equipment
– complete inventory or all sundries/supplies
– complete chart audit
– head-to-toe scrubbin of the office (I mean it ALL gets sanitized and cleaned, which we do regularly anyway, but I’m a bit overboard on that usually)
– computer cleaning and upgrades if needed
– review of every single process in the office, including pt intake, referrals to other providers, professional relationships we want to expand, and…, to me, the most important…
– Changing the way we interact with patients and generate referrals.

In other words, the most important thing to me is the relationship game and how we plan to change it for the better.

That subject alone is the content of a large portion of my December Practice Profit Insider newsletter.

To me, there’s nothing more important than the relationship between the office (doctor, team) and the patient.

It supercedes everything else. Everything.

If you want a Game Changer in 2011, FOCUS on the patient. Every aspect of their interaction with you, your team, your office.

Answer these questions:
– Why do patients choose us over others?
– What can we do to better their every interaction?
– What do they want? Do we even KNOW what patients want from us?
– Are we delivering the best experience we can?
– Are we here for the right reasons?
– Are we giving every patient what they want? And more?
– What else can we do?
– Is every team member giving 100%? (If not, put ’em on notice or toast ’em!)
– Is our “customer service” leading edge, something to be in awe of, or, frankly, is it embarrassing?
– Can I “take” less to deliver more?

Take care of the details, the rest will take care of itself.

In business, to survive and grow in this economy takes intense focus and absolute, uncompromising dedication to every single relationship.

THAT dear reader, can be THE game changer for you.