Author Archive
Practice Stress or Practice Peace
Posted by: | CommentsThe economic slowdown has created a general sense of insecurity and restlessness. It is often during the hardest times, rather than the most peaceful times that you find a purpose that gives you meaning. As dentists and business owners, purpose and peace must prevail. Albert Einstein once said of life, “It’s simple, but not easy.”
Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace. Finding inner peace does not require hours of daily practice. You don’t have to stand on your head or sit in a meditative position. All it takes is a little willingness and common sense. Life is a precious gift to be savored, not an endless series of chores to complete while you complain about your “practice life.” Remember, your to-do list is immortal. It will live on long after you are gone.
It is impractical to believe that peace is some distant goal, attainable only by a few fortunate souls blessed with good genes, superior brain chemistry, plenty of money, or a calling to become a monk. Peace has not deserted even the craziest and busiest among us. The most basic fact about being human is that peace is our own true nature, our fundamental state of mind. There is a Buddhist saying that peace is like a sun that’s always shining in your heart. It’s just hidden behind clouds of fear, doubt, worry, and desire that continually orient you towards the past or future. The sun comes out only when you’re in the present moment.
The happiest and most productive people are passionate about life. They radiate an infectious enthusiasm that makes “business” a pleasure rather than a problem. Passion focuses your personal energy. Without purpose, energy tends to remain scattered. Periods of letting go are also critical to the creative process. The history of invention and discovery are filled with stories of people who work with enthusiasm, but can’t quite get to that “Aha!” The answer usually comes when they stop thinking and striving. Einstein had his greatest “Aha!” (related to his theory of relativity) while sailing on a boat one weekend after spending many fruitless weeks laboring in his study.
One workable strategy for maintaining peace (sometimes defined as productivity and profitability) over the long haul is to learn how to relax and take care of yourself. There are literally thousands of ways to relax. This week put aside an hour a day to relax in whatever you enjoy. You will find that instead of constricting the amount of time available for you to get things done, the day will seem to unfold in a more languorous, spacious way. The to-do list will still get done, and you will live to tell about it.
Learn to take care of yourself. Think of a person whom you love and respect. For the next week, each time you forget to take care of yourself, pretend that someone dear and precious lives inside you. Honor that person; treat them with all the respect they deserve. If you adopt this daily practice, little by little a strange and wonderful transformation will occur. You will remember how to be good to yourself. And you will experience how much more creative and productive you are when you know you are worthy of your own care and love.
Peace is not a distant goal. It is already within you. Release the sunlight of your spirit by learning to relax and take care of yourself. Practice peace – you’re worth it!
Change is Good
Posted by: | CommentsSmall changes will significantly impact your dental practice and life for the better.
–Small changes in Cash Flow Management will give you immediate control of money and peace of mind.
–Small changes in Time & Energy Management will impact your practice within just one month!
–Small changes in your Sales Effectiveness will provide you an immediate increase in Production!
–Small changes in Marketing will take 18-24 months to take effect.
–Small changes in the Right People can make an immediate impact on your practice and life.
–Small changes in the Organization will take 3-6 months to take effect in your practice and life.
–Changes in Purpose will have a profound and long term effect on your Practice and your Life.
CHANGE IS GOOD. Pull yourself up and get at it now.
—-For help with dental practice management, dental case presentation, hygiene as a profit center, business plans for the dental practice, dental continuing education seminars and more, go to www.SchusterCenter.com or call 1-800-288-9393
Getting Rich vs. Creating Wealth
Posted by: | CommentsIn 1986 I met an orthodontist at a workshop I was doing in Colorado. We went for a walk and he told me this story:
“My practice wasn’t going as good as I had hoped and when a friend of mine came to me with a business proposition I got involved thinking that owning an auto repair franchise would be the key to me getting rich. Two years later repair franchise went bankrupt and my partner skipped town and the bank pinned the $570,000 debt on me.”
So there he was, in 1986, $570,000 in debt plus the debt for his practice and home which totally exceeded $1.4 million. Something happened on his way to ‘getting rich’…he almost ended up in the trash dump.
The rest of the story: He became a student of mine and when I say student, I mean it. He was diligent, dedicated and determined to do something different, and that was to ‘create wealth’. And ‘creating wealth’ is totally and completely different than ‘getting rich’.
13 years later, my student and friend had a net invested worth of over $4M and no debt. He took me to a Warren Buffet Conference in Omaha. It was a great experience for me to witness the growth, the personal evolution and development of this fine man.
The impact of becoming a ‘Wealth Creator’ versus just striving to get rich can be dramatic. And to add to this story, the first question that was asked of Warren Buffet after he opened for questions was the following…
Q: “Mr. Buffet, what’s the difference between getting rich and wealth?”
A: “Wealth is a state of mind. People that are trying to get rich never have enough. Most people that are trying to get rich are doing it out of fear. The fear that they will never have enough – and that’s exactly what happens to them. They make if and then they lose it. (read the introduction in The Science of Creating Wealth™) Wealth, true wealth is about abundance.”
Well stated by the wealthiest man in the world.
—Dr. Michael Schuster
Part 2: Level I, II, III and IV Dental Practices
Posted by: | CommentsWhat kind of a dentist do you want to be?
Results of Level I Practice:
• Busy, busy, busy – focus is on production
• High stress environment
• Patients expect little and get little
• Patients get today’s problems treated with little or no thought of the future.
• Staff or team are not engaged and involved: have a TIGF, or ‘thank God its Friday outlook’.
• There is little or no fun or fulfillment at work.
• Piecemeal, patchwork, large fixed facility with many ops and many staff people.
• Many staff conflicts
• Doctors aren’t on the same page.
• Commodity and low fees.
• Patients and dentists locked into ‘plans, PPO’s and totally insurance based.
Results of Level II Practice:
• Similar to Level I with money and production and doing things to people as the focus.
• Staff bonus systems on ‘up selling’ or ‘manipulation’ sales techniques’
• Production and money driven.
• Patients buy what insurance will pay and little more.
• Focus is on bigger ticket items such as:
— Implants
— Cosmetic dentistry
— Surgery
— Crown and bridge
• High production, high pressure, lots of stress.
• Limited treatment planning
Results of Level III Practice:
• Slower pace.
• Fewer patients, far greater treatment per patient
• Far deeper and more significant relationships
• Treating the whole mouth and patient.
• Far greater patient involvement and participation.
• Patients not dependent on insurance.
• May have to pace treatment, but accept the optimum care and willingly pay for it.
• Comprehensive Co-Discovery, Co-Diagnosis, Co-Treatment Planning and Co-Delivery of the treatment.
• High internal rate of referral.
• Works with specialists and coordinates treatment.
• Medium to high gross income with high Net Profit, High Fulfillment, and High Sense of Purpose.
Almost all of us begin as Level I dentists, migrate to Level II thinking and if we learn, develop as human beings, feel free to express our values, and learn how to Control Money, Time and Organize all the Strategies and Systems, Communicate openly and honestly, then we can evolve and develop into Level III dentists.
Level III requires a commitment to learn, grow and evolve. It requires technical competency, management competency, leadership competency, communication and yes, sales competency.
A Level III and Level IV dentist is a lifetime commitment to truth, learning and development. As a Level III and IV dentist myself, I can tell you that I still love what I do. I still love meeting patients, working with patients and feel like I am still getting better.
A true Level III and IV dentist never wants to quit. The question is why would you want to stop doing something you love to do. Level III and IV dentists can stop working, but practice dentistry for fulfillment.
Results of Level IV Practice:
• All of the results of a Level III dentist plus…
• Leadership – community involvement.
• Mentorship – the willingness to help other dentists.
• Dedicated Professional – continued higher learning and dedication.
• Student of life – mental, emotional and philosophical progression.
I realize that the masses of dentists are Level I and II and it will always be this way, but this is YOUR LIFE and YOUR PRACTICE. Don’t sell yourself short. You only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
I’m always happy to talk with you. If you want to get a hold of me please call the office at 480-941-9393 to ask Mary to make us an appointment to speak by phone.
Level I, II, III and IV Dental Practices
Posted by: | CommentsPart 1: What kind of a dentist do you want to be?
• Level I – mostly a quick fix, in and out practice. This dental practice reacts to patients’ problems and generally treats one tooth at a time or one problem at a time. There is little or no time spent in diagnosis and treatment planning. Volume is the focus to this type of practice. Generally, the training of this type of dentist is dental school only or minimum CE after dental school.
• Level II – dentist has more technical training, but the perspective of the dentist (his/her vision) is limited to fixing and repair. Patients will only do what insurance will pay for. Level II dentists will have considerably more technical training than Level I dentists but treatment vision is driven by the patient’s need and the dentist’s need to fix things.
Level I and II dentists and dental practices amount to 95% of all dental practices in the United States. Why? Because this is how we’ve been trained, to fix things.
• Level III – focus is more pro-active or creative than reactive. The dentist and patient co-discover and co-diagnose the health of the mouth to predict the future health or disease of the entire oral system. Level III dentists are more ‘systems based’, looking at the cause of disease and treating the entire ORAL SYSTEM rather than simply teeth, periodontal disease, or cosmetic occlusion. All new patients have a complete examination of all components of the oral system, not just the teeth. Patients will have a Written Master Plan for Prevention and Repair. The central difference is that both dentist and patient are interested in the cause of the problems not just the treatment of the symptoms. This is a lower volume, relationship and trust-based practice.
• Level IV – focus is similar to Level III but the cases and problems patients present are more complex. Missing teeth, periodontal disease, occlusal disease, TMD may all be involved. Dentists involved in Level IV dentistry are ‘whole mouth dentists’ as are Level III but they are also ‘whole person’ dentists.
Level III and Level IV dentists are ‘systems thinkers’, not piecemeal thinkers. They look at the ‘big picture’ as well as the ‘small picture’.
Our dental education prepares us to be Level I dentists.
Advanced technical training prepares us to be Level II dentists.
Our ‘quick-fix’, busy, I have to have it now culture, prepares the patients for Level I and Level II practices. The majority of management promoted in the professions comes from a ‘business model borrowed from manufacturing’. Turn out as many widgets as you can and things will turn out just fine.
Problem is dentistry is a ‘service, relationship and trust-based model’, not a manufacturing and production model. A production model is perfect for a Level I and II practice because it focuses on treating as many people as possible and delegating as much to adjunct staff as possible. The focus of both Level I and II is efficiency and is measured by production and collection. More patients equal more production.
Most dentists today understand the ‘production model’ because their first ‘job’ as a dentist is usually in a ‘production clinic’ or ‘dental mill’.
Production models have a broad mix of services so they can do everything on everybody. No discrimination, just give me a warm body is the code.
A Relationship, Service and Trust-based Comprehensive model is less known in dentistry because there are fewer of them (far fewer) and because volume and production models are promoted by consultants and management companies or manufacturers or accountants who aren’t dentists.
The reality is there are very few ‘consultants’ and ‘management firms’ who know how to create this type of practice because they never created one for themselves.
Which perspective fits you? Here are a few questions that may help:
• Do you want to form significant relationships with your patients?
• Do you sincerely want to make a difference in their lives?
• Do you like to work on a few people and make a big difference in their lives or on many and make a small difference?
• Do you feel like you have to be busy, busy, busy or do you like to work at a more normal, sane pace?
• Are you motivated more by how much you produce or how much you net in profit, fulfillment and enjoyment?
• Are you motivated by doing really high quality technical work, or does it make a difference at all?
• Are you a constant student and interested in becoming the best dentist and human being you can become?
A Level III, systems thinking dentist creates a Level III practice. (See Part 2)
Dentists’ FEAR of SUCCESS
Posted by: | CommentsFear of Success is evidenced in all human behavior. It is insidious, unconscious and evidences itself in how the vast majority of us SELF-SABOTAGE almost every good thing we attempt to do. A book that is by my bedside, (to remind me of how procrastination is a form of SELF-SABOTAGE) The War of Art, is so important that we all have to be reminded every day how our own ‘self talk’ prevents us from accomplishing what is most important to us.
“It’s to our own self benefit that we become the best human beings we can become.”
Just think of the excuses we dentists can trump up in our minds for:
- Not working out
- Not eating the right foods
- Not taking that drink of alcohol
- Not smoking that cigarette
- Not saving money
This is simply amazing. The major reason that so many of us have problems overcoming the Fear of Success is that we don’t believe we deserve SUCCESS. Ask yourself:
- Why do we start something good and then don’t finish it?
- Why do we start a weight loss program and gain the weight again?
- Why do we save money and then lose it?
- Why do so many really high income actors invest their money and lose it?
- Why do great athletes or star performers have a great run of success and then end up in alcohol or drug rehab?
- Why do so many politicians, seemingly on top of the world from a power, prestige and character standpoint, end up caught cheating on their wives?
- Why do so many people do great in business only to end up in failure. (Read the Introduction to The Science of Creating Wealth™)
Right in front of your eyes you see dentists SABOTAGING themselves in every arena of life. Why? The reason WHY is primarily because: “You don’t think you deserve it.”
Fear of Success is in the Unconscious Mind. To conquer the Fear of Success, you must be aware that it exists.
- To lick it I must be aware of my ‘self-talk’.
- Background – Family of origin and what was said to you when you were growing up
- Any past failures are imbedded in our subconscious mind and often block us from creating the success we want in any arena.
- We also rate ourselves in various arenas in our lives. These ratings are mostly unconscious and often limit the perception of our success.
- In other words, no matter what we accomplish or achieve, it is never enough. If I don’t think I’m successful, then I’m not.
Fear of Success is just as paralyzing as Fear of Failure. Many dentists fear SUCCESS because it tests their current limits and makes them vulnerable to new situations. Even worse, trying something new exposes weaknesses and forces us to deal with our inadequacies. Success at anything always involves changing something, usually the way we think. Often Success involves new responsibilities and new challenges that threaten our safety.
If you think Fear of Success isn’t important, then ask yourself why you continue to procrastinate in:
- Starting a long overdue program of business improvement for your practice
- Starting an exercise program of working out an hour every day
- Initiating a savings and investment program that ensures you won’t lose money
- Taking a long overdue Sales Course for the dental practice
- Focusing on how you can be more productive both personally and professionally as a dentist
Fear of Failure and Fear of Success are two of the most dominate unconscious forces in all of our lives. No one is exempt. More important than all little tricks to work on your mind is this single thought…
No matter how successful you or I become at anything, if we don’t believe in our hearts and souls that we deserve it:
1) We’ll never start whatever we need to start.
2) We’ll get half way through it and quit.
3) We’ll achieve SUCCESS and reverse it.
Amazing isn’t it? Just how much in believing We Deserve It! impacts our entire life. Whether we START, or START AND QUIT or START, GET IT and REVERSE our SUCCESS is all dependent on whether we think we DESERVE IT OR NOT!
PRODUCTION BASED PRACTICES
Posted by: | CommentsWarren Buffet recently made a profound statement: “There are INNOVATORS, IMITATORS and IDIOTS”
There are plenty of dentists whose very lives are coming unglued because of their BLIND FOCUS ON PRODUCTION.
We all need revenues. All businesses need revenues. The question is HOW DO YOU GET THEM? Do you get them by seeing 75 new patients a month, running them through your practice like cattle and manipulating them in the hygiene room to get a crown?
Or…
Do you establish rapport, trust and a caring and sincere relationship with your patients to co-discover what the person wants and needs? Do you co-diagnose their existing condition with care and do your very best to help them get what they want and need?
The production and money-based ways of dealing with people is to manipulate them. In contrast, relationship and trust-based dental professionals seek to help people. They make good decisions and form a long term relationship with each patient.
THE PRODUCTION BASED dentist eventually becomes an IDIOT. Staff isn’t motivated by anything other than money. Dentist isn’t motivated by anything other than money. Instead of creating a ‘professional environment’ of high trust and low fear, the environment becomes a nightmare.
I fully realize we are in the most severe recession we’ve seen in nearly 100 years. But those practices that have focused on QUALITY, TRUST-BASED relationships are sailing thru this time and in many instances, having their best year ever.
There is only ONE MODEL that creates FINANCIAL FREEDOM, TIME FREEDOM, RELATIONSHIP FREEDOM and PURPOSE FREEDOM…and it is the model that we teach at The Schuster Center.
The one and only model.
Dr. Michael Schuster
–Call us about how to integrate proven models and strategies into your dental practice for higher profitability and personal satisfaction… 1-800-288-9393 or visit www.SchusterCenter.com
A Business Model for Wealth
Posted by: | CommentsIf you ever Create Wealth, it will be from your Dental Practice, unless you inherit it.
If you aren’t going to inherit enough Wealth to be able to support yourself for 20-25 years of retirement(which is a minimum of $3M for a dentist), then your practice has to become your source of Wealth Creation.
Herein lies the importance of a BUSINESS MODEL.
Most PRACTICE MODELS are production based models. The thinking is that if you produce enough revenues, eventually you will Create Wealth. This MODEL not only fails to Create Wealth, it destroys lives in the process.
Other PRACTICE MODELS focus on the DOCTOR LIFESTYLE and these models also fail to Create Wealth. This model also fails to Create Wealth and the Freedom that Wealth brings.
Anyone could make money in the 1990’s and then the GAME CHANGED.
There is ONLY ONE BUSINESS MODEL that allows for the Creation of Wealth in ANY ECONOMY. Up, down or sideways…and this is the MODEL that The Schuster Center has been promoting and teaching for over 30 years.
This is a HIGH QUALITY–RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN–HIGH PROFIT PRACTICE MODEL.
We are so sure of the predictability of this MODEL that when you learn and apply this MODEL to your practice, WE GUARANTEE you will DOUBLE YOUR NET PROFIT!
Register for The Science of Creating Wealth™ or one of our other CE events at 1-800-288-9393. Or just call us directly and ask how YOU can DOUBLE YOUR NET PROFIT.
Dr. Michael Schuster
1-800-288-9393
Marketing/Sales in the Dental Practice
Posted by: | CommentsI read an article this past week that said that of the 4,000 Colleges and Universities in the United States, only 40 have SALES Curriculums. This BLOWS MY MIND.
Nothing happens without someone selling something.
Everyone sells.
The Priest Sells.
The Rabbi Sells.
The Minister Sells.
The Teacher Sells.
The High School Football Coach Sells.
Every team member Sells.
Most dentists focus too much energy and effort on logos, external marketing and yet have no training in SALES and NO DOCUMENTED SALES PROCESS or system. It is amazing, simply amazing how much money we spend on DENTAL TECHNICAL TRAINING and yet spend little or no money on SALES TRAINING and creating a DOCUMENTED, PROVEN SALES PROCESS.
I’ve always said that we dentists were set up for failure. By our statistics, data we collect every week (and I know you think you are an exception), the average amount of dentistry done per patient by 95% of the dentists in the United States is less than $1000 per new patient.
Now here’s the tragedy. A young dentist graduates from dental school, $200,000 or more in debt for an education; then adds $500,000 to $750,000 in debt ( or more) to buy or start a dental practice. And, maybe rents or buys a small home. So, here we have a dentist who now is in business who:
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Is operating without any sound MARKETING PLAN which documents the results of marketing spent.
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No SALES TRAINING or SALES PROCESS or SALES PLAN.
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No organizational skills.
THIS BLOWS MY MIND. No wonder the average dentist spends his or her entire life simply chasing the money, or in most instances, chasing the overhead.
So, here we are now, in the midst (not the end) of the most severe recession since the 1930’s and dentists are now throwing money at MARKETING but still are only capable of closing less than $1,000 per patient and most of that is covered by some plan.
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This isn’t MARKETING—it’s MADNESS.
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This isn’t SELLING—-it’s IGNORANCE.
Outside my office is a little poster I have hanging for myself. It seems appropriate now:
“IGNORANCE IS OUR GREATEST THREAT”
And indeed it is.
–Dr. Michael Schuster
Dentist – Procrastinate no more
Posted by: | CommentsThere are several major fears that activate PROCRASTINATION:
* Fear of the unknown
* Fear of rejection or looking foolish
* Fear of failure
* Fear of success
Many dentists fear success or making a commitment because it carries added responsibility that can seem too much to handle, such as setting a higher standard, or moving from GOOD to GREAT in any area of your life or business. Every additional commitment takes additional effort and energy and the willingness to take the risks that are associated with it.
Many do not have adequate SELF IMAGE and the highly positive SELF ESTEEM that is required to take the risk of GROWTH or CHANGE or DEVELOPMENT. High achievers have HIGH SELF IMAGE and HIGH SELF ESTEEM. Playing it safe is what low achievers and low risk takers do.
Below are some ideas to help you move toward VICTORY OVER CHANGE rather than being a VICTIM OF CHANGE:
1) Get up early. Set your clock to get up an hour earlier than you normally do and keep the clock at that setting. Use the time in the following way:
2) Think about all the things/people/events for which you are GRATEFUL. Focus on every good thing in your life for which you are GRATEFUL. If you want, you can do this while you walk with heavy hands, or exercise or ‘prayer walk’ or meditate, but keep your focus on GRATEFULNESS.
3) Use this time to plan your day, your week, the week ahead.
4) Think about your ‘happy spot’ or ‘happy place’. We all have ‘islands of happiness’ –those places that give us those special feelings. We also have people in our lives that bring joy and happiness into our lives…we need to let them know that they are that to us.
5) Memorize the following that was given to me by a Priest, who was a patient of mine some 20 years ago:
Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff. If you can’t fight or flight…flow!!
6) Handle each piece of mail, literature, e-mail, fax just once and then get rid of it. Focus on handling these things at the beginning of your day and the end of your day.
7) Get in the habit of coming up with a solution to every problem rather than simply focusing on the problem. When people bring problems to you, listen to them compassionately and then ask them to formulate a solution. Give the problem identifier the responsibility for solving the problem. You can do this with them.
8) Always finish what you start. Know that Progress is more important than Perfection. If you say you are going to do it, then finish it. Completion adds an enormous amount to your SELF RESPECT and SELF ESTEEM. CONCENTRATE your ENERGY and INTENSITY without distraction. Create your FOCUS TIME, or PERFORMANCE TIME…do not be distracted.
9) Be CONSTRUCTIVELY HELPFUL rather than CRITICAL of every new idea. Single out someone to praise or recognize rather than shoot them down, and participating in group bitching, grudge collecting or pity parties.
10) Limit your TV viewing and INTERNET SURFING to educational and enlightening programs. Stay away from FOX and CNN and other networks that make the news rather than report the news. The internet has become a great way for procrastinators to hide out instead of focusing on GOAL ACHIEVING ACTIVITIES.
11) Make a list of important PROJECTS that will advance you personally or advance your business. Taking immediate action reduces stress and tension. Procrastination always leads to conflicts, complications and eventually crises. Look at GLOBAL WARMING…the DISEASE CARE CRISIS…the ENERGY CRISES and the FINANCIAL CRISIS. You think this happened all at once??
12) Seek out SUCCESSFUL ROLE MODELS in any area of your life or business in which you want to succeed. Success leaves clues…so does failure. Learn from others’ successes as well as others’ failures can improve your performance in any area of your life or business that is important. Every successful person I’ve ever observed has used STRATEGIES to CREATE MODELS to live their life by. Observe them and you can copy their MODEL.
13) Problems are part of life. In fact, they are the key to life. You either grasp them and do something about them or you stay STUCK. With the rapid change in society today, you have many problems to solve every day…but are you working towards something or just problem solving?
Problems are opportunities to a real entrepreneur. They are opportunities to find solutions that people value and in which they are willing to pay. You only have the freedom of choice. You don’t have the freedom to choose your results. Results are determined by NATURAL LAWS.
Information is FREE. Knowledge is CHEAP. Wisdom is PRICELESS.
Wisdom is knowing the OUTCOME before you take action. Study with wise people and practice the principles and strategies they produce and your life will evolve in positive, life affirming ways.
Dr. Michael Schuster
–Call us about how to integrate proven models and strategies into your dental practice for higher profitability and personal satisfaction,, 1-800-288-9393 or visit www.SchusterCenter.com
