Episode 558: Office Autopsy: Mapping Out 5 to 15 Ops

It’s time for another office autopsy! The office Kiera discusses in this episode is undergoing a big transition — from a five-op office to a 10-op (maybe even 15) one. Kiera shares the journey she’s been through with the doctor, who was initially hesitant to bring her on, and how she was able to help guide the office to success. 

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Transcript:

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0:00:05.6 Kiera Dent: Hey everyone, welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I have this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, schedule filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants, where we have traveled to over 165 different offices, coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you. Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental, and I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams grow VIP experiences, reduce stress and create A teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team podcast.

0:00:51.5 KD: Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera. You guys, it's a car casting day today. And I do love car casting days. I am driving between Louisville, Kentucky to St. Louis, Missouri, I have two different offices. I was just at an office this morning and then headed to another office, and sometimes it's actually cheaper, not even cheaper, just more time effective to drive between offices. So kudos to Shelby, she was able to figure out that I had a nice drive between the two offices and I would be able to car cast coaching call on my drive. So, I'm excited today. Wrapping up that office, I always love when I get a podcast after coming in off of an office, so I'm just gonna kinda do a little bit of an office autopsy with you on this practice. So, when I met this practice, the doctor was truly gun shy of spending money on consulting. I don't know if any of you are that doctor or if you work for a doctor who's just scared to spend the money. You believe that there'll be results, but at the same time guys, consulting, we're not cheap. I'm not going to lie and that's something that I am not sad or ashamed of, because just like you with your crowns, your implants, like you know you're worth your fee.

0:02:11.0 KD: For me, I know 1000 million percent that if I come into your practice, you will have more than what I charge you within your first probably 10 minutes to hour of me being there. Like I know that for a fact, I've done it so many times. So this office, he was terrified, and he's like, "Kiera, I don't know, that's a lot of money." And so I went in, we finally, me and another office, we tag-teamed this office, it was an office I had worked with, and he said, "Kiera, you gotta get into this office." And so me and my friend who is referring this office to us, we tag-teamed this dentist, and we basically just said like, "Hey, this is what I'm going to do, this is where I'll be, and I know for a fact that you will see an ROI of this money. I understand that it can be scary... " Guys, this is the exact same verbiage I say for patients who are doing implants, large treatment plans, it's the same thing, it's just different results. With me, I'm coming in to help your practice, help your patients, help your patient experience, and with patients you're helping change their lives, change their livelihoods, change their smiles.

0:03:17.2 KD: Those are pretty awesome things that you get to do as dentists. And so for me, I was super excited because I went out to his practice and I said, "Just give me a chance." And so, I went out and it was cute. He texted the friend who had connected us and said within my first 10 minutes of being there, I had already paid for myself. So of course, one, that's a great ego boost for me, but secondly, the fact that there was that much value brought to a practice that quickly, also says a lot about our skills. I think because I've seen hundreds of practices, I've worked in lots of practices, we're able to come and bring a perspective that oftentimes is not seen. So, with that in this practice, they are a four-op office and their biggest complaint when I first came in, I talked to them at morning huddles, said, "Hey, I'm super excited to meet you guys. What can I do to help your lives be easier?" Everyone said, "Kiera, we are just maxed to the brim, we're maxed out of space." And I said, "Okay, fantastic, I hear you loud and clear. I'm gonna go to work, see what I can do."

0:04:21.3 KD: Truth be told, within 10 minutes, I had found a spot for two more operatories to be built out in this practice. And the dentist is building across the street a new building. And he said, "Kiera, I wish I would have hired you sooner, you could have saved me a lot of money because I would have already had this practice set up." And of course, that made me giggle, but at the same time, it's now been over a year since I've seen this practice and we did actually build out one more op, so we've got five ops now in this practice, we made a make shift, the team is incredible. We turned this area that was like their break room into another operatory, it was already plumbed, we considered giving up the doctor's office for another operatory because there was a bathroom in the doctor's office, so that could be another operatory. However, doctor decided, "I just wanna do the one." And we moved the break room up to the front area 'cause it's a really large area up there. So, we smooshed, we scrunched and then we were able to bring in three hygienists.

0:05:19.6 KD: Because my thought was, going from four ops to 10 ops, that's quite a big jump for not only just patients, but also for staffing of team members. So, if we could get more hygienists on board, more team members on board, that's going to help prepare them for this larger practice since that was already in the ground. So, that's what we did on the first visit, worked a lot on verbiage, worked a lot on hand-offs, and then I've been out there a couple more times, and today was a really fun visit because now this practice is about to move into the new location. So like I said, they're five ops, they're going to 10 ops. It is built to be able to take on 15 operatories. So walking over there, seeing the new space, seeing what they're doing, and so today, what we really worked on was helping them get prepared for when they do move across the street. And that comes down to, I use the analogy, and I think this is super important for a lot of offices. Number one, it's fun, because we're able to grow this practice from where they were, we've added so much more revenue, so many more patients are able to help and serve, and we've been able to do that within the space and confines of what they had.

0:06:26.6 KD: This practice truly could be a six operatory practice, if they did nothing else and they didn't move. So, I think that's the benefit of having somebody with outside eyes come check out your practice, even when you're scared and you feel like you can't afford it. He told me, "Kiera you paid for yourself over and over and over again." I mean, guys, we added another operatory, we got his associate to be able to produce more, helping the hygienist to be able to see sealants and florid and perio, all those little things, one, help the patients have a better experience and two, help the practice grow and evolve to where they're going to be able to serve more patients as well. So now, I realized moving from this practice to their new one, it's going to be the analogy I used towards moving from an apartment to a house. And I asked the team yesterday in our team meeting, I said, "Alright guys, what do you feel is like, what were some of the changes moving from an apartment to a house?" Guys, this is also my real life, my husband and I still live in an apartment. Don't worry, some days I hate it.

0:07:26.3 KD: Other times I'm really happy because that's how we've been able to pay off our student loans, that's how we've been able to save a lot and to get ourselves in a great financial position, but at the same time, what's the ROI of not living in a house? I don't really know. I'm really excited. So for those of you who heard before we had our houses, we were super excited about buying a house, then we got that cool thing called the lis pendens, if you were following along when I got a house on New Year's Eve 20... Oh gosh, what was it? 2020, it was New Year's Eve, 2020 and 2021 the house got a lis pendens on it, which is basically like a lien, and we were not able to then buy the house. So then it's been this whole process of looking for more homes, and looking for more homes and where are we going to move? And we put a offer on a new build, we got that accepted, and then just recently, I actually was putting offers on homes in Arizona, got those accepted, and as of last week, I decided, "Nope, we're going to move into our house in Reno in our brand new build." It's finally going to be done, we're gonna close July 8th, so I'm moving from an apartment to a house and I'm super excited.

0:08:39.2 KD: I get that it's in Reno and Arizona seemed really, really, really enticing. Our whole team is basically there, Ryan Isaac, kudos and shoutout to him with Dentist Advisors, he is my financial advisor, and I had many conversations with him about what would be best for me, for my family, but I decided you guys, it's a brand new house. I have a complete unobstructed view of the mountains that is literally to die for, two sliders that open up to an outdoor patio and with that mountain view, and then also my mom's two hours away and with us in the process of IVF and trying to get pregnant, I had to realize that might be the reality of what I need to do. And what it's ultimately going to be best for me and my family right now, even though there's a big piece of me that would love to move to Arizona. So stay tuned. We might live in Reno for six months, a year, two years, we'll see, but I don't feel like it's my forever home, however, I am just as giddy about... Like this takes me back to being a child at Christmas time and how excited I was for Santa, I feel like that's how I am, and I'm like, "This week can't go fast enough." [laughter] I'm so excited.

0:09:43.7 KD: Are you guys sick of trying to figure it out on your own? I know I am. When I'm trying to run a business, sometimes I just think like, "There's got to be a better way to do this." And so for me, my answer has been to find someone who's done it and does it really, really, really well, like I'm talking the best, of the best, of the best. I want someone who's been in my shoes, somebody who understands what I'm going through. When I was looking for the consulting business, I found a coach who literally has run a consulting business. Well, that seemed like the perfect fit. So you guys right now, we have a few spaces open in our Platinum consulting, that is in the consulting where we actually come to your practice, we help you get systems implemented, we don't just tell you what systems to implement, we actually implement them with you and for you. You guys, it is one of the best investments I've ever made, is to hire a coach who understands the business I'm in, who's lived it, who's done it, and that's what we in the Dental A Team do, we literally physically fly to you. So, if you're sick of trying to figure it out on your own, if you just want somebody who understands you, join our Platinum, I'd love to have you, I'd love to have our consulting team come out and see you, be in your office, be with your team, and truly help you get on to the easy path of dentistry. It doesn't have to be hard. So join us in the Platinum, we'd love to have you.

0:11:03.9 KD: So I asked the office yesterday, "What is it like to go from an apartment to a house? Like what were the things that you maybe didn't realize?" AKA for Kiera 'cause I'm about to become this person, but also to help them realize going from five operatories to 10 operatories, that's a substantial change. So, they were talking to me about how you can't just call maintenance and have it fixed for you anymore, that you now have to take the yard work, that you have so many more rooms to clean, that it's a much bigger space, that you have to deal with all the grown up things, getting your own trash, and I was like, "Okay, check, check, check, all the things that I didn't even know are part of home ownership." Guys, I'm 36 years old and never owned a home. I feel like a total rookie, I own businesses, I run businesses, but I've never owned a home. So, any other tips guys, please email me, [email protected]. So, I use this analogy of, guys, moving from a five op practice to 10 op practice is literally the exact same of moving from an apartment to a house.

0:12:02.3 KD: So communication, perfect scheduling, also getting exams. Right now, they're in such a cozy space that hygiene exams don't wait, because guess what? You walk out of your room and you see that you've got three Prana hygienists sitting there waiting for you. You all know what I'm talking about with Prana hygienist. I feel like it's such a good imagery, you walk out as like, "Wow, they're gonna eat me." But this office, they can all see each other, they're so cosy and close, and now they're moving to a practice that is almost three times as large. You guys can figure it out, what are the issues they're gonna deal with? Scheduling snuffles, going from scheduling five ops to 10 ops, anybody been there, done that? I have, and that can get real exciting, that's like scrambled soup and you'll feel bananas, you'll feel absolutely ludicrous. So, what we're doing is, while they're not there, we're starting to act like it. So I opened up the schedule to have all 10 operatories ready to go, we've got a hygienist coming in, we need to start hiring assistants.

0:13:00.1 KD: We also started working on perfect hand-offs, also communication for exam, so we can alert, so they're testing out some things on Open Dental, also looking for possible BlueNote communicators. A lot of different pieces have to go in play, Xs and slashes where are doctors, because we instead of just running solo doctor columns, sometimes double, we will have two doctor running double columns pretty much immediately, that then needs to build in our re-care and our unscheduled treatment calls making sure that it's easy to fill two doctors and five operatories, that's pretty easy to do. But when we've got two doctors and 10 operatories, that all of a sudden, again, is double the treatment plans, double the patients, double the opportunities. I feel like it's Doublemint gum guys. But the reality is, I think that this is where consulting comes into play. I was able to build an entire checklist of what needs to be done this month, next month, the following month, able to train the team, get the team ready to go, figuring out other things that are specific and customized to them on their own customized timeline from someone who's been there, done that and done it successfully many times with teams.

0:14:04.4 KD: So, I just wanted to autopsy this, I'm so excited for them. My next visit, they'll be in the practice, we have some training set up, I've got them all tracking different things, got a lot of balls moving and in motion, and I think that that is the power and the value of a consultant. Is our job is to come in having been there, done that, and done it very successfully, and just like this doctor, he told me today as I was getting ready to leave, he said, "Kiera, I've liked all your visits." He said, "But this one was by far my favorite one of all." He said, "Because you got us mapped out, you gave us specific things to focus on, you're preparing us, so I feel a lot more confident that moving in to this new building is going to be successful." I've got them mapped out of how they are gonna communicate to their patients, all of those different pieces, guys, that takes a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of expertise, and now I have a map, he has a map, the team has a map, all of them are aligned and on the same page, you better believe they're gonna have a much different experience than I had when I moved my first practice. They're gonna have a much different experience because I've seen hundreds of different practices expand, evolve.

0:15:11.5 KD: Are we going to make mistakes? Absolutely, but guess what? He just got the shortcut map to success rather than taking the long route. Things that he didn't even think of, he was like, "Kiera, I didn't even think about that. I didn't even think about that." Able to get that whole thing done, I made blocks, I made Xs and slashes, I trained the team. So really, truly it was as if he had called in a fairy godmother who came, got all these things done, got the entire map done, and then I take off and check in with him to ensure he's successful. That is what it's like to be an office that consults with Dental A Team, those are the results that they get, those are the customized maps. So, it was a ton of fun. It has lifted my entire day, I'm so giddy, so excited because I know when I left, they got massive value done with ease. I always ask the question, what if it could be easy? For him, we just made it easy. Does the team still have to put in the work? Absolutely. But guess what? All the things that they didn't even know are coming their way, as a coach, as a consultant, we see the future, we see where they need to go, and we give easy, simple steps, get things done for them and execute.

0:16:16.4 KD: So stay tuned, going from five ops to 10 ops, maybe even to 15, we were talking about rebranding, connecting them with other companies, and I truly believe that that is the power of a consultant on your executive board, and again guys, this is the doctor who, and I know he will listen to this and he will giggle, and he will agree with me that he is the tightest, cheapest doctor you will ever in your entire life meet. He loves to pay for me at the end of the year, 'cause he's like, "Kiera, then I get a whole year of Kiera for free." I just giggle. That is how he is, but I will say within 10 minutes, saw the value, having us take him from four ops to five ops, utilizing the space he's in already, moving him to 10 operatories, getting his team on board, helping him when there's a crisis in the practice, having somebody right there, I thought would be a really fun office autopsy for you guys to hear, to see us sprinkling into the world of consulting, and if that jives and gels with you and you wanna see if you could be the next practice that we office autopsy 'cause you've had such great success personally, professionally, oh, and mind you, he just took an entire week off as a family vacation right before I showed up.

0:17:18.0 KD: That's the dream life to me, for this office, it's not everyone's dream life, but for him, I thought it was pretty dreamy, and my favorite thing as a consultant is to be able to make people's dreams become their reality. This was just a pipe dream, and now it's a reality. We're able to finance it, we're able to serve more people in the community, we're able to help grow the associates and the team members, he's got loyalty, he's got retention, happy teams, excited team members, and now I'm excited for them to move into their new location. So again, if that gels and jives with you, if you wanna see, email me, [email protected]. I would love to help you guys out, I would love our team to come to your practice, give you guys that massive value and for you to be able to see massive success. So email us [email protected], and as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast. And that wraps it up for another episode of The Dental A Team podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.

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