I’m often baffled at the way most orthodontists set their fees. They ask around and see what other colleagues are charging and they set their fees somewhere in that range. It’s not the worst way to set fees but it’s really dangerous. The problem with trying to price-match a competitor’s fees is that you have no idea what their overhead costs are, how much they pay assistants, how efficient they are with clinical treatment, what share of chair time goes to clear aligners versus fixed appliances, adults versus kids, etc. Setting the right fees for your services is crucial for…
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As we step into another week, I’ve been pondering a thought-provoking quote: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” These words from Heraclitus capture the essence of change, its inevitability, and the transformative power it holds. In today’s fast-paced world, change isn’t just a constant; it’s the defining feature of our journey. It’s like embarking on a river voyage where the water never stays the same, and neither do we. As the leader in your practice, we believe that understanding and adapting to change is not…
In today’s competitive fields of dentistry and orthodontics, establishing a strong public presence is essential to reaching a broader audience, building trust, and showcasing expertise. Harnessing the power of the press and publicity can significantly enhance your professional reputation and create valuable opportunities to educate, inform and create goodwill. Recently, the American Dental Association and a handful of talented dentists were featured in an article on Today.com written by Sarah Jacoby. It fires on all cylinders. You can check out my LinkedIn profile and read the post to see why their article is so great. For this blog post, we…
It still feels too hot in the midwest for it to officially be Pumpkin Spice Season, but I’ll take any sign that cooler weather and football are on the way. So, as I wait for temperatures to drop out of the triple digits, let’s take a few moments this Friday to consider the consumer experience through the lens of Starbucks. As always, if there’s something I can do to assist you in your professional or personal goals, don’t be a stranger. Reach out to my team and join me on a monthly coaching call, where we all get smarter together……
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is a critical metric for the success of any business, including orthodontist practices. A high CAC can strain your marketing budget and hinder your ability to attract new patients. In this article, we will explore how to lower your orthodontic practice’s CAC through effective digital marketing strategies. We will draw insights from a case study involving Postmates, a delivery app, to provide actionable steps for orthodontist practice owners. Problem: Postmates aimed to reduce its CAC from $40 while increasing conversions to hit its growth milestones. Approach: The marketing agency pivoted from targeting “meal delivery apps” to…
Everyone and their uncle seems to be talking about remote dental monitoring. Almost everyone is approaching it the wrong way. Instead of focusing on how much more efficient you can be and how few appointments are needed to finish patients, we should be focused on outcomes and patient satisfaction. On the latest episode of Ask the Expert, I speak with Dr. Kurt Hoffman, a board-certified orthodontist and co-founder of In Hand Dental. He shows how patient interaction per month is up significantly in his practice and how he’s only bringing patients into the clinic to complete productive and valuable procedures…
Balancing Patient Safety and Access to Care or Anticompetitive Rhetoric? The recent introduction of teledentistry laws in various states has sparked a heated debate within the dental community, with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) finding itself at the center of the discussion. As we delve into the implications of these laws and the AAO’s involvement, it becomes essential to weigh the potential benefits of technological advancements against the responsibility of safeguarding patient well-being. Nevada is the first state to require in-person exam prior to orthodontic treatment. This law requires “…an in-person visit before the patient begins using the orthodontic…
I had the pleasure of speaking with Emily Miller, founder and CEO of OffLimits, a brilliant cereal, toy and animation brand inside our portfolio of companies at Flagstaff Ventures. Her podcast interview on The Burleson Box launches next week. Be sure to check it out wherever you consume podcasts. She had some really interesting advice about doing big things. She said, “You almost need to be delusional going into a big new thing. If you knew how hard it was going to be, I think people would feel a lot more paralyzed to do it.” Emily leveraged her creative fashion…
Most small business owners are used to giving answers, not asking questions. If you followed around some of the world’s top CEOs and leaders, you would find the exact opposite is true. The best leaders are great at asking questions, so that the best ideas win and the best answers quickly become evident, even if they arise from the least-expected team members. Management expert Peter Drucker was well-known for asking smart questions like, “What changes have recently happened that don’t fit what everyone knows?” Read that question again and let it sink in for a minute. Most leaders start their…
This week the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike, grinding to a halt any moving part in Hollywood that wasn’t already ground to a halt by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike which now enters its third month. Not inconspicuously, CEOs, media moguls and tech billionaires arrived this week at Allen & Co.’s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Chief among them, Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said some members of SAG-AFTRA are asking for too much. In an interview with David Faber on CNBC, Iger said, “We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal…
