There is a common business phrase, “It’s hard to see the forest through the trees.” It refers to getting so caught up in the day-to-day details of running a business you can’t see the bigger picture. This happens in dental practices more often than you would think, especially when it comes to spending money. Decisions are made based on the information in front of them, versus on a longer-term strategy to reach their goals. This is the type of thinking that can hinder growth and profitability.
In these situations your initial reaction can be to take the less expensive route, but will that really get you farther in the long-term? For example, an experienced front desk person might have more effective scheduling processes, which can increase production. Or outsourcing insurance tasks to someone who has more experience and time to focus on it could increase collections, as well as free up your team to close treatment cases or collect money.
It is normal to miss potential in our own business. What potential might you be overlooking due to the illusion of a short-term gain?
- Should I hire the front desk person that has more dental experience at a higher hourly rate, or the one that just graduated from school for an entry-level wage?
- Should I have my front desk team continue to handle administrative dental insurance tasks, or pay to outsource it to someone who can focus on insurance?
In these situations your initial reaction can be to take the less expensive route, but will that really get you farther in the long-term? For example, an experienced front desk person might have more effective scheduling processes, which can increase production. Or outsourcing insurance tasks to someone who has more experience and time to focus on it could increase collections, as well as free up your team to close treatment cases or collect money.
It is normal to miss potential in our own business. What potential might you be overlooking due to the illusion of a short-term gain?
