The Experience

The 60’s American sales trainer, Joe Gandolfo, penned the following:

Successful business is 98% understanding people, 2% product knowledge. You need 100% of the 2% but its the 98% that makes the difference

So nothing has changed. I’ve enjoyed my first week back at work so much – meeting with lovely people who are building Champions League practices. The topic of providing a remark-able patient EXPERIENCE has been a theme throughout. In an increasingly complex and competitive world – more dental products and more places to buy them – how is the bewildered new patient going to make their purchasing decision? The ones you don’t want will choose:

1. Price – how little can I pay?

2. Time – how soon can I get the result?

The ones you want will choose:

1. Quality – what experience will the practice deliver?

A TCO told me this week about how many new patients tell her that they have shopped around, visited practices who charge less – but didn’t like the ATTITUDE of the people they met in the other practices – especially the clinicians. So… Michael Gerber talks about working “on” or “in” your business – many of us have read The E-Myth material. I’ve been asking a question this week. “when was the last time you closed the practice for the day and took the WHOLE TEAM off-site to work on improving the patient experience?” Worst answer I had was “never”. Best answer I had was “January 2012”. If it makes sense for you to work “on” your business – doesn’t it make sense for the team as well? You know as well as I do that whilst you are working “in” it, you cannot think about the “on” it. So how do you expect the team to maintain standards and adapt to change if they never get any time out to talk about it? 98% of your future success will dependent on understanding people – not products – the people you work with and the people you serve. Systems and products don’t create long-term relationships – people do.