Ep 19 - Systems That Drive Success

How can a mentorship-driven approach create an orthodontic practice where both staff and patients thrive? Today, Lacie Ellis is joined by Melissa and Katelyn from Horsey Orthodontics to discuss how their leadership fosters a culture of teamwork and patient care. You don’t want to miss Melissa and Katelyn’s insights on digital marketing or the secret of hiring the right talent. Tune in for strategy-driven actionable insights on building efficiency and collaboration in the orthodontics industry. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Fostering a positive culture through leadership. Daily morning huddles can enhance teamwork and patient care in your orthodontic practice. 

• Clinical managers are like your practice’s "air traffic control" because they oversee and manage patient flow, which can help improve efficiency in your office each day. Utilizing a templated schedule enhances efficiency and collaboration, resulting in seamless patient flow.

• Internal referrals for hiring, as well as digital marketing strategies such as social media and patient contests, enhance engagement for both patients and staff, thereby bolstering practice success.

Episode 19 with Melissa and Katelyn Initial-full audio

Narrator: Welcome to Practice. Talk a deep dive into the world of healthcare practices where we invite team members to share strategies to make your work life easier. Now, your host, Lacey Ellis.

Lacie Ellis - Host: Welcome to Practice Talk, brought to you by people in practice where we specialize in digital marketing, website development, SEO, and so much more. I'm excited for today's discussion as we dig into the topic of systems that drive success with my two guests, Melissa and Katelyn. With over 23 years in the dental field, Melissa brings a comprehensive understanding of orthodontic operations starting at age 16.

She's held roles from patient and treatment coordinator to office and practice manager from pretty much everything in between, and is now serving as COO at Horsey Orthodontics since 2011. Passionate about leadership and mentorship. She's committed to developing others and helping her team deliver confident, healthy smiles.

Katelyn has been a key member, of course, the orthodontics since 2014, starting as a clinical assistant. After her externship, her dedication and growth led her to the clinical manager and now the clinical director where she oversees the entire clinical team. Passionate about patient care and mentorship.

Katelyn is committed to fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork, and continuous development. Welcome, Melissa and Caitlin. Hello. Thank you for having us. Thank you for being here. We, we met in person at the A A O and now we're just gonna carry on that friendship. So I really appreciate you guys being here.

Listener Q 1: Yes, thank you. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Awesome. So I'm excited to chat about what you feel your office does really well, and maybe some of the struggles that you've bumped up against in your practice. So, Melissa, as the COO, how do you go about creating and maintaining a positive culture in your practice? 

Melissa: So, um, that's a really good question.

We have really, um, focused on that the last couple of years. Um, just honing in on it and kind of refining our protocols and practices on that. Um, you know, it really starts at the top with us, um, and just us being the best that we can be and, um, being able to, um, constantly focus on. Being our best selves for our team because we can't come in in a bad mood or, um, you know, just sit down in, in the dumps about stuff and, um, expect our team not to be that way either.

So, um. Over the past couple of years we've worked really hard along with Dr. Ey as well on um, just making sure that our team members are happy, um, and just refining our protocols and, um, that that area as well. And just fine tuning a lot of stuff there. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: So do you do, um, like team development things together?

Do you do morning, I assume like a morning meeting, quarterly meetings? Like kind of walk me through how you guys collaborate together. Because I think, I think that's the part people miss about culture, right? Is there, like, we are just gonna come in and be positive and always be happy and they forget that piece that like we have to actually talk to each other and like realize that we're all human and like, um.

So I think it's so much more than just saying we're a positive place to work. So what do you guys do? Yes. What are some of the meetings you hold or the team buildings that you do that kind of hone into that? 

Melissa: Yes. So we do, we start every day with a morning huddle, um, and we, you know, all get together and each day is a little, looks a little different.

Um, a lot of it is shouting out, team members, shouting out things that have worked really well for us over the past week. Um, even different hurdles that we might have come across and, you know, how, how we can help prepare for those as well. Um. Along with making sure that we have all of our announcements in the morning meeting as well too, so that way the team is off to a good start for the day.

Um, they, you know, we, you can only plan but so much, but they kind of know what to expect, what we're getting into, what we're looking forward to, that kind of stuff. Um, so I think it really starts the day off Great with that morning huddle because we're able to. Shout each other out and see each other smiling faces.

And we have two office locations, so we have some team members in, you know, each location each day. So we'll just FaceTime everybody and get everybody together and, you know, so it's nice 'cause we're, we may not always be able to be physically together, but at least we're together in the mornings as well too.

So. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: That's great. Yeah, that's been fun. I think, um, that kind of collaboration makes a difference, right? Like, um, most of the team at People in Practice, we all work in different states and so we do the same thing. We get together on Zoom very frequently. We're always chatting with each other on Slack, and part of that is like.

Talking about work, and then part of that is like, oh, how's the baby? How's this? Like, did you get that door? Did your husband finally hang that door up? Um, and just being connected in a way that like. Fosters that, um, collaboration. I think that's really healthy and really important. So, Caitlin, as the clinical director, what is your strategy for staying on time?

Um, and helping keep, uh, doctor time in check, which seems to be the. Age old dilemma of orthodontic practices? 

Katelyn: Yes. I feel like the key thing that helps us is each office location. We have a clinical manager and they don't particularly like see patients, they don't run a column. Um, they're more just kind of air traffic control.

And our software that we use, it has a light system, so Dr. EY knows. It like labels it, whoever is first it goes 1, 2, 3, 4. So he knows he needs to go to like whichever chair first. Second, that's also where the clinical manager steps in. If we have, you know, a patient that's bonding and we don't have good isolation like we need him right now, that's where they can kind of step in and over ride like our light system.

But you know, we've done it before where everyone's in a chair and you didn't have that air traffic control person. So I feel like. Switching to that strategy is what truly helped our patient flow. Um, we also do a templated schedule. Mm-hmm. So we also, you know, it's staggered. Like we try not to do too many bonding side by side where you're gonna need the doctor all at the same time.

Um, and then we also just kind of have our little like corks that we do with Dr. Horsy, like, give him a look, you know, I need you type thing. But he's really, really great about being on time and being mindful and like. Spending the appropriate amount of time at the chair. He's, I know some doctors can be really chatty, but he's very mindful of that and he does a really honest, like a really good job at, um, staying on time.

But I do think the key factor in, you know, maintaining that patient flow is that clinical manager, um, you know, they're the ones. But the, it's their floor. It's literally their floor and they run it and they're the boss and you know, they keep everything running smoothly. But yeah, I think between the template and the clinical manager, um, those are probably our two key points that help us stay on time.

Lacie Ellis - Host: So the practice that I worked in office with the longest, we did not have, uh, well, I've seen, heard some practices called a stage manager. I like air traffic controller. That's fun. Um, we didn't have that and honestly it was probably. What drove a lot of contention in the practice between even just the doctor and the teams, especially when we lost the doctor in an exam.

Yeah. And he get, I worked for such a wonderful man for the longest time, but he loved to like, you know, they loved to dig in on the treatment, right? Like that's what they went to school for. That's their like. Jam they wanna shine and be like, this is all my education. I'm gonna tell you in this 40 minute exam, and we're gonna pack it in there.

And the TC is in there just sweating like, you've sold it, we're done. You can. Um, so it would've been really, really helpful had we had that person coordinating, you know, kind of. Directing him where to go. Mm-hmm. And that, that would've really alleviated a lot of stress. So, um, yeah, it sounds like you guys have that dialed in and, and that that works really great and the light systems, as long as the doctor follows them, yes.

I feel like they do work really well. And, and it comes down to, again, the people in charge, helping the doctor stay connected, but also the doctor like. Being mindful of it as well. Yeah. Like it can't all be on the air traffic controller. It has to be on, uh, the plane and where they're headed as well. Right.

Um, alright, so we like to get questions or comments from our listeners and our people and practice clients about our topics. So let's listen to our first question. 

Listener Q 1: Do you have problems with the front and back office understanding each other and getting along? 

Melissa: So we have, um, over the past couple of years we've, um.

I've been able to really fine tune that, um, because, you know, it is hard during the day. You have your clinical team where they are working really hard together. They're on a tight schedule. They're wanting to make sure that the, the patients are getting the proper care. But then you also have the same thing with the admin team.

Um, and a lot of times they do have a hard time communicating front to back during the day just 'cause they are very busy. Mm-hmm. Um, so we actually have a team of clinical managers, team of admin managers as well as Katelyn, who's our, uh, clinical director and Amber, who's our admin director and have really done a good job with getting them together and everybody on the same page.

Mm-hmm. Um. Katelyn and Amber do a really good job with making sure that managers are constantly communicating together. They work really hard together as well as making sure that, um, what they're telling one set of managers, the other set of managers knows, and just rolling out, um, those protocols and any issues that we have, making sure that it is addressed right then and there so we don't.

Honestly we don't have, um, issues with the front to back communication. They do a really good job of just day-to-day trying to keep in touch with each other. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: So it sounds like what I'm hearing is, again, it's your leads that are helping facilitate these conversations and keeping everybody in the loop. I think that is really smart.

'cause like I said, I've worked in practices where we didn't have these leads and it was just kind of like you're all front desk people and you're all. Back office people like that was, that was pretty much the gist of it. And you know, we just got into this place where it was like the front office is trying to ruin our lives, or back office can never stick to the schedule.

Um, there was some frustration that happened and I think the smartest thing that the doctor I worked for the longest finally did about it, was cross training. Mm-hmm. I started as a chairside clinical person and, um, he was like, all right. Tomorrow you're gonna be front desk. And I learned so much about the pressures of sitting up front and that not only does the patient need you, who's in front of you, but the phone's ringing on three lines and the doctor just asked you to print this letter out to go to a referring office.

And um, it was just pure chaos. And I finally understood. You're not trying to ruin our lives in the backyard. You're not just 

Melissa: sitting up front looking pretty. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah. They're not just, you know, eating snacks and chatting with people. They're like, really? It's a really tough job And mm-hmm. So for us, cross training really took that, um, you know, headbutting away because we've all finally realized how hard the other person's job actually was.

And he even had front desk sit back in the clinic. They didn't do a lot of. You know, they, they were kind of the sterilization, uh, person for that day when we did cross training. But they got to see the pressures of all of the checklists you have to follow in the back and making sure that, um, not only are you letting the doctor know what's going on with treatment, but that you're letting the parents know what's going on and that you're doing what needs to be done for the patient without breaking a bracket and screwing up the whole schedule.

And, um, so there's just a lot, I think, to be said for. Um, either having people in place like you do, key people to really help manage what everybody's doing, and then that cross training piece, I just think it's valuable. I think that learning is really helpful. Even sitting in the TC room before I ever was a treatment coordinator, I realized.

Oh my gosh. She's not just a princess that sits all day. Um, but like she really, you know, they're working really hard in there to make a connection with a patient in a very short amount of time. And if they don't, you know. Present the practice and the treatment plan in a way that the patient accepts. You know, we all don't have a job, so, right.

So many things that go into that, but I think your guys' structure of how you have managers in place and helping that coordination, it sounds like it really, um, is efficient for you. 

Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. 

Listener Q 2: But yeah. 

Melissa: Yeah, they do a, they do a good job. We have, we're very lucky. We have a really good team and you know, we couldn't do what we do without them, and it is just.

We do, we have a really good team. So it's, that is helpful as well that, and you know, we always say there is never too much communication. Yeah. You can never communicate too much. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Yes, I agree with that, David. That should be like above everybody's computer. You can't over communicate with me. No. 

Melissa: No. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Alright, so let's listen to our next question.

Listener Q 2: How does your practice involve the team in marketing efforts? Especially when it comes to social media, patient referrals and events. 

Melissa: Yeah, so we, um, we have a marketing, a dedicated marketing coordinator. She actually is currently a maternity lead. Um, so Katelyn and I are jumping into us now. But no, we, our team loves to be in reels and, um, on Instagram, TikTok, they do a good job too of, um, getting, helping us get content for social media posts.

Um, because I'm marketing coordinator, she can't be everywhere all the time, so they do a good job of getting her photos and, and different content or letting us know, Hey, this patient might be good for this or that. Um, they also help out a lot with our community events, um, and helping to work those events for us as well.

So, um, you know. We always have a signup. It's never mandatory. It's always, you know, a volunteer. But they do get paid their hourly wage for those times too. So, but they are, they're really good about helping and, and jumping in wherever we need help. Wherever the crazy, silly ideas go. Yeah. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: It really does sound like you have, um.

A pinch me kind of situation from what I hear from a lot of offices, because I hear all the time, like we've got a handful of ladies who don't wanna be on social media, and I'm like, great. They don't have to be in the pictures or in the reels or the tiktoks or anything, but they can help you find the, you know, the great patient who had a really.

Stunning transformation and they can, um, help write copy for things or find fun ideas online. Like they can still be part of that without necessarily being in every video. And, you know, I think, um, signing up for the events, I'm glad that worked for you because I did work in an office once where we had the signup sheet in this event.

Coming up and guess what? There's nobody signed up to go and even the doctor doesn't wanna go. And so, no. Um, then we ran into problems and we learned really quickly that we needed to find events that our team wanted to be at, because those are the events that our patients want to be at. You know, these like health fairs are fun.

But not everybody wants to be at a health fair, so like be at the movie in the park or be at, you know, the things that you're gonna take your family to anyways. Then it's pretty easy to get everybody else on board it seems, because let's do something that people are going to want to do anyways, so, right.

I am glad you guys have the dream team though, when you have none of those issues. 

Melissa: We do. We, we, we have issues, but we really, they're, we, it, they're so good. We just work through it and so it's, you know, I feel like everybody's very mature and you know. Able to talk about it. So any issues we have, we quickly resolve them.

Lacie Ellis - Host: Do you have a system in place for getting reviews or refer patient referrals that you guys feel like is really working for you, that you would want to share? 

Katelyn: Yeah. Um, so we do like DAND surveys at the end, um, and we kind of run a competition between the office and where whoever gets the most dand surveys for the month, they get, I think it's like a $25 Amazon gift card.

So we'll always run like competitions within the office mm-hmm. To get them, you know, because this can be awkward, like asking a patient like, Hey, leave us a five swab review. Like, that's really awkward. Or like, right now we're running a. October and September, like a patient contest where they had to do five things like, like us on Instagram.

Um, um, share a post. Yeah, share a post like, like us on Instagram, it's five things. They do review. Yeah. Leave a Google review and they get five entries. Like everything they do is an entry and if they complete all five, they get five extra entries. And then they'll win a nice fall bundle where we have like gift cards in there.

Um, ticket. We have, it's called the Kings Dominion. I dunno if y'all have King's Dominion, wherever you are, like amusement parks. Um, we gave out a nice Yeti cooler last month. Um, so we do a lot of kind of like raffle patient contest raffles where we get a lot of engagement with that. And then we always do a reel with like Dr.

Horsey picking the winner to also just kind of draw on everyone. Um, so I feel like we have a lot of patient engagement that 

Melissa: way. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: That's great. And it 

Melissa: helps to give team members doing it that way too. It helps to give team members something to talk about instead of just being like, Hey, can you give me a five star review?

Yeah, they can. It's an easy segue. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah. I love that. I love, um, you know, I've seen lots of practices that have that like. Do these things and you get entered to win this bigger thing. And, um, the ones that do it really well, and the teams involved, they go, great. It's the ones that, like, nobody's talking about it.

We've got four entries now for this prize that's worth like $300. And it's really disheartening. And then everybody gives up and nobody wants to do it anymore. And I'm like, well, you know, if everybody really commits to the cause, it's, it's gonna work. Like it's going to go. And, um, you know, I, I think. We used to have a problem in one of the practices I worked in getting like chair site assistance specifically to talk about any of our marketing efforts.

Um, and then we had a lady come in and talk to us and she was like. Don't you get sick of talking about like, oh, what sports do you play? And look it, it's so pretty out there today. I'm like, while you're waiting for the doctor, you're always like reaching for something to talk about. This is just a tool in your toolkit of something that you can bring up and talk about and like, it doesn't have to feel like pressure.

It can feel like a relief to be like, oh, did you know that we're doing this thing? And then talk about it. Pretty easy when you think of it that way, instead of like this extra chore on your checklist, you know? 

Katelyn: Right, definitely. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: So I hear frequently that hiring is harder than ever, and I'm wondering about how your practice goes about hiring and finding the right people, and then do you do anything special to retain them?

Katelyn: Yes. So we have honestly found our, you know, best team members within the team itself. So when we are hiring, we let the team know and we start with them first. Like, do you know anyone, a cousin, a friend, a sibling, a any, you know, we like to do it that way. We've found that's where we have, you know, retained our best team members from.

Mm-hmm. Um, so we've had really good luck starting there versus, you know, instantly jumping on Indeed or, you know, any other hiring site. Um, and then. Another way we kinda instill like training and everything. So once we do a new hire, they go through a full training program with the trainer and as long as they're within good standing with the practice at their 90 days, that trainer actually gets a bonus for training them.

So it's kind of incentive for the trainer to really invest in that new hire and give it their all. Um, so I feel like. Once we've kind of instilled that, I feel like that kind of opened a new world to us too. Um, but I feel like definitely the hiring, like from with the end, like a networking, you know, yourself has been a key factor in us finding good team members.

Lacie Ellis - Host: That's great. Um, I've shared before, um. I'm probably a broken record sometimes with my handful of stories that I tell on the podcast, but, um, I was working, I was the manager of a photography studio and I took pictures of this family. I lived in southern Utah at the time, and I this family. Came in every month and got pictures with the kids.

And I, you know, I never really met the dad, but the mom was the sweetest lady. And one day she was like, so my husband is an orthodontist and he's looking for an assistant. And I said, no thank you. I 

Katelyn: said, 

Lacie Ellis - Host: I said, the last thing I could ever do is stare at somebody's tongue all day. Like that is what I thought an assistant did.

And I was like. No thanks. That's really sweet of you. But no. And she's like, just go in and talk to him like tomorrow at two. Just go say hi to him. Just walk around the office, just see what you think. And I was like, ah. I just felt kind of like I owed her something because she brought a lot of business to the studio I worked in.

I was like, fine. So I went in. And I spent two hours there that day. He had me handing instruments, he had me like sitting in different places and looking at how things ran. And I fell in love so hard and fast. And I've been in orthodontics now since then, which I'm gonna really date myself and tell you that it was 1999 when this happened.

So, uh, a long time ago when I was a fresh little baby. And, um, and I, you know, I really loved it. I loved. I think what really sparked that joy in me was this like. Oh my gosh. You get to change somebody's confidence and you get to see them kind of bloom into this whole different like personality and person once they've got that confidence.

It was just so interesting to me, and I often in my career have stepped back from like changing wires and some of the things that feel a little mundane and just was like, what made you fall in love with this in the first place? And that was it. And I just am so grateful that. That doctor's wife saw something in me that she felt like it would be a good fit for the practice.

And I think, you know, I think asking your team if they know somebody is like the first place I would go to, but if they don't like, have everybody on the team be on the lookout for that person who checks you out at the grocery store that is just like. A little has a little something special or that like really takes extra good care of you at the restaurant or at a photography studio or you know, anywhere that you run into somebody who just is going a little bit above and beyond and that feels like you would want to be around.

I'm like, those are the people that's, mm-hmm. That's who you wanna hire. You are not gonna find that on an Indeed Post. You're not gonna find that, um, you know, in a form somebody fills out. You really have to go out there and find these people and then be like, Hey, we've got this perfect place that you're gonna fit.

And then make it real. Like that office, really, I would've done anything for that doctor. I would've slept in a cot in the back office to make sure that the patients were taken care of, because I felt that much ownership in what he let me do for that practice and how he trained me So. That's just my Ted welcome to my ted talk.

Um, that's just how it kind of went for me. But I think it really, you know, it, it can go beyond just your usual channels of finding great people. And then I do think you have to work to make people feel that like joy again of what you're doing. Like remind your team frequently of why, like the big picture.

Because the little day-to-day tasks can start to feel like. Okay, we're doing this again. Yeah. Right. Um, so if you, do you have any other thoughts you wanna share on that before we move on? 

Katelyn: Yeah. I would say some of our best, I mean best, best team members we have hired solely just on their personality.

Mm-hmm. Like, I mean, they had zero dental, orthodontic, anything prior experience. And we're really big on, we will hire you and train you from the ground up. Like we have great training programs in place and trainers and leads and we are ready to hire from the ground up. And I know I all the time, I'll pass on someone with.

Experience if I have someone with no experience who's just a better personality fit. Sure. Um, so I know we are not shy to hire, you know, someone without experience and just solely off personality. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: I heard, um, someone say once, um, we have an always hiring mentality. She's like, we literally, even if we're not hiring, if we run into the great.

Person who we think would just fit our team really well. We are just always on the lookout for that next great person. Yes. Even if we're not like, actively looking, so, 

Melissa: yep. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Mm-hmm. 

Melissa: Yeah. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Awesome. And I 

Melissa: think too, um, Katelyn helps out with a lot of our hiring and she, one of the, one of the good things that she, she knows our team so well too, so, and the team culture and, um, you know, each, each team is a little different.

So a lot of two, what she's looking out for is. Protecting the team that we already have and if this person's gonna add value, um, and help the, our current team too. So, um, you know, you would, you don't wanna hire the wrong person and throw that team off either. So that's a big, huge thing that we look at when we're, when we're looking for new team members as well.

Lacie Ellis - Host: That's really smart. 'cause I have worked in places where. The doctor brought somebody on, or it was a friend of their family, or we even had somebody transfer in from a different location that worked for the same doctor, but they were, we, we weren't in the same like area. We didn't know these, this person, and it was a struggle like.

Integrating her into the team, and I kind of feel guilty about the way we treated her now. But you know, I, I do think you have to know your team, and I think that's really smart that you guys take that into consideration when you're hiring somebody because not everybody is the right fit for every group of people.

Katelyn: Yes. It's just the 

Lacie Ellis - Host: way it is. 

Katelyn: Yes. Always around. I'm like, I'm very protective and I'm like, I will not hire someone that's gonna rock my boat. Like, nope, this, no. Mm-hmm. I'll pass if I field. Well, you 

Lacie Ellis - Host: spend. More time collectively, usually with these people that you work with in your own dang family sometimes.

Yeah, so true. It's if you, if there's tension or dislike, it just really, it's, it's a really big bummer. 'cause you, this is where you spend a lot of your time and energy and to go to a place where you don't maybe feel welcome where you feel like people are talking behind your bag. So like, it's just, it's, that's not worth it.

They shouldn't want that and neither should you, you know? So. No, 

Melissa: no, it's so, and it's, I feel like it's so. Easy to throw that off. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, like Katelyn said, you know, just being very protective of the team that you currently have is important. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: I love that. Um, so for my last question, I'm wondering is there anything that your office does to provide a unique patient experience?

Because I'm hearing a lot out there in the industry right now that like. You have to do something other than I have an iTero and we're really tech forward. You know, like ev, almost every ortho office out there can say, you know, we have these tools. It's like, okay, but what else are you doing? Like, are you guys doing anything that just feels a little bit different or special with your patient experience?

Melissa: Experience? We always, um, you know, Katelyn and I started. A while ago when we were a lot smaller of a practice. And so we always, and you know, along with Dr. Sey, we just never want, we always want patients to feel like part of a family and we don't ever want them to feel like a number. So that really starts, you know, from that very first phone call.

So, um, we've done a lot of trainings. Um, Liam Panche and one of her biggest things is be the best part of the patient's day. Mm-hmm. Um, and so that's a motto that we have kept. We put on everybody's job description and it's number one. And, um, that is something that we all are, you know, making sure that we are, these patients do feel like part of a family and we are really getting to know them from the first phone call, you know?

And, um, I think that is a big thing because. We're in a fast peace world and everybody's so busy and just moving around, and so we want them to come here and, and feel relaxed and feel cared for. Um, so. Even from, you know, tcs getting to know them a little better, we try to keep them with the same assistant mm-hmm.

Each appointment. Mm-hmm. So that way they can develop that relationship with them. Um, and then, you know, throughout the process too, we give little prizes for when they get started with treatment. Um, when they come in for consult, D begins. Those kinds of things as well as different patient contests, but just really, I think forming those relationships, um, Dr.

Ey does a really good job too, of making sure that each patient is seen by him and, um, that they feel cared for and valued at the practice. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah. Kind of like what I was saying with, you know, you have to have more than just like. The new shiny toys in your office. Yeah, right. 'cause you can, you could take any practice and based on the team that you put in place in that office and with those tools, you'd get a totally different outcome for the patient.

So I think starting at that core of like, we just take really good care of people and we get to know who you are as a person and talk to you like a person, not like my next patient. You're Melissa, you're Caitlin. You know, like that we're gonna talk to like the people that you actually are. Um, I think that's really valuable.

I don't think you have to have, you know, necessarily a. Hook. You know, I think you can accomplish, um, really great things just by doing what you guys are doing by going that extra mile to get to know somebody. Um, I know a practice that has a therapy dog in the office and they tell people that on the new patient phone call we have, you know.

Lily here, and she's our therapy dog. We just want you to know if she's gonna be here and wandering around the practice and, um, you know, that works for that practice. My mom would be horrified by that. She's not an animal person, so she would specifically not go there just because of that. So I think you have to be careful about how far you go with some of the.

Things that you do that make you stand out and are unique. But I think, I think you guys nail it in the regard that if you really just take excellent care of people, that's really the best marketing you can do and that's the best, um, you know. Hook that you can have as a practice is like, we just, we're just the practice that takes the best care of people.

Like your smile's gonna be beautiful whether you go to these three doctors, but you're gonna walk out of it feeling like you've got new friends if you come here. Right, 

Melissa: right. And that's the goal. You know, we, we don't want them to, we want to be memorable, but also for them to, when they think about us, to really feel cared for and you know, like we make a difference in their lives.

Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah, I, I agree with Leanne that like my goal, um, when I worked Chairside was like. I'm gonna make this person's day better 'cause they sat in my chair today. Like that was, yes. My ultimate goal every day is like, this person's day is gonna be a little bit brighter or a little bit like, we're gonna laugh about something ridiculous or, you know, I miss the chair and end up with my butt on the floor.

Like, that's happened way more than once. Uh, and we're gonna just laugh about it and they're not gonna forget me throughout their day and I bruised tailbone. So, um, so I think that's great. I think, um. You guys seem to have it really nailed down and that's, you know, between a great team and taking great care of people.

I'm sure that is what's leading to a lot of the success that you guys have. So well done. 

Listener Q 2: Thank you. 

Lacie Ellis - Host: So I really hope you enjoyed our conversation today as much as I did. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your valuable insights, Melissa and Caitlin. Thank you for so much. Absolutely. So our goal with this podcast is to give you truly tangible items that you can use in your day-to-day life at the office, and to elevate the voices of the people who actually work in an office and sit in the same chair that you sit in every day.

We'd love to hear your topic or guest recommendations, as well as questions or comments about things that you are dealing with in your practice. Send us your questions and stories to practice talk.com. Please subscribe and share this episode with your friends and family that might find these conversations helpful and interesting.

And don't forget to listen to our original podcast called The Golden Age of Orthodontics, hosted by the founders of people in practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. Until next time, thank you for joining us on Practice Talk where your voice has. Value. 

Narrator: Thank you for listening to The Practice Talk podcast.

Head over to practice talk.com to ask us questions or tell us your stories. Until next time.