The Best Practices Show ACT Dental

6 Items You're Missing to Transform Your Day-to-Day Life
Episode #585 with Jenni Poulos
You make about 35,000 decisions a day. How do you sift through the things that matter? To help you get more out of your days, Kirk Behrendt brings back Jenni Poulos, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, with actionable steps you can take to change your life. With the Ivy Lee Method, “the big six”, you can transform the days in your practice, as well as your everyday life. If you're ready to start loving your days, listen to Episode 585 of The Best Practices Show!
Episode Resources:
Jenni’s email: jenni@actdental.com Jenni’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenni.poulosJenni’s social media: @actdentalSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
The Myth of Multitasking by Dave Crenshaw: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-myth-of-multitasking-how-doing-it-all-gets-nothing-done-2nd-edition-project-management-and-time-management-skills-dave-crenshaw/14594823?ean=9781642505054
Main Takeaways:
Multitasking is a myth. It will actually rob you of your productivity.
At the end of your day, write six things to accomplish tomorrow.
Prioritize your six things in the order of their true importance.
Intentionally focus on one task at a time until completion.
What doesn't get done carries over to tomorrow’s list.
Keep things simple.
Quotes:
“Never in my years and years and years of coaching have I walked into an office and had a dentist or a team member tell me, ‘You know what? I have so much time available in my day. I always know exactly what I'm going to do, and when I'm going to do it. I start and finish it without distractions,’ said no one, ever — ever — especially in this world. The dental practice is crazy. We’re always pulled in a million directions. That's the nature of the beast. Without a plan for our days, we end up functioning, always, in reactive mode. And what we really need to do is move out of this reactive mode and into a proactive mode to create efficiency and have a more predictable day. We become way more productive, and our days are happier.” (2:07—3:14)
“In the early 1900s, Charles Schwab, who at that time was a steel titan, the second-biggest steel company in the country, was looking for ways to increase his productivity. He wanted to beat out the competition and become number one. So, he had a consultant named Ivy Lee come in. He said, ‘If you can give me 15 minutes, I will show you and your executives the way to

5 Tips to Increase Productivity as a Dental Team
Episode #584 with Robyn Theisen
Your schedule may be full — but full of what? If your days are packed with busywork, you're not productive or profitable! So, how do you increase productivity without working harder? To find out, don't miss this episode! Kirk Behrendt brings back Robyn Theisen, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, with five tips to work smarter as a team to run a more predictable, productive practice. To learn how to get started, listen to Episode 584 of The Best Practices Show!
Episode Resources:
Robyn’s email: robyn@actdental.com Robyn’s social media: @actdentalSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
The Best Practices Show Episode 566 with Robyn Theisen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XlrvOk7UUc
The Best Practices Show Episode 576 with Debra Engelhardt-Nash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPV3FI_qWKc  
Main Takeaways:
Have morning meetings.
Start by setting goals and setting schedules.
Get a mix of patients. Don't recycle the same ones.
Focus on bringing back unscheduled A patients, not C patients.
Understand the difference between being busy and being productive.
Quotes:
“Working smarter, not harder, is cliché and it fits here with the way you leave at the end of the day. How do you feel about your day? If you're exhausted, that's a different type of productivity than leaving at the end of the day like, ‘That was a great day! It felt good. We saw patients. We were able to spend time with all of our patients. They left with great service.’ That makes for a more productive day, I believe, and there are ways to do that to make sure that you can accomplish that.” (3:57—4:24)
“Where I would start is setting goals, and then creating a block schedule or scheduling to goal. There are different ways to refer to it and different ways to set it up, but knowing, what is your goal at the end of each day? And the easiest way to do that is by a number. So, you have a production goal, setting up your goals that way, and then analyzing your schedule. When do I want to do the most productive procedures? When do I want to put those into my day? Do I want to have that all done by noon and after lunch? Or if you're working straight through that afternoon part, it’s set up where you're doing different types of procedures that don't require as much for you. I also think that blocking your hygiene schedule and setting that up with it is another way to not feel crazy during the day. How many exams do I want to do in an hour? How do I incorporate scaling and root planing blocks into that? How do I...

Messages That Move People: Three Ways That Public Speaking & Presentation Skills Can Grow Your Practice or Advance Your Skills as a Dental Professional
Episode #583 with Katherine Eitel Belt
Anyone can become a better speaker — and everyone should! Public speaking is one of the most important skills you can have, especially as a business owner. To help you go from an average to fantastic speaker, Kirk Behrendt brings in Katherine Eitel Belt, founder of LionSpeak, with tips to speak better, present better, and improve how you communicate with your audience. To learn how to present messages that move people, listen to Episode 583 of The Best Practices Show!
Episode Resources:
LionSpeak: https://www.lionspeak.netLionSpeak Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionSpeak.netSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Use code LION200 for $200 off the video series! https://www.lionspeak.net/speaking-skills
Main Takeaways:
It matters that your message is clear.
Clarify your message in an inspirational way.
Be aware of your body language when presenting.
Learn the difference between a framework and a script.
Understand why public speaking is an important business skill.
Master the four-step “bookshelf framework” for clarity and memorability.
Use storytelling/story selling to communicate what you want your audience to know.
Quotes:
“Here’s the reality. Scripts work when people follow them. But they tend to be complicated. They tend to be, ‘Here is the step by step by step,’ and nobody can remember a hundred steps when the phones are ringing, and people are coming in and out. And it doesn't feel authentic because they didn't craft it. But one thing scripts did, whether it’s speaking from the platform or whether it’s on the phone, one thing scripts gave us was consistency of message if people followed it. And so, I like that. As a business owner, I don't want you to call my office and talk to Kelly and get one experience or one set of information, and then call and talk to Stacey and get something completely different. As a businesswoman, I want consistency of brand, of message, of information. But if we only look at scripting to give us consistency, we lose authenticity, that feeling that I'm actually talking to a human being who’s present in this moment, who is really getting me. But if we only follow on authenticity, then the conversations go wacky and wonky.” (5:43—7:00)
“I think a lot of people would never aspire to be a public speaker. And maybe they never will. But Warren Buffett said, someone asked him, ‘If you had to narrow it down to one professional skill that

3 KPIs to Know if Your Periodontal Protocol is Working
Episode #582 with Miranda Beeson
Is your perio at zero percent? If it is, it doesn't have to stay that way! Once you create a periodontal protocol, your next step is to track a few numbers. To reveal what those key KPIs are, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, so you can understand what's working, what's not, and the countermeasures to put in place. Your perio percentage should be as high as possible! To learn how to go from zero to 60 — and beyond — listen to Episode 582 of The Best Practices Show!
Episode Resources:
Miranda’s email: mirandabeesonicc@gmail.com Miranda’s social media: @actdentalSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
3 KPIs to Know if Your Periodontal Protocol is Working: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T8shs-Fz86O7dtbfx3dma5kKOknvsIJo/view
The Best Practices Show Episode 574 with Miranda Beeson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5-strategies-to-encourage-dental-hygienists-to-diagnose/id1223838218?i=1000612492886
Katrina Sanders’ Disease Prevention & Wine Tasting course (October 5-6, 2023): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/act-dental-hygienists-live-course-october-5-6-2023-tickets-368595568267
Main Takeaways:
Monitor your periodontal visit percentage.
Monitor your periodontal diagnostic percentage.
Monitor your periodontal acceptance percentage.
Look at all three KPIs together to get the whole picture.
Help patients discover what they need rather than telling them.
Build value through conversation and bringing patients into the process.
Quotes:
“If we put something into place, strategies around creating periodontal protocol in the office, that's great. But it really doesn't mean much if we don't know if it’s actually working. Are team members following through? Are we getting the response from patients that we want? We want to know if those protocols are working so that team members can have accountability for their role in the process. Their own accountability, maybe we need to be tied into that. Or we have our own as practice owners and doctors. And also, so that we can course-correct. Or, even better, celebrate when we need to. When the data points show us that we need to put some countermeasures in place or course-correct, great. But if we’re doing really well, we...

Put Your Dental Marketing to the Test
Episode #581 with Xaña Winans
You want your phones to ring, so you put out some ads. You create a brand-new website, rent some billboards, and spend tons of money on everything possible. So, why isn't it working? For that answer, Kirk Behrendt brings back Xaña Winans, founder and CEO of Golden Proportions Marketing, to explain the marketing funnel, the biggest problems dentists have in this process, and how to fix it. A new website alone will only go so far! To learn what you're missing in your dental marketing strategy, listen to Episode 581 of The Best Practices Show! 
Episode Resources:
Xaña’s email: xwinans@goldenproportions.com Xaña’s social media: @xanaathenaGolden Proportions Marketing: www.goldenproportions.comSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Take Xaña’s self-diagnosis quiz! https://www.goldenproportions.com/practice-marketing-checkup-act-dental
Xaña’s course (June 16-17, 2023):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/discover-your-dental-marketing-dna-the-six-steps-to-success-tickets-274942178457
Start With Why by Simon Sinek: https://bookshop.org/books/start-with-why-how-great-leaders-inspire-everyone-to-take-action-2c622935-8c0c-4d97-9e9a-4fd6286d8336/9781591846444
Best Practices Show Episode 546 with Shelley DeGroff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgFoj5VUimQ
Jackass Brewing Company: https://www.jackassbrewingcompany.com
Main Takeaways:
Have a strategy.
Focus on branding.
Know your lead conversion.
Measure your lead generation.
Constantly optimize your marketing.
Make your new patient experience excellent.
Quotes:
“Every single doctor, when they call us, might start out with something like, ‘I think I need a new website,’ or, ‘I've got a friend who’s been doing television commercials, and I want to do that.’ And what they're failing to see is that just going after a single strategy is not going to solve the bigger problem. But us telling them only gets us so far. It’s kind of like...

Real Value vs. Perceived Value
Episode #580 with Dr. Christian Coachman
For patients, it doesn't matter why you're a great clinician. What matters is that they perceive you as skilled, competent, and great. Today, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Christian Coachman, founder of Digital Smile Design, to guide you through the process of creating perceived value. Your patients aren't buying your treatment — they're buying the emotional experience that you provide! To learn how to translate your real value to perceived value, listen to Episode 580 of The Best Practices Show! 
Episode Resources:
Dr. Coachman’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiancoachmanDr. Coachman’s social media: @chriscoachmanDigital Smile Design: https://digitalsmiledesign.comSubscribe to the Best Practices Show PodcastJoin ACT’s To The Top Study ClubJoin ACT’s Master ClassSee our Live Events Schedule hereGet the Best Practices Magazine for Free!Write a Review on iTunes
Main Takeaways:
People buy an emotional experience.
What matters is patients’ perception of value.
Every great practice needs a great storyteller.
Master the process of creating perceived value.
Being a good clinician is not a guarantee of success.
Learn how to translate your real value into perceived value.
Quotes:
“From my dental technician perspective, what I realized was that many clients that I have, dentist clients, of course, could be great clinicians but not necessarily have great practices, and vice versa. I saw clinicians that were not that great but were really succeeding with their practice. So, I noticed that being a good clinician, unfortunately — and I say unfortunately — is not a guarantee of success. And as a technician, 25 years ago, I started to ask myself, how can I help my good clinicians to be more successful beyond just managing the clinical procedures? That's when I started what I call the emotional dentistry concept, everything that can help a dentist generate perceived value.” (3:23—4:15)
“What I realized was that we all have our real value. Our real value is the value that we know we deserve because of our effort on learning, practicing, becoming more experienced, trying over and over again, using the right instruments and materials, etc. Every year, we get better, and that grows our real value. But what I also noticed is that in a capitalist world, real value doesn't make the magic alone. It doesn't really matter how much real value you know you deserve. What really matters for a business, including a dental practice business, is the value that people believe you deserve, or people feel you deserve. Basically, when patients accept a treatment plan, this treatment plan actually has very little to do with your clinical skills and a lot to do with the perception of value that this person had until that moment. So, I understood that it’s all about mastering the process of...