If you produce it, you must collect it! To kick off 2022, I spent some time talking with Claire Dickinson, my good friend and dental industry colleague, about creating team agreements and getting everyone on the dental team on the same page when it comes to practice profitability. Claire and I dive into a great conversation on fees, asking for payment, and how to be better prepared when patients ask questions.
Accounts receivable is a team sport and we both agree that everyone plays a role in preparing, discussing, and managing the money in the practice. The clinical team might be uncomfortable talking about money and, in this podcast, we dive into identifying how to overcome these challenges, With the employee shortages that dental practices are facing right now, everyone on the team now must step up with being cross-trained in processes he or she might not normally be asked to do.
Now is a great time to schedule a team cross-training meeting and teach everyone how to use the credit card machine, practice verbal skills around asking for money, and create a system of communicating internally. The communication piece is one of the most important. Claire and I both agree that a morning huddle is one of the best way to get your team on the same page for the day and include a conversation about who owes money today. I love using the appointment note in Dentrix to note what the patient’s out of pocket is for today’s visit or if there is a financial arrangement.
As we move through this first quarter, you will find more Novonee podcast interviews with dental industry experts helping you and your team create and tweak your accounts receivable systems. You will have the opportunity to download free tip sheets, sample collection letters, and engage with lots of resources to help you get the money off the books and into the bank.
