54: Teresa Duncan | How to fire an employee and what to do if they quit

Join Michael Arias as he explores several topics within the dental management industry, from nurturing your business to modernizing your approach to hiring new employees. To help him out, Michael brings in special guest Teresa Duncan, owner of Odyssey Management with over ten years of experience managing dental practices.

Click Here to learn more about Teresa and her mission to help dental practices flourish and succeed!

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [02:20] Teresa Duncan began her dental career in a tiny, wonderful practice with one dentist who convinced her to continue her education and become a dental consultant
• [06:34] Teresa reinforces the importance of being part of a small business, and how she will always look back and smile about her experience within that practice
• [08:00]  When running a dental business, always listen to your shifts in priorities; sometimes smaller is simpler!
• [08:54] One of the most important steps to gain more patients is to insure a personal, convenient system of communication
• [08:00] How am I going to make you smile today? Ensure that your recorded call appreciates patient effort
• [18:30]  User-friendly websites, emails, and online chat software are important tools for modern patient communication
• [21:16] Teresa highlights the importance of the hiring process
• [24:41] You're going to spend money on new employees before you're going to make money
• [27:00] For any practice, be "slow to hire and quick to fire"
• [33:29] Environmental awareness is an important way to stay updated on important changes in the dental world; move your awareness from inside your practice to the outside realm of dental marketing and insurance
• [36:08] Find Teresa and Odyssey Management on Facebook!
• [36:34] Sign up for Teresa's newsletter and keep abreast on changes in the world of dental practice and insurance

3 Main Ideas

1. Communication is key! Ensure that your patient experience begins before they enter your door, from how they interact with your website to how easily they can reach you by phone. 6pm���9pm is a wonderful time to reach your patients for reminder or collection calls.
2. Stay updated and prepared for changes in the world of dentistry and insurance; don't find yourself with a letter in your hands that will lead to a twenty-percent cut in revenue.
3. It may be easier said than done, but be slow to hire and fast to hire. Letting go of an employee means that you can tweak job descriptions and optimize your business. Keep your current team aware of these changes, and reward them for pushing harder when lost employees leave gaps. Also, remember that any new employee will cost you money for the first three months as they learn the ropes. Afterward, however, they should be a productive member of your team!

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