I loved hearing back from so many of you about how you utilitze a BONUS in your office. The most important piece of a goal and bonus structure is to know your why. Why are you setting the goals? What are you trying to accomplish or what behavior are you trying to change? Ensure the bonus is directly connected to these desired changes and results (goals), then ensure you have the proper metrics in place to know if your team has attained the goals.
When this system is set up properly, it can be very effective at driving results. Evaluate your business and understand where you have room for improvement. Are you looking to lower your delinquencies? The entire team can actually be a part of improving in this area. Is your front desk team confident in asking for payments? (hint: Don’t ask the patient if they want to make a payment on their account today. Inform them of how much is due on the account and simply ask them how they would like to take care of that today.) This should be practiced and role-played.
Are you looking to improve on your number of new patients? Again, your entire team can influence this number. Are your clinical technicians trained and conditioned as educators and influencers to generate additional new patient exams out of a parent, chairside? (hint: ensure your clinical techs are confident in a dialog with mom or dad. Simply ask if mom and dad still wear their retainers? Depending on the answer, ask if their teeth have shifted and educate on the importance of lifetime retainer wear. A reply could be, “We have a great family care program and we could put your teeth back in the same position they were in when you got your braces off and we could do it with clear aligners. We’ll take great care of you when you’re ready!”) There is nothing high pressure sales about this. This conversation is genuine, authentic and full of passion for every person that comes into our office to have the ideal smile!!
There are many options, aside from number of starts (BTW, I’m not a huge fan of simply making this a goal. A $1,500 start and a $6,000 start represent something very different to the practice’s success.) It’s important you break out that metric. How many Ph.I starts are you desiring and how many Full/Ph.II are you desiring. Of course, simple production goals and collection goals are the fastest way to see improvement within your practice.
Your entire team has the ability to increase production (think non-contract charges!) and you can’t collect on what you don’t produce. We work closely with our clients to identify the areas within their business that need improvement and change and to customize and create the best goals and bonuses for the teams to feel vested and to get results! We’d love to hear the goals/bonus ideas you’ve set in place!! And again… know the why behind what you are doing~ Onward and upward always!