Sally McKenzie

Before the person walking into your practice ever becomes a patient, they are a "shopper" of sorts. And when they're shopping around and evaluating your practice against the others, they are looking at it with the critical eye of a consumer who is about to make a large investment in both time and money in what they hope will be a long-term relationship. When they make the decision that your practice is the right one for them and their family, make sure they know they made the best decision.  

Touch base periodically. Send a brief survey and ask your patients, especially new patients, for feedback. Showing them that you care about their satisfaction speaks volumes about your commitment to excellent care. It can also provide you with an opportunity to gain insights about other aspects of your practice that could be improved or expanded to further enhance the patient experience. Send birthday greetings or Thanksgiving cards or periodic email newsletter. No matter how you choose to do so, find a way to stay connected to your patients.  

If they have missed an appointment or not scheduled a recommended visit, drop a letter in the mail and let them know that you are concerned about them, their oral health, and their overall health. It may also serve as the reminder they needed to get back into your office.

Pick up the phone. A real human being should answer the office phone during regular business hours. Stagger lunch breaks to ensure that the phone is staffed with a person - not voice mail - at all times.  

Be prompt with inquiries. If a current or prospective patient calls and requests information or has a question, respond promptly or within a specific and reasonable timeframe that is expressed clearly to the patient. This shows your commitment to a high level of service and reinforces the patient's confidence in you and your practice Know the answers to common questions, and provide thorough and complete information. This tells them you have a team that is well trained and prepared. That alone speaks volumes about the quality of your practice.

Also, if an issue arises, take action and make it your priority to resolve it immediately. Remember, mistakes and how they are resolved provide an exceptional opportunity to show your commitment to the patient. If you have an upset or disgruntled patient, take the negative situation and make it a positive opportunity for both of you.  

Listen, listen, listen. Dentists are very good at talking to patients and telling them what they need, what they should do, what's wrong, what's the best course of treatment. While that's an important aspect of patient education and providing proper care, listening is essential to building positive relationships with the person beyond the patient.

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Hugh Doherty, DDS

Many investors have the potential to fulfill their financial destiny. But certain behaviors can slow or completely stymie their financial growth.

Here are a few behavioral issues to avoid if you want to stay on top of your investment strategy.

1. Inactivity can prove detrimental to your personal finances, and it could result from the fear of investors to take on risk or a fear of failure. Investors who were frightened by the large market drop of 2008 are now sitting with portfolios that contain too much cash and/or bonds. The effects of inflation and taxes will prevent these investors from reaching their retirement goals. Although they are not taking equity market risk, they still risk running out of money.

2. Following the latest investing fad and ignoring your specific goals can take you off the right course to fulfill your investment strategy and lifestyle needs. The herd mentality, defined as the altered state of mind induced by the emotion of group momentum, is what happens when an individual investor abandons an investment plan in order to follow others in his or her peer group. This emotional contagion can be due to -- and prolong -- a market bubble such as the Internet tech bubble of the late 1990s. It can cause emotional reaction in the opposite direction, such as the market crashes of 1929 and 2008. People make mistakes because they don't have a plan or don't stick to it when emotions run high.

3. Spending an extraneous amount of time analyzing financial paperwork can have negative repercussions. Take, for example, an investor who pores over investment data to choose the most lucrative stocks and bonds, but he is unable bring himself to buy. He has a great plan but fails to act on it. No matter how wonderful the plan, if it remains a theory it doesn't work. The best financial decisions come from a balanced decision-making process and a sound strategy for vetting investments. With those two components working in sync, an investor can gather information, assess it and make an informed decision to fulfill his or her plan's goals. The sheer volume of financial information available today can make decision-making seem overwhelming. Americans are often so overwhelmed by choices that many become paralyzed when making decisions and conclude the best decision is to not make one at all. Don't allow the volume of complex financial news that you are bombarded with on a daily basis overwhelm you. Stay focused on what is most important to you and your financial goals. The basic rules still apply - Paying your bills on time and investing for your financial future are always smart financial decisions.

4. Anchoring, or the tendency of investors to place undue weight to an initial finding, could lead to bad investment decisions, and ultimately cause you to miss an opportunity to get the most from your investment strategy for lack of knowledge. It is important for your financial plan to be flexible and realistic. This is difficult to do if you take a myopic approach. In this situation, you might want to hire a trusted financial planner to help you understand all of your options.