Have Them at Hello!

The telephone is the gateway into your practice. It represents the first tangible interaction that starts to shape the way a patient views and feels about your competency, level of professionalism, and whether or not it will be worth their money. The goal is to convert as many potential patient callers to appointments as possible. You also want every caller to hang up the telephone and feel amazed at how they were treated, listened to, and responded to. And you want this goal obtained efficiently and with consistency of message.

The following steps will help you transform your telephone skills to exceptional:

1. Let the caller know you are glad they called and get their name.
   Caller: “Hello. I was wondering if you took my insurance plan?”
   Office: “Well, I’m really glad you called our office and I’d love to try to help you! Again, my name is Katherine. May I ask your name?”
   Caller: “My name is Carrie Simmons.”
   
2. Get in the “questioning seat” as soon as possible.The first question the caller asks is rarely their real issue. Answer the caller’s initial question with another question that helps to narrow the field of concerns to address. Proceed with asking all the questions you need to clearly identify in your mind what the real issues are for this patient.

   Use any opportunity the patient gives you to connect personally with them. And remember that once you identify the caller’s main objectives and concerns, you have to sell your dentist and what your dental office has to offer specifically regarding those concerns. It’s not up to the patient to sell themselves on you… it’s up to you to sell them on you!

3. Offer the best solution based upon what you have discovered in the questioning phase. This becomes much easier to do once you’ve identified the patient’s real concerns. Remember, it is important to build value for the solution to which you are steering the patient.
   
4. Now, you can get those details!Save the details like address, insurance information, pre-med questions, etc. until after you’ve “made the sale.” So many calls I listen to start out by asking these questions when they don’t know what the patient wants or even if the patient will schedule at all. It’s impersonal and does not build a relationship or identify needs.
   
5. Always end your call by reconfirming the appointment specifics as well as reassuring the patient what a good decision they’ve made.

The two ingredients that make a phone call great are: 1) possessing the skills to know where you are going with the call and 2) the level of sincere enthusiasm and personal concern you convey to the caller. Every call is a chance to help someone resolve a problem and see a great dentist. So beef up those skills and crank up your enthusiasm for the next call you take!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three phone lines are ringing…
Two patients are being dismissed…
And your head’s about to explode!!

We can help.

Have Them at Hello!
Phone Skills Training Program

New Download Version
Only $145!
Save $50

Learn more

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Throw out the scripts and tap into your own instinctive greatness to be better than ever! Following a few simple steps, everyone can improve their results on the phone and their value to the practice.”
~ Katherine Eitel
Lioness Learning

My Moment

Two moments in time:
11:30.
4:00.

The first is explained in this eloquent story posted on Facebook last week (reprinted with permission) by renowned NSA speaker, Joe Calloway:

11:30.

Sunday afternoon my ten-year-old daughter, Jessica, asked me if she and her best friend, Emma, could set up a lemonade stand in our yard. It was a very drizzly, cool day but I thought a lesson could be learned about disappointment and realistic expectations, so I said, “Sure.”

They painted a sign which read, “50 Cents a Cup – All Proceeds to Benefit Animal Shelter,” made the lemonade, set up their table in the yard, and stood in the drizzling rain. I sighed the sigh a wise parent sighs as his child is about to face disappointment.

Finally, a lone, soggy jogger stopped. Then, a car. Then, neighbors started coming over. THEN, a Grey Line tour bus came to a screeching halt right in front of our house! (Not unusual as I live in Nashville, TN with a music star in my neighborhood.) The tour bus driver opened his door, ordered a cup of lemonade, and then invited the girls to bring their pitcher onto the bus. Almost every passenger bought a cup.

After two hours, the girls had made almost $60 for the animal shelter.

A valuable lesson was learned. Not by them but by me. The lesson was sometimes, even when everything seems stacked against you, you just go. It’s just your time. Because you make it your time.

Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live once said, “We don’t start the show because we’re ready. We start the show because it’s 11:30.”

For Jessica and Emma, it was 11:30.

Look at your watch. What time is it?

Thank you, Joe.

Now, for the second “moment.”

4:00. p.m. (P.S.T.), Friday, September, 15th, 2017

Many of you know I’ve lately been a student of Chuck Blakeman’s excellent book, Making Money Is Killing Your Business. One my favorite quotes from his book is, “This is not a gifted person’s game. This is an intentional person’s game. Ask the right questions, and you’ll figure out your answers.” OK. Here’s my question: How do I build a business that will allow me to do what I love professionally for as long and in whatever way I want to do it, make a significant impact on the people in my life and through those causes about which I am passionate, and live the personal life of my dreams in a fabulous, crazy-big, crazy-good kinda way?

Blakeman’s (simple) answer: Decide something. Pick a date. Go public.

So, here we go. It’s my time. My “11:30.”

No, correction: My 4:00.

Let it be known among all my family, friends, colleagues, loved ones, pets, and the whole wide world at large, on Friday, September 15th, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. P.S.T., we will pop the Champagne cork at the “send off” party for my departure the following Monday morning from LAX to Rome commencing my month-long, first-class dream trip to Italy. I will have fully accomplished my intention of creating a world-class, one-of-a-kind, experiential retreat center in Southern California designed to help individuals and business teams create and enrich the life of their dreams through totally unique, interactive, and expansive experiences. I will have developed Lioness Learning into a Stage Seven business, with day-to-day operations capably run by others and throwing off an annual annuity large enough to fund my lifetime goals and ideal lifestyle, including the two new philanthropic ventures I am creating.

Be there … or be square.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever glimpsed someone greater
inside of you?
Ever glimpsed it in someone else? 

The Lioness Principle:
Bring Out The Leader in You!
(DVD)

Learn More

Join renowned international speaker and trainer, Katherine Eitel, as she takes you on a journey of discovery into the wilds of your own potential, through the jungle of effective training skills and helps you master a simple principle that is key to unlocking the instinctive greatness within yourself and others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A decision is not a decision until we put a date on it. Until then, we are just playing office.”
~ Chuck Blakeman, Author
Making Money is Killing your Business

Rules Without Relationship = Rebellion

She’s late. Again. It’s only 5 minutes but it’s the principle of the thing. She knows the rules. It’s noticed by everyone on your team and how you handle it will send a leadership message to them all.

Any moment you attempt to influence, teach, calm, inspire, or motivate someone or negotiate, mediate, clarify, or reason with anyone… you are in a leadership position. Every action we take and every time we open our mouths (or choose not to), we have the opportunity to demonstrate effective leadership.

Effective leaders communicate with two objectives: clarity and inspiration. The title quote (from Andy Stanley) is a version of those two things: Rules (Clarity) and Relationship (Inspiration). Without both, leaders come off as either dictatorial and uncaring or passive and wishy-washy.

We live in a rule-based society. Speed limits, fishing licenses, chewing with your mouth closed. Rules of conduct govern our lives and, for the most part, maintain order and keep chaos at bay. Rules are the buoys we bump into as we mature and navigate down the water way of life which form our behavior and expectations. When you own, manage, or belong to a business, family, or organization, the rules of that organization create a culture, hopefully one of which you enjoy being a member. We often choose businesses to work for or organizations to join based on how we feel about their “rules” and culture: I work 40 hours a week… you pay me our agreed-upon wage; You abide by the rules of our employee manual (dress code, work ethic, job description)… I continue to employ you; You take out the trash and walk the dog every day… I pay your weekly allowance.

But whether we become loyal to that group, fight to remain a member, and champion them privately in our hearts and publically out in the world, is another story. That is where “relationship” (inspiration) comes in.

We want to live and work with people who, for the most part, choose to be there because the culture and the relationships nurture and feed us and make our lives better. As a leader, you must be clear about your expectations and standards. This is your responsibility and your prerogative. I believe there is much to be gained if you can divorce your emotions from the communication of your “rules.” Be brief, be clear, and be neutral. Unapologetic is different than threatening or angry. Sincerity and caring is different than passiveness.

Great leaders also have a natural confidence that things will work out, either way. Most often they take the position that both can be right (no judgment), but it might not be a good fit culturally at this time. They don’t “hope” to sever the relationship but they don’t fear it either. Or at least they are confident they will survive and that confidence comes through in their communications.

Rules and Clarity: “If you choose to work with this team, the expectation is you will be here, in this room, with schedules and pre-checked charts, dressed for clinical operations at 7:45 a.m. every morning.”

Relationship and Inspiration: “Sara, the rules in our (my) practice are to be here, in this room, with schedules and pre-checked charts, dressed for clinical operations at 7:45 a.m. every morning… no exceptions. You were late again this morning and to continue to work with us you will need to be here ready to go at 7:45. I understand you have childcare issues and I’ll understand if this is not a good fit for your life currently and your other responsibilities which are understandably important to you. I want you to work here and I respect your commitment to your family. I’m hoping you can find a way to work this out. Please let me know if I can help you in any way to find resources or solutions. I’m very sincere in that offer and I know you’ll make the decision which is right for your life. Are there questions I can answer for you about this?”

This “relationship” part of the equation works best… well, when there actually is a relationship. If you really do care about understanding someone’s perspective and life goals, you’ve asked about it and listened to them. If you really do honor someone’s role outside your office, as a parent for example, then you’ve asked about their children and spouse, you know their names and are genuinely interested in them as a whole person. This is the piece that causes people to genuinely want to abide by the rules instead of having to abide by the rules.

Rules – Relationship = Rebellion

Rules + Relationship = Respect

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The BIG DADDY of
practice communication skills exercises!

PRACTICE FEUD
=====================================

With over 85 different practice scenarios, teams can compete for one hour or all-day with this amazing collection of game cards. Most cards present a patient scenario and
ask “How would you handle this?” or “How should you respond to this patient?”

Fun, fast-moving and full of real learning based on years of Katherine’s observations
and in-office training sessions with teams just like yours.

Learn more

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head. That’s assault, not leadership.”
~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Becoming Family

As my eyes scan down the outbound flights looking for my gate on the airport monitor, the word “delayed” sticks out like a flashing red light amongst all the other flights which say “on time.” My flight from San Diego to Seattle is delayed two hours. Oh well… This is how I keep my gold card status at Starbucks.

Returning to the gate 90 minutes later to check on the progress, I can sense the frustration from the crowd and correctly assume more delays may be in my immediate future. I innocently ask a man leaning on his roller bag, “What’s the latest word?”

“Well, they said one more hour but I’ve been hearing that for the last 24 hours since yesterday in Cancun. Next time, I’ll fly anyone other than Alaska Airlines.”

Turns out the plane has had a defogger issue which has delayed about 70 passengers trying to get home from Mexico since yesterday. The broken part has now been replaced and is “drying” and we are awaiting clearance to fly. The delayed passengers are tired, frustrated, and cranky. The counter agent is not helping matters with her exasperated “Don’t blame me… I didn’t cause this mess… What do you want me to do about it?” attitude.

Eventually, we do get clearance and, as luck would have it, I’m seated right next to the same man I spoke with earlier and his wife. Also on the plane are about 40 young servicemen destined for an advanced training assignment in Washington.

When we’re finally on the plane, it now becomes the daunting task of the flight attendants and pilots to manage and appease this group of disgruntled passengers and boisterous servicemen. As the man beside me grumbles loudly, making sarcastic remarks to his wife, I thought to myself, “Good luck.”

However, what I witnessed next was nothing short of a customer service miracle… a true study in positive client relations.

The pilot quickly spoke to us, apologizing, thanking us for our amazing patience, and assuring us he would do everything in his power to make up as much time on our return flight as possible. He also acknowledged the contribution of the servicemen on board which got everyone clapping… and slightly distracted. After takeoff, the flight attendants were generous and hyper-attentive, handing out blankets, pillows, headphones, and free drinks and snacks, chatting conversationally, patting shoulders, smiling, soothing. As the three-hour flight unfolded and the pilot announced he had, in fact, made up some time, the mood began to lighten and the flight team began to cautiously use some humor. As we got ready to descend for our landing, the pilot said, “Folks, here are the 7 words you’ve been waiting soooo long to hear: Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for landing!” A loud cheer erupted! Once again he honored the patience of the delayed passengers as well as the sacrifice of the men in uniform and wished them wisdom, safety, and a speedy return to their loved ones.

The flight attendants, as they walked down the aisle checking for seat belts and tray tables, looked each person squarely in the eye, personally apologizing and sincerely thanking them. They had given enough free drinks and TLC to the grumpy man beside me to completely win him over. By the time we landed, he was laughing and joking with one of the flight attendants who I think had made him her very own pet project.

As we finally touched down and began to taxi to our gate, we heard the flight attendant’s voice over the loudspeaker, “Well folks, we’ve been on a long, long, long journey together and we want you to know that in spite of some negative circumstances, we really, truly (and I mean this sincerely) had a great time today connecting and serving all of you. We all pulled together, became a family of sorts, and we hope, as in all good families, you’ll be willing to forgive our shortcomings and give us another chance in the future to show you just how much we really do care about you and your business.”

To this, there were loud cheers and a rousing round of applause… even from my tipsy seatmate.

This team of committed professionals had transformed this tough crowd and taken the fire right out of the dragon’s mouth. They were transparent, sincere, generous, connected, and intentional. It was amazing to watch.

Remember, in any business, mistakes happen. You won’t get it right all the time but if you can keep your cool, remain humble and patient and, most of all, intentional in your objective to serve… you can transform even the gruffest client or the toughest crowd.

And free drinks and snacks never hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join us for
The Lion’s Tale
Speech Writing / StorySelling Workshop

~ Crafting Speeches and Stories that Illuminate, Educate, and Captivate ~

Great speeches illuminate great ideas, creating breakthrough moments for an audience. Well-told stories “prime the emotional pump” of your audience to hear your message and create unforgettable moments of clarity and inspiration.

Break out of the pack and stand out in the crowded arena of speakers/presenters. Spend the day with master trainer and speaker, Katherine Eitel, June 8th (prior to the SCN meeting) in Charleston, SC. You will leave this hands-on workshop with simple tools to help you organize any subject matter quickly and effectively as well as a 4-step process to deliver a masterful story every time.

Friday, June 8, 2012 ~ 9am-4pm
Embassy Suites North Charleston
Charleston, SC

Learn More / Register

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”
~ Donald Porter, VP British Airways

The Breakthrough Zone

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of organizing, facilitating and participating a day of mental and physical challenges with a client and her team near Nashville, TN. We decided upon a Team Challenge Day at a nearby 40-acre outdoor facility complete with low and high ropes courses as well as 9 progressively challenging zip lines.

Before we started our adventure, we gathered around three concentric circles drawn with a stick in the dirt. The inner circle represented our “comfort” zone, the next circle our “stretch” zone, and the outer circle our “panic” zone. We discussed what a comfort zone meant to each of us and the other circles as well. Then I asked what they were hoping would happen today for us as individuals and collectively as a team? In one way or another, the group wanted “breakthroughs.” Breakthroughs which meant doing something they thought they couldn’t do, conquering a fear, replacing limiting beliefs with expanded ones, and proving to themselves that they could “play a bigger game.”

Me, too! Breakthroughs were definitely what I came for today.

The safety facilitator said they wanted us to get into the stretch zone but stay out of the panic zone. That made sense and was certainly reassuring but I asked the group to point to the place on the three circles in the dirt where they felt “breakthroughs” like the ones they were wanting usually happened. After some thought, most of them pointed to the space somewhere near where the “stretch zone” merged into the “panic zone.” Yep. Smart group.

To really convince ourselves we can do something we previously were positive we could not do, we have to be willing to dance with a potential failure… right where stretching meets panic. The breakthrough usually happens when we want to pull back into the comfort zone but stay with the new thing long enough that we push through to a new understanding, a new mastery, a new belief of what is possible for us to achieve. It’s the feeling of closing your eyes when you’re scared to death, taking a big old deep breath, and jumping… and discovering you’re flying after all.

Without a doubt, this team had some breakthroughs that day. Ones that left them changed forever. They found new ways of supporting one another, new understandings of how their own thoughts and beliefs held them back, and how important each one of them were to the success of the group’s efforts and goals. I applaud their willingness to play on the ragged edge between stretching and panic… the sweet spot of breakthroughs.

If you are interested in having Katherine customize a team retreat or experience for your team or group, shoot us an email at info@LionessLearning.com and we’ll set up a complimentary call to discuss the limitless possibilities. For a sneak peak at what we’ve done with others, click on the links below.

Call us today! Your future is waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Customized Team Retreats and Workshops:

Play a Bigger Game!
Breakthrough the Barriers
Stretch What’s Possible
 

• Critical Thinking
• Personal Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Team Bonding
• Possibility Thinking / Goal Setting
• Annual Planning / Celebration

 

Call us and let us customize a program for your team today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
~ Mark Twain

Still Cookin’

It may go down as my all-time favorite childhood memory: The smell of my grandmother’s homemade pecan and raisin cinnamon rolls baking in the oven – “love in a pan” – made especially for me because she knew they were my favorite. Several times during what seemed to me as an everlasting, agonizing, eternal baking process, she would say, in a not-so-subtle, louder than normal voice, “Let’s just see how these little guys are doing in here…” She would carefully crack open the oven door which would release yet another intensifying wave of mouthwatering aromas: spicy cinnamon, softening raisins, melting butter, rising yeast, and caramelizing brown sugar. Of course, as if on command and pulled by the magnetic force of that smell, I came running to watch as the small, white balls of dough began to transform into swollen, golden brown bits of heaven dripping with all kinds of gooey goodness.

“Ummm… Not quite done yet… Almost, though.” She’d say with a smile, as she closed the oven door again and, with a wink, gently dabbed the drool from my chin and sent me back out to play.

Here’s what she didn’t say as she looked at her rolls halfway through the baking process: “Oh, my goodness! These are all wrong!” or “This recipe must be bad!” or “I knew this wouldn’t be worth all the trouble!” Of course, like us, she knew they just weren’t done yet. They didn’t look right because they were still in the process. There was nothing wrong with the recipe because, well, I’m not exactly sure she actually used one. Every time they turned out a little different and always, ultimately perfect. Even if she wasn’t totally satisfied, she’d say, “I’ll just put in a little more sugar next time.” It was an organic, intuitive way of developing and creating and refining.

I’m sure when she died, though I didn’t ask her, she would have said her cinnamon roll recipe was still not quite “done” yet and was still evolving.

In our lives, we look at all sorts of things, people, and circumstances and say, or at least think to ourselves, “This is wrong. This is bad. This shouldn’t be this way.” How different would it be if we changed our internal dialogue from “That’s wrong” to “It’s just not quite done yet”?

There are bad things happening in the world around us. We see pictures of men doing things that make us cringe. Powerful people acting inappropriately. Government departments wasting our hard-earned money. Crimes against humanity in places halfway around the globe. They all seem wrong to me and likely to you, too. But, I believe these things change things. Eventually, they evolve into something different, often something better, occasionally something perfect which could not have been without it looking so wrong to us halfway through the process… causing us to strongly prefer something different than this, to take action about it, or to be patient enough to let the natural consequences teach those who need to learn the lesson take its course.

Even on a smaller scale, closer to home, we frown upon the decisions our boss makes, we dislike a co-worker for the way they act, we go to sleep wondering if we’ve given birth to the next ax-murderer because of the way our child behaved in pre-school today. What if we could frame these feelings of wrong, bad, or mistaken as people or circumstances just halfway through the baking process of what they will ultimately become, what they will ultimately learn, and how they will ultimately evolve. They’re just not quite done yet… and neither are we.

Here’s the best news: It’s never done. And we can’t get it wrong because it’s never done. Our lives, their lives, the world at large is forever evolving, constantly learning, eternally developing into a gorgeous, ultimately perfect pan of warm, gooey cinnamon rolls.

So relax when you open the oven door and see all those weird, wrong-looking little balls in your life. Be patient, remember they’re still cookin’… and wait for it. It will be worth it and you’ll feel a whole lot better while you’re waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow The Lion’s Den:

www.facebook.com/LionsDenCommunity
twitter.com/lionessleader
www.linkedin.com/in/katherineeitel
www.youtube.com/user/lionesslearning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I think that my job is to observe people and the world, and not to judge them. I always hope to position myself away from so-called conclusions. I would like to leave everything wide open to all the possibilities in the world.”
~ Haruki Murakami

Two Minutes Late

I live in a town so tiny that our Post Office and Country Store is the place where the locals keep track of their neighbors and all the news and gossip within 20 miles of us. After moving here from the city eight years ago, I knew I was firmly “in the country” when, as I stood in a short, three-person line at our little Post Office, the Postmaster casually called an elderly rancher by his first name and loudly informed him he had a certified letter from the IRS and asked if he wanted it. The rancher, contemplating this for about two seconds, firmly replied, “Hell, no.”

I smiled to myself, thinking how funny this conversation was on so many levels, not to mention how many HIPPA laws had just been violated! It took only about a week for the postmaster, John, and his assistant, Isabelle, to know my name, profession, and personal mail-order shopping preferences as well as the names of my children, father, accountant, and dog. So it goes, if you live in a small, rural town.

But even as friendly and personable as they are, if you try to buy a stamp at two minutes after 5:00 p.m., they will smile at you through the locked and bolted door, shrug their shoulders and wave an only slightly apologetic hand … which you quickly learned is non-negotiable, no matter how much you plead or how sad a face you can muster. Your lack of planning is definitely not their concern.

Fast forward to last week, when Tom took a deposit for me to my branch of a big, national bank right before we left on a trip, which would require the assistance of an actual teller. Needing to make the Saturday closing time of 4:00 p.m. and leaving in plenty of time, an unexpected traffic accident delayed him about 15 minutes. As he pulled into the parking lot at 4:05, fully expecting to find the doors locked, he was warmly greeted and informed that the company’s policy was to wait 10 minutes past closing time for people just like us and occasions just like this!

My local post office has “friendly” down pat, but “service?” Well, not so much. My local bank branch has created both in spades. They recognize what their customers need and want and have created ways to positively surprise them with it. Banks are suffering from a ton of bad press right now but mine has me feeling better about them and more loyal to them every day.

As Tom left the bank to get a haircut and pick up a prescription, he found himself retelling the story of the bank’s excellent service to several people, many of whom related how woefully lacking their banks were and how great it was to hear of one getting it right. Sounds like a viral referral chain to me!

This week, discuss ways you can positively surprise and exceed your patients’ or clients’ expectations and get your customers talking about those surprises out and about in their community. There really is no better marketing in all the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get a burst of mental and physical energy
in less than five minutes!

Stretch and Keep Moving with Juli Kagan,
The Mindful Body Expert.

Click here to get started!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.”
~ Michael Leboeuf

Who’s To Blame?

You’ve heard it said many times, in many different ways:

• Be the victor, not the victim.
• When you’re pointing a finger at someone else, there are three more
  pointing back at you.
• If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

And so on, and so forth… Amen!

An office implements an employee reward game with the sole purpose of bringing attention to a new goal, building some camaraderie, and just having a little fun each day at their morning meeting! Every day they reach their goal, the employees pick blindly the following day from a grab bag of goodies filled with an assortment of gift cards, cash bills ranging from a $5 to a $50, and other surprises like coupons for “no kitchen duty for a week” or “a two-hour lunch break” (with prior approval, of course!)

Most employees embrace the new game, enjoying and having fun with it, cheering their colleagues on as they take their turns drawing from the bag. But a few don’t. They leave the room before the game is finished or turn their nose up at a gift card for a restaurant they don’t particularly like.

Underneath this behavior, they are really frustrated with their boss. Their thinly-veiled negativity emanates from a long-held, underlying belief that they really deserve a raise and this game, in lieu of that, is insulting. They bring this attitude to work, in one way or another, every day.

The boss on the other hand, fumes. He’s angry and insulted by the ungratefulness of the employee, their lack of enthusiasm (at best), and blatant negativity (at its worst), which seems to start his day off badly every morning.

The employee points to the greediness of the boss as the cause of her lacking paycheck. Her resentment builds over time internally as she retells this story to others and replays it over and over in her mind on her drive to and from work every day… especially on payday!

The employer points to the employee as an example of the attitudes that ruin his day and classic under-appreciation from employees, no matter what he does. His resentment builds over time as he tells this story to others and replays it over and over on his drive to and from work… especially on payday!

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who’s to blame?

Of course, the answer is both. Both have allowed themselves to fall into the role of victim. It’s easy to do. You’ve seen this reality play out in your own experience somewhere. We all have.

One day, any day… they both could make a different choice. She could walk into the boss’s office and calmly and confidently say, “I really love my job here for many reasons. After looking at my personal finances, my current pay is no longer sufficient for me. I would like to continue to work for you and I will need a raise to (this amount) by (this time) to do so. I would like to know what it is I need to do so you would feel good about paying me this wage. I will then evaluate whether I feel I can accomplish that or not. If there is no way for me to make that amount here, I understand, and have very much enjoyed working for you. I would like to give my notice and will need to look for a higher-paying position at another dental office.”

He could decide he no longer wants to continue feeling this way every day and address the issue with the employee honestly, letting her know he wants her to stay and be a part of the team but only if she could do so in a way that helps his day start out great and causes him to feel appreciated for the extra things he provides.

One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. Sue Morter: “Success comes FROM you, not TO you.” Nobody owes us anything. We owe ourselves a lot. None of us are victims, we just think we are. It’s much easier to point the finger at someone or something else instead of facing our own fear about taking control of our situation and doing something about it.

This week, take a hard look at who you are holding responsible for your situation and identify what you’re afraid of that’s holding you back from what it is you desire. All the power lies with you. Not your boss, employees, spouse, or friend.

When you’ve got three fingers pointing back at you… make it four… no, make it five and raise your fist as the victor of your own life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join us for
The Lion’s Tale
Speech Writing / StorySelling Workshop

~ Crafting Speeches and Stories that Illuminate, Educate, and Captivate ~
 

Great speeches illuminate great ideas, creating breakthrough moments for an audience. Well-told stories “prime the emotional pump” of your audience to hear your message and create unforgettable moments of clarity and inspiration.

Break out of the pack and stand out in the crowded arena of speakers/presenters. Spend the day with master trainer and speaker, Katherine Eitel, June 8th (prior to the SCN meeting) in Charleston, SC. You will leave this hands-on workshop with simple tools to help you organize any subject matter quickly and effectively as well as a 4-step process to deliver a masterful story every time.

Friday, June 8, 2012 ~ 9am-4pm
Embassy Suites North Charleston
Charleston, SC

Learn More / Register

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Most people stand in the river dying of thirst.”
~ Sufi

Selling Hope

Charles Revlon, founder of Revlon Cosmetics, was once quoted as saying, “In the factory, we make cosmetics. In the store, we sell hope.”

Recently, while observing in a high-profile dental office, I listened to a dentist present a very large treatment plan to a man in his late 60′s. The man had not been to a dentist in 15 years and his mouth showed it: Crumbling restorations, severe periodontal disease, complicated occlusal and TMJ issues, and missing teeth. “A train wreck” was the hygienist’s description as she handed the models to the dentist.

Right before he stepped into the consultation room where the patient waited, he said to me, “Oh goodie, I always get to deliver the bad news.” Here’s how he started his presentation:

“Well, Mr. Cartwright, thanks for coming in today. As you know, you’ve got a lot going on in your mouth. I wish I could tell you we could fix all this easily and quickly but unfortunately, I can’t. Because you’ve been away from the dentist for so many years, you now have a domino-effect happening in your mouth. It took years to reach this point and we will not be able to fix it overnight. We’re going to have to do this in several stages and, to do it right, it’s probably going to take up to a year or longer. You see these missing teeth here (pointing to a set of x-rays)? The problem is…”

He could not see this patient’s face (too busy looking at the x-rays only he could read) but I wish he could have. From where I stood, here’s what I saw: Embarrassment, weariness, shame, hopelessness.

We don’t sell implants, or surgery, or workshops, or eyeglasses, or flea and tick medication for pets. We sell hope. Whoever you are and whatever you think you sell… you don’t. You sell hope and solutions and possibility. We sell an acceptance of the past, a calming view of the present, and an optimistic future. This is what patients and clients, kids and parents, customers and colleagues want: Hope.

I still vividly remember the face of another patient, years ago, as I observed a brilliant young dentist faced with delivering a similar bit of heavy news, start his consultation in this way:

“Mr. Hughes, I’m really happy you’ve asked me to help you make some decisions about getting your teeth fixed and your mouth healthy. Your main concerns were being able to chew and smile comfortably again and I’m very excited about what might be possible in helping you to achieve both of those goals. I understand it’s been many years since you’ve seen a dentist but I also want you to know I honor the sacrifice you’ve made in getting your kids through school and putting your family first, and now, like you said, it’s your turn! There are several areas to address in your mouth right now and so we’re just going to take it one step at a time. The great news is there’s nothing here that I can see for which we don’t have at least one, if not more, great solutions. I’m positive we will be able to come up with a plan that will fit your goals, your timeline, and your budget and I’m excited to talk to you about my ideas. Ready to dig in?”

Acceptance of the past, a calming view of the present, an optimistic future. In a nutshell: Hope.

This week, see the news you’ll be giving patients and clients about the options for improving their situation as good news! Enjoy as you watch their spirits lighten and faces brighten as you remember the primary commodity you’re selling: Hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Dental Speakers – Trainers – Consultants ~

Directory of Dental Speakers (d.d.s.) recently interviewed Lois Banta, owner/CEO of Speaking Consulting Network, regarding strategies and resources for effective networking in the dental speaking / consulting business. Drawing upon her 32 years of dental experience, Lois’ philosophies for developing effective connections and building relationships provided meaty, ‘Use it on Monday’ tips.

This week only, access this powerful audio recording at no charge.

Lois shows that you no longer have to “blaze your own path.”
Working together, everyone can achieve success!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”
~ Tom Bodett

The Game of Confidence

Last weekend, Tom and I watched his 10-year-old grandson, Gabriel, play in an All-Stars basketball tournament. We’ve seen him play other basketball games before and there are usually questionable calls made by the referees… especially by the team on the receiving end of those penalties. Generally speaking, though, the officials are fair. The calls, both good and bad, are executed across the board to both teams. If you play sports, you learn early… it’s just part of the game. Sometimes the calls go your way and sometimes they don’t.

But every now and again… it goes bad. Really bad, really quickly. And last Saturday was one of those times. Two minutes into Gabriel’s first game, Tom leaned over and whispered, “This is trouble. This ref is way too tentative.” And sure enough, unlike the referees we’d seen in other games, this one appeared wholly unsure of himself and his calls. Let’s just say … He blew a very weak whistle!

It’s interesting what you notice when it’s no longer one of your kids out there playing and you’re one generation removed from caring so much about the outcome of a 10-year-old’s basketball game. As a few assertive parents began to make noise about some bad calls without any change in the pattern or demeanor of the timid referee… more soon joined in. As the game progressed with a neck-and-neck score, it wasn’t long before the coaches were downright aggressive toward the ref and even the kids began to throw some fits about the calls. Toward the end of the game, the entire gymnasium was booing and shouting their disgruntled feelings all around and when the final buzzer rang out with Gabriel’s team losing by one point… the place was almost out of control. Understandably, Gabriel, his teammates, parents, coaches, and his grandfather, would not have shared this sentiment … but I actually felt a little bad for the ref. There were certainly some bad calls but it wasn’t so much the calls as it was his lack of confidence that had lost the crowd.

Gabriel and his team won the next two games which put them in the semi-finals the next day. We returned to see that game and Tom pointed out to me right away how this ref handled the coaches and the players with a calm but unmistakable confidence and, even though there was an occasional shout-out on a questionable call, all in all, even the losing team was satisfied with what they claimed a legitimate win… a win by Gabriel’s team which now put them in the finals. But wait, it gets better: In the finals, Gabriel’s team played the original team from Saturday morning and “guess who” returned as referee? Oh my. I could feel my next Monday Morning Stretch practically writing itself.

Suffice it to say that I was most impressed with the quality of parenting I observed as they forced themselves to “reel it in” on behalf of their kids at the end of a game that went from bad to worse. Gabriel’s team lost the championship by one point (again!) in a second overtime period. To make matters worse, the tentative ref ordered the second overtime to be played in a sudden-death fashion (first to score, wins the game) but as the team mom showed him the rule book which clearly stated “no sudden death” allowed… it was too late. The winning team was already celebrating and the losing team was … devastated. Well, for about 10 minutes anyway (they’re 10-year-olds, remember?)

There’s a big difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance is exaggerated self-importance mixed with an attitude of entitlement and superiority. It’s overbearing and offensive. Confidence is an internal self-assurance and belief in your ability to succeed. Confidence does not require a loud voice or showy antics but rather a calm, collected assurance that you know your role, your job, and you can handle what is required of you. Confidence is typically non-judgmental and doesn’t assert your way is necessarily the only way or you will always, at all times, have the correct answers. It does assert, until you believe otherwise, you will make decisions based on your current knowledge, skill, and intuition.

We demonstrate confidence in our body language, our tone, and our choice of words… or our choice of silence. Our posture, eye contact, smile, firm gestures, as well as a strong tone and clear speech all make up the communication of confidence to others. People seeking healthcare abhor arrogance. They love confidence. It’s calming and settling. It’s what the entire gymnasium full of parents and kids yearned for and it’s what your clients, patients, and teammates yearn for as well.

This week, as you interact with others in your personal and professional life, consider how you maintain “crowd control” and help those you serve relax as you care and attend to them with confidence. A confidence which does not cross the line into arrogance but moves and speaks with grace, surety and strength of purpose.

That’s how you win the game. With confidence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leading Your Practice to Success

Katherine Eitel is pleased to be featured on
The Thriving Dentist Show

with Gary Takacs

Every successful business has accomplished leaders.
Dentistry is no different!
One of the main differences between
a thriving practice and a struggling practice
is the presence of leadership.

Listen to the Interview

Special Savings for Listeners

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who has confidence in himself will gain the confidene of others.”
~ Leib Lazarow