Phil Cole 0:05
Welcome to KLAS Solutions, dental education Podcast, the podcast series where we share knowledge and experience to provide value to you and your dental practice. I'm your host, Phil Cole, and today we're going to be diving into, I think, a game changing topic, and that's the transformation power of having a business coach. You know, I was talking to a dental practice owner last week who told me something that I thought was is once again fascinating to me. And she said, for years I thought I could do it all by myself. I was the classic entrepreneur. She said, wearing every hat, trying to make every decision, and then she said, I finally broke down and listened to a colleague, and they said, hire a business coach. And she said, when I hired the business coach, that changed everything for me. And so today we're going to explore why business coaching isn't just an expense, why you shouldn't look at it as just an expense, but it's an investment that can revolutionize your you know, your business. And I think that there's too many times where we get in our way, I and I can put myself in that category where we can struggle through, we can figure it out on our own, and we waste so many valuable days years
in doing that. So let's just start off with a fundamental truth, running a successful business, especially in the healthcare industry, dental, it's not just about having a good service in your practice, that everybody likes you and everybody feels that you're At your you do a great job. It's about making the right choices every single day. So think about this, if you were climbing a mountain, I always, you know, it's one of those things where you gotta look at it, I guess, a little bit differently. But if you were going to climb a mountain, would you want to try to climb a mountain that you're going to go attempt to do for the first time by yourself? Or would you like a guide?
You know, we used to live out in Mesa, Arizona, and we used to climb Superstition Mountains. And one of the things that always happened at superstition is there would always be some climbers or some people that would try to go into the certain parts of the superstition mounts that shouldn't have and they would get lost for days. Sometimes there's reports and people that have died there, because it once you get in there, it is hard to get out. And so that's exactly what happens in our business life. And so what is it that a business coach does.
They shouldn't be. And they're not just consultants that swoop in, give you a little bit of advice, look things over, say, Do this, do that, and then they just disappear. A true business coach is somebody that partners with you for the success of your story, the success of your practice, whatever it is that you're looking for, and they help create that road map. And I think more importantly than anything, they help you stick to it. So
let's break down the key ways a business coach can transform your business. I mean, first, there's the strategic thinking partner.
When you're in that trenches, everyday operations, it's hard to see the big picture,
and a coach helps you step back and think about things, look at the broader picture, and also helps you strategically think about the long term goals so that you don't Get focused or don't get stuck in the everyday minutia. And I think that is so critical, because I can for my own experience of owning a company, there are so many days that go by that you got stuck in the daily tasks, the things that you were supposed to be doing.
Every day that that next thing, you know, you the end of the week comes, and if you look back, you go, I didn't do this, this, this and this, those were all goals that I had set. Or what happens, you know, a lot of times is, you know, the monthly goal, the quarterly goal, and all of a sudden you're looking at your quarterly goals, your yearly goals, and you're saying to yourself, I've got two months to finish basically what I was supposed to do six months ago.
And so I think that that is where it is is huge to understand that that's what that coach is there for.
Secondly, which is the biggest, and I think is what scares people the most I know did for me, and that's the the accountability partner, right? This is where you now have to actually answer to somebody. And so it's so easy to be able to pass things off
and not worry about things. Because if you've had that hard day, it's like, I'll get to it tomorrow and tomorrow then becomes the next day and the next day because but human nature, we know it's just been I had a bad day, but now you go and talk to your wife or your husband, And I've had a bad week, and oh my gosh, this month is falling apart for me, that accountability partner is there for one thing, and that's to set the goals
and how to achieve them,
and your Coach will help keep you focused and committed to those objectives, even when things get tough. And that's the that's where I think that the the problem gets I will tell you what just my own experience had to get my coach involved for for these podcasts, because we wanted to start putting these podcasts out on a regular basis, making sure that that the people that I'm listening to are getting good information on a regular basis. But man, when you get into those once again, just like everybody that's listening, same thing happens here, right here with Phil Cole of KLAS Solutions, you get that daily grind going everything, and it's like, ah, you know what I supposed to do, that podcast today. Today was the due day. Today was the recording day, and I let it slip. So having that accountability coach is is gigantic. And you know what? What's nice about it is, is, after you get used to it, what I at least for me, I feared the the coach, because it was man, I don't want them to see me like missing things and stuff. But it's not that's not what the coach is there to do. It's the coach isn't there to criticize you in what you're doing. The coach is there is to build you up, to make you see that it is possible, to help you run through the different avenues and be able to get yourself to where you need to be, so that it becomes something consistent, something that is constantly run through it, and you then are able to push that into all the different works, your fam, your personal life, different things like that. It is amazing to have so that accountability is what I would say is foremost, the biggest thing there is. So
because of that, then let's, let's just get specific about what it means to you and your practice. I mean, you're running the dental practice, maybe a healthcare practice,
something many of our listeners are going to be able to relate to this, but some that are listening, you know this is this is something that you should know now, because it'll be in your future. When you buy your first practice, your coach is going to help you tackle both the big picture challenges and the daily operational hurdles.
On the strategic level, they're going to help you define your practice vision and goals. And I will tell you that this is
just game changing for me, growing, you know, basically growing up in the business world when I first got out, when I got out of.
Teaching and got into the business world, you always heard the the phrases vision, mission and goals, and it wasn't until I got my business coach that basically said that I don't necessarily use the mission the way that the mission is portrayed in all the books. But instead, let's look at core values. What are your core values? What are you passionate about in your core values that you're going to stick with for your company, and then develop the vision and the goals based off of that, and what a game changer it was for me in my business because of the fact that I didn't have some people in the beginning that understood my core values, because I didn't have I didn't project them, but then now bringing those people in understanding what it is that I want KLAS Solutions to be is huge, and it's the same thing for you in your dental practice or in your healthcare practice. Here's the thing you know, once again, in the dental world, it's very hard to find
team members, you know, hygienists. We get calls all the time. Do you you know we're having a hard time finding hygienist assistants, front desk and so forth. And one of the things that is amazing is, is when you look at a lot of statistics, and when we interview people and and when we're working with teams, through team and leadership and stuff, it's so funny to see that everybody we get doctors all the time that so many times want to say it's, you know, I just they're leaving because I don't pay enough. And it's not that it's so far down on the road, on the on the chain of why they're leaving, the reason why people are leaving, and I've said this on other podcasts over and over again, the reason why people leave is because nine times out of 10 they don't have they're working in a place that doesn't have a vision, and they don't know what they're there to do, besides just show up work and leave.
And so, you know, having that business coach there to define the vision values and so forth. Key
another identify growth opportunities. You know, once again, this is that daily routine that I talk about that you get stuck in doing, and it's just, it works, it works, it works. And for a lot of people, long as everything's working and I can pay the bills and stuff like that, I'm happy. But the problem is, is when you aren't continually looking for growth opportunities. The problem is always, always going to be where that you're going to get stagnant. And being stagnant after a while will always, in my opinion, will always lead to you decreasing, you just degrading down into a smaller, smaller, or maybe, I should say, growing into a practice that is going to have more and more problems, because it is a case in point of that being stagnant, of you doing the same old, same old thing. It's that insanity type thing, right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result,
so always looking to grow and with different opportunities. It doesn't mean that you gotta add five more ops to your practice, but maybe it's a case in point, if we add a new procedure, maybe it's something that we're going to grow in hygiene. We're going to do something else that is a passion that you love, and we're going to concentrate on involving that. So working with the doctor right now that really is very, very interested in the sleep study, it's becoming her passion. And so develop that passion and expand that so one of the other key things that I was that I was going to mention, is in this kind of falls right in with what I'm saying, is develop those expansion plans. Don't hinder yourself. Don't have them. You know, sit there and just be an idea, but with a business coach. Now look at that, have that third party looking at it as with you, and seeing how to what level to to how fast those expansion plans should be. And then I think the other one, you know, that is a big deal for the strategic part of things is, is creating systems for for better patient care. And I can't tell you enough how, if you want to grow you have to have processes and systems. And I am for.
Put myself right there in that because as KLAS Solutions has grown, it has been just apparent, and maybe it's because of my business coach that has helped helped me also see how apparent it is that processes have to be in place? Because if processes and systems aren't in place, then, then what you do is you fall in or it forces you to go back into that daily routine, and you now, like I mentioned before, you're doing everything. You're you're you're you're the boss, you're the doctor. You're, you know, now all of a sudden, maybe scheduling. I had a doctor down in the Carolinas and went in to observe. And it was amazing to see that they did everything,
I mean, that they were so concerned and so wrapped up into the business in in general, that they were doing everything, little touches, here and there. And I, and I said, you realize that you did this, this, this, this is, you know, every position, basically in your practice you and you were even sweeping floors and you were cleaning your ops. Well, I know, but I just, I want to make sure that everything flows and everything you know is working and on time. You know, once again, systems, putting those in place, making sure they're there, is crucial. Now, on the practical level,
I think one of the biggest things for business coaches is, you know, looking at the team itself as well, communication, communication breakdown is, is just gigantic. It's, it happens all the time, and it's something that's just, I think you gotta, you gotta be focused on it at all times, once again and once to me, the daily grind always will take you away from that communication, because that communication starts to dwindle itself too, because you're just too busy. So you flippantly say something, you hurry up and do this. Blah, blah, blah,
I think operation efficiency, we've already kind of addressed that a little bit, so I think that's just gigantic as well. And then, once again, time management and productivity, I having someone that's the third party that's watching, that that's looking at that is, is vital to the practice, because
when you start to see things slip. We we've had a dental practice that once said that, you know, we were doing 60 minute pro fees. Then they went to 70, then, then to 75 then to 80. The next thing you know, they're doing 90 minute pro fees on adults. And in the in the thing was, was, well, why? Well, you know, we need time to do this, this, this, this, and this. And when you talk to the doctor, the owner, it was the same thing. It was, well, at the time they they did this, or they said it was because of this, and I kind of understood, but what was happening was, is there was, there was nothing in there for systems. And so as they were hiring new team members and stuff, they were bringing in some of the stuff that they brought in from the old offices or their other offices that they worked in stuff, and instead of having a clean thing, it just erupted into a mess. So once again, having that and understanding the time management and having your team
be managed and have a clear, concise,
orderly system is massive too. And then I think last but not least, you know, marketing strategies to attract new patients.
Have an office in Texas that basically said, you know, I do well with getting new patients. I said, Okay, so how many new patients? Well, I'm bringing in about 10 a month, and I'm fine with that.
Well, if you're fine with that, that's that you may be fine with that. But when you're talking to that doctor and I, as I'm having that conversation, and what they want to accomplish for that practice, 10 patients is not enough. And I will say it over and over again until probably I go to my death bed dentistry, 25 years ago, when I got involved in it was you as a dentist, as a medical professional, could basically put a sign out there and you were going to get patients. That's not the way it is now, with social media, with the tech world.
And stuff. It is way more involved, and you have to bring people in,
and have to constantly be marketing them. So now there's one other thing that I think that we need to talk about, that I think is often overlooked, and that's the emotional aspect of running a business, being an entrepreneur and being a solo practitioner. Being a solo business owner can get really, really lonely, and you're making those crucial decisions that affect not just you, but
so many times, the emotions of the effect of how it's going to affect your employees, your customers, your family. I think that this is probably, once again, another huge thing for having a business coach, because they're going to provide that invaluable outside perspective. You know,
there's someone who can understand the challenges you're facing, but isn't so emotionally invested in the same way that you are. So this allows them to give you an honest, objective feedback when you need it the most.
Let me share a real example. One of our previous clients implemented a vision and long term goal based on our coaches business coaches recommendation. When that happened, within six months, his patient retention increased by 40%
revenue per hour went up 20%
and his team's job satisfaction surveys improved drastically. Okay. Why? Because his co our coach helped him see the blind spots in his practice, and he without our coach, could not have identified it on his own. I don't think he ever would have been able to identify it, because once again, that daily grind was something that was hard to break him apart from. But once it was identified, it was boom. Now you have a team that wants to come in, that wants to achieve those goals, wants to see that practice thrive. And so I think that once again, that business coach being there, being empathetic, not sympathetic for what's going on, and being able to have that outside view, looking in, and being able to be not emotional as many of you have when you're trying to make those decisions, is once again vital to the practice. So what can successful coaching do to help you achieve? You know, in the short term, I think it's pretty simple, better time management, clear decision making and coming up with the processes to do that,
hugely important. Improve team communication and then having more efficient operations. In the long term, I would say, you know, it's gigantic to make sure that you're continually having sustainable business growth. The business coach is going to help you have a stronger company culture, as we've talked about with the team communication, and then just building more and more off of that, that company culture.
I once again, like I said, being out there on that island as an entrepreneur and stuff, and being you now have a friend that you have, an accountability coach, a friend, but also somebody that's going to help you understand and get a better work life balance. And then, of course, you know, increase profitability.
But you know, I think that the one important thing is, is it? Which is probably crucial, is finding the right business coach, you know, somebody that has relevant experience in the industry, but also that has multiple
educational pieces connected to them. So for our business coaches, you know five behaviors, Eos, disc and so forth that they are able to take all of these. I mean five behaviors. If you've never read the book, Five Dysfunctions of a business. Read it. It's a It's amazing book, and it's in a story form, but when you're done listening to it, you're going to relate to it. And having us be able to come in and work based off of those five dysfunctions, but having other.
Systems around is important so that you're getting more than just personal ideas, but you're getting successful business structures that work across the board,
also somebody that understands your specific challenges.
I think that it's important that you get somebody that matches the ability for communication styles and then challenges you while you're supporting your vision. If you get somebody that's a coach that's going to more or less just agree with you to get their you know, monthly rate or what however they're going to charge you,
then I would say that coach isn't the right thing for you, because you have to be challenged at all times you you have to get out of your comfort zone. You have to sometimes say, I don't like what you're asking me to do, or I don't think that's a good idea, but
being able to have that coach
around you and giving you those practical ideas, those practical systems, make a major, major effect On the practice. So I think that do your research, ask to talk to them, so that you can see and feel comfortable what's what's, what's going on, but making sure that there it is something that is more than just vision and goal setting, and that's it. But make sure that there's a whole process in there, that this is something that is, is long term, and it's not a quick term coaching, say, session, per se. So as we wrap up today's episode, I would just want to leave you with one more thought that comes across all the time, and I think is very, very important, and that is, is every think about when you look at successful athletes, every successful athlete has a coach. If you can think back of probably one of the best golfers of all times, Tiger Woods always had a coach, and still does.
If you look at some of the biggest motivational speakers and so forth, what do they? What do they? Who are they mentoring, or who are they working with? A lot of times, massive sports facilities, with
sports icons and so forth. Everyone has that. Every great performer has a mentor. So I always ask a business owner, why should you be any different in today's competitive marketplace,
having a coach should not be what I consider some people say to me as as well, that's that's a luxury. No, the people that pick the coaches
are the people that are having or creating a strategic advantage for themselves and are making things for their for their lives and for their businesses easier, they're allowing themselves to grow
and allowing themselves to have peace. So look for that business coach. Get one. It will change your perspective. It'll take stress off of you. It's going to make your life easier, but it's also going to make you feel good because of the change that will take place. So thank you for joining me today on the dental education podcast. If you found this valuable, please subscribe and share with other business owners who benefit from this information, but until next time, keep striving for excellence in your business journey and create your dream practice.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
