Dental Marketing - Tyson Steele Associates - Advanced Dental Marketing Concepts
Tyson Steele's Blog
Keep up to date on Tyson's thoughts regarding dental marketing, branding, business strategy, motivation, and whatever else seems to pop into his brain.
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Do You Want to Survive or Thrive?
As dental practices throughout the country weathered the Great Recession, many dentists hunkered down into "survival" mode -- reducing overhead and limiting risk. They added new PPOs (or failed to drop others) and generally adopted a mindset of scarcity. Rather than seeing the Great Recession as a rare opportunity to get a jump start on their competitors, they followed the herd and established a limiting belief pattern in their teams.By Tyson Steele
Published 2012-06-19
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7 Deadly Habits of Fabulous Failures
Steven Covey gave the world "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Good advice and good examples are vital to learning and improving ourselves in every way. But let's face it, a bad example can be instructive too. Look around a bit, and everything from the CNN to the Bible has many more examples of people behaving badly than doing what they should.By Tyson Steele
Published 2012-05-01
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Quitting: A Winning Proposition?
“A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits.” -Napoleon Hill, ~1930By Tyson Steele
Published 2012-04-10
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Dealing with People... It's Not Rocket Science
Once upon a time, not so long ago, some dental school students were struggling with what they found to be a particularly difficult assignment. Suddenly, in exasperation, one student banged his head on the lab table and cried, "Aw come on! How hard can this be? This isn't rocket science!!"By Tyson Steele
Published 2012-03-26
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"T.G.I.F." Escaping the Daily Grind
T.G.I.F. You know what the letters mean. The phrase is often followed with something like, "Why can't we do it the other way -- work for two days and then have a five-day weekend?"By Tyson Steele
Published 2012-03-19
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Cargo Cults and the Business of Dentistry
Some of the most remote communities on earth are located in the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific. Before World War II, about the only Westerners to pay any attention to this primitive area were a few missionaries bent on convincing the locals that it isn’t nice to eat the neighbors. That got some traction, but the islanders’ world didn’t really change until the Allied powers decided the islands were perfect staging areas in their war against Imperial Japan.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-12-14
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Gold Everywhere: The Power of Thinking Small
There is an old story from the Gold Rush days about a young merchant from Boston who sold everything he owned to seek his fortune in California's rivers and streams. He embarked with big visions of fist-size nuggets and fabulous wealth for himself.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-12-01
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Thanksgiving: Time for Killer Football, or Football Killer?
This week is the Thanksgiving holiday. For many, football is as much a part of the celebration as turkey and pumpkin pie. I recently heard a story, though, that makes me think of the holiday and the game just a little differently.
One of my friend's great grandmothers emigrated from Eastern Europe early in the 20th century. They settled in the mountains of West Virginia and had fifteen children. Twelve survived and three died as toddlers.
Because they were resourceful and incredibly hard working like most immigrants of the era, the family generally had the necessities of life. However, there were few comforts and very little time for amusements or play. All but the youngest children carried some share of the responsibility, and the older boys carried the most. Work, like weeding and tending livestock, were not merely tedious chores, but the family's main assurance of storing up adequate food for each year.
Toys for the children were scarce, but one year the older boys had saved enough money to buy a football. They didn’t have it long, though, because one day they were playing ball rather than doing their chores. Great-grandma was chopping wood for the kitchen stove with a hatchet and gruffly told them to get to work. Well, kids being kids, they were slow to respond.
Without another word, great-grandma swiped at that football with her hatchet and killed it dead. (I guess you could say she was deadly serious about football.) Not surprisingly, the stunned boys wasted no time getting to work -- and they seldom dallied after that.
Now, to our sensibilities, this seems pretty harsh. But if you think about the world in which great-grandma grew up and raised her family, it’s not hard to understand. There was no social safety net. Hunger and destitution were very real and present dangers, and the business of providing a family’s needs was gravely serious.
I find two lessons in this little story. First, it reminds me to be extra thankful for the incredible prosperity we currently enjoy. How fortunate so many of us are. Not only are we free from real want, but we have never even experienced the kind of angst that must have underwritten so many lives only a century ago.
Next, it's a reminder that despite our prosperity and opportunities, there are no guarantees. What an incredible blessing it is to enjoy the comforts and leisure we do. But we must always remember it’s a competitive, dynamic world out there. When it’s time to work, great-grandma the football killer is an example of the single-minded focus we owe ourselves and all who depend upon us.
So enjoy Thanksgiving with true gratitude, and then on Monday: GET BACK TO WORK!By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-11-22
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Emergency: Pull Up! Pull Up!
Why you absolutely MUST attend the Friday, November 18th client workshop!!!
Twenty-eight years ago this month, the crew of a Columbian jumbo jet flying into Madrid made two major mistakes. First, as they approached the airport in the dark of night, the pilots botched their navigation procedures and turned the 747 jet into a collision course with a nearby hill. Second, incredibly, as the ground proximity warning system sounded for 14 seconds, telling the pilots to "Pull up! Pullup!" the captain and crew proceeded to ignore the warning.
As a result, the right landing gear and number four engine clipped a hill at a speed of 160 miles per hour, causing the plane to ricochet off a second hill before crashing into the ground and breaking to pieces. All 19 crew members and 162 passengers died. Amazingly, 11 passengers survived.
This airline tragedy serves as a solid reminder that we should pay heed to warnings before it’s too late. So listen closely, because you’re about to get warned!
In early summer this year, we noted a trend in practices across the nation that coincided with a steady downturn in consumer confidence.
Now, for clarification, the Conference Board’s measure of consumer confidence is considered “average” if it’s in the range of 100 points. In early 2009, at the trough of the Great Recession, the index hit a record low of about 30 points.
After that, the index rebounded and climbed steadily, reaching the 60s in early spring of this year. (A score of 60 certainly wasn’t good, but it was a heck of a lot better than the lows.)
However, summer marked a major shift in consumer confidence, and the index has been dropping steadily since then, hitting 40 at the end of October. It’s as if the index is screaming at us to "Pull up! Pull up!"
So, being the conscientious pilots we are, we’ve been monitoring our "navigation equipment" carefully. In our case, that means monitoring the scores and statistics that are driving practices around the country.
As a result, we’ve seen some very interesting trends in new patient leads and case acceptance since early summer. And instead of being a short term blip, we’re seeing some real momentum as we approach the end of the year.
Make no mistake... you guys are not average practices. However, average practices across the U.S. are starting to feel the pain. I'm sure you've heard this from more than a few of your colleagues. So now it's our job to help you take advantage of the warning signs to protect your practice and grow through this new trend.
So be sure you register now for the complimentary client workshop on November 18th. Don’t miss it! We’ll show you which gauges to watch in your practice, and how to “Pull up!” most effectively even in the new downturn. After all, do you want to be a market leader, or just another statistic? Good captains know when to heed the warning signs and take action. So get your hands on the yoke and pull up now!
I'll see you online next Friday.
- TysonBy Tyson Steele
Published 2011-11-09
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Mind Blowing Customer Service
Entrepreneur and social media consultant Peter Shankman recently noted that in the new web era great word-of-mouth often goes viral. He suggests that the best way to get customers talking and blogging and tweeting is to “produce amazing moments in time” which are passed on… not by you, but by your customers.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-10-27
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What the Heck do Ya Think You're Doing!?!?
Way back in college, I read a famous Harvard Business Review article called "Marketing Myopia." The piece was decades old at that point, but writer Theodore Levitt created a major paradigm shift in business strategy after publishing the piece.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-10-17
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Which is Smarter: You or a Trained Flea?
Wait!!!! Before you’re too quick to answer that question, think about a story Zig Ziglar once told . . .By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-10-11
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You Say You Want a Revolution . . .
Even The Beatles knew that those who set out to change the world usually succeed only in being a major pain to others. Writer and philosopher Gilbert Keith Chesterton once responded to a London newspaper discussion titled “What’s wrong with the world?” with the following:By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-10-06
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The Real Secret Behind "The Secret"
During our recent client workshop on the topic of leadership, I discussed the research of Napoleon Hill. In 1908, Hill met Andrew Carnegie (widely regarded as the second richest man to live in modern times) who encouraged Hill to interview many of the wealthy industrialists of the era with the goal of developing a "philosophy of success." Hill reportedly interviewed more than 500 successful men, including the likes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Teddy Roosevelt, and John D. Rockefeller. Hill and Carnegie originally published their findings in a home study course in 1925. Then, in 1937 during the Great Depression, Hill published his book Think and Grow Rich, which became a perennial best-seller.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-06-27
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Are Groupon and Living Social in Violation of Your Dental Practice Act?
Most state Professions Codes or Dental Practice Acts include a logical provision to prevent the use of cappers and kickbacks. Cappers are people who refer patients to doctors in return for a fee. Kickbacks are the monies paid by a doctor to a referral source in return for receiving a referral. The fee can be a set fee or a percentage of the revenue from a patient. However, regardless of how the arrangement is set up, it’s illegal in most states for doctors to pay others or receive compensation for direct patient referrals.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-06-14
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Is That a Storm on the Horizon?
Last week's economic numbers were bad, really bad. Housing values slumped to a another low. Economic growth slowed to a trickle. And employment gains stalled completely.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-06-06
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Protect Your Brand
"Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand." - David Ogilvy (widely considered the father of modern advertising)By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-06-01
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Problem Solving the "Ice Man" Way: Fuggetaboutit!!!
My good friend Matthew "Ice Man" Glencoe isn't a mobster, or a homicide detective. He's actually a salesman. We gave him the "Ice Man" nickname when we were young because he had an uncanny ability to look at problems and solutions in an objective and detached way. We'd all be fussing and fuming about some real or imagined obstacle, and the Ice Man would just look at us calmly like we had rocks in our heads. He'd propose a solution -- and after it finally sunk into our thick skulls -- we'd eventually all agree with him.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-05-23
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The Farmer, The Mule, and The Future of Dental Insurance
A few years back, a farmer had a mule that wouldn't work. It wouldn't work, it wouldn't eat, it wouldn't even drink. The farmer tried everything he could imagine to get the mule to do something, but he was at a loss.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-04-25
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Abraham Lincoln and the Power of Truth
"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?"By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-04-07
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Self Discipline: Gone to the Dogs?
Recently, the FDA began investigations into a popular weight loss pill for dogs. The drug, called Slentrol, is sold by Pfizer's animal-health division, which earns about $3 billion annually. Yeah, that's three billion with a "B" folks.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-03-29
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Know When to Call for Help
A burglar broke into a home in Portland, Oregon last week. While he was in the home, the owner returned with her two german shepherds. So the burglar locked himself in the bathroom and called 911. "I just broke into a house and the owner came home," he told the operator. "I think they have guns." He was quickly apprehended after the homeowner called 911 as well.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-03-14
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Don't be a Buccaneer
In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made NFL history by becoming the first team to lose every game in the season. The Buccaneers were a new team to the league, led by former USC coach, John McKay.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-03-09
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The New Normal
Remember when patients used to tap into their home equity line of credit or borrow from CareCredit in order to fund their cosmetic smile makeovers?By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-02-11
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Groupon, Tibet, and a Discount Society
Are Groupon's Super Bowl ads a glimpse into the psyche of America's discount culture?By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-02-07
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What Are You Really Working For?
Many times we put our hands and feet into the enterprise of our dental practice. However, what we really need to engage are our hearts and minds. In the end, what matters is not what you "make" from building a solid dental practice, but what that process "makes of you."By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-01-27
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The Rancher and the Pigs
Many years ago, a few pigs escaped from a farmer's pen in a small southern town. Pigs are smart, and the farmer was unable to catch the wily pigs, so they were left to fend for themselves in the wild. Over the years, their population grew until there were about 30 feral pigs roaming the countryside, rooting up crops and generally wreaking havoc.By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-01-19
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Welcome to 2011
Good news! The unemployment rate dropped last month from 9.6% to 9.4% -- wahooh!!!By Tyson Steele
Published 2011-01-12
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A Long, Slow Road Back
Anybody still remember 2006? Those were the days! 2 million new homes being built around the country. 4.7% unemployment -- and those without a job scored a new one within an average of 12 weeks. Dentistry was easy then. Like falling off a log.By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-11-30
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Elect Yourself, Fix Your Own Economy
Last night, mid-term elections rocked the political landscape. Something about voter backlash from statements like, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-11-03
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The Ultimate Quick Fix
Toning shoes -- those oddly shaped shoes you see in malls and department stores -- are suddenly all the rage. Shoemakers like Reebok and Skechers are making big gains in market share from the fad, claiming that the wobbly shoes help tone your legs and backside.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-10-27
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Dentistry: The (11th) Best Job Ever!
Payscale.com recently released a list of the "Highest Paying Jobs" in America. Congratulations dentists, you ranked 11th, which was below anesthesiologists, but above lawyers. (Isn't it nice to finally beat the lawyers at something?)By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-10-13
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Thoughts on Leadership - Team Building
David Ogilvy was one of the great advertising innovators of Madison Avenue in the 20th Century. (Think "Mad Men" but richer and with monster clients like Rolls Royce, Sears, and Campbell's Soup.)By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-10-07
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Thoughts on Leadership - Cultural Clarity
I know . . . you're thinking I've lost it. "Marge, get in here! Tyson's talking about culture and leadership and clarity. I think he's been kidnapped and brainwashed by those corporate consulting people. Next thing you know he'll be talking about 'synergistic coherence' and wearing a tie!"
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-10-01
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Consumer Confidence: No Paper Tiger
In China -- or at least China Town if you're closer to home -- a paper tiger is something that looks threatening but is really relatively harmless.By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-09-28
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Thoughts on Leadership - Stewardship
In many dental practices, dentists attempt to "manage" their staff. However, your team isn't looking for management, they're looking for real leadership. Thus, your ability to lead will impact your success more than any other factor in dentistry. (I know . . . you thought your CEREC machine was the most important factor.)
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-09-24
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Thoughts on Leadership - Lead from the Front
Most dentists spend a lot of energy "managing" their dental practice. However, it seems to me that success in dentistry is not primarily due to great management, but due to great leadership. In fact, I've seen a good number of poorly "managed" practices that excel despite their shortcomings because they have the strong leadership of a great dentist.By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-09-20
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Be Slick, Be Nimble: Don’t Get Hit by a Bus
Struggling with intense public pressure after the massive leak at British Petroleum’s Deep Water Horizon oil well, company CEO Tony Hayward didn’t do much to win over public opinion. He famously told congress that he’d “like his life back,” and he somehow thought his “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” yacht outing would look just fine. As if he wanted to confirm that wisdom is not a prerequisite to run a major multinational company, he followed that up by saying that “Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you step off the pavement and get hit by a bus.”By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-08-02
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Wherefore Art Thou Consumer?
I know . . . you keep hearing that we're in a recovery. But that just leaves you scratching your head, wondering why it's still so hard to get case acceptance on elective and cosmetic dental procedures. So what's up?
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-07-21
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United Breaks Guitars - Power to the Patient
In 2008, musician Dave Carroll and his band, flew United Airlines through Chicago O'Hare. While on the ground at O'Hare, a passenger notified the band that baggage handlers on the tarmac were roughly throwing around multiple guitar cases. As it turns out, United workers broke Carroll's Taylor acoustic guitar.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-06-04
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State of the Patient - Bad News and Good News
Well folks, you're still peppering us with questions like, "How's the economy?" and, "Is dentistry suffering?" and, "How in the world did that guy win American Idol?" So I thought maybe I'd give you a State of the Patient address this week, and you can make your own inferences on how these trends may affect the dental industry. Starting with the bad news:
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-05-28
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If employment is up, what of dentistry?
The government and media made a big deal of last month's jobs report. "290,000 new jobs in April" read a few of the headlines. Unfortunately, thanks to "more people looking for work" the unemployment rate increased from 9.7% to 9.9%
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-05-18
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It’s time to resolve to keep your resolution!
Remember January, when you made that special New Year’s resolution? Remember how the gym suddenly crowded with people, sales of Nicorette gum peaked, and dentists everywhere resolved to start doing the things they didn’t do the year before?
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-05-11
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Is Groupon Just a Put On?
Groupon.com and other web-based coupon services appear to be taking the world by storm. But are they really all that and a bag of chips? Or is this just another case of "smoke and mirrors" when it comes to dental marketing?By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-04-22
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Bubble Gum Soda, Uniqueness, and Dentistry
In the early 2000's, cult soda maker Jones Soda seemed to have it made. Their unique flavors of soda, including "Jelly Doughnut", "Bubble Gum", and weird flavors like "Brussels Sprout" had carved a niche throughout the prior decade. One of the keys to their success: distributing through small independent stores, skateboard shops, and other alternatives to the big chain stores. Bottles of the soda sported photos submitted by customers and the lids had "fortunes" printed on the inside.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-03-09
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What's in a Name?
In the year 2000, the Food and Drug Administration granted the California Prune Board the right to market prunes under a new moniker -- "dried plums."
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-03-01
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Small Dog, Big Brand
If you're wondering whether a new logo, or "identity" for your practice will have any real impact on your bottom line, then this story will help you understand the incredible value of branding.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-02-17
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The Slight Edge Diet
As most of you know, our dentists are coached to utilize a unique framework for improvement in their practices. We call this framework "The Slight Edge Principle." Essentially, The Slight Edge Principle is based on the concept that most dental practice improvements are the result of many small, slight improvements consistently applied over a long period of time.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2010-02-12
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Is the recession over for dentistry?
We've had some economic growth in the last half of 2009. And, technically, that means the recession is over. However, the real question is whether we can maintain economic growth into 2010. And that's a tougher question.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2009-12-18
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Dentistry: The Three Circles
Think of the primary disciplines in your practice as three interlocking circles. Each circle represents one of the three core disciplines in which you much excel in order to succeed in this crazy business we call dentistry.By Tyson Steele
Published 2009-10-09
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Fear of Change
President Obama campaigned on "change" and many Americans seemed receptive to the idea. Unfortunately, when it comes to "change" in our dental practices, dentists and staff tend to be much more resistant.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2009-08-14
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The Swine Flu and the Amazon
Seems like the mass media is looking for ways to keep viewers engaged. Just as people began to tire of hearing bad economic news, the "swine flu pandemic" is giving for CNN's Chicken Little something new to talk about.
By Tyson Steele
Published 2009-04-28
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Not Exactly the Best Fortune Teller
On Friday, March 13th (ironically), Fed Chief Ben Bernanke appeared on 60 Minutes and attempted to assure Americans about the economy. He stated firmly that, "(The U.S. recession will come to an end) probably this year."By Tyson Steele
Published 2009-04-22
"I don't have time for . . . "