Dental All-stars

Larry Guzzardo joined Alex Nottingham for this podcast, where they discuss the question Is a dental consultant worth it. Larry explained how dental consulting involves working with someone who is qualified and experienced in the area they are consulting in. The consultant will think strategically and help the dentist decide what kind of practice they want to have. The consultant can also help with marketing strategies, technology guidance, staff training and other administrative tasks. Finally, the consultant can provide long-term advice and help the dentist make decisions that will benefit their practice in the long-term. HIGHLIGHTS[00:12]  The Value of Dental Consulting[01:57]  Setting Up a Successful Practice[03:30]  Achieving Profitability and Lifestyle Goals[09:23]  Increasing Productivity and Profitability[11:10]  The Benefits of Working with an Independent Consultant[12:30] The Benefits of Customized Consulting Services[14:12] The Benefits of ConsultingRESOURCES Learn more about All-Star Coaching and C

Alex Nottingham JD MBA shares the story of Randy Pausch, a beloved professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given only a few months to live. Despite the enormous difficulty of his situation, he faced his prognosis with courage and optimism. This story was shared with millions under the name 'The Last Lecture' and encourages people to take the time to appreciate the gifts they have. This story can help us to reinforce the path we are on or make adjustments to realign ourselves with our purpose.  RESOURCESRandy Pausch's Last Lecture bookFull Video of Randy Puasch's [Youtube]

This podcast discusses how to become a dental Jedi Master in your practice. It begins with a discussion by Alex Nottingham JD MBA on the forces that are facing dentists in their practice, which was the topic of the prior podcast. Alex then outlines the five steps to success in order to become a dental Jedi Master. Alex stresses that everyone in the practice, including the admin team, hygienists, assistants, and doctors, must contribute in order to reach success. He then goes into detail about the steps.Watch Part 1! HIGHLIGHTS[00:00] Conversation on Becoming a Dental Jedi Master[02:08] Developing a Burning Desire: A Reflection on Luke Skywalker's Courage in Star Wars [04:05] "The Power of Desire and Mechanism: Achieving Business Growth Through Incremental Improvement" [07:38] Heading: Strategies for Improving Phone and Scheduling Efficiency in Dental Practices [09:10] "The Benefits of Training and Staying the Course" [11:14] Discussion on Developing Enthusiasm and Belief for Success [

In this episode of Dental All Stars, host Alex Nottingham introduces the concept of The Dental Force Awakens. This is a two-part presentation that looks at the dark forces affecting dental practices, and how to overcome them. The concept is based on the Star Wars movie series, which explores the forces of good versus evil and the hero's journey. Part one looks at the dark forces, while part two focuses on becoming a dental Jedi master and the five steps to accomplish this. Nottingham encourages viewers to engage with the podcast and hopes they will find it interesting and inspiring.Watch Part 2!HIGHLIGHTS [00:00] "The Dental Force Awakens: Overcoming Dark Forces and Becoming a Dental Jedi Master" [02:03] Exploring the Difference Between External and Internal Forces in Professional Practice [05:31] Analysis of Dark Forces Impacting the Dental Industry [09:54] The Advantages of Private Dentistry vs. Corporate Dentistry [12:00] Exploring the Challenges of Dental Marketing in the 21st CenturyRESOUR

Dr. Todd Snyder and Alex Nottingham JD MBA discuss the challenges of working with dental insurance companies. Dr. Snyder described his experience of having his hands tied due to the limited reimbursements the insurance companies offered for his services. He decided to open a practice that did not take insurance, allowing him to provide a higher quality of service without being restricted by reimbursement rates. Alex then shared his experience from his father's dental office and how he eventually capitulated to taking insurance in order to make ends meet. They both agreed that there are dentists out there who have chosen to forgo insurance and make a living without compromising the quality of their work. HIGHLIGHTS[01:19] Winning the War on Dental Insurance[01:45] Insurance Reimbursement and Cosmetic Dentistry[03:53] Dentistry Insurance Plans[06:17] Choosing Patients and Marketing Strategies[07:32] Out-of-Network Insurance Benefits[09:21] Breaking Free from the Status Quo[10:31] Overcoming Fear and Taking

Robyn Reis and Alex Nottingham discussed the importance of having a clear vision when it comes to hiring team members and creating job descriptions. They highlighted the importance of understanding the characteristics and key skills of the person who sits in the role, as well as their responsibilities and education requirements. They also discussed the importance of using the job description as a recipe for success, not only for existing team members, but for future behavior and performance evaluations. Finally, they suggested thinking about what you are looking to attract before getting started on the process. They wrapped up with a discussion of All-Star's Hiring Service.HIGHLIGHTS[02:20]  The Five Steps of Dental Hiring[04:04]  Attracting the Right Team Members for Your Practice[05:26]  Creating Job Descriptions and Postings for Dental Practices[08:38]  Recruiting and Interviewing for Dental Assistants: Expectations, Skills, and Process[11:36]  Five Steps to Successful Hiring and Onboarding in a Denta

The expense of credit cards can get frustrating and costly. What if there was a way to save and possibly make money off credit cards? In this podcast, David Serwitz at Commission Buddies shows us how. David’s fun loving and open personality shine in this interview. HIGHLIGHTS·       Why did you get into payments?·       What do you do differently?·       What are some nuances for dentists specifically?·       How much money can dentists make doing this?·       What does it take to get started?·       So how can you do this, what is the "catch"?RESOURCES·       Start the process at https://apply.commissionbuddies.com/ or email us at nfarelas@commbuds.com, or intro your office manager to Natalie so she can take it from there for you!  

Eric Vickery and Alex Nottingham JD MBA discussed the psychology of dental practices taking insurance. Alex discussed how his father, a Pankey-trained dentist, felt he had to start taking insurance towards the middle of his career due to pressure, and how that made him unhappy. Eric explained how eliminating insurance can provide freedom and noted they have helped over 100 offices to change their relationship with insurance companies. They both noted it is easier to be out of network when more dentists are in that position and it's easier for everyone else to be in that position. Lastly, they discussed the fear around taking insurance and how it can be a successful marketing tool.HIGHLIGHTS[0:10] Conversation on Insurance Freedom with Eric Vickery, President of Coaching at All Star Dental Academy[02:00] Eric Vickery and Alex Nottingham JD MBA Discuss the Benefits of Removing Insurance from Dental Practices[03:25] The Impact of Insurance on Dentistry and Personal Life[05:33] Growing a Practice Through Ref

Ryan White and Alex Nottingham JD MBA discussed how technology is changing the patient experience in the healthcare industry. White noted that patients prefer to receive appointment reminders via text, and that online scheduling is becoming more popular. He pointed out that patients want control and power in their hands when it comes to scheduling appointments, and that the most frequent time for people to use their computers and mobiles is between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. White encouraged healthcare providers to consider providing online scheduling services to meet the needs of patients. HIGHLIGHTS[00:10] Conversation between Alex Nottingham JD MBA and Ryan White on Patient Experience and Technology[02:04] Patient Engagement, Expectations, and Affordability Concerns in the Dental Industry[03:26] Patient Expectations and Value in the Dental Industry During the Pandemic[04:59] Patient Experience and Online Scheduling[05:50] Utilizing Technology to Improve Patient Interactions[07:00] Technological Insights for Optimi

Heather Nottingham, co-founder and VP of training at All-Star Dental Academy, joins Alex Nottingham JD MBA for the podcast. Alex discussed the confusion between All-Star Academy, the cooking show, and All-Star Dental Academy, and decided to have some fun with the podcast. Alex and Heather discussed how to build a "recipe for success in a dental practice," with Heather talking about her love of cooking, and the variety of "recipes" and systems that All-Star Dental Academy uses in their training.HIGHLIGHTS [01:26] Creating an All-Star System for Dentists[02:46] The Benefits of Following a Recipe for Success[04:12] Strategies for Providing Consistent and Adaptable Customer Service[05:32] The Great Call Process[10:14] Establishing a Personal Connection with Patients to Increase Engagement and [Appointment Bookings[11:34] The Great Call Process and Other Recipes for Successful Patient Experiences[12:49] Case Acceptance Training and Team Training[14:46] Discussion on the Benefits of Team Feedbac

David Pier, co-founder of the dental membership company DenVantage, talks with Alex Nottingham, CEO of All-Star Dental Academy, welcomed, about his success with well-designed dental membership plans. David explained that after the 2008 recession, he and his partners knew there had to be a way to stop dentistry from constantly caving to insurance companies and so they looked at membership plans. The problem was that all the plans included deep discounts, so they decided to create a plan that was a benefit to their patients and still profitable for dentists. David will be discussing his membership plans at the All-Star Practice Growth Summit on May 19th and 20th and encourages dentists to learn more about the event at allstardentalacademy.com. HIGHLIGHTS [0:00:02] Success with a Well-Designed Membership Plan with David Pier[0:02:25] The Background of How Membership Plans Got Started [0:04:07] Key Components of a Dental Membership Plan[0:07:00] Reducing Overhead Costs and Implementing Membership Programs in Dent

Expert dental coaches Eric Vickery and Larissa Pretoni talk with Alex Nottingham about how to reinforce training. Larissa has been working in the dental field for 22 years and started out as a dental assistant and supervisor. She has experience in pediatrics and insurance, and is a jack of all trades in the field. Eric and Larissa are discussing how to best use their combined expertise to reinforce training for dental staff.HIGHLIGHTS[00:00:07] Reinforcing Training in Dentistry[02:02:11] Team Buy-In and Empowerment [03:14:22] Building Trust and Creating an Ownership Mentality in Dental Practices[04:39:12] Pursuing Excellence and Implementing Training in the Dental Practice[08:20:05] Building Rapport, Accountability, and Team Implementation[11:29:22] "Creating a System for Successful Team Building and Training"[13:31:08] All-Star Training Best Practices [14:54:28] Implementing and Maintaining Accountability RESOURCESClick here to learn more about dental coachingClick here to learn more about online t

Joanne Villani of PreVue Software discusses the importance of adding emotion to digital smile makeovers to increase case acceptance in dental practices. Joanne is a co-founder and product specialist at PreVue Dental Software and has been involved in the dental field for over 35 years. She believes that everyone should have a smile that they feel confident about and her passion is helping dental practices increase treatment acceptance of cosmetic and full-mouth reconstructive dental treatment.HIGHLIGHTS [0:00:02] Conversation with Joanne Villani on Increasing Treatment Acceptance with Digital Smile Makeovers [0:07:38] Driving Case Acceptance Through Dental Treatment Simulations[0:09:18] Utilizing Visualization to Increase Case Acceptance in Dentistry[0:11:01] Navigating Dental Simulation Programs for Treatment Acceptance[0:12:47] Benefits of Fast and Easy Simulation Software for Dental Practices[0:16:44] Conversation on Building a Treatment Plan and Financing for Patients[0:18:19] Understanding Patient Objecti

Disney is known as the star example in customer service. But is it? Granted, they do a ton of things well, but even the great Disney fails in many aspects of the customer experience. In this podcast, Alex Nottingham, JD MBA, CEO of All-Star Dental Academy will examine the good, the bad, and the ugly with Disney. How does the Ritz Carlton compare, and what about corporate dentistry? You will learn how to take the best from these companies and do even better! Unlike Disney and corporate dentistry, you can think outside the box. You are not beholden to shareholders. You can achieve dental practice excellence.HIGHLIGHTS[01:44] Disney’s Positive Attributes[02:14] Disney’s Bad & Ugly[04:55] Corporate Dentistry[07:22] The Ritz Carlton[09:35] Make the patient experience predictable[11:13] Cross-train and think outside the box[13:29] Dental practice excellenceRESOURCESWEBINAR: Dental Practice Excellence: 3 Steps to an All-Star Practice

Mastery Coach Shelly Van Epps asks the question: Is the dental office manager  obsolete? Shelly is a former office manager and treatment coordinator with over 20 years of experience and is currently a VP of Business Development and mastery coach with All-Star Dental Academy. They discuss the biggest struggles that dentists face when running a successful practice, which Shelly believes to be the inability to connect with their team. Alex mentions that dentists often want to focus solely on clinical work and don’t want to deal with their team. Shelly cites the American Dental Association statistic that the majority of issues dentists face are staff related. In conclusion, they agree that the dentist/team relationship is vital for a successful practice.HIGHLIGHTS[00:11:12] Dental Office Manager Obsoleteness[03:53:11] Difference Between Management and Leadership in the Dental Practice[07:38:01] Importance of People Over Systems in a Practice[08:57:23] Implementing Systems in a Practice[00:10:50] Leadership and Te

Shyanne McCracken, an All-Star Mastery Coach and treatment coordinator, reveals the truth about social media for dentists on Dental All-Stars Podcast with Alex Nottingham. Shyanne believes that dentists hesitate to use social media due to the rules and regulations, as well as the time commitment to grow their followers and likes. She suggests that dentists can make use of the time by taking five minutes a day to post and engage with their content or delegate it to a trusted employee. Lastly, she advises dentists to use content that does not break rules or patient confidentiality.HIGHLIGHTS[00:38:25] Why are dentists hesitant to use social media?[01:20:12] What are the benefits of using social media for a dentist?[04:17:00] What should a dentist post on social media?[05:37:05] What mistakes are commonly made by dentists when posting (or what should dentists avoid posting)?[08:38:01] What are some engagement tips for dentists using social media?[00:15:01] All-Star Dental Academy's Social Media Program for

Patients avoid or step aside, cancel just flat out don't schedule because they're not really connected to the plan from an emotional state. People buy with emotion justified with logic. Not understanding this leads to diminished dental treatment acceptance. Eric Vickery, President of Coaching, builds on his prior podcast where he discussed the 95-5 rule to case acceptance. In this podcast, you will learn how to connect emotionally with your patient. You will discover their why, and thereby become the logical choice.HIGHLIGHTS[01:27] Why do you think patients don't move forward with treatment or they often cancel their appointments for necessary treatment? What would be an example of why they were looking to discover?[06:09] How do you connect treatment to someone's emotional desires with dentistry? By finding their "Why".[08:49] How can we navigate the word "sell" in dentistry without it being a bad word?[16:29] So how do you find the patients "Why"?[20:31] Ho

Dental HR (human resources) can be overwhelming. There are federal and state laws that are changing all the time. Great employees are harder and harder to find and keeping awesome team members can be a challenge. Alan Twigg at Bent Ericksen & Associates joins Dental All-Star’s host, Alex Nottingham to clear the confusion. In this podcast, you will learn what you “have to do” and what “you should do” to gain more confidence with your dental team.HIGHLIGHTS[01:48] HR is such a huge topic; can you give me a bird's eye view?[03:24] What is your definition of a practice culture?[05:43] What's one thing I can do to improve my job postings and attract better candidates? [9:00] As a practice owner, what are some of the dental HR compliance challenges I face?[14:23] I want to make sure I keep my awesome employees, what is the biggest area I can focus on?[18:48] What is the ONE thing you can do tomorrow to improve HR and culture?RESOURCES Bent Ericksen & AssociatesPODCAST: Thriving at Work: How to Eng

Heather Nottingham, VP of Training and Phone Skills Instructor at All-Star Dental Academy joins the show to discuss sizzling-up phone skills. Heather has over 24 years' worth of customer service, training, and phone skills experience and designed the All-Star Dental Academy Phone Success course and the GREAT Call® Process. Heather created the GREAT Call® Process by working in a dental practice for so long and having her own system and process. She noticed that the approaches to phone skills were either theoretical or script-based, so she wanted to create something more recipe-like and easier for team members to remember.HIGHLIGHTS[02:38] The GREAT Call® Process: A Five-Step Process for Successful Patient Conversations[04:16] The Benefits of the GREAT Call® Process[05:49] Conversation on "Sharing the Sizzle" in Dental Practice Management[12:18] Maximizing Phone Skills to Stand Out in the Patient Experience[14:13] The Importance of Sharing the Sizzle: How to Train Your Team to Delight Patients[19

Alex Nottingham, CEO of All-Star Dental Academy, welcomes Sameer Bhasin, VP of Strategic Alliances at Care Credit. Sameer has a decade of frontline business experience, having worked as a practice development manager and sales regional sales manager. He graduated with his MBA, and currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. Sameer explains that he has been with Care Credit for 17 years, and before that worked as an endo rep for almost three years. He notes that, once you get into dentistry, it is hard to get out, and he loves the profession he gets to serve. Sameer talks about how Care Credit puts the patient at the center of focus, and his hope is to bring knowledge from experts in the profession to Care Credit’s reps. Alex notes that Care Credit is still invested in its team and values, even though they are the number one patient financing company, and they are honored to have Sameer join them at their Practice Growth Summit.HIGHLIGHTS[0:00:02] Interview with Sameer Bhasin, VP of Strategic Alliance at Care Cre