Dental Office Transition: The Staff’s Role
Most retiring or relocating dentists feel so excited by selling their practice that they cannot wait to move onto new aspects of their lives. But as an outgoing dentist, you owe it to everyone involved to help the new Raleigh, NC dentist office leader make a smooth transition. The best dental office transition involves the staff and keeps them well-informed.
The office staff actually holds the keys to your patients accepting upcoming changes, too. When staff members believe in the new dentist and these changes that will inevitably come, patients also buy into the transition. So after selling your dental office and to ensure the best handover of operations, focus on helping staff to feel comfortable and even excited about the future.
The Role of Office Staff in a Dental Office Transition
When selling your dental office, you must maintain confidentiality about the sale to keep staff and patients on board for business as usual. But once a buyer steps in, you must ensure these stakeholders feel highly informed.
In many ways, the office staff holds the keys to patient acceptance. Patients interact with these staff members on an ongoing basis. They trust your Raleigh staff. They perceive how the staff feels about the upcoming changes and base their own decision-making on those perceptions. So naturally, the most successful office transition occurs when patients sense the staff is on board with the new dentist.
Help your staff feel comfortable with the incoming dentist. Discuss any concerns you have for staff with the new office leader. Pave the way for contented transition by facilitating open communications with the buyer.
Transitioning Staff Salaries and Benefits
One of the biggest concerns of staff members as part of a dental office transition is their own livelihood. How will the changes impact their careers and personal lives? During this time, many worry about salary changes, benefit changes and other financial-related aspects.
Help your staff understand the new dentist’s position, buying into an existing Raleigh office. Explain some of the difficulties the incoming dentist faces, such as high debt and adjustment to seeing patients in their new office. Generally, when staff members understand that this transition is also stressful for their new employer, they relax in their early expectations or demands.
To ease these concerns and open communication, bring the new dentist into the loop as soon as possible. Introduce the new dentist to staff. Open a comfortable dialogue about topics important to staff members, such as:
- Office schedule
- Salary issues
- Annual reviews
- Retirement plans
- Staff retention
- Insurance plans
- Raise or salary negotiations delay
- Sick days and vacation days
Increase Staff Communications Frequency and Conduct More Meetings
One of the best things you can do for your staff during a dental office transition is to communicate with them more than you ever have before. If you are the practice buyer, this is a time during which you will communicate more heavily, too.
To open these clear channels of communications and alleviate fears, consider having more meetings with your team. Meetings enable everyone to understand office changes, new policies and expectations. These sessions also provide a voice for everyone working there.
While daily staff meetings seem an impossibility for most thriving offices, you can engage together through morning or afternoon stand-up meetings. Stand-up meetings are quick, ten-minute sessions in which you discuss the day’s expectations, policy changes or topics. As the team leader, you then give the floor to your staff. They must feel safe asking questions or for clarifications about discussed subjects.
Address Policy Changes Early in the Transition
Some of the earliest staff conversations you want to have during a dental office transition involve how they inform and treat patients. Good examples of issues to tackle early include:
- Patient demographic changes
- Changed dental services
- Branding changes
- Patient communications preferences
- New payment policies and insurance acceptance
- Patient collections and A/R handling
These are subjects that matter most to your patients. Help your staff keep patients happy and engaged in the dental office transition, by empowering them with the right details to offer patients.
Keeping What Works and Changing What Does Not Work
As a buyer, one of the biggest benefits of a transition period is being able to learn what worked in the office before its sale. The outgoing dentist has put in years of effort toward patient marketing, engagement and retention. They also developed a pattern of expectations with existing staff and patients, alike.
As the incoming dentist, examine what makes the office unique and viable. Some of these aspects are likely those that also attracted you to purchase it. Keep what works and consider expanding on those benefits.
As an outgoing dentist, communicate some of your brand advantages to the new dentist. In a well-executed dental office transition, both parties want staff and patients happy with the office legacy, as well as its future.
