I know I'm selling what you want... Or am I?

I recently attended a sales training course at a hotel in Hartford .  This workshop provided a usable framework for what I thought I already knew about sales.  The "process" involves lots of questions and reaffirming statements, all to find out what the customer needs.  "Needs" is the important word there.

For years I thought I could walk into a dental practice and see what they "needed".  I could offer solutions to help them be more productive, lower overhead, increase collections, or bring in more patients. I could do all this while making sure they had the supplies they needed (bought from me of course).  I had all the answers!  It is a shame that's not what every practice needs.  Some practices know what they "need" but have other wants that neither they nor I may not even know they "need".  A doctor would say "I want to go digital!"  I would pull my pen out and have them sign within seconds.

Now,  I ask them why they want to "go digital."  Do they need a tax break?  Do they have a budget in mind? Do they want to get rid of film?  Do they want to show their patients how much they care?  The list is endless. If they want to go digital because the government is making them, then I have a different solution than if they want the best diagnosis possible. I cannot offer a good solution unless I know the why behind their "need." 
This approach has its place in almost every situation.  If your patients aren't acceping your treatment plan, then perhaps you haven't discovered their "why."

What was hot at Yankee Dental 2011

Like many of you, I attended Yankee Dental 36 at the Boston Convention Center.  The Thursday snow sure created problems, but it did not stop a great event.  Over 40,000 dental professionals attended the Northeast's top trade show to learn the latest techniques and see the best that the dental manufacturers have to offer.  This is a short list of must sees if you did not attend.

1. CarieScan:  Another caries detector? Why?  The biggest complaint about caries detectors is false positives.  CarieScan virtually eliminates that concern. Proven to be over 92.4 accurate in detecting both healthy and carious teeth.  Rather than using laser fluorescence, which can reflects on any foreign particles, it uses ACIST which measures the tooth resistance to electrical current.  Electrical current is painlessly passed through the tooth and measured.  And when the resistance is lower than normal, demineralization is present.  Each reading is quantifiable and repeatable.  For further info watch this video

2. DOE (Dental Oral Exam): Adjunct oral cancer screening devices are not new.  They offer the valuable benefit of early diagnosis of lesions which may be invisible to the eye. The DOE does not need a rinse and glow stick, or a painful brush test. The spectrum of light emitted from the device excites the tissue making suspicious tissue jump out.  The device is reasonably priced making it a viable option for small practices or multiple operatories. BTW it's also a curing light.

3. CEREC: Once thought of as the only in-office milling solution.  Soon becoming the hub of the dental practice.  With the advent of digital impressions, every dentist is looking at a system. Cadent, Lava COS, and E4D are the other players in the market.  CEREC is the only system to cover every situation the dentist can want.  The most accurate digital impressions, in office milling of inlays, onlays, and crowns, the choice of any material using CEREC Connect, implant planing with Galileos integration, and soon to be introduced milling of clear orthodontic aligners. Sirona has aligned its product to not only help practictioners be more productive, but also expand the functions which it can perform. If you haven seen CEREC lately, you haven't seen CEREC.

Yankee 36 was a great event with amazing technology.  Yankee 37 is going to prove to offer even more exciting technology for every dental office.  I'll see you there!