How to Win Friends and Influence People...

The Foundation for How to Own and Operate a Successful Dental Practice

Rebekkah Merrell Anderson, DMD, MS

When I was initially asked to be on the cover of DE Magazine, I felt very humbled and honored to be selected. Although it has been four years ago now, it feels like it was just yesterday that I purchased a small dental practice in Asheville, North Carolina. I never could have anticipated all of the trials and tribulations that I would endure in this short time. Not even nine months after purchasing my practice, the entire world shut down. I was terrified that I had made a huge mistake in taking on so much debt to follow my dream. I kept the faith. Every day, my staff and I showed up to work with one goal in mind: to utilize the latest and greatest dental technologies to provide world-class dental care with the comforts of home. With a lot of hard work, my gamble eventually paid off. DE Magazine asked me to tell my story of how I grew a practice from producing $600,000 a year to over $2 Million a year working only four days a week. The answer may surprise you. After much consideration, the secret to a successful practice is not how many hours you work. It is not that you can do every dental procedure. I do not work crazy long hours over multiple days. We see patients for only 32 hours each week. I do not do every dental procedure. I refer to specialists often. As for the procedures I perform in my practice, I strive to provide the best quality of care I can. I send my patient to another provider when I know a specialist can provide a higher quality of care than me. This trust will enhance my patient’s dental experience. So what is my secret?

In dental school, my group leader preached about a book by Dale Carnegie titled, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” He told us that every year he got out his worn copy and re-read the book from cover to cover. He was one of the most skilled dentists I have ever met. He taught me so much about the practice of dentistry and provided me with a solid foundation. Most importantly, he taught me that no matter how talented you are, you cannot do great dentistry if you do not understand how to win friends and how to influence people. Building relationships is the building blocks for success. I know I am not your typical business owner. Every dental consultant would probably agree that I do one million things wrong. They would also agree that I could improve my management style, have a standard speech to patients to increase sales, and have my staff better trained to close sales. They would frown upon how I never have my team focus on daily production goals. Most days, I don’t even know what the estimated production will be for the day. Instead, we focus on our patients. We customize every individual’s care to meet their individual needs. We strive to get to know our patients and remember the little details. We focus on things we know about each patient and how to make their experience better. I operate with the belief that if I take good care of my patients and do what I feel is best for each individual, production numbers will reflect this level and quality of care. There is no higher compliment than the referral to someone’s friend or family member. So far, I have been abundantly blessed by my patients’ trust in me.

The next biggest reason for my success is my staff. Without them, I would not be able to provide the quality of care I strive to provide my patients. Like everyone, I, too, have struggled with staffing post-Covid. It is difficult to find a team that shares your beliefs and can work well together. I have had to let go of fabulous, skilled individuals because “they could not play nice in the sandbox.” The day goes by much smoother if your staff can all work together and get along. One bad apple can cause the entire team to rot. Honestly, I know that I may not be the best manager of people. My management style is somewhat goofy. I try every morning in a huddle to praise the team for their hard work the day before. I try to privately provide constructive and educational criticism when they make mistakes versus tearing them down. Most importantly, I try to make a stressful day fun for them. Dentistry is hard work and high stress. It can be easy to get frustrated with patients, procedures, and even staff. Trying to keep the day lighthearted and fun makes the team and patients more at ease. By taking great care of my team, I know they will, in turn, take great care of my patients.

The third biggest reason for running a successful practice is investing in the relationships within your community. I am actively involved in multiple social organizations, philanthropic organizations, and professional organizations. These clubs allow me to get to know members of different communities and give back to different areas within our town. Taking the time to get people in the community to know you personally is the simplest and best form of marketing. There is no better marketing than being true to yourself and doing what you love.

Lastly, self-care is one of the most important relationships that needs to be nourished to own a successful dental practice. This relationship is often the most overlooked, but it is imperative that it does not get neglected. When your blood, sweat, and tears go into your practice it is hard to find any time for yourself. Being a practice owner requires you to wear many hats. You must show up with a positive attitude every day. You must be on your “A-game” for your patients. You must lead your team. You must be fiscally responsible. You must, you must, you must…. The list of musts is daunting. Taking a few minutes out of your day for your mental and physical health is imperative to keep you sane. Having a good support system to lean on, get advice from, and have your back makes all the difference in the world. I could not do my job without the support of my family, my friends, my faith, my massage therapist, and my gym.

Any way you look at it, dentistry is about building relations. Sometimes actual dentistry is not the hardest part of the job. The hardest part is managing staff, patients, and your own expectations. Unfortunately, I do not have a copycat method that will make you turn your practice into a multi-million-dollar practice overnight. My best advice is to follow the advice of a wise dental school professor - learn how to win friends and influence people. Dale Carnegie said it best, “Sincerely care about others. Smile! Always remember that a person’s name is the sweetest, dearest, and most important sound to them. Listen and encourage others to talk about their problems. Talk about what other people care about. Honestly, let other people see they are important.” Invest in taking the time to build relationships, focus on the big picture, and practice with purpose. People will recognize your sincerity, and the money will come.

Dr. Merrell completed a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science program in Bioengineering at Clemson University. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. In addition to completing her residency in general dentistry at Carolinas Medical Center, Dr. Merrell has completed more than 1,000 hours of advanced training in cosmetic, laser, and implant dentistry. She is the owner of Asheville Smiles Cosmetic & Family Dentistry.