Testing new concepts on a small scale saves you time and frustration
Let’s talk about the benefit of test runs and trying things out before implementing new systems.
I want to share a real test case outside of dentistry…McDonald’s. McDonald’s is a corporate icon not just in the food industry, known for many business concepts and their story provides great value for other businesses.
Have you seen the movie “The Founder” with Michael Keaton? It tells about the backstory of the McDonald’s brothers. Ray Kroc, a lonely milkshake salesman, struggling to get by, decides to take the brothers out to dinner to learn more about their success. The brothers share their story with the salesman.
Long story short, McDonald’s had several failed attempts until they figured things out. One of the McDonald’s brothers, Dick, explains that he wanted to have a system in place.
In order to demonstrate his idea to his brother, Dick took some chalk, a rag and headed to the nearest tennis courts. He didn’t use an architect or a builder, he just drew out his ideal McDonald’s with chalk right there on the concrete.
Next, Dick brought employees in to test the system and to find the issues in the design/system. Improving the system during each dry run until they got it just right. It may not have been perfect, however it was a well-thought out plan. This in turn saved the brothers millions of dollars, time and frustration.
How can you use this concept in your practice?
Most dentists spend a lot of money on marketing or technology, or even build an office before really having an idea of what their end game plan or concept is. Before you implement anything new, you want to start with a dry run, a little test sampling of your plan.
This can be done with your team during weekly office meetings and can be anything from training to roleplaying to communication and more. Use this time wisely. Observe how your team handles the new information and what issues arise.
And simply put – Don’t go all in. I challenge you to look at your practice and see how you can start using dry runs before you try something new. This can save you lots of time, headaches, and money.
In this week’s video you’ll learn:
The benefit of a dry run
How a dry run can save you money, time & frustration
Ways to implement dry runs into your practice