The right fit

It's not easy breaking into the world of dental consulting, landing a spot on the lecture circuit or getting published in a top-tier dental publication or online venue like Dentalcompare. In my never-ending tours of dental shows, events and CE events, I have the pleasure of seeing and meeting the cream of the crop. Yet, over the years, I've begun to notice that once you've heard these folks a couple of times.... well... you've heard them.

While it's always a pleasure to hear the legends speak, I have always been more interested in the up-and-comers, the professionals who are bringing new ideas, attitudes and excitement to the profession.

That's why it was such a joy to spend last weekend in Charleston at the Speaking Consulting Network, where about 140 established and emerging lecturers and consultants gathered to soak up the experience of the legend Linda Miles and network with their peers. As someone who has attended this event four years in a row, it was exhilarating for me to see how so many of these newcomers have developed and advanced their careers. As a dental editor, it has been one of the highlights of my career to help many of the SCN crowd get published and establish themselves as thought leaders in their own right. Attendees at the event got the opportunity see some of the best speakers in action, speakers such as Jeanne Robertson and Janice Hurley-Trailor. For many attendees, the highlight was the opportunity to present short lectures to the group for critiquing. I've spoken before this group in the past, and I can tell you it's a bit intimidating... and I didn't have to worry about receiving any of what Dr. David Reznik so graciously calls "love taps." Congratulations to Dr. Marty Wade who was named the best of this Spotlight on Speaking event.

The challenge at SCN meetings always is to find the time (even with 72 hours of networking!) to talk with everyone you want to meet. It leads to late nights in the lobby bar and very little sleep. (Special thanks to my friends at 1-800-DENTIST... Larry, Naomi and Laura... for their stellar closing dinner featuring superb wine and food pairings and a setting perfectly designed to facilitate mingling.)

For me, one of the highlights was meeting Teresa Duncan, keeper of the excellent Dental Implant Blog. Teresa recently contacted me seemingly out of nowhere and submitted an excellent article for Dentalcompare. In person, she is intelligent, witty and driven to advance implant dentistry, and I look forward to a long working relationship. Anybody who meets me and immediately starts calling me out (including telling me to dump that geeky photo to the right) is a friend and colleague I want. Teresa provided a perfect example of my major challenge at SCN: balancing time with great friends while making new contacts. OK... this is a high-class problem and I'm not complaining. But it goes to my main point here... I think I have one anyway.... that we all need to be open to new ideas, new attitudes and the new people who will carry them to us. Let's stop doing things just because we always did them. Let's stop following the "thought leaders" just because they've achieved their position. Let's find the good stuff.

All week, in-boxes have been packed with celebratory e-mails expressing the joy and inspiration from the attendees, all of whom seem ready to take on the world, build their careers, and continue to find new ways to help your practice succeed. To the docs out there, I encourage you to seek out these newcomers. When you attend dental shows, balance your CE time between the well-known names and the people who are working for peanuts to bring you new ideas. And know that the right consultant can truly help you transform your practice, if you have the right attitude, seek the right fit and let them do their job. All weekend I heard stories of practices improving their productivity and profitability by implementing, and FOLLOWING, systems established by consultants who put as much intelligence, time and effort into developing them as you put into performing great dentistry.

We all know dentists weren't trained as business people. And, unless you're lucky enough to have an MBA running your office, signing on with a qualified consultant can provide you with the systems you need to take your practice to the next level. Are there bad consultants out there? Sure. But far more often, when consultancies fail, it's because of a bad fit. So do your homework and be open to newcomers. If you're looking for a consultant or a speaker for your next dental event or study club, do yourself a favor and check out the talent available in SCN's membership guide.

To those in SCN, keep up the good fight. Dentistry is a profession of abundance, integrity and ever-increasing promise. I encourage all of you to stay true to your mission and your ideals, to seek out opportunity, and to never forget that you will get the furthest when you remember that it's all about your client... not you. Help make happy dentists, and know that, through that mission, you are touching the lives of not just the dentists, but their families, staff and patients. Have faith, work hard, and if there's anything I can do to help, get in touch.

And to Linda Miles... what can I say. You're a great person and a true force in this profession. I'm trying to conceive of how many lives you've impacted, and I think it's probably incalculable. You are a mentor to many, an inspiration to all.