How important is it to look back?
The only way to move forward is by looking back, and not just to see the path you’ve created but to accept the path you’ve created and learn from it. Every decision you’ve made that has either been successful or failed miserably needs that moment of reflection. You don’t only learn from your mistakes. You learn from your successes. Inc.com suggests asking yourself these questions to better understand what you have done with your practice and what you can do with it now.
What did I do to most contribute to my successes?
What did I do to most contribute to my failures?
What would I do differently given the same set of circumstances?
Who were the people worthy of my time and effort?
With whom did I spend time where I received no value?
In what ways did I not measure up to my potential?
What will I most fondly remember about 2016?
For what will I be rightly proud?
What’s in store for the future of your dental practice?
Have you made your New Year’s resolutions for your practice yet? Just as above, Inc.com suggests that it’s time to ask yourself some very important questions going forward:
Who will be my inspiration this year?
What new adventures are ahead?
What are the new lessons to learn?
How will I be able to contribute in a significant manner?
After you’ve asked and answered these questions, you should be ready to start your prep and planning for the new year. Success is only maintained when ideas advance, so below are some suggestions to start your year off right.
Overhaul your business strategy
Remember the questions asked in the reflection portion of this post. The answers are what will help you develop your newly rejuvenated strategy. All past mistakes can be learned from just as all successful ideas can be broadened and emphasized. Update your business strategy with new thoughts and ideas. Remember that it is doubly important to make changes not just for the next few months, but for the entire year.
Consider strong advertising options
Advertising is key to having a productive year. Take full advantage of your advertising opportunities. If you haven’t already, it might be a good time to start planning your advertising options, since this is how you will reach just the right target audience in 2017. When looking for just the right people to bring an advertising know-how to your dental practice, “be sure to create a cohesive job description to use across all channels.”
Update your social media
In order to connect to anyone anywhere this year, it is important to update your social profile– every network from Facebook and Twitter to Pinterest and Linkedin (and if you don’t have at least one of these yet, the time to get one is yesterday). This is your free pass into people’s lives whether they are on-the-go or at home. Expect that they will be checking their newsfeeds a lot throughout 2017 and take advantage of it by giving them something interesting and informative to look at.
Revitalize your website
Your website is a superior marketing tool, bringing in potential clients while guaranteeing the loyalty of existing ones. With your website, you are able to stay engaged in your patient’s lives without being too demanding or intrusive and yet still generating interest and developing trust and confidence. However, now that 2016 is over, it is your duty to review your website for anything that might drive your hopefuls as well as your loyals away. Look for broken or dead or out-dated links. Refresh the information with new ideas and debates. Change up the design with something new and fresh as a way to bring in the new year. Also, add new images, update your deals and promotions, and even write an informative blog post to let everyone know that you’re back!
Focus on the path ahead
Yes, there is a light at the end of this tunnel and that light is the growing success of your practice. The way to get there, though, is not to dwell on past strategies. Look at them. Examine them. Learn from them, but do not dwell on them. Move forward and focus on that light. You have a plan drawn up and a strategy to work off of. Get to it and before you know it, it will be 2018.
May you have much success this year!
Resources
- http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/three-important-ways-to-prepare-for-2014.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-shaw/post_10776_b_8897356.html
- http://theemergingdesigner.com/6-ways-to-prepare-your-business-for-the-new-year/
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