Niche Dental eNews - January 23, 2009 - Achieve A Super Fine 2009!

The Real Score on Achieving A Super Fine 2009

This economy requires us to dig deeper, to figure out what and where success really is. Adulterated moneymaking seems to have run the table in 2008. For 2009, my recommendation is to take stock of what you do best and determine whether your communication systems could be enhanced to better serve your community and improve the value of your expertise. Where is your success located?

Over the last few months I have looked deeper into what success really is with the death of my father (September 8) and my nephew (August 20). My 30-year old nephew’s death dramatically brought the concept of life’s purpose to the forefront. My father, Richard J. Chwalek, lived a very full life; seeing and doing things that I still find amazing. What he taught me was a major factor in my career direction as communication consultant. He solved problems using team building, connective communication and a belief that we possess the answer but often need to sort through a lot to get it.

Besides wanting to remember his contribution to my successes during the first Christmas without him, he also taught me that the world is more complex than any marketing, business, clinical or mechanical problem. He knew success in significant ways, but he also understood profound reality down to its most difficult moments.

The rest of this story goes into how he used communication to overcome challenges. It is very topical with the economic downturn and more especially the automotive industryʼs problems. The reason you know little about HIM makes plain why your expertise needs to be publicized, and vividly demonstrates how “clinical” problem solving is extremely limited without an interpersonal connection.

As you read my dental marketing article, see the images of his life’s work and listen to his words (interviews I did with him 8 years ago) realize that his continued “career success” relied on the public knowing about him, and considering him their “best resource” for his type of expertise. Even though he was an engineer, like many dentists, he saw “self-promotion” as not needed if you worked hard, had positive “customer interactions” and regular “clinical” successes.

While he went on to do things that were more vital to him than his engineering work, I wondered what the world would be like if more people were aware of his talents. Self-promotion is often seen as superficial and misleading, but what if it actually made things better? If you have the expertise to help people live better and few people know about you or the solutions you offer, are you merely a tree falling in a “lack of public communication” forest?

Maybe dental marketing just isnʼt your thing. It probably costs too much in this economy. Everyone is pulling back and firmly sitting on their hands, right? You might as well wait, too. We canʼt change anything in this environment, anyway.

Sadly, it looks like no one was really doing worthwhile dental marketing in any environment: boom, bust or flat.

If you can listen to my fatherʼs stories, read the following statistic and still believe public communication has little value, watch out for the falling tree. The patient flow silence will be deafening and the crushing impact on your future dental practice revenues will be painfully obvious. The statistic all by itself has a deafening quality. It might even surpass the negative aspects of this economy. Overall, there was no change in the percentage of the population with a dental visit from 1996 to 2004. (dental visit stat source: SeniorJournal.com) Your silence or lack of participation in correcting this dental health inactivity issue needs to be remedied.

Link To Complete Article: R. J. Chwalek – A Pioneer In Practical, Strategic, Connective Communication

Give Till it Feels Great!

Malawi Dental Health Mission

Sometimes success is measured in how you approach life. Things you do while you are here that last longer than your own efforts. Giving of your time and money to an effor and cause that can change lives.

During this last year Dr. Tania Nkungula-Howlett has been working on a mission trip to Malawi. Tania is my friend and also happens to be a client of mine. She has lived in this country for most of her life, but is from Malawi, Africa. Tania, her brother and business manager Miko, and I have been discussing this trip and dental health mission for at least a year. Tania traveled there in September to see what was needed and where. She just returned from there on January 5, 2009 after spending over a week with a team of dental health professionals and volunteers from Tennessee. They did most of their dental mission work at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

I encourage you to find out more about this exciting mission, which will not end with this most recent trip. Yes, donations and supplies are needed. However, Tania I am sure would want you to think first of those you can help locally and in areas where you see the need. And as we have discussed this past year, even with concerns about the economy and the fragility we might have in our current finances, our blessings are still and will continue to be substantial compared to 90 plus percent of the world’s population.

She and her husband, Dr. Brian Howlett run an oral surgery practice in Nashville, TN. My wife, our two daughters and I were their guests a couple summers ago and I was there this past November as well. During the first visit we found out we lived within about an hour of each other when we were children: she in southern Michigan and me in South Bend, IN. I want to thank the Howlett’s for their gracious hospitality.

Learn more about the Malawi Dental Health Mission

Meharry College of Dentistry & Nashville Talks

Photo of Dick speaking at the Meharry Dental College

I was honored to speak to about 100 junior dental students at Meharry College of Dentistry in Nashville in November (2008). Their practice management instructor Dr. Walter Owens was my host (pictured). I also spoke to a group of dentists and dental professionals who are colleagues of Drs. Brian and Tania Howlett who own Dental Specialty Group.

Build Your Practice. Enhance Your Expertise Value. Communicate Strategically.

Contact Dick Chwalek about Video Phone Consults:
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