Marcie’s Mindfulness Moment | Comfort Zones

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Mastermind Brainstorming event with Minal Sampat and Heidi Mount, experts in digital marketing and dental practice management.  An intimate group of approximately 35 traveled from all over the country to meet up in a laid back hotel in the outskirts of Portland, OR for what promised to be an interactive and engaging event day that really stretched our minds and comfort zones.  I was inspired by the group of dentists and their teams that wanted to learn how to market their practices with modern technology and the enthusiasm that they brought to the table. Minal and Heidi had us taking group photos with an amazing backdrop, fun and silly props, and beautiful lighting; having fun with boomerang ideas; creating facebook live videos, and brainstorming how to show our audience just exactly who we are.  This was a stretch for some of us who are used to hiding behind the professional mask of presenting ourselves more proper and composed. What Heidi and Minal suggest is that patients are really just people and they ultimately want to connect with us as humans. The more we stretch out of our comfort zones to show who we are, what we value, and a bit of vulnerability, the more relatable we are. The more relatable we are, the more open we feel, and the more trustworthy people find us–and isn’t trust the golden nugget when we are trying to build relationships?  This event left me inspired to think out of the box to reach my teams and encouraged me to create videos to highlight a new meeting time that we started to offer to reach more of our contractors. My first video took an hour and a half to craft because I was nervous and felt it had to be just perfect. The second video took three tries and 30 minutes, and the third was done in 10 minutes and had some flaws. The third was the best of the lot because I was relaxed. It was honest, real life, a bit silly, vulnerable, totally me- authentically, relatable me. By stepping out of my safety net and setting a clear intention to meet new people, I showed a human side that connected with my audience.  As a result, I have been able to increase the attendance with my groups and have expanded my circle of friends in our organization. The risk of embarrassment has definitely been worth the reward–try it and let me know how it goes!

Dental Billing Tips and News for Pros; Edition #133