5 Reasons Dentists Send Their Managers to the AADOM Conference
The ocean of information that exists at the annual AADOM Conference… This text opens a new tab to the conference website… is so vast that our practice administrator started bringing me along with her a few years ago, especially after our dentists realized that this event had become an invaluable aid in the growth of our practice.
I am our business team lead, and we are fortunate to have a large enough practice to allow two team members to be gone at once, and if you do too, I highly recommend it. You’ll cover more ground and double the pearls of wisdom you bring home.
Our dentists now know that when you send a manager to the AADOM national conference, he or she returns with glowing energy, a rejuvenated excitement for his or her career, and a folder full of notes and information that is worth its weight in gold. This revitalized human and new insight can, over the next few months, transform itself into desired results: a practice that runs smoothly, happier team members, improved production, and an increase in revenue.
There are 5 components of the national conference that make these results possible.
5 reasons to attend AADOM’s annual dental office manager conference
1. No interruptions
Let’s start with this basic but crucial requirement. How many times have you said to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could focus on A, B, and C, but there are too many fires to put out, and the revolving door that leads to my desk never stops revolving.”
Not here, baby. You are attending Hogwarts school of practice management and wizardry and are there solely to learn and return back to work as a sorcerer!
2. The energy
I am somewhat of an introvert. I was attending this conference for the first time with our practice administrator, Debbie, who is the textbook definition of an extrovert. I was afraid I would have to jump around and loudly participate in uplifting events (you can do that here, however, if that’s your thing). I was afraid I would have to stand up at a round table full of strangers and tell them 3 interesting things about myself.
What I did not expect was the genuine welcome, kindness, and acceptance that I felt from these total strangers who are fighting the same battles at work that I fight every day. These are people like you who’ve come from near and far to not only help improve their practice but to grow and better themselves through continued education.
My first morning, I attended the first-time attendee’s meeting. It was there that the speaker welcomed us all and told us in so many words, “You have found your tribe, and you will never be alone again.” This turned out to be a true statement.
Every single person that I had the pleasure of interacting with made me feel like I was an old friend. It was truly remarkable. I’ll never forget at the end of my first day, I just looked over at Debbie and said, “I get it.”
3. The speakers
These are the leading professionals in the dental industry, all in one place at one time. They are here to teach, inspire, and answer our many questions.
Usually, in our local chapter, we look forward to having one amazing speaker every three months. But here, it’s daily, and you get to pick the subjects that inspire you and will be of the most value to you and your practice.
The information we have brought back from these speakers has improved our new patient experience, how our team interacts, and made us aware of missed opportunities for revenue that we no longer miss.
4. The sponsors
Usually, we’re the gatekeepers. We don’t want someone interrupting our workday to try to sell us something. This is the beauty of learning what these companies have to offer at the conference.
If they made it to the AADOM national conference, they likely have a product that can benefit your practice, and they are devoting all of their time and assets to help you find out if it’s right for you and your doctor or team.
There are so many resources out there that I had no idea existed. It may be a service that you already have and didn’t realize you weren’t using to its fullest potential. It may even be an insurance company that you work with looking for feedback on improving and offering support. The list goes on.
I can say from firsthand experience that through these interactions with sponsors, we decided which ones to utilize in our practice when we got back, which then saved us money on and improved our marketing, reports more efficiently, the Google reviews have skyrocketed, and our new user-friendly patient communication system has saved us more time and energy than I can even express, especially through this pandemic.
5. Networking
This has been priceless and leads me back to the reminder that you’ll never be alone again.
How often are you in the same place (which may happen to be a beautiful hotel in Boca Raton) with hundreds of other women and men from all over the country that have the same job as you?
Think of all the questions you can ask and help answer.
For example, I may just have stopped by a sponsor’s booth and wonder how they could save us a lot of time and money. So, I ask a few new friends:
- “Do you use them?”
- “What do you think of the software?”
- “How did your patients react when you dropped your PPO?”
- “How were you able to get the contact information for your provider service representative at MetLife?”
- “What do you do for social media, and who does your website?”
Think of the possibilities. They’re all practice administrators of BEST PRACTICES. This is why they are there and why you are there.
Not only do you reap benefits from the exchange of information, but you have built lifelong connections that extend far beyond your local bubble of resources. We even had a dental assistant in our office in Raleigh, NC who was moving to Oregon and landed a job before she got there, thanks to connections made at the national conference.
The benefits are endless
Attending a conference like this is certainly an opportunity that not everyone has, but those of us who can be there are grateful.
Being a part of AADOM separates a good practice from a best, and the conference can give you the tools to bring a best practice to the next level.
If you or any member of your team has the desire to improve and grow and the opportunity to attend, you’ll find that the investment pays for itself exponentially. And of equal importance, the relationships you form and the connections you make will strengthen your career and change your life.
Meet the Author
Jessie is a business team lead at Wainright & Wassel DDS… This text opens a new tab to the practice’s website… and serves as a board member for the AADOM Triangle Chapter… This text opens a new tab to the chapter’s website…. She achieved her FAADOM in 2019 and is excited to continue growing and learning.
She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, two daughters, and dog, Frankie.
