As a result of the downturn in the economy, there has never been a better time in recent memory to hire. The labor pool is flooded with plenty of talented and experienced job seekers.

I recently was speaking with one of my kids about his memories of having a tropical fish tank when he was a kid growing up. Adding new fish wasn’t always easy. Some fish are stronger than others, some are more low-key, others are bright and colorful. The trick is to keep all of the fish happy in the tank, balancing the pH levels to make sure the water doesn’t become too acidic or too alkaline – otherwise a fish could die.  Andy remembered that we would go to the pet store and buy a kind of pH balancer that you would add to the water to avoid this problem.

Managing a tropical fish tank and handling a changing and growing office staff are similar. As we add new “fish” to our tank, there is the likelihood that the pH levels in the office will change. Unfortunately, we can’t just add a few drops of a chemical solution to maintain neutrality.

Assembling and maintaining a caring, talented, customer service oriented staff is the biggest challenge in dentistry, because you simply can’t have a great practice without an amazing staff. So take advantage of this unusual hiring opportunity to find some great employees. Be patient – be selective – resist the temptation to hire the “first warm body”. With the labor supply finally working in your favor, chances are excellent for a happy fish tank.

Social media marketing is the new word of mouth advertising. Time spent on social media sites is growing three times faster than the overall Internet rate. Social media will gain you name recognition in your community and help you convey your image.

It is vitally important to have a clear idea of your “brand” so that patients can refer to you. Are you trying to appeal to Walmart or Nordstroms? Branding in essence will make your entire marketing program easier. Utilizing popular social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin to promote your “brand” is easy, effective and FREE.

We all recognize the need these days to attract more new patients. Just imagine if every patient in your practice suddenly referred even one friend, family member or co-worker. You couldn’t begin to handle the overflow. Nice fantasy! I am not suggesting this will happen overnight with social media. But I am starting to see that social media marketing is powerful and impressive.

Here is how it works. You join the social media site and begin to send out  relevant, new, exciting pieces of professional information or advice to your patient base. You are now offering Botox – or invisible braces – or sedation. Your patient base, through their presence on Facebook or Twitter, can easily share this information with a large group of their friends who they communicate with and interact with on these sites. Hence the name “social media”. Their friends are often people in your neighborhood you don’t know – and they don’t know you. They may not have a dentist, or maybe they don’t like their current dental office. Is this starting to make sense?

The dissemination of this information becomes viral – sort of like email on steroids. I encourage you to leave your comfort zone and jump in and get started. I am happy to help.