Julie Todd shares her experiences of supporting practice growth for dental groups and partnering with clinicians for optimal patient outcomes.
Teamwork and partnership truly do make the dream work because people working together are more likely to be more successful than they would as individuals.
This is something that I know first-hand, starting as a dental nurse right out of school.
I then stayed at the same family practice for about 10 years, before deciding to make a change and move into dental sales, which is where I have happily stayed for the last 25 years.
We work collaboratively
Today, I am one part of an amazing team at Kerr, and my role is to engage with dental groups of any size. In a nutshell, it is similar to being a consultant, looking at their business model, how they tick and where they would like to be.
Then I can work with them, and within their strategy, to ensure they have the right products to hand at the right moment, reducing unnecessary stock holding, minimising waste, and saving time.
All that helps to drive value, supporting dentists in their efforts to achieve great results for their patients irrespective of whether the practice is NHS, mixed or private.
Clinical requirements comes first
Understanding what is needed in any given group’s practices is key to a true partnership between the dental profession and the industry.
I am all too aware that I must understand what the group is about, what treatments they offer, the extent, if any, of their NHS/private split. This leads on to considering whether they are using the right product type for the right patients.
This then brings me to think about if we are providing our customers with the right products. I can confidently say that our portfolio is so wide that, to date, there hasn’t been an occasion that I couldn’t make a difference.
The products are always innovative, evidence-based, effective and, at times, exciting and, when you put that altogether with the savings our customers make by switching over, they can rest assured that their patients are set for best possible treatment outcome.
Teamwork and partnership truly do make the dream work because people working together are more likely to be successful than they would as individuals.
This is something that I know first-hand, starting as a dental nurse, right out of school.
I then stayed at the same family practice for about 10 years, before deciding to make a change and move into dental sales, which is where I have happily stayed for the last 25 years.
The need for growth
While acknowledging that clinical aspects of care are the priority, it would be unwise to overlook the need for the business side of a group to flourish for future success.
Understanding how a group operates is the starting point here. Some have open access to all products, some have strict core lists, and there are a multitude of variations in-between.
Then, by looking at their consumable spend, it is very easy to see where Kerr can help, sometimes by switching just one product over. By cutting down on waste and spend, you are easily supporting growth. What’s more, the Kerr brand has a great price point along with the knowledge that quality won’t be compromised.
Away from the money side of things, we also support practice growth with our training and product knowledge. I have always believed that being in sales isn’t just about selling a product.
We want to ensure our customers are confident using the products they have in the practice, so we will always offer support to the level they need.
In fact, our team is available for product knowledge sessions, and we have some great KOLs who work with us, delivering our training sessions and webinars.
Our courses are bespoke for each group and we organise the e-shots, flyers and even the booking system, which then takes the strain away from the groups themselves.
A case in point
To show you what I mean about reducing waste and being able to meet clinical need and boost growth, I have a few favourite products.
As a group, we call them the Simplicity Range, which is where I normally start my customer conversations.
Optibond Universal, Maxcem Elite and Simplishade are three amazing products that can be used separately or together and will bring costs down and reduce waste because they significantly reduce the number of other products you need to keep in stock.
Take Simplishade, for example. No longer do you need to have from 16 to 26 Vita shades of composite sat in the drawer.
There are instead three shades with a chameleon effect, taking on the shade of the tooth. Imagine – no more composite going out of date because it is rarely used.
This one product alone can save so much in terms of the cost of the product, wastage and time using it.
Here for you
I’m keen to help our clients streamline their product use, making sure what they use is right for them and their patients.
It’s about balancing value with excellent clinical outcomes and, since Kerr has ranges to meet all patient and financial needs, I want to ensure we have appropriately informed our greatly valued groups, so that they can make the most of what we offer.
After all, Kerr products have been around for 130 years now, and we have this incredible heritage that means patients who receive dental care in the form of Kerr products are getting treated with products that have stood the test of time.
Your patients and your practices depend on you, and you can depend on us.
If you would like to know more about how your group can work in partnership with Julie to meet your needs and those of your patients, please visit to.kerrdental.com/group, email [email protected] or call 07933 418738.
