"I opened my own dental practice right out of school in 2003 and spent six years growing it large enough to bring on an associate. Things had been running well and with one doctor, there were not as many challenges. When my associate started, I was unprepared for the growth and how to handle the increased work administratively. I ended up with inefficient systems and an overstaffed office with overpaid employees. In addition, I was, in essence, doing the work for the staff due to their mistakes and inability to handle their own areas. Collections started to become a problem, leaving me no wiggle room.

"The practice felt confused and out of control. The office manager was working against me. Whenever there was a disagreement amongst the staff, he would 'throw me under the bus.' He was basically unable to hire effective team members or even manage the good ones properly. The stress weighed on me. I worked long hours doing my job and everybody else’s. Managing a practice was not something they taught at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry.

"After receiving an email from Sterling, I contacted them for a free practice consultation. The consultant reviewed different scenarios for improving profitability, managing staff and more. I realized I needed this program and signed on. I had a Sterling consultant come to my practice for a week to resolve the personnel issues. We implemented a system which enabled me to quantify staff productivity and establish a pay system with bonuses for productive staff. Three months later, we had totally revamped the staff. Profitability was up by 200%.

"I went to Sterling’s offices to take their management classes. The classes were life-changing and woke me up as to what I was missing in running my practice. The customized one-on-one consulting is a constant source of guidance and support. Since starting with Sterling, profitability has doubled, production is back on track and the staff are a united team. As an endodontist, virtually all of my new patients are from referrals. Sterling has given me appropriate marketing ideas and new patients have increased. I’ve even opened a second office. 

"Now I enjoy running my practice because I know how. Just as it’s satisfying to do a procedure on a patient, it’s satisfying to manage my practice well. If any of this hits home for you, call Sterling at 800-933-7538 for their DVD and complimentary consultation. They helped me have a better practice and a better life."

Carla Webb, DMD