Are you actually picking up people from their office for networking lunches? Interesting.
I am curious how long it takes to be what you consider a well-known reputable specialist in your city.
Most new grad orthos, perio, and endos are tuition based meaning they haven’t made any money for a few years. They probably shouldn’t be upgrading anything till they have some savings set up
I made it a priority to meet EVERY dentist within a 5 mile radius of my offices. A professional courtesy to introduce myself and the possibility of securing a future referral source. No Zoom back then. I usually picked the dentist up in MY CAR or brought lunch for the dentist and their staff.
I'm not suggesting that you need a nice car, but sometimes .... perception is everything. I'm fully aware that just driving a nice car does not mean you are financially independent. But your appearance, office make-up has to match your type of practice. I did not attract patients with low fees although I understand that low fees works for a particular niche and location. For the longest time ... my practices were FFS. Until there weren't.
In order to have a good reputation as a Specialist ..... you need to get out there and sell yourself. Prove yourself. Job 1 is taking exceptional care of your patients. Communicate with your referral sources. Dentists are all different and they all need something different. Cater to their needs. Join Rotary or community organizations. Local dental gov't. Etc. It's not easy, but necessary. Your name just has to be known.
Back to cars. Of course. If you are a poor new grad dentist (which most are). Don't add more debt thinking you are "owed" a nice new car. Get your finances in order 1st. Have a dependable car. Paid for.
People use cars for different things. Some people use cars as appliances to get from A to B. That's fine. Others like myself are passionate about certain vehicles and reward ourselves with them. I'm not a big watch guy, but I like my cars and trucks.
I work for a Corp that sees mostly low income patients. I drive a small paid for sub-compact suv. 30 miles to the gallon. These patients work hard for their money and I have no reason to drive a nice car to work. Others may choose so and that is fine.
Oh. Subarus. Great cars. I owned a few while growing up in Alaska. Their ability to dirve through ice and snow is amazing.
