Let’s be honest—training your team to answer the phones, present treatment, or greet new patients shouldn’t be optional. It’s the foundation of your practice... and one of the biggest make-or-break points for growth.

In this episode, Chase and Ryan dive into how great leadership starts with great onboarding—not just for your team, but for your systems, your culture, and your patients. They talk about how empowering your staff to think like owners instead of order-takers transforms your practice from the inside out.

We cover:

⚓ Why onboarding is the “captain’s wheel” of your dental office
⚓ How front desk phone calls shape patient trust in seconds
⚓ The real reason cruise ships and dental offices have more in common than you think
⚓ Why you need to sell your care—because if you believe in it, you should be able to communicate it
⚓ How to shift your team from “I’m just here for a paycheck” to ownership and buy-in
⚓ And the one small tweak that can instantly boost case acceptance

This episode is for every dentist who’s tired of feeling like they’re the only one rowing the boat—and ready to build a crew that’s aligned, trained, and steering toward the same mission.

🎧 Hit play to listen now. Then forward it to your team lead, your ops manager, that front desk MVP who’s ready to level up—or another dentist you know who needs to hear this.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Welcome back + Chase’s airline upgrade hack 😂
• 02:15 – How onboarding is like steering a cruise ship
• 04:30 – Why your front desk experience is your real first impression
• 06:45 – What cruise ships taught us about leadership and delegation
• 09:00 – Empowering team leads to make decisions and own outcomes
• 10:30 – Phone calls that cost you new patients before they even arrive
• 13:00 – Training your team: scripts vs. stewardship
• 15:45 – Sales in dentistry: why it’s not a dirty word
• 17:30 – Case acceptance and the heart of ethical persuasion
• 20:00 – If you believe in your treatment, you should want to close it
• 21:45 – Why your systems reflect what you tolerate
• 23:30 – Teaching your team to anticipate problems and solve them
• 25:00 – Getting buy-in without micromanaging
• 27:00 – Final thoughts: You don’t have to row alone
• 00:00 – Welcome back + Chase’s airline upgrade hack 😂
• 02:15 – How onboarding is like steering a cruise ship
• 04:30 – Why your front desk experience is your real first impression
• 06:45 – What cruise ships taught us about leadership and delegation
• 09:00 – Empowering team leads to make decisions and own outcomes
• 10:30 – Phone calls that cost you new patients before they even arrive
• 13:00 – Training your team: scripts vs. stewardship
• 15:45 – Sales in dentistry: why it’s not a dirty word
• 17:30 – Case acceptance and the heart of ethical persuasion
• 20:00 – If you believe in your treatment, you should want to close it
• 21:45 – Why your systems reflect what you tolerate
• 23:30 – Teaching your team to anticipate problems and solve them
• 25:00 – Getting buy-in without micromanaging
• 27:00 – Final thoughts: You don’t have to row alone