Practice Growth Director of Operations Spotlight

We may be a dental marketing firm here at TNT Dental, but we know that we only succeed when our clients succeed. Maintaining the relationships with our dental practices and the people behind them doesn’t just happen organically; it requires hard work, active listening and exceptional growth leaders to cultivate that relationship.

Overseeing our client relationships as well as all operational functions at TNT is no small task; that’s why we have our Practice Growth Director of Operations, Michelle Kupper, leading those charges. She’s responsible for leading the team of Growth Leaders. You may remember our profile on Relationship Expert Lindsey Campbell last year; her work as an account manager to our clients funnels up through Michelle.

Managing the Relationships

“My favorite part about TNT’s culture is the teamwork, both among my team and in the company. We’re all working together to achieve the same goal… helping our clients grow their practices.”

Michelle’s management over the Growth Leaders doesn’t mean she separates herself from her group, leaving the dirty work to them. She’s right in the thick of things, working alongside her team to help them strategize marketing plans that work for their clients. As Operations Director, she also ensures that TNT’s departments work together seamlessly to provide the best service to our clients. Michelle is kind of the jack-of-all-trades in this regard. Her work encompasses many functions, including creating and implementing processes to assist with company workflow, hiring and training new members across most departments and facilitating and encouraging individual and professional growth.

The Growth department is critical to TNT’s success; as the client-facing team members, they are the glue that binds us to our dental practices. That said, their work hinges on all other departments within the company supporting the Growth department. With their efforts, the Growth team can “give each client meaningful results and first-class customer service,” according to Michelle. “Simply put, our Growth Leaders cannot do their job without each department doing theirs.”

Operating as a Leader

Getting to Know Michelle

• Texas native; grew up in Galveston
• First-generation college student and proud graduate of Texas A&M University
• Married 17 years to college sweetheart, Casey, and mom to Emma (13) and Gray (9)
• Diehard Dallas Cowboys fan
• Enjoys playing board games with her family, doing crafts & attending concerts

Responsibility for not only the Growth Leaders but also the operations of the company requires oversight by a person who can manage both people and processes. Michelle’s educational background has allowed her to effectively train employees, as well as possess strong organizational skills and an ability to see the big picture, all of which are keys to success in her role.

“One of my biggest strengths is understanding a person’s specific skill set and how to teach them,” she says. “I’m able to train individuals in a way that resonates with them and allows them to flourish.” Michelle understands the importance of adapting her style to fit the person, and not the other way around.

Michelle and her family

Michelle knows that how she manages and motivates her team members can make all the difference. By leading by example and maintaining an open door policy, she effectively conveys to not only her team, but also everyone at TNT that she is available anytime to help with whatever they need. How she keeps her Account Managers motivated in such a client-facing role is critical, and as with training, is adapted to each person’s style. “I motivate my Growth Leaders in a way that resonates with them,” Michelle says.

One of the many roles that fall under the Director of Operations umbrella are solid problem-solving skills. Michelle understands that combining both a swift and methodical approach to solving everyday issues is key. While she weighs the pros and cons before putting a plan into place, she knows that sometimes, time is of the essence and you have to think on your feet. At the end of the day, she knows that whatever the resolution, it’s important to revisit the issue and determine a plan put into place in order to prevent that issue from cropping up again.

Using Marketing to Solve Challenges

Michelle is constantly evaluating the best marketing strategies for TNT’s many clients. Staying atop dental marketing trends and tips is key to executing a solid marketing plan tailored for each practice.

What Michelle Does at TNT Dental

• Oversees the Practice Growth Leaders for TNT
• Help strategize marketing plans for clients
• Ensure efficient workflow between departments at TNT

Devising strategies also means recognizing challenges and overcoming them. For Michelle, the biggest marketing challenge she’s seen in the dental industry in the past year is surrounding the shift in how people search the internet. With the advancement of talk-to-text technology, peoples’ searches have followed suit accordingly. “It’s less keyword-based and more conversational with all the talk-to-text technology… and Google is constantly changing to address this shift,” says Michelle.

Michelle and her husband, Casey

She combats this through solid content for our clients. Every client on a marketing plan has at least one new piece of content added to their sites monthly, so in turn, the Growth Leaders are always searching for interesting topics that catch the viewer’s eye. Then, like a well-oiled machine, the writers step up to the challenge and create content that matches the new search standards accordingly.

If you’re looking for creative marketing strategies to spruce up your website or find ways to attract new customers, look no further than Michelle and her team of Growth Leaders here at TNT. Give us a call today and we can begin working with you to take your marketing plan to the next level!