Make Them Smile
Why Customer Satisfaction Is the Key to Rapid and Sustainable Growth
Sulman Ahmed
(Author)
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Description
Learn to scale your organization to grow your impact and create sustainable wealth with this inspiring book from the Founder of DECA Dental Group.
Highly specialized service providers—such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, physical therapists, and consultants—are often limited in their growth and earning potential by their notoriously difficult-to-scale industries.
As a dental student at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston just four years after leaving Zimbabwe for America, Dr. Sulman Ahmed was already looking ahead to an alternative future to private practice, determined to help as many people as possible, innovate within a stagnant industry by putting the customer experience first, and maximize his earning potential.
In Make Them Smile, Dr. Ahmed shows readers how he scaled his customer-centric services and built a national brand—known as the “Starbucks of dentistry”—and offers guidance on how to:
Identify the ideal gap to fill in your market
Leverage your expertise as your competitive advantage
Become a compassionate, highly capable leader
Standardize operations and scale
Navigate the various financing vehicles available at different stages of growth
Build sustainable wealth while creating a legacy of improving customers’ lives
For hardworking and dedicated professional service providers, Make Them Smile offers a way out of the grind of living hour to billable hour, providing a road map for how to build a scalable, standardized brand that provides a consistent, repeatable, and high-quality customer experience.
Highly specialized service providers—such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, physical therapists, and consultants—are often limited in their growth and earning potential by their notoriously difficult-to-scale industries.
As a dental student at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston just four years after leaving Zimbabwe for America, Dr. Sulman Ahmed was already looking ahead to an alternative future to private practice, determined to help as many people as possible, innovate within a stagnant industry by putting the customer experience first, and maximize his earning potential.
In Make Them Smile, Dr. Ahmed shows readers how he scaled his customer-centric services and built a national brand—known as the “Starbucks of dentistry”—and offers guidance on how to:
For hardworking and dedicated professional service providers, Make Them Smile offers a way out of the grind of living hour to billable hour, providing a road map for how to build a scalable, standardized brand that provides a consistent, repeatable, and high-quality customer experience.
Product Details
| Publisher | Matt Holt Books |
| Publish Date | May 07, 2024 |
| Pages | 240 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781637745793 |
| Dimensions | 228.6 X 152.4 X 22.9 mm | 385.6 g |
About the Author
Dr. Sulman Ahmed is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DECA Dental Group, the holding company for the consumer-facing brand Ideal Dental. He is the influential leader shaping and motivating DECA Dental’s growth, strategy, and culture. In 2008, Dr. Ahmed opened his first dental office with a vow to establish a truly patient-centered model. Today, the rapidly growing brand represents approximately 200 locations in nine states, serving around 3,000 guests per day.
In his personal career, Dr. Ahmed has achieved many honors and awards, including receiving The University of Texas at Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award (2024). He has also been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), one of Glassdoor’s Top CEOs (2021) with a 98% approval rating, and one of Dallas Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs (2023). He is also an in-demand speaker for national leadership, entrepreneurial, and motivational conferences.
Dr. Ahmed earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and serves on their Board of Advisors. He is also President of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), the premier association for businesses in the dental industry.
Reviews
"""From humble beginnings in a faraway land to the pinnacle of success in America as a CEO and visionary leader, Dr. Ahmed takes readers on a moving journey . . . I was captivated by his remarkable story and learned invaluable lessons on the power of leadership, optimism, and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence.""
—Todd Hirsch, Senior Managing Director of Tactical Opportunities, Blackstone
""Determination, adaptability, persistence against the worst of odds—Dr. Ahmed has it all in spades, and his story, compellingly told in this book, serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of diversity and the immeasurable contributions that immigrants bring to the fabric of society.""
—Wan Kim, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Smoothie King
""Effective leadership sits at the heart of any high-performing service business. As a leader, Sulman has no peers. He can command a room while relating to everyone from the biggest boardroom personalities to the humblest frontline workers. His book offers us powerful lessons on how to live and lead a little more like him.""
—J. R. Davis, Managing Partner, Blue Sea Capital
""Dr. Ahmed is a natural-born leader who sets an example of respect, drive, and empathy . . . He has expanded access to top-tier oral health care throughout America and proved a shining example to dentists everywhere. And now, with this book, he has done the same for our new business leaders.""
—Nadeem Karimbux, Dean, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
""Sulman has done the unthinkable: scaled a medical services company without sacrificing quality of care. He knows people, he knows business, and he knows how to lead . . . Read this book. It contains knowledge that will forever help you in business and in life.""
—Jay Adair, Co-CEO, Copart"
—Todd Hirsch, Senior Managing Director of Tactical Opportunities, Blackstone
""Determination, adaptability, persistence against the worst of odds—Dr. Ahmed has it all in spades, and his story, compellingly told in this book, serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of diversity and the immeasurable contributions that immigrants bring to the fabric of society.""
—Wan Kim, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Smoothie King
""Effective leadership sits at the heart of any high-performing service business. As a leader, Sulman has no peers. He can command a room while relating to everyone from the biggest boardroom personalities to the humblest frontline workers. His book offers us powerful lessons on how to live and lead a little more like him.""
—J. R. Davis, Managing Partner, Blue Sea Capital
""Dr. Ahmed is a natural-born leader who sets an example of respect, drive, and empathy . . . He has expanded access to top-tier oral health care throughout America and proved a shining example to dentists everywhere. And now, with this book, he has done the same for our new business leaders.""
—Nadeem Karimbux, Dean, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
""Sulman has done the unthinkable: scaled a medical services company without sacrificing quality of care. He knows people, he knows business, and he knows how to lead . . . Read this book. It contains knowledge that will forever help you in business and in life.""
—Jay Adair, Co-CEO, Copart"
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