In this game-changing episode of the Marketing 32 show, host Brett Allen welcomes Ryan Corby, CEO and co-founder of Smile Advantage, who reveals how the traditional per-patient pricing model for membership platforms has been silently draining practice profitability while claiming to help reduce insurance dependency. Born from the frustration of two practicing dentists who realized their successful membership program would cost them a fortune with existing competitors, Smile Advantage represents a fundamental reimagining of how membership software should work. Ryan's unique position as both platform developer and active practice owner provides real-time feedback loops that drive continuous improvement based on actual daily usage rather than theoretical assumptions. From deep PMS integration that eliminates workflow friction to proactive card expiration management that slashes payment failures, Smile Advantage demonstrates how technology should amplify success rather than nickel-and-dime practices as they grow. This conversation exposes the hidden economics of membership platforms, reveals why team buy-in matters more than software features, and provides actionable strategies for positioning memberships as the primary offering rather than an insurance afterthought.

In this episode...

Ryan Corby delivers a masterclass in how membership platforms should actually work, drawing from the unique perspective of being both software developer and active practice owner. The Smile Advantage origin story reveals a critical inflection point in the industry: as membership programs succeed and grow, traditional per-patient pricing models punish that success by exponentially increasing costs. This perverse incentive structure led Ryan's dentist partners to build their own solution after discovering their already-successful membership program would become prohibitively expensive with existing competitors. The flat fee model they chose instead represents a fundamental alignment of interests—every new member increases practice ROI without increasing platform costs, encouraging rather than penalizing growth.

The technical innovations Ryan describes transform membership management from administrative burden into seamless workflow integration. The "Today's Appointments" dashboard exemplifies this approach by pulling real-time schedule data from practice management software and overlaying membership status, insurance information, and renewal alerts directly onto the day's patient list. One-click enrollment eliminates the friction that prevents front desk staff from capitalizing on patient interest, while proactive card expiration management addresses payment failures before they occur rather than playing catch-up afterward. The timeline visualization showing patient spending before and after membership enrollment provides powerful data demonstrating that membership value extends far beyond subscription fees to include all subsequent treatment acceptance.

Perhaps most importantly, Ryan's closing emphasis on team buy-in reveals that technology alone cannot drive membership success. Practices where assistants, front desk staff, treatment coordinators, and doctors all mention membership at every patient touchpoint achieve dramatically better results than those relegating membership discussions to a single team member. This whole-office approach transforms membership from insurance fallback option into primary offering, fundamentally repositioning how practices present value to patients. Combined with strategic timing around open enrollment periods and internal marketing through custom branded materials, this comprehensive approach turns membership programs into powerful tools for reducing insurance dependency while improving patient loyalty, treatment acceptance, and practice profitability.