The Smile Daily

Seasoned real estate agent Angela Conners knows how hard it can be to rise to the top of a profession – it takes a lot of hard work, great people skills and continual improvement. That’s why she is a big fan of Dr. Tim Johnston’s dental practice, Norge Dental Center.

The way they met was full of chance – Angela was at a wedding in the early 1990s at Williamsburg’s Hospitality House when she struck up a conversation with the DJ.

“He was excellent and I wanted to pay him a personal compliment. He told me that he put himself through dental school as a DJ, and asked if I had a dentist. He gave me the name of one of his friends who was opening a practice locally, Dr. Johnston,” she said.

When Angela ran into Dr. Johnston in person at a computer course not long after that, she knew it was karma. Her dentist was retiring and she started seeing Dr. Johnston. More than 20 years later, she still does!

“He’s a great dentist and has very professional staff. They aren’t looking for the most expensive solution, they want what’s right for you,” Angela said.

After a career in corporate America, with a lot of international travel, Angela decided to work for herself as a real estate agent. Knowing how to treat people well has always been a cornerstone of Angela’s business. She admires the ability to be professional but welcoming and sincere at the same time. And of course, great customer service means learning to anticipate needs.

She’s learned a lot from being a realtor: not only does it take a lot of hard work to be successful, there’s having to deal with rejection. The first year, she was bound and determined to make a living and she began cold calling and knocking on doors. “Two things I hated,” she said. But when she was told to do 50, she did 100. “I had my standards. I stood by my schedule,” she said. And that smile opened a lot of doors for her.

Angela knows that her smile is critical to her business. “There are two things you know immediately: people’s smile and their manners. When a smile lights up their whole face, you get a different opinion of them. People love to be smiled at,” she said.

Since there’s no second chance to make a first impression, Angela takes great care of her smile. Angela’s experience with the dentist as a child was more about going when something was wrong, and her family didn’t have a lot of money for preventative care – “they had to make sure we had shoes on our feet before good teeth,” she said.

Today, Angela knows it’s important to think long term. She likes to let the experts do their jobs. “If Tim recommends it, then I want it done. I trust him,” she said. 

She also refers other people to Norge Dental Center – even though she’s very cautious about referrals in general. “I just have to experience it myself,” she said. 

Angela knows how important personal referrals are. “The best endorsement is from someone who has worked with you. And I love a proactive referral – where someone is jumping up to say “I know who you should use. Norge is a place like that,” she said.

Her personal philosophy is that honesty and knowledge are two of the most important factors in working with anyone, and she knows from her business how important the client relationship is.

“I don’t decide for them, give them options and explain. And when you work with good people, you can have confidence that what they will suggest is what’s the best for you,” she said.

Angela recalls a time when she had a toothache and called Norge for an appointment. “They told me ‘C’mon in, don’t wait.’ But they couldn’t find out what it was, the X-Ray showed nothing,” she said. But the staff didn’t give up and what they found after further investigation was a small, clear fish scale lodged between two teeth.

“I was impressed that they went the extra mile for me. I was in a lot of pain and I knew they were going to do everything to help me,” she said.

Today, Angela and her husband Philip continue the relationship that started more than 20 years ago with Dr. Johnston and Norge Dental Center.