Chris Barrow’s Blog

…is the people I meet.

James Hamill of Blueapple Dental in Northern Ireland sent this photograph over the weekend.

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and the smiles on the faces of myself and Sonya represent the culmination of a productive day in practice and a 3-year vision that is helping them become one of the most successful practices in the country.

We should look tired – I had arrived the afternoon previous and, after a dash from Belfast to Belcoo, presented to their Study Club of referring dentists until after 22:30 – then, after a brief night’s sleep, took part in a long and detailed conversation encompassing all aspects of their business.

But it’s just a pleasure to work with James and Sonya and to be a small catalyst in their evolution.

I love my job!

• Today Plymouth, Plympton, Exeter and then in Scotland for three days this week. "Billy no mates" in Glasgow for the next 2 nights. #
• waiting at Exeter for my Edinburgh flight and feeling very red-eyed after a busy, busy day #
• Its light so early up here! Busy day ahead, IDH workshop PLUS evening meeting – it'll fly by. #
• @DawnCunningham delegate my dear, delegate! in reply to DawnCunningham #
• @dacunningham luck is defined as the meeting place of opportunity and preparation in reply to dacunningham #
• One of these days I'll have more time to write….. #
• having a blast in Glasgow – really enjoying the audience – they are up for it! #
• @AllanMackintosh Wednesday night in Edinburgh! in reply to AllanMackintosh #
• Enjoying a slow Lagavulin at the end of my day #
• Prime Minister out of touch? Iran or England? Ayotollah Mandelson watches and waits. #
• staying with friends in Edinburgh last night was a pleasure – a long day ahead of work and travel #
• Our defeats establish the value of our victories #
• And many miles to go before I sleep http://bit.ly/11CXgn #
• @thackeraydental often wondered about a place in Edinburgh – I already have Falmouth and Manchester in the collection in reply to thackeraydental #
• excited about my first ever "Studio Day" – its been a work in progress for 3 years #
• some are willing but not able, others are able but not willing. The search is for the willing and the able. #
• @marketingkate thank you! #followfriday in reply to marketingkate #
• and now I'm off for my Saturday afternoon bimble around Falmouth with my beautiful lady – big grin moment #
• breaking the rules, I complete a 4.5 hrs at my desk – finances are polished for the month and I can now enjoy the rest of the day #
• Just completed a 13.16 mi bike ride with @runkeeper, check it out http://bit.ly/13YRYf #runkeeper #

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I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

My thanks to John Davies for bringing this to my attention

Smile Pod appears to be a walk-in hygiene practice which wants to franchise.

I’m confused at the term “walk-in hygienist” and then the reference that all treatment is provided by professional dentists (are there some unprofessional ones?).

Of particular interest to me is the price list CLICK HERE which has de-commoditised their services into experiences – very clever.

At first glance the web site looks very primitive but it’s a fascinating concept and I wish them well.

You are so busy.

So much “to do” and so little time to do it.

Lists, tasks, meetings, deadlines, projects, ventures, commitments, responsibilities.

But you are missing the most important.

Conversations.

Good conversations.

Empathetic listening.

Here’s what a client told me this morning:

Busy day. I saw that a lady I hadn’t seen before had been scheduled in. For some reason, I decided in my mind that she was in for a “new patient consultation” and whilst the nurses were cleaning the surgery and as no-one else was due in immediately, I went and sat with her in the lounge and chatted about her, why she was here, her previous experiences etc.
I then took her into the surgery and continued to treat her as “a new patient consultation”. A few minutes later I noticed my rather agitated nurse who passed me a note to let me know that this lady was not “a new patient consultation” but a “pain patient” for whom I had a short slot and presumably was expected to sort out her immediate problem only. I did shift gear and focussed on the problem but what was clear was that this lady was blown away by the attention and interest she had received!
She was actually talking excitedly about it in the lounge to the next patient whilst waiting for her estimate, antibiotics etc.

It made me think about ways in which the labels we use for situations can dictate our behaviour. This lady received much more care and attention than she had expected, was hugely impressed, and I will be changing the way we label our appointments in future………..

And I responded that this was a potential tragedy – an opportunity lost.

Yesterday I read a two-page email (copied to me) written by a dentist who was angry, VERY angry.

The email was a list of operational complaints.

But the real issue was his perception that nobody was listening to him.

The detail was easily resolved.

The emotion will take longer to heal.

You cannot progress in life without good conversations.

So here is my question?

Who “out there” is feeling abandoned and unappreciated by you right now?

• simply superb weekend – and now an exciting week ahead #
• Is now waiting another half hour for a chest x-ray after the Doc told me there was nowt wrong. BTW fans, I am recovering from a man-cold! #
• GPS location: http://bit.ly/1uXhoM #
• getting to that stage on a "desk day" where the brain stalls – need some fresh air and big space #
• early start at the desk – before we are off to see Take That this evening! #
• GPS location: http://bit.ly/95RzJ #
• on stage in Crewe and all set to go – after the best stage show I've ever seen – follow Take That! #
• a great workshop draws to its conclusion – and I'm off to Manchester this evening, there to meet with my excellent accountant #
• this morning I'm reminded how much I love my children and how much they love me #
• 370 miles to get home after a great day with good friends #
• Desk day for me in Falmouth, LOADS to do! Then off to Sarah's graduation dinner ,so proud of our neighbour, friend and surrogate daughter #
• had my haircut. Prison Break! http://yfrog.com/07i0uj #
• been awake for hours…… #
• Just loaded Tweetdeck for iPhone which autosyncs with my Macbook. Very cool #
• http://twitpic.com/7w9k1

  Feeling a bit poorly after last night #

• a super sunny morning after a quiet evening with friends #
• http://twitpic.com/7zyev
  Delegate! #
• Lazy evening as we end a party weekend #

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When Captain Picard issued that command, the inference was:

• we know what we have to do
• I don’t need to know the detail
• I just want you to get on with it

and, of course, the assumption is that you have a team of people around you who know:

• what to do
• how to do it
• why they are doing it
• how they will be measured
• when you want it for

perhaps most important of all:

• they want to do it for themselves and
• they want to do it for you

The very essence of leadership, management and delegation.

So when I’m with a client who bemoans the fact that they “don’t have enough time to get everything done”, I know I’m with a client who needs (more) coaching on leadership, management, delegation, vision, plan, goals – and, critically, team-building.

The very bed-rock of your success is a fabulous team who know the who, what, when, where, why answers.

Make it so.

Practice Plan workshop yesterday – around 100 people in the room.

On my feet for 8 hours entertaining and challenging them on the subject of marketing.

Use up every ounce of energy to “hold the room”. Exhausted at the close.

Around 99 of them applaud me off the stage at the end of a typically outrageous CB day.

The message is sometimes challenging, the messenger is BOP.

I’m “bold, outrageous, provocative”, humorous, naughty, radical – because that’s how I move people forward.

A few of them (former clients) thank me for the difference I have made over the last few years.

A few of them ask to hire me as a coach.

A load of them subscribe to my ezine.

1 of them privately complains to the organisers that she is married to a human rights lawyer and that I should be shot at dawn for my lack of political correctness.

Why do I wake up thinking about the 1 and not the 99 this morning?

Because even though I stand up at the start of every workshop and issue a “health warning” on my delivery style and even though I explain that I’m aiming at 90% audience satisfaction (which means that some will be challenged by the messenger and/or the message) – it still hurts when I don’t get 100% approval.

Maybe I’m getting soft.

Thus the life of the long-term public speaker…

Actually, writing this is a catharsis.

I’m getting over it.

Angela Johnstone – IDH Regional Manager for Scotland, sends me this:

and reminds me that our focus has to be on creating those “raving fans” that will be ambassadors for our business.

The worst person in your team is a business-prevention officer who sees all customers, internal and external, as a pain.

The best person(s) in your team is the “can do” person who lives my the mantra “no problem, leave it with me, I’ll get it sorted”.

The secret success of Angela Johnstone is that she is a natural leader who creates the latter group around her – and that’s why it’s a pleasure to work with her.

Of course, the best marketing of all is to recruit your patients as your unpaid sales force.