Chris Barrow’s Blog

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and its only a matter of time.

“Would you like Flying Club points with your tooth whitening Mr Barrow?”

And caused a bit of a stir at The Royal London last weekend…….

Dentistry is becoming a retail business, offering products and services to a high professional standard.

And in the latest issue of Dentistry on-line….

Hi Chris
 
Have you see this?? Or seen this elsewhere??
 
Might be worth letting the tribe know that this is out there cos it looks SO BAD!
 
Today I searched “Dentist Edinburgh” in YouTube.
 
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=edinburgh+dentist&search_type=&aq=f
 
All the videos are made by the same “Dentists Edinburgh” person. All low quality. AND use the names off all the dentists in Edinburgh as tags so it looks like various practice have posted the video, or at least given their permission for their names to be used.
 
It continues on over the next 3-4 pages.
 
Look for Polwarth Group and Stafford Street Dental Care… those videos are so BAD.
 
These guys need to know that this is out there!
 
Everything links back to http://dentistsedinburgh.com/ a video site chap based in the Philippines.
 
Does this break all the rules? Is this the next thing video spam??
 
Thought you’d like to see this.
 
Pete

I remember one of the first dentists I worked with (back in the mid 90’s) always introduced himself as follows (name changed):

“Good morning, my name is John Smith and I’m the slowest, most expensive dentist in Birmingham. Would you like to come and see me?”

And way back then he was grossing £25,000 per month as a single handed generalist – figures that would be good even now – and were spectacular then.

He understood that there is always a market for “slow and expensive” – and people prepared to pay.

Of course, your customer service and physical facilities have to match – sumptuous will suffice.

Expensive is an option – and the people who want it are usually recession proof.

Whenever I meet a principal with an average daily productivity of less then £1500 (and that accounts for over 80% of you) I automatically ask how much of their time is spent delivering the dreaded “check up”.

And, of course, the answer is “80% of my time”.

I have never understood this as a business model – the senior dentist in the practice delivering the most junior work?

Wouldn’t the principal in any other professional service firm oversee the routine work and deliver the most complex?

• accountant
• lawyer
• architect
• hospital consultant

Perhaps only medical GP’s, slaving over a full waiting room of the elderly, the infirm and the pregnant would be a similar fate.

And look how much of their work is now being “passed down” to nurses and others.

The mantra is always the same:

my patients wouldn’t want to see anyone else, they have been with me for years

or

I couldn’t find any other dentist who would look after them as well as I do

Neither is true – and that has now been proven by numerous practices who have moved “maintenance” to associates, therapists and/or hygienists (under supervision) and with excellent results in terms of business efficiency, customer satisfaction, team pride and a healthy bottom line.

CLICK HERE to see a letter introducing the concept to existing patients.

Interesting to see a new digital magazine from the creators of Apex, with a heavy emphasis on the clinical.

CLICK HERE for details….

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When the team at David Horobin’s Chapel Road Orthodontics decided to use National Orthodontics Week (NOW) as an excuse for strutting their stuff – they realised that in order to get noticed – you have to be noticeable!

Full marks for their courage.

I have a question for everyone who reads this – and I’d like you to email me with your answer please:

“What is the biggest problem that dentists experience on a regular basis that could be solved by applying technology, methodology and ingenuity?”

Please either add a comment to this post or email me – coachbarrow@me.com

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Here’s a formula to open a brand new private squat and recruit 218 new patients in the first 6 weeks (during a recession and in the middle of a three-month snow storm).

1. Plan carefully – spend 12 months building the detail
2. Get the right external advisors involved early
3. Location, location, location – a demographic that wants what you like to do
4. A need – for quality private dentistry in an affluent town
5. Footfall or drive by – make sure plenty of people can see you
6. Selected local advertising
7. Hiring the right people (in this case, mature, intelligent, articulate and well-presented people on reception and in nursing)
8. Branding – a strong and distinctive brand
9. Environment – lovely concierge class premises in a small and slightly out of town office unit
10. Parking – easy and plenty
11. Availability – no waiting times for appointments (i know that will change – we were discussing the same)
12. Bring in business heads – in this case a brother who is a talented lawyer and a business coach!
13. A membership scheme (administered by Practice Plan)

I could go on.

A lovely day with Rachael Blyth and the team yesterday – and my special thanks to Rachael and Ross for pushing my car out of the snow at the Hydro last night!