There's a phrase that Colin Campbell and I have started using frequently, as we describe the direction of travel for The Campbell Academy over the next 10 years (and beyond): "Helping independent practices to win." There are about 8,500 of you in the UK, compared to around 4,000 locations owned by dental groups. It's not a competition (there are plenty of patients, team members and clinicians to go around) - but, then again, it is. The purpose of The Campbell Academy is to be

Technical ability may produce short-term results, but attitude determines whether somebody strengthens or damages a dental business. The Performance and Behaviour Matrix explains why character is worth developing and permanently poor behaviour is not.

Effective sales conversations are not built on talking continuously. They begin with empathy, progress through disciplined listening and require calm, confident communication at the moments when clarity and reassurance matter most.

This week’s pulse from the Extreme Business Community reveals pressure without panic: clearer numbers, calmer people conversations and steady progress, supported by coaching, shared experience and the confidence to take the next sensible action.

Every year, thousands of people in dentistry raise awareness about mouth cancer, a disease that affects many but is often overlooked. This September 5th (Saturday), the Mouth Cancer Awareness Walk will take place, and it needs your support to run smoothly. Volunteers play a crucial role in making this event successful, and this year, the team is looking for more helping hands. Whether you can volunteer yourself or spread the word among your family, friends, or colleagues, you

A client at last week's Manchester workshops used the term "to be brutally honest". I've never understood how honesty can be brutal? It's the opposite that causes the problems in both personal and professional life. The neatest opposite is probably “comfortable dishonesty”. Other useful alternatives, depending on what you mean, would be diplomatic avoidance, polite fiction, sugar-coating, evasive reassurance, or convenient silence. Any of the above could be used to describe w

After 30 years of using Strategic Coach’s Entrepreneurial Time System, I am rethinking the balance between Focus and Buffer Days as I move from personal performance to building a team and a scalable business.

The best treatment plans do more than explain procedures and prices. They help an individual patient understand the diagnosis, evaluate the recommendation, visualise the journey and make a confident, informed decision.

There is an old saying that “the devil is in the details”. I’ve never liked it. Because in a well-run dental business, I think the opposite is true. God is in the details. The small things matter. The way the phone is answered. The way a new patient is welcomed. The cleanliness of the toilet. The fact that somebody remembers a patient’s name. The quality of the coffee. The tone of a treatment plan. The speed of a follow-up. The way a team member says goodbye at the end of an

Alan Bookey’s two-minute airport phone call is a perfect example of unreasonable hospitality in action: noticing what matters, responding with humanity and allowing genuine care to create lasting value for a family and a dental practice.