Chris Barrow has been active as a trainer, consultant, coach and mentor to the UK dental profession for over 23 years. He combines long experience and deep expertise with the originality and independence needed to resolve the thorniest problems.
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Naturally direct, assertive and determined, he can reach conclusions quickly, as well as possessing the sharp reflexes and lightness of touch to innovate, change tack and push boundaries.
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AS A SPEAKER HE IS DYNAMIC, ENERGETIC AND CHARISMATIC.
Chris spent the first 17 years of his working life in the corporate sector and followed this with 30+ years of business ownership. The different dynamics of both worlds have given him the valuable gift of knowing how to operate – and communicate – in both.
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In 1987 Chris was active in the establishment of the Institute for Financial Planning, an organisation representing the first fee-based Financial Planners in the UK; Chris specialised in working with small businesses. In 1993 he decided to make the transition to business coaching and became one of the first UK students at Coach University, from where he graduated as a certified coach.
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Recognising the opportunity in the dental profession, 1997 saw the creation of The Dental Business School (DBS) and the development of a 12-month business coaching programme for dental practice owners and their teams, delivered to over 1000 UK dental practices in the following 10 years.
The first decade of the 21st Century saw Chris in a variety of roles including Non-Executive Directorships as well as continuing his training, consultancy and coaching work for dental corporates, PCTs, dental retailers and, of course, independent practices.
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Chris has co-authored Profitable Dental Practice (with Prof. Phil Newsome) and The E-Myth Dentist (with Michael Gerber) and is a prolific contributor to dental journals as well as author of his own e-books and blog since 2004. In 2014 Chris experienced a “brief but enjoyable” summer of celebrity after appearing as one of the first castaways on the TV survival show “The Island with Bear Grylls”, abandoned with 12 others on a Pacific desert island and left to fend for themselves for a month.
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His own day to day work as Coach Barrow with The Extreme Business programmes is still focused on strategic coaching with the owners of dental practices and micro-corporates.
SPEAKING TOPICS.
Creating your future vision
3 hours or full-day workshop
Many Principals find it difficult to create a plan for their dental business - the opposite of which is to just “turn up” and work until you drop. Chris will hand hold you through the basic steps to create a compelling 3-year vision for your business and translate that into a 12-month plan and 90-day goals - leaving time to consider your ultimate exit route from ownership and the options available.
Treatment co-ordination and ethical selling
90 minutes
The role of the treatment coordinator is one of the fastest growing jobs in dentistry. A good TCO can save you time, enhance the patient experience and improve sales conversion and average case size. Even if you do not use a TCO in your practice, understanding the psychology of the sales process is mission critical for you and your clinicians. Chris will explain just what makes people comfortable to buy products and services that are appropriate, affordable and desirable and how best to structure your treatment plan presentations.
Building a championship support team
90 minutes
Leadership is about holding the vision of your practice future, becoming a personal example of the standards of behaviour that you expect from your team and effective delegation. Chris will explore the characteristics of winning leaders and their teams. He will show you how to create a team who will enthusiastically run your practice for you, leaving you to focus on your own unique abilities.
Financial Modelling
3 hours
The numbers do not take care of themselves in the business of dentistry - and with an understanding of how those numbers work, you can maximise the profitability of your practice and take care to avoid dangerous “leaks”. Chris will explain (for the non-accountant) how to read your profit & loss statement, which key performance indicators to keep a careful eye on, how you compare with industry averages and how to make sure your associates are profitable.
The patient experience
90 minutes
From the very first visit to your website, through telephony, front desk, consultation, delivery and after-sales, the patient experience can create a brand ambassador - a patient who becomes an unpaid member of your sales force. Chris will deconstruct every step of the patient journey and advise you on the moments of truth that will create a patient for life.
The personal stuff
3 hours
Owning your own business can be the most exciting and the most challenging aspect of your life. Exciting because you are creating your own personal and professional vision and because you have the freedom to succeed or fail. Challenging because every boundary you have between your personal and professional life will be tested. In this session, Chris will look at the top 10 mistakes that business owners make – leading to stress, exhaustion and lack of balance. He will also then share with you the top 10 solutions used by his most successful clients to create a balance that allows them to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Dental practice marketing
3 hours or full-day workshop
Lead generation is the process by which you enjoy a steady stream of new patients - the lifeblood of any practice. The first step in this process is to create a brand that will attract the right type of patient. The second step is to have a constant marketing engine at work. Marketing in dentistry has become a huge and complex subject in the last 15 years. Chris will consider the essentials of practice branding and then take you on a step-by-step journey through a complete Marketing Action Plan that you can adapt and adopt straight away.
Operations
90 minutes
The business of dentistry becomes more complex every year and to remain effective and competitive you need systems. Chris will explain the key operational controls that will allow your managers to run a “tight ship” and the role of cloud-based software introducing 21st century technology to practice management.
Lessons from an island
90 minutes
On 1st February 2014 Chris was one of 13 castaways on a Pacific desert island, left to survive with barely more than the clothes they were wearing as the first series of “The Island with Bear Grylls” was made. What happened next made TV history but there was a behind the scenes story
of personal struggle and discovery for every one of those who took part. In this rugged and authentic session, including footage from the programme, Chris will share some of the lessons he learned whilst starving and surviving; lessons on leadership, teamwork and personal progress that we can all use in developing our businesses and our lives.