With Thanksgiving across the pond in America just last week, I’m going to share a personal message about gratitude with you.

I’m normally quite private when it comes to family etc and try to keep work / family separate from the public eye at times.

As you know, I’m fairly organised (arguably a little OCD).

But this week brought a few unexpected turns that were not part of the plan.

Our daughter Sophia ended up in hospital for 3 days with a severe viral infection.

Things started off as a cold/flu on Monday evening.

But her breathing gradually worsened over the next few days – to the point where she was really struggling, and we eventually ended up in resus department in A+E.

Thankfully – she is well on the mend now.

Still a bit chesty / crackly and could be for a few weeks - but getting there.

We all receive the “50% off at [Insert 5 star nearest spa hotel]” at this time of year.

A 2-night stay in the Paeds department was not what we expected o...

This is important for you, so don’t rush reading this.

In the past, I wasn’t very ‘into’ this sort of stuff, but I now do believe it to be a very worthwhile exercise – under the umbrella of mindfulness.

People view success in many different ways.

It means different things to different people. 

Which is fair enough.

For me personally, it’s not just about money. 

My goals are much more varied but tend to focus around trying to achieve both financial and time freedom.

Family security, feeling part of something, how content I am at different times, helping others to achieve their goals, pushing myself to achieve more (such as postgraduate study) and of course, finances does have a role to play in this.

So, today is time for you to think of how far you have come on your journey of success – so far.

Often, we have a tendency to be negative and focus on missed targets and results.

Maybe it’s a dentist thing?

We tend to be quite harsh on ourselves.

Leonard – “What are some of your KPIs?”

Dentist – “What is a KPI?!”

These are two questions I come across regularly with dentists – through no real fault of their own. 

Many aspects of the business side of being a dentist – either as an Associate or Principal – are rarely mentioned in dental schools.

However, the problem exists, that as soon as you qualify, you are expected and need to be able to operate as a financially viable, self-employed dentist.

So, I have decided to note some of the main areas surrounding KPIs.

What is a KPI?

A Key Performance Indicator is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.

As an Associate dentist, think of yourself as being that company. 

The same obviously applies to practice Principals.

In most cases, you are self-employed and self-indemnified.

A helpful way to think of how you operate is to consider how you work your business, within another business (the pra...

The subject of persuasion has been around for a long, long time.

As far back as 333 BC, Aristotle wrote about Ethos, Pathos and Logos as his 3 modes of persuasion – the 3 main factors that influence and compel people to buy something.

Usually, we read of this in business or the marketing area.

But increasingly, we are seeing more and more of this being integrating into the “sales and business of dentistry”.

Very often, you hear about “ethical sales” in dentistry, or “ethical persuasion”.

I get it.

And I do agree that all we do must be ethical in our dentistry.

As dentists, you and I know, there isn’t really any need to include the word “ethical”.

Surely that’s a given, yeah?

For example, do you sometimes feel that offering private options is perceived as manipulative?

Or can be seen that way in the eyes of your patients?

Or colleagues?

Is this a ‘mental block’ of yours to overcome?

With this in mind, I want to share my thoughts on eth...

I was reading an article this week all about two things.

Success.

And failure.

No doubt, we all make mistakes.

That’s just life.

Yet not all have success (or at least not to the same levels).

Is it through our mistakes that we gain the insight and experience to succeed?

For me failure is not necessarily in the making of a mistake.

Rather, I see failure as making the same mistake over and overagain.

So, it got me thinking about this…

What are the mistakes that successful people never make twice?

At times, people (us dentists included!) can have a hard time admitting when they make a mistake.

But I’ve found that the most successful dentists recognize when a mistake has occurred, learn from it, grow… and then move on.

It doesn’t hold them back.

But they don’t ignore it either.

Here’s my thoughts on 10 of the biggest mistakes successful people may make once, but not twice.

1. Not asking the tough questions

This can be ...

I sat there in disbelief.

Although I’m not sure why because I’ve seen this scenario many times before in the past year.

Sickened is a good word for how I felt.

Embarrassed and humiliated… again…

My beloved Manchester United, were up 2-0 down at half time against Newcastle United.

In the midst of a total meltdown.

They would end up winning 3-2.

There is much to learn, even if you don’t give a hoot about football.

• First, is the old saying,“It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.” Manchester Utd looked down and out at half time… but turned it around in the end.

• You can start strong, but you need to finish strong to win. The beginning of a career in dentistry is usually the most exciting part, right? But what makes the difference between success and failure, is what you do when you “get into the weeds.”

• How you handle adversity is what makes the difference.Adversity is something we are all going to face at one time or another, in one form or anoth
...

I’m sure you’ll agree, in this day and age, so many people want things fast.

Instant gratification is being discussed more than ever.

From weight loss to internet speed.

It seems to be carrying across into our profession as well – whether that be seeing more patients, or carrying out more treatments – in less and less time.

Earning more money, being more successful – ASAP.

Yet more and more dentists are simply working harder, not smarter.

In truth, I don’t believe there’s a single specific “secret” or “hack” that will guarantee overnight success. 

But…

There are certain processes and measures that can be taken to drive your success, as quickly as possible.

Here’s my thoughts…

1. Concrete Goal Setting

Personal and professional goals are different for everyone.

Similarly, success is defined differently at times too.

Specific clarity on the goals you want to achieve is key.

Then you know what to commit to and aim for.

For me, both short-term and long-ter...

Very often, when I’m speaking with dentists and their teams, they know the price of the treatments they provide.

But they don’t always fully grasp the value of the treatments they provide.

Or the difference this can make to their patients’ lives. 

When this happens, the ‘money chat’ with patients can only go one way.

As dentists, we are pretty comfortable discussing treatments – or at least the clinical parts anyway.

‘Nano particles’ and ‘bonding agents’ – it’s our first language.

But when it comes to the money part of the conversation – they freeze.

Voices lower to barely a whisper…

Or sometimes voices take on an apologetic tone…

Occasionally they start with, “I know this is going to sound expensive, but…”

Can you picture being in one of those shops where there are no prices on anything?

Would you hesitate before asking the price?

I know I would.

Why is that?

Because we remember hearing somewhere – “if you have to ask the price you ...

5 Secrets About Selling in Dentistry

I am currently putting the finishing touches to my programme on communication and ‘sales’ in dentistry – it’s basically a Masterclass on the Business of Dentistry.

While putting this training system together, I discovered the real truth about sales – across many sectors, to include dentistry.

Very often, dentists are pretty talented with their hands.

We know we have to provide all options to patients, but it’s actually communicating these that can be an issue.

As such, our consenting process could be called into question, leading to dreaded complaints, litigation etc etc.

Don’t leave yourself open to such risk.

To be fair – there wasn’t any lectures in dental school on how to discuss fees with patients.

But it is your responsibility to take action and do something about it now.

Don’t use uncomfortable closing tactics.

Don’t feel like you are forcing the issue with patients.

This has nothing to do with “brains” or talent. It just has to do...