Business Club

Ending a very busy week in Blueapple we had on thursday night the latest installment of our growing study club. This was an evening invitation to fellow colleagues to come and listen to our coach, Chris Barrow (www.coachbarrow.com) talking passionately about web marketing. time management and finances. The evening was a great success with several sharp intakes of breath from those listening and a few dawning realities that the world of dentistry from the business perspective is changing hugely. We realised this 3.5 yrs ago hence our coaching relationship with Chris and looking back I am so glad that we took that blind jump into a situation where most around us thought we were mad. I think last night that everyone attending could see the necessity of not only clinical advise which as dentists is widely available, but the absolute need as business owners to just pop the head up and stop clinically beavering away, pause and actually think ‘what am I doing this for?’……. I hope a door was opened to some…..

Yesterday we followed this with a 1/2 day team training slot on communication within what is a growing business. We identified the correct language to use, systems to follow when having straightforward and difficult discussions and the need for individual responsibility for these conversations. It was a great morning.

Following this we had a management 1/2 day working on the business, how to cope with the growth, new and exciting services (which I cant wait to launch) and a review of our plan moving forward. As always Chris made everything seem clear, concise and possible…. thanks. A mad dash up the road to Belfast city airport and I am now in Manchester about to start a business development day with 6 other dentists / business people… what is in store I don’t really know but having had some conversation last night over a nice meal and bottle of wine I am excited by what could happen in the meeting room today…. lets see.

ADI congress

The end of a short but frantic week in ‘blueapple’ where we have seen our staff numbers increase and when the new surgery goes in in 2 weeks we will be bursting at the seams. Its great to see the practice growing and continuing to offer high quality care to a growing number of clients.

Myself and Sonya are heading to Birmingham tonight to catch the final day of the ADI implant congress

www.adi.org.uk

Our friend Ron Presswood from America is speaking and we look forward to a good night out on the Friday at the American Pie party.

All ceramic crowns

Below is a recent article published in the dental press with my technician Mr Larry Browne

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Referral relationships

 

As you may know ‘blueapple’ is a referral practice ie: it accepts clients from other dentists throughout Ireland on a daily basis. The relationship between us (the referral base) and the referring dentist is something that we work hard on nurturing through high levels of communication and careful thought on how we can offer a high level of patient care for those clients of other dentists that we are entrusted to see.

We have recently along with Straumann ran 2 articles in the Irish Dental press about how such a relationship can be set up for the benefit of all parties involved…. and that includes the client.

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Teamwork

I am having a quiet sit down (a rarity for me) looking out at the sun trying desperately hard to stay out at the end of another busy and exciting week in ‘blueapple.’ Today I have had the pleasure of some time to myself for personal space, time with the kids without mum and a small bit of admin to keep up to date. It has been lovely, yes the phone was busy with the queries you expect and the annoyance of a new supplier letting us down for the last time BUT, I have enjoyed it.

The highlight in terms of work is wondering about the excitement a client of ours is going through in the run up to her wedding tomorrow. Considering we took the risk of fitting 4 new upper crowns for her on tuesday of this week with no time to change them if they were not right, we in ‘blueapple’ have breathed a sigh of relief and are glowing a little in our small contribution to making her day the success I am sure that it will be. The hidden story is that of the efforts that went on to get this blushing bride to the aisle with a beaming smile……

On monday I received a call from my porcelain technician Cathy (I always get a female to make crowns for our female clients) to say that she was not overly happy with the result… PANIC and that given the wedding was so close she had woken in the middle of the night at the weekend personally upset that she had not produced her best work. To correct this she had given up her time and worked into the early hours of the morning over the weekend to remake the crowns so as to have them in the post to me by monday morning. So what I actually received was 2 sets of crowns (at the financial expense of the technician) to try in the clients mouth allowing me to choose the best combination.

I am delighted to say that everyone was delighted with the result and I and the client were overcome by the dedication that Cathy had shown and the pride she had taken in her job. Too often it goes the other way.

So thats true treamwork at work, individual sacrifice and pride being shown in getting the job done and done to the highest standards we can.

THANKS CATHY.