The quote we all know is this: "Lies, damned lies, and statistics"  The phrase was popularised by author Mark Twain, who attributed it to the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Interestingly,...

Last week I told you about our garden clearing and fence work that we were undertaking at our farm. We’ve owned the farm as a second residence for six years, but after selling our big Sydney home late last year we recently moved there to live there full time [which...

This week we’ve had some work done on our property. Or better still, we’ve had some work STARTED on our property. As you know, last December Jayne and I sold our Sydney home and relocated ourselves permanently to our rural property. For the last six years it has been...

I often have dentists tell me they do not want to be selling to their patients. They think it is unethical to sell. But I say they are already selling. All they are not doing is selling well. Barbara Corcoran summed it up beautifully: “Good salesmanship is nothing...

How do you run your business? Are you worried about what other people say and think? Do you worry that your customers talk about you [behind your back]? Or that your competitors have “labelled” you? Maybe your community has an opinion about you and your business, and...

I’m often asked: “Where should I focus my marketing?” And this is a great question. The trouble is, I’m often not asked this question. Often, I see dental practices spending a truckload of money on external marketing, in an effort to attract new patients to come to...

This quote came across my desk this morning. It’s from Brad Sugars: "You should think of yourself as a business owner first, your profession or trade second ... i.e. You are not a doctor, you are the owner of a medical business ..." These are very powerful words. I...

My wife purchased a lounge from a fairly upmarket furniture supplier. As would be the case, a deposit was paid and an ETA [estimated time of arrival] and delivery day was scheduled for when the lounge would be delivered. Hiccup Number 1. The date of arrival of the...

In business there are three ways of growing your business: 1. Acquire more customers 2. Have your customers visit more often 3. Have your customers spend more with you each visit. With points two and three we are working on the processes of “selling” to existing...

One of the things that I always encourage dental practice owners is to get the opinion of someone else, just for the sake of having a second opinion. It may seem arduous and it may sometimes seem unnecessary. But it is the advice of a sage that can be invaluable. So...