Letters from a perfect imperfectionist: The year of the big sell-out

Prediction: 2015 will be the biggest year on record for the sale of independent practices to corporates. A few simple reasons: 1. Too many independent practice owners have had enough of 3-letter acronyms. FTP, ARF, GDC, UDA, DOH, HTM etc. 2. Equally, they have had enough of troublesome relationships with staff, associates, business partners, suppliers
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Why marketing is often like taking a new car back to the showroom

You: “I’d like to speak to the manager please” Receptionist: “Certainly sir, can I tell him what it’s about?” You: “Yes, I’m bringing my Aston Martin back and I’d like a full refund please.” A few minutes later……. Manager: “Sir, what exactly is the problem?” You: “I’ll tell you what the problem is. You told
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Letters from a perfect imperfectionist: The sea-change

“Full fathom five thy father lies, Of his bones are coral made, Those are pearls that were his eyes, Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange, Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell, Ding-dong. Hark! now I hear them, ding-dong, bell.” Thus sings Ariel to Ferdinand (a prince
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Letters from a perfect imperfectionist – Falling down

When someone has had a really bad experience, personal or business, our natural inclination is to help, usually by offering some worldly wisdom such as: If anyone can get it all back, you can (the advice my father gave to me when I lost a business in 1993) The darkest hour is just before the
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Ask yourself – What is your website for?

It used to be that your website was an online patient information leaflet. Then it became an online shop window. Recently, websites have become like movie trailers, introducing a potential audience to the “best bits” and inviting them to see the full feature-length event. In 2015, your website will be a collection of links to
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Ask yourself – Is my marketing evocative?

There have been mixed responses to Monty the Penguin (the John Lewis Christmas advert) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860] – 19,000,000 views and counting and the WW1 football match (the Sainsbury’s Christmas advert) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM] – 14,000,000 views and counting (Videos have been added for our non-British readers and anybody in Britain who has been living in a cave.) Whether
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Letters from a perfect imperfectionist – We are all typists

1970: I join Friends Provident & Century Group in Manchester as a 16-year old school leaver. They introduce me to the ladies in the typing pool (why was it called a pool?). On my desk I have a dictation machine the size of a video player. I dictate letters into a huge hand-held microphone and
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Letters from a perfect imperfectionist: We are at war…

We are at war. With what seems like every retail organisation in the world, who want us to buy something off them because CHRISTMAS IS COMING. Everyone I speak with – clients, their team members, taxi drivers, fellow passengers on the rail – seems as sick of it as I am. Since when did Christmas
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