orse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on h

This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit to the oral surgeon, 10 days after he removed 2 lower wisdom teeth.

"Go down the hallway, enter the second door on the right and take a seat in the dentist's chair," said the receptionist after calling my name out to the 5 people in the waiting room.

"How is it all going?" asked my oral surgeon slapping on a pair of examination gloves.

"Great" I replied truthfully. "I've been totally pain free since the operation."

"You won't be when you get my bill!" he said in half jest.

"I've already paid it and by my calculations, I reckon you're grossing more than one and a half million dollars a year in revenue?" I quickly asked combining my MBA training with years spent questioning people as a broadcaster.

"You might be right, but I wouldn't know, I just concentrate on the patients," was the last thing he said before I opened my mouth and he examined the 2 sockets where my wisdom teeth once resided.

"They're looking good, rinse with salt water regularly and call me if there's a problem," were his last words as I was ushered out.

That was it, all over in a matter of minutes. What is the point of sharing this with you? Well, I learnt a lot about marketing from the service I received from my oral surgeon.

Here are my insights and how you can apply these strategies to your own business, career or life.

1. PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS

Two months earlier I hadn't been able to sleep because of an intense, searing pain coming somewhere from the back of my lower jaw. Despite taking painkillers, it got worse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on hi

p>"Great" I replied truthfully. "I've been totally pain free since the operation."

"You won't be when you get my bill!" he said in half jest.

"I've already paid it and by my calculations, I reckon you're grossing more than one and a half million dollars a year in revenue?" I quickly asked combining my MBA training with years spent questioning people as a broadcaster.

"You might be right, but I wouldn't know, I just concentrate on the patients," was the last thing he said before I opened my mouth and he examined the 2 sockets where my wisdom teeth once resided.

"They're looking good, rinse with salt water regularly and call me if there's a problem," were his last words as I was ushered out.

That was it, all over in a matter of minutes. What is the point of sharing this with you? Well, I learnt a lot about marketing from the service I received from my oral surgeon.

Here are my insights and how you can apply these strategies to your own business, career or life.

1. PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS

Two months earlier I hadn't been able to sleep because of an intense, searing pain coming somewhere from the back of my lower jaw. Despite taking painkillers, it got worse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on h

ut I wouldn't know, I just concentrate on the patients," was the last thing he said before I opened my mouth and he examined the 2 sockets where my wisdom teeth once resided.

"They're looking good, rinse with salt water regularly and call me if there's a problem," were his last words as I was ushered out.

That was it, all over in a matter of minutes. What is the point of sharing this with you? Well, I learnt a lot about marketing from the service I received from my oral surgeon.

Here are my insights and how you can apply these strategies to your own business, career or life.

1. PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS

Two months earlier I hadn't been able to sleep because of an intense, searing pain coming somewhere from the back of my lower jaw. Despite taking painkillers, it got worse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on h

ll, I learnt a lot about marketing from the service I received from my oral surgeon.

Here are my insights and how you can apply these strategies to your own business, career or life.

1. PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS

Two months earlier I hadn't been able to sleep because of an intense, searing pain coming somewhere from the back of my lower jaw. Despite taking painkillers, it got worse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on h

orse until the whole side of my face started to swell up like a football. In desperation at 3.30 am, I rang the only dentist I could find listed in the Yellow Pages with an after hours number. I woke him up. Then briefed him and he told me how much it would cost to get him and his dental nurse out of bed and into his surgery. I decided to endure the pain in my head instead of in my wallet.

I was on his surgery door as soon as it opened and the diagnosis of a compacted wisdom tooth that had become infected was confirmed. I was able to get to see my family dentist later in the day and he prescribed antibiotics and recommended I see an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He would solve my problems. In fact, he was so busy solving problems he was completely booked out for the next 2 months.

What problems do you solve for people?

2. BUILD YOUR BUSINESS OR CAREER ON REFERRALS

My family dentist had a stack of business cards from the oral surgeon. He handed me one and said "this guy is the best in town, try and see him within the next 2 months."

The oral surgeon's business is built completely on referral business.

How can you get referrals for your business or dream job?

I've learnt, if you don't ask for or have a system for referrals, no matter how busy you are now, future work has the potential to dry up.

3. LOOK AT A BUSINESS MODEL WITH A CONSISTENT DEMAND

One of the great things about the hairdressing industry is that people's hair never stops growing and so they always need it cut. It's the same for lawn mowing services and extracting wisdom teeth. There's a constant demand.

I've learnt this in my own business and understood that for certain clients, like those who have a regular turnover of leadership positions due to set election periods, there is always going to be a constant change of people, and in many cases a regular demand to provide media training for new people as they rise up the ranks and take over leadership positions.

Look for opportunities where