Product Sales and the Principle of Bundling
Virtually every practice that I work with offers their patients ancillary products that provide an enhancement of some kind to the basic value of treatment. Most are geared towards the needs of adult patients and, as such, tend to focus on a cosmetic benefit. Examples would include clear appliances as well as products for accelerating tooth movement […]
Being Smart about Discounting and Promotions
With increasing frequency I am seeing practices try a variety of creative efforts to get more visitors to commit to treatment; some of these efforts are well designed and effective, with others not so much. Such offers come in one of two forms: either a reduction in the fee, or a prize/reward for completing a desired action. Today’s post looks […]
Using Video in New-Patient Marketing
One of the key points I make to improve treatment presentations is that people remember much more of what they see than what they hear. When using visual tools to educate your patients about the value of treatment at your practice, one of the most effective is a well-designed video presentation. Some practices utilize generic, […]
Tips for Mailing Marketing Materials
We’ve all heard the phrase, “you have one opportunity to make a first impression”. In your business, the first impression that your practice makes on a future patient is the “welcome packet” – the documentation you ask the visitor to bring with them to their first appointment. Many practices send these documents to patients electronically […]
The Take-Home Persuasion Kit
You are in a business in which the Economic Buyer – the person releasing the funds for treatment – is often not in attendance for the initial consultation. This fact presents a significant challenge to case acceptance, as it means that whatever you send home with the attending spouse must do your ‘selling’ for you […]
Items for the Take-Home Persuasion Kit
In last week’s post, I made the point that the packet of information that leaves with your non-committing visitor for their non-attending spouse is the most important set of documents that leave your practice, because these materials must convince the absentee spouse that the value of what you provide is worth the investment. As previously […]
How Effective Marketing Works
This past week, several doctors contacted me with an interest in my services; all had been previously familiar with me from different marketing sources that I utilize, including this platform, but had not, until now, requested information. What prompted them to get in touch with me –the ‘trigger’ – was an additional, independent event – […]
Competing Against Non-Orthodontic Providers
As we all know, recent developments in technology have created opportunities for non-orthodontic practitioners, usually GPs, to compete with you for treatment cases. This week’s post offers some suggestions on how to succeed in this new environment. When dealing with a prospective patient being offered treatment options from a GP, it is important to remember […]
Why Branding Matters
There is a retail shopping center near my home that, due to its proximity, gets a lot of my business for a variety of my needs. There are fourteen retail shops; it is in an affluent, high-traffic area and business appears to be good for the tenants. In fact, during the three years that I […]
The Problem with Anthony’s Pizza
I pulled into the parking lot of a new practice client one recent morning and immediately noticed the storefront of one of their retail neighbors. It was an attractive, well-maintained building, and unbeknownst to me at the time, it turned out to be but one location of a small, successful chain with stores up and […]