A Direct Mail No-No ...

If you use envelope mailings in your marketing efforts, they should always include a personal-sounding letter or note ... even if the letter or note is a mass produced "Dear Friend" type missive.

Why?

Because after opening the envelope the recipient looks first for a letter. If there is one, the recipient will scan the first page from top to bottom looking for highlighted (important) copy. He will do that for each page of the letter. Then he'll check out who signed the letter and he'll read the postscript before moving back to the beginning of the letter (if you've sparked his interest). It is only then that he moves on to other enclosures.

Because a letter is usually perceived as one-on-one, me-to-you communication (even when mass produced), it gives you an opportunity to make a connection with the reader than your brochure or other enclosure doesn't. And that increases your chances of getting a response.

There have been numerous tests that show letters increase response. I'm not aware of one where it decreased response.

What if a prospect simply requests a practice brochure? Isn't it okay to send out just the brochure?

Not if you want to maximize your opportunity
to turn that prospect into a patient.

The brochure should, at a minimum, be accompanied by a thank-you-for-requesting-our-brochure letter. And if you really really want to maximize your opportunity, you would include that standard thank you letter (that spells out some of the important benefits of using your practice) AND a short, personal, handwritten note. That note might simply say ...

Hi, {Name} ... Thanks for requesting our brochure.
If it doesn't answer all of your questions, please
don't hesitate to call. I look forward to meeting you.

{Your Name}

It pays to include a letter.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Talk About A Can't-Miss Offer

Supposedly a true story ...

A few years ago a 75-year-old German millionaire was worried about what would happen to his very attractive 28-year-old wife AND his fortune after his death. After much thought, he and his wife decided to run the following classified ad in German newspapers ...

My wife is young, beautiful and full of lust for life. She loves me and I love her, but we think about the time after my death. We decided to search now for a man who will look after her and get my inheritance.

Gee (tongue-in-cheek), I wonder if any man would respond to an offer that promises a young, beautiful, lust-filled woman with bundles of money ... at no cost.

Needless to say the response was overwhelming. Just proves how important the offer is to the success of a marketing message. If you are able to make an offer that readers find desirable, they will respond ... even if it means a trip to the dentist.

What kind of offers could you make? Here are a few base offers I've used or am familiar with ...

FREE Initial Evaluation & Consult

$1 Initial Examination

Free X-rays

$7 for A Full Set of X-rays

Free Whitening

$47 for X-rays & Whitening

25% OFF for New Patients (there is often a limit on total dollar amount)

Free Before & After Computer Photos ... Before You Spend A Penny

Your Initial $7 Exam Fee Will Be Donated To *Name* Charity

Free Follow-Up Appointments (usually used when advertising specific procedures)

All Work Fully Guaranteed

Free Dental Supplies With Each Cleaning (including toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, proxy brushes, and more)

Those represent just a small sampling of the type of offers you can make. The only limits on the offers you test is whether they are ultimately profitable (you can only determine that by testing them) ... and whether they presents you in the light that you are willing to be presented.

A new, different, and beneficial-to-the-patient offer often can have a dramatic effect on the response you get to your ad and marketing message.

Knowing What Turns Patients Off Can Be As Important As Knowing What Turns Them On ...

In fact, it's probably more important. When you know what it is about your practice, staff, procedures, fees, etc. that occasionally turns patients off ... you can correct it. If you know their objections, it gives you a shot at overcoming them.

It pays to listen to patient complaints. In fact, it pays to solicit patient complaints. Not only because studies clearly show that handling complaints quickly and satisfactorily will keep patients happy and coming back, but also because it will help you quickly correct real and perceived problems. And those corrections will not only make your prospects and patients happy ... but they will also make you happy when you look at your bottom line.

How should you solicit patient complaints?

Surveys ... If you give patients the option to submit anonymously, they're more likely to be honest with their assessment of your practice and with the complaints.

In-office complaint box ... Have a complaint box readily available in the waiting room (close to the door), with complaint forms that offers the option of submitting anonymously.

Eyeball-to-eyeball ... When you're meeting with -- or working on -- your patients, remind them that you want and will appreciate hearing from them when there's something bothering them about you, your staff and your practice.

When you welcome complaints amd resolve them quickly, and your practice will benefit.

Do You Talk Out Loud To Yourself? You Should ...

Here's a different way to critique you ads and letters ...

Find yourself a recorder and record yourself reading one of your marketing ads or letters. Then play it back and listen carefully. For what should you be listening?

Sentences that are too long (no sentence should require more than one breath) ...
Stumbling blocks to smooth copy flow ...
Confusing words ...
Awkward combination of words or phrases ...
Words that are difficult to pronounce ...
Too much "we" and not enough "you" ...
Possible misconceptions, mis-perceptions and negative connotations.
Anything which could possibly confuse your prospects.

Then ask a friend to read and record the same ad or letter. Listen to his or her recording for a entirely different perspective. Tweak your copy until the message is crystal clear, is persuasive and reads smoothly.

Snob Appeal Can Backfire ...

Using snob appeal in your marketing is similar to the use of humor. It's risky unless you really know what you're doing. For instance, the wealth-seekers or newly rich might react positively to the word "envy" ... while the generationally rich would consider it gauche.

Effective status appeals are different for those who have "status" versus those who are seeking it. Bold and blatant may work best to the "have nots" ... understatement to the "haves." There there are the "in-betweens." It's a difficult appeal to pull off successfully if you can't pinpoint the precise type of prospect with whom you'll be communicating.

If you do choose to use status appeal, here's a general truth: Those who DON'T already have it, DO talk about it. Those who DO have it (and have had it for some time), DON'T talk about it. It's the old don't-do, do-don't rule.