Stay Out Of The Gutter ...

If at all possible, avoid the gutter of newspapers and magazines when running display ads.

Numerous studies have shown that ads located in the gutter of a publication get noticed and responded to less (by up to 50% according to one test) than other ad placement locations. Therefore, if you're running fractional ads, especially one column ads, try to get a commitment from the publication that your ad will not adjoin the gutter.

Where is the gutter? It's the innermost column of each page, next to the fold/spine. On even numbered pages it would be the column furthermost to the right. On odd numbered pages it would be the column furthermost to the left.

Your newspaper or magazine rep may not be able to promise a location away from the gutter, but it never hurts to ask.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Think Inside Out, Not Outside In

Dentists often view marketing from an outside-in perspective ... you place an ad, send a letter, run a radio spot, mail off a press release, or a patient refers a friend ... and from that outside activity you draw in new patients.

While the outside-in approach is important and helps a practice grow, it's not where your dental marketing should start. Instead, think inside-out.

Dental marketing should start with you and your staff and how you interact with prospects and patients.

It's a nice fantasy to believe that people choose you as their dentist because of your skill and education. We've always been told that if we do something better than someone else we will be rewarded for it. But that really only applies if people are able to readily recognize and understand what *better* is.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of people can't begin to recognize a great dentist from a not-so-good one. To most people a crown is a crown ... regardless of which dentist and lab are responsible for it.

Thus, in people's minds, most dentists are pretty much lumped together ... all capable of providing the dental services needed or wanted without any real difference in quality. So, they choose their dentist primarily on how they like him or her and the staff.

If your practice is not patient-focused, patient-oriented, relationship-centered, that's where you need to start the marketing process.

For more, see: Dental Marketing -- Think Inside Out, Not Outside In

Does Your Ad Stand Out?

To find out ...

Take the ad you have created -- or the ad you intend to use -- and overlay it on the various pages of the newspaper/magazine where you intend to run it. Then ask yourself ...

"Does this stand out?"

"Does it attract the eye?"

If it looks like all the other ads (size, layout, type style, format etc.), make some changes. Be bold. Be different. Be successful.

How can you make it stand out?

Here are a few tips ...

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Prompt More Patient Referrals ...

The quickest, easiest, most efficient way to get more referrals is to ask for them.

"But, that makes me look like I'm begging for business" you may be thinking to yourself. " And that's not the image I want to portray." It won't if you approach it correctly. In fact, instead of perceiving your request as begging ... your patients will likely see it as a compliment.

How do you accomplish that?**

• First, instead of asking all of your patients to refer someone, you approach only your best patients.
  
  
• Second, you sincerely thank them for their business and express how much you appreciate, and enjoy working with, them.
  
  
• Third, inform them that you would like to add more patients to your practice who are just like them.
  
  
• Fourth, explain that patients tend to refer other patients who are, in fact, quite similar to themselves. (That's generally true.)
  
  
• Finally, ask them.

The way you word your request is important in both patient perception and success.

** If you're looking to add more quality patient referrals to your practice contact me to request more information regarding my Patient Referral Program.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Does Your Direct Mail Pass The Millie Test?

I enjoy observing people in everyday situations. And one of my favorite observation posts is the post office. In the P.O. you get to see how people react specifically to direct mail.

You get to see them smile warmly when there’s a personal letter from their romantic interest ... frown when there’s correspondence from the IRS ... get angry when there’s a 30-minute wait-in-line to see a postal clerk ... and exhibit a myriad of expressions as they go through their stack of mail.

Some people whistle while opening every single envelope ... while others grunt and groan while tossing out seemingly everything except the letter from Mom.

It’s an experience.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Here's one of my all-time favorite “observations” ...

I was on my way out of the post office lobby when I passed this elderly couple. The woman was holding a big stack of mail and I could hear that they were in a semi-heated “debate.” Assuming it had to do with their mail, I decided to get snoopy (not the dog ... “nosy”).

Here’s what I heard the older lady say to her husband: Charles, didn’t I tell you to tell Millie only to forward the important mail to us ... not this junk.

I smiled and walked away. The reason I walked away was because it sounded like Charles was about to discover his elderly derriere in some darn deep doo-doo, and I didn’t want to stay around to watch the CHASTISEMENT OF CHARLES.

As I was driving home, I started thinking (I do that occasionally): “This could be a real test of direct mail excellence.”

If someone leaves for a vacation and instructs a friend to forward only the important mail ... will that friend forward your direct mail? Does your envelope look or sound important enough to cause “Millie” to forward it?

If it looked like a personal letter and was mailed first class, Millie would almost have to forward it. If you used envelope teaser copy that sounded valuable/important (particularly if there was a time limit noted) ... I think Millie would probably forward it — just to be safe.

My point is simple: Every time you create a new direct mail piece, you should ask yourself ...

Will “Millie" forward this?