opinion on a marketing idea
 

I have a product I want to sell to dentists.

To market I visit them and give the receptionist a 1 page brochure and leave. This has not worked well and I suspect the receptionist does not give this to the dentist (who makes all buying decisions) or it gets lost among the other papers on their desk.

A friend suggested I give them three things:

1) a potted plant with my company name on the side (about $3 each)
2) a chocolate
3) business card

I think the plant would stay somewhere on the desk and the dentist would see my web address and maybe visit. This is what I want.

My only problem is that it would cost about $3.50 for each dentist. I can get a simple flower plant for about $1 but it may have a shorter lifespan.

What do you think? Is this a good idea?

Thanks.

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Develop a relationship with a variety of businesses...

Quality Restaurants, hair salons, fashion retailers, coffee businesses, pharmacies, cosmetic retailers etc. etc...

Creatively Joint Venture and get into Cross Promotions...

Smart businesses will give you all kinds of Great discounts, certificates... Free Lattes... Samples etc...

Add your Brand name to the Giveaway and start building a relationship with each and every Dental office...

They might even be willing to Pay you if you come up with an Amazing idea... :)

If you can Give them Value in return... Access to Dental professionals... And High income spending...

Can you Expand this idea into a Full Time business referral network...

Including Bartering and Promotional services...

Sure you can with a little Creativity...

And of course there are Many other interesting Marketing ideas that can get you through the door if you have a Great product... Solution to a Problem...

By the way, what is the product you want to sell to dentists?

Among other things I used to sell sharpening services to Dentists, Veterinarians... The Medical Instrusmith...

I Coined the name and contracted the work out to a Sharpening professional...
http://www.entrepreneur.com/starting...icle21774.html

Unfortunately... Health issues changed the business and industry of medical instruments...

Phil

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Thanks for your suggestions.

I am only trying to sell my product (a self-editable website for dentists). I really am not a true salesperson, just trying to get visibility for my business.

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Dentists and Doctors are HARD to reach, as you've discovered....and as I discovered when I was selling a "Welcome Book" delivered to newcomers.

I'm assuming your "business" is creating websites.

I'm also assuming the main reason why a dentist would want to buy a "self-editable website" from you is to ....Get NEW Patients.

Well...what I did was send out a large postcard (8 1/2 by 5 1/2 with 1st class postage) that said;

"ARE YOU LOOKING FOR NEW PATIENTS?
CAN YOUR OFFICE HANDLE 5 TO 10 NEW PATIENTS A MONTH?
IF SO, CALL OUR 24 HR RECORDED MESSAGE FOR DETAILS!
555-1234 X 122"

They call the 2 minute recording which explains what I'm doing and WHY the caller (whch is usually the Office Manager) should leave their name & mailing address for my Free Report)

My "Report" showed a Sample of my Book and how their office would benefit by participating....along with a mention that "I" would be calling them to give them an Estimate" of cost...depending on which service they'd like.

You have to;
GRAB their attention
GET their interrest
BUILD their DESIRE to have YOUR program
and...CLOSE the Sale

I found that by "reeling them in sloowly" I was able to get my quota of dentists. With a "recorded message" i was able to capture the names of those interested....and I could "work" them.

There's a guy in Chicago who specializes in selling a $800 Marketing Program to dentists and has a Newsletter and has seminars on Marketing for Dentists.

I forgot his name but you sould be able to find him thru Google.

Don Alm

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Don

Thanks for posting your experiences

I believe you're talking about Jerry Jones

JerryJonesDirect

I'm on his mailing list (I'm not a dentist) and he is a world class marketer

I try to get on all the direct mail lists I can in order to get ideas AND a FREE education.

I have a small closet full of great letters,promotions,lumpy mail pieces etc.

To the Original Poster.........You may want to get on some of the lists of marketers who market to dentists and copy (model)them in order to get an inside look at what the dentists are really buying.

Also....
 

I forgot to mention something that has ALWAYS WORKED for me with ANY program I do;

Offer to give 1 or 2 dentists a FREE site...and use their sites as EXAMPLES to others. No one needs to know the sites were freebies.

Maybe you've already done this but...if you can send dentist prospects a website that another dentist is using...sure breaks down the barrier of trust on whether YOU can do a good job.

Don Alm

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Here's an Excellent video from David Frey on the method Mark's referring to that I posted about awhile back...

Could probably sell this idea... :)

And Duplicate exactly as David Frey suggests...

"Using Mail to Generate Marketing Ideas"
http://www.marketingbestpractices.co...Mail/mail.html

Phil

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Send a fed ex package that will get opened by the dentist 100% of the time.

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Thank you all very much for the suggestions. You have expanded the options that I thought were possible. I'll probably use a combination of these techniques.

While I was searching for postcards I came across a site that describes how to design a postcard in an 'editorial' format and print them on "110lb fluorescent yellow cardstock" with a laser printer.

http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/postcard.htm

I have a laminator and I might laminate them for extra effect before putting a stamp on.

Thanks.

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Just a thought.
Are you sure dentists want "self editable" websites?
I've seen it said that people don't want to learn to fish, just give them the dang fish.
Dentists want to be dentists, not webmasters, marketers...
I bet if you can convince them of the reason why they should have a site and offer to do it for them and provide a monthly maintenance you'd do better.
Larry

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Dentists WANT...."New Patients"!

2 Programs;

1) Send 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 Color Postcard with dentists photo and a Discount Coupon for a FREE Check-Up....to Newcomers to the area. (Get names from mailing list) (send me an email and I'll tell you the list I use for newcomers)
I've charged $2 per Postcard per Month with a $80 one-time set up fee.

2) Set up a website for dentist...that doesn't have to be monitored or changed (any changes the dentist wants, YOU do them) Again, send a postcard directing newcomers to go to the dentist's site. Site has a Link to a Page where they can log in for a Free CheckUp or Free Cleaning.

Don Alm

Also....
 

Set up a "Generic", dentist website for your town;

"SalemDentists.com"...."PortlandDentists.com"...et c (The big city domains like this are probably taken but, I've found the smaller towns aren't)

Provide LINKS to each participating dentist's website. Websites that YOU have set up and...provided each of them with a Link from your Main Site.

Again...you send postcards to NewComers alerting them to your "Generic" site and charge participating dentists a Flat Monthly Fee of $150.

And...why not expand this "Generic Town Site" to include many other business and professional websites...all with a Link to their site that you've set up for them.

Call it..."WelcomeToSalem.com"...."WelcomeToMarshall.co m"...

Charge a setup fee and monthly.

Don Alm

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Thanks for suggestion.

This is what I have seen looking at other companies that offer similar services - they do it all from creating the site, adding changes, writing other content, producing the newsletters and sending them out etc.

I have offered to make the changes for them but making changes themselves is just as easy.

The problem is creating content. I don't think they are interested in spending time writing about the pros/cons of tooth whitening, sealants, bridges etc.

I'm looking to see how I can offer a content creation service that adds original content for every customer.

Re: Also....
 

Hi Don,

This is the new visitor program where you create a package for recent movers. It may be profitable to setup a new venture for this opportunity.

Thanks.

Re: opinion on a marketing idea
 

Here's the business model you should Study and Re-Create for a variety of Niche professionals...

One industry at a time...
http://case-studies.sitesell.com/loc...ness-john.html

Maybe as a SiteSell consultant...
http://services.sitesell.com/

Or maybe a Professional WordPress Blogging service for the Dental industry... ;)

Always do your Homework and research well before starting Anything...

Go to the source and Ask Lots of questions and Test, Test and keep Testing until perfection...

Dental Forums, Social networks... Google out Dental Blogs etc. etc... And Chat...
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=55
http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/dentalforums.html
http://studentdentist.ning.com/
http://patientdocs.net/

Don and Mark mentioned...
http://www.jerryjonesdirect.com/

Some very interesting Investing to Think about...
http://seekingalpha.com/article/2042...e-looks-bright

Phil