"Richard, how can I use your principles of marketing for dental direct mail?"

That's what I'm discussing today.

I can't stress this enough about direct mail: it is mostly about the list you use, and the offer you make. The rest is minor.

List and offer, list and offer.

You want a list that is like your best patients. Whatever they read, or whatever they subscribe to, or where they hang out, that's where you want to be.

That means the worst list is the list of homeowners in your zip code.

A better list would be filter for affluent people in your zip code.

The best list is your patients, of course. Are you doing enough to get good quality patient referrals? Good patients tend to refer other good patients.

How to find a good dental patient list

Okay, now you say you don't have a list. So you need to build one. And you don't have an offer, either. What are you going to do, offer a free cleaning or free x-rays? That will appeal to the emergencies, the young people with no insurance and no money who will have you prep a tooth and disappear once the temporary is in their mouth, never to be seen again.

What you don't have is the two step process. A one step is "call me for an appointment." That's what your colleagues are doing and it works in a mediocre way if it works at all.

The two step is "here is a valuable CD or DVD or booklet about how to get your teeth fixed while you relax in the chair even if you HATE the dentist" or "here is how you can get a smile makeover even if you can't stand the thought of the drill" or whatever. (I tend to work a lot on selling to high fear patients which is all of us at some level. I love my dentist because HE DOESN'T HURT ME.)

You will get three times as many people respond with a two step as with a one step. You have a headline, a picture of the book or report or CD or DVD, and description of what is on it in the form of bullets. Bullets so compelling you can't resist calling for the free report:

• The five things you MUST ask your next dentist — but only 1% of patients ever think of this, and it can save you thousands in unneeded care
• What to look for in the new dental veneers — they can do wonders for your smile but beware, they are NOT all alike
• What about those ugly gray silver fillings, why get them replaced? Is your current dentist trying to "sell" you on something you don't need?

etc.

Front desk training to get dental patient appointments

Now, have the ad say "ask for Cindy" and Cindy is your best front desk person. Cindy spends time on the phone. She asks for the prospect's name and address and then casually gets them into a conversation. The longer that lasts, the better. All open ended questions.

"Has it been awhile since you've been to the dentist?"

"What changed that you are thinking of seeing someone new?"

"What are you most concerned about in switching to another dentist?"

These are questions that are designed to get the prospect to open up.

Now, you are building a mailing list. And you are also setting good appointments. Cindy will set up a lot of appointments this way:

1. They are now based upon price.
2. You know the patient's concerns
3. You are beginning a relationship

Best of all, there is often a long lead time between the time someone thinks of going to see you and the time they actually do.

Don't waste money on a one-step process. You are throwing money away. Do a two step and then you can set some appointments now and you can work these folks and set some appointments later.

Eventually you can cut back on your advertising and just focus on your house list and referrals.

It's the magic of the two-step process using direct mail (and it works on the web too.) For more information, see Dental Marketing: How to multiply your website's results

 

And if this is valuable to you, wait until you see our blogging for clients system that I discussed in a Dentistry Today January 2008 article I wrote starting on page 116, "How to build your dream practice using Internet marketing — by breaking every rule." You will want to get my $59.95 book on dental marketing and case acceptance, now in its 3rd edition and totally free if you give me your email and name. I won't share your information with a living soul, ever, and you can opt out anytime and never hear from me again.