Well, the rumors are indeed true.  Here’s the first press release:

Please vote November 4th!

All my best,

Chris

I wanted to share with you the preliminary results from my “Freedom Promotion” that we tied in with the 4th of July.

Here’s what we did.  Using Send Out Cards — which is THE coolest marketing tool I’ve ever used — we sent our “Top 500″ patients a 4th of July greeting card.  Send Out Cards allows you to send postcards, greeting cards, and even tri-fold cards, plus various other things with the cards.  I chose the greeting card here because I wanted to use two inside panels for my text.

On the left, I recognized that our patients have the “freedom to choose” their dentist…and I thanked them for choosing us to care for their dental needs.  This ties in beautifully with July 4th, our US Independence Day.

On the right, I made them an offer to call us by July 17 to schedule any treatment they need…and we’ll give them a savings of about 10%, depending on the amount of dentistry.  All the %’s are spelled out on the card.

Before I reveal early results, let me explain one of the biggest marketing principles at work in this promotion.  It’s called “Reason Why”. 

When there is a specific, defined REASON WHY you are contacting your clients or patients or customers, your response will likely be significantly higher than if you simply send a promotion for seemingly no reason other than to promote your services.  The reason connects an event or date with the promotion, and thus makes the promotion somewhat of a celebration instead of a sales pitch.

Any time you notice a chance to provide a reason why, you should take advantage of it without hesitation.  Holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, news events, milestones, you name it.  If your patients can identify with it, it’s a reason why.

Always be on the lookout for opportunities to use “reason why” marketing.  If implemented properly, it’ll virtually always boost reponse, and sometimes double or triple the results of your marketing efforts.

OK, now about my “Freedom Promotion”.  We spent only $1.04 per card sent, to 506 households…or $526.24.  By the way, the entire promotion took only 35 minutes to create and send the cards to my list from start to finish!  It’s still 2 days before the deadline to call, and we’ve already scheduled over $7200 worth of dentistry for patients who responded…so far!

That’s a 1368% return…so far!

So, when’s the next event or holiday that you can use as a reason why in your marketing to your own mpatients?  Be creative, and DO IT!

All my best,
Chris

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance

PS:  If you haven’t checked out Send Out Cards, you really need to.  Go to
www.thereferralmovie.com/fordentists for more info.

PPS:  Here’s a copy of the front of the card:

40 Ideas In 40 Days - #32-40 (Note that this time I skipped
Saturday and Sunday, thus making today the day for Idea #40.
I decided to give you, and me, a couple days off.)

Well, here we are…I made the commitment to share 40 practice
building ideas with you in 40 days.  Today I’ll wrap it all up
with #32 through #40.  Don’t for a moment think I’m “finished”,
however.  You should know me by now, and by staying connected
you’ll continue to benefit.  I’ll just be shifting back to my
normal flow rate for this free E-Alert vehicle.

For those of you who want more info at a higher level, jump
over to my “test drive” web page and take a 2-month trial of
Preferred Membership in Dental Insiders Alliance.  It’s free
for 2 months, during which you can decide if you want to remain
a member.  Cancellations are VERY low…that should tell you
something!  All the details are at:
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive

OK…on with the IDEAS.  This collection is all about CONTACT.
Last time I mentioned that staying in touch is THE best way to
maintain strong relationships with your prospects and patients.
Here I’m going to elaborate on several different mechanisms by
which you can do just that.

Idea #32 (May 20): Get the contact info!  This process should
begin on your website and in your practice, but is often missed.
Every time someone calls you office, visits your website, or calls
a toll-free hotline, you should be collecting their contact
information, so you can stay in touch with them over time.

After reading this message, go check your website for a “sign-up box”.
I’ll bet it’s not there.  This is a simple box that asks people
for their name and email address.  You’ve got to offer them something
of value in return for them sharing their info.  See Idea #33 below.

Similarly, when people call your office, you MUST capture their
phone numbers, address, and email address.  Offering to send them
a special gift or information will again cause most to convert.

Even if you’re using a toll-free recorded message, ask the callers
to leave their name and contact info so you can send them something.
Using these mechanisms you can build a list of interested prospects.

Idea #33 (May 21):  Make a COMPELLING OFFER.
I’ve found that offering a 7-day mini “e-course” on your dental
topic of choice converts a good percentage of visitors to sign up.
Your topic could be whatever interests them.  Examples are: “7 Secrets
of a Superstar Smile”; “7 Key Facts about Sedation Dentistry”;
“7 Questions to Ask Any Dentist Before Scheduling”.  And so on.

Then you deliver the e-course over the next 7 days via email, sharing
one “bite” of information per day.  This preconditions your prospects
to hear from you frequently.  Then you’ll shift to once or twice
weekly.

If offering something via direct mail, you’ll get their address.
The mailing address is the most coveted of all, because it gives
you the most options.  As a genral rule though, it’s best to ask
for email only at first on your website.  Then later go for the
mailing address.  On the phone, however, it’s easier to get all
the contact info, since there’s some verbal communication.

Idea #34 (May 22): Use autoresponders to deliver email. 
The absolute best way to send email messages to large groups is
through autoresponder services.  There are many to choose from,
and I prefer Aweber.com because they have the best deliverability
success rate.  You don’t want to be sending emails from your own
Outlook account, or AOL, etc.  Use the services designed for mass
delivery, even when starting small.  They’re dirt cheap, and
worth many times their cost.

You can program autoresponders to deliver messages at predetermined
dates and times, or at predetermined intervals after the opt-in
date.  So you have maximum flexibility, and you can have these
messages being sent while you’re playing golf or lyiing on the beach.
Cool, huh?

Idea #35 (May 23): MIX IT UP!
When contacting your prospects, and especially your patients, it’s
imperative that you alter your means of communication frequently.
That way your message has less of a chance of getting stale.  You
want to avoid becoming boring at all costs…that’s when people
will “unsubscribe”.

The benefit of getting all the contact info is that you can mix
the delivery method.  Email today, direct mail next time, and so on.
You should even switch from postcard to letter to newsletter, etc.
You’ll find that different types of messages will resonate with
different people.  What follows are some different communication
vehicles.

Idea #36 (May 26): The E-letter.
You’re reading one right now!  This is a somewhat regularly scheduled
message sent via email to your list.  I recommend a minimum of
once every 2 weeks after the initial 5-7 day communication…but
once weekly is better.

You’ll notice that sometimes I write you more than once per week.
Again, as long as I don’t bore you and provide strong, relevant
content, you won’t mind, and our relationship will grow stronger.

As you can see from my writing style, I prefer a more comfortable
“knee to knee” approach.  No desire to be stuffy or overly
“professional”.  This is especially important with email, which
is a more casual medium than many others.

Idea #37 (May 27): The newsletter, or newsletters!
As I’ve said before, a MONTHLY newsletter should be the CORE of
your regular communications with your patients and prospects.  One
unique twist on this concept is to have 2 versions of the
newsletter that you alternate, so you’re keeping it fressh.

I’m currently revamping my own patient newsletter, and I’m also
working on at least one other variation.  That way my patients
will be continually presented with my message from different angles.
Again, the diversity will result in a broader range of resonance
with more people…thus more rsulting business drawn from it.
Not to mention more REFERRALS!

If you’re trying to wrap your head around this, think FORMAT.  How
about one month sending a 4-pager, then an 8.5×11 jumbo postcard
the next month…and maybe even a 12-16 page “magazine” once a
quarter.  Use your imagination, and keep it fun.

Idea #38 (May 28): The “Audio Postcard”.
This is a hybrid of the email and the voice blast, when you contact
your entire list via the phone simultaneously.  With this unique
mechanism, you send an email to everyone that links to an audio
message that you’ve previously recorded.

The advantage of audio is that you can be much more expressive
with your communication than you can in print.  Anyone in your office
can do it.  Heck, if you have kids, even they can do it if they
can read a simple message!  Remember, this is not only about
staying in touch…it’s about having a little FUN too.

Would you like to hear a sample?  OK…here’s one I recorded just
for you: (turn up your speakers and click the link)
http://audiopostcard-007.com/X.asp?5892178X1166

Idea #39 (May 29): Throw a PARTY!
Event marketing is nothing new, but it is a growing trend in the
professional practices industry.  By getting people together in a
social setting, you can strengthen relationships and grow your
business beyond anything you’ve imagined.

The variations are endless, but here are just a few ideas.  Have
you heard of “Botox parties”?  Well, throw a “Smile Makeover party”.
Invite interested prospects to mingle over wine and cheese with
patients who have already completed cosmetic procedures.  They’ll
sell cases FOR you! 

How about a “Patient Appreciation Event”…I’ve been doing this for
three years running.  This can be in the form of a family style
barbeque, or a high-end jazzy affair at a private club.  This fall
I’ll hold my 4th high-end affair, and in the Spring ‘09 I’m doing
the barbeque…yes, I’m doing BOTH!

You can use THEMES to spice up your events.  My fall event will be
my first “black and white” theme, where we’ll ask everyone to wear
either black or white or both.  Imagine the photos from that!  The
Spring ‘09 event will be my “3rd Annual 39th Birthday Party”.  Why
not…have some fun.

One last tip: encourage your patients to bring GUESTS.  I’m even
considering to REQUIRE one guest for entry into the party!  This
is a great way to expose more people to you, your team, and your
practice in a relaxed setting.  Can you say MORE referrals?!

Idea #40 (May 30): Use automated CARD sending!
I predict this last idea to be one my most powerful ever.  Here you
can harness the power of automation, and blend it with the personal
touch of sending postcards and greeting cards to individual people
or groups of people.  All with a few clicks of a mouse.

I’ve been using a tremendously COOL platform for doing this over
the past year, and the results have been SUPERB.  It’s called
Send Out Cards, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  This
web based program enables you to send PHYSICAL cards to people from
the internet, without ever touching the cards.  You can even use
your own HANDWRITING as the font for the cards.

Not only can you send individual cards…you can also set up
CAMPAIGNS of multiple cards to the same people over time.  I’ve
actually set up a BIRTHDAY campaign for all my patients, and they
now receive a birthday card sent to them 7 days prior, automatically!

I’m currently in the process of creating CUSTOM cards that have a
purely dental theme, including cards that encourage referrals from
my patients.  They’ll be organized into campaigns for automated
delivery.  I predict my referral volume to at least DOUBLE once
I get this off the ground, all with minimal ongoing effort.

There’s much more to Send Out Cards than I can explain here.
In fact, if you;re interested, why don’t you check out this cool
video that illustrates just how powerful this program is.
Here’s the link:
www.TheReferralMovie.com/fordentists

One BONUS: anyone who decides to start using Send Out Cards and
joins through my link (below) will receive ALL custom cards that
I develop, including those with a dental theme.  These will be easy
to customize for your office, and they’ll save you tons of time:
www.SendOutCards.com/fordentists

*******************************************************************

WOW, we did it!  40 Ideas In 40 Days.  But as I said, I’m far
from done.  Want another bonus idea?  OK…

Idea #41:  “Just DO IT!” (Ode to Nike)  Or as Michael Masterson’s
great book proclaims: “Ready, FIRE, Aim!”  Don’t wait to get things
“perfect”.  They’ll never be that way.  We all have to fight that,
especially after what “they” put us through in dental school.  Go
back and look through these innovative ideas and get some things
done.  Enlist your team to help…you’ll need it.  Incentivize them
well for their help, and you’ll all win, laughing your way to the
bank.  What’s more, your patients will appreciate your extra care
and attention, and they’ll be healthier too.  Everyone wins!  Isn’t
that what it’s all about?  (Actually, that was 3-4 more ideas!)

All my best,
Chris

Dr. Chris Bowman
Dental Insiders Alliance
www.DentalInsiders.com/testdrive

PS:  Don’t forget about all the links above.  Check them ALL out!

I’ll keep this one quick.  Check out my new “companion” blog:

www.DentalInsiders.blogspot.com

The new blog will NOT replace this blog, but it will be yet another place for dentists to learn about how to build the ultimate DREAM PRACTICE through solid dental marketing, business systems, communications, and patient referrals and retention.  I just set this up today, but you’ll want to bookmark it and subscribe to the feed, so you won’t miss a thing.

All my best,

Chris

Dr. Chris Bowman, Dental Insiders Alliance

www.DentalInsiders.com