tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245535672011-11-27T17:33:29.960-08:00Smart Marketing For Your Dental PracticeJerry A. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10692962602641069996noreply@blogger.comBlogger451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-72028724738553997692009-08-24T21:23:00.001-07:002009-08-24T21:23:06.412-07:00

I wanted to let you know I've moved the majority of my postings to my wordpress blog located at http://www.JerryJonesDirect.com but I will occasionally post here, too.

Jerry A. Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10692962602641069996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1170100498463677922007-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:002007-01-29T11:54:58.480-08:00

As a small business, sometimes there comes a struggle between working in your business and working on your business.One of these so-called struggles is research and development. How do you know what your patients want? How do you know how much they’ll pay? And of course, how do you market it?It’s actually a simple problem to have. There are many companies that deal with Oral Health products in

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1169598257884262852007-01-23T16:17:00.000-08:002007-01-23T16:24:18.026-08:00

In pursuing our yearly goals as well as our marketing goals, sometimes we try to effect things that we have no control over.Each person has a “Circle Of Influence” that measures who and what s/he can control. The further from the center you get, the less control you have.The Circle Of Influence Let’s take your practice for instance. I have put together a figure to the right that shows your “

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1168549856587978042007-01-11T13:09:00.000-08:002007-01-11T13:10:56.603-08:00

Incredible news!!!We distributed Dr. Busby's press release to 152 contacts in the Madison area.This morning, he got a call from the LARGEST NEWSPAPER in his market (170,000+ distribution on Sundays.) and they are coming to his office on Tuesday to do a story on his massaging dental chairs.What would he pay to have an ad in that paper...probably thousands.Now he will get a thrid party endorsement

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1168454835910281122007-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:002007-01-10T10:47:15.930-08:00

Remember those goals you set for yourself and wrote down a week or so ago...Go to Kmart, buy a frame and hang them in your office.This will draw attention to them, make them look important, give them additional value, and make the staff take notice. It will also make that flimsy piece of paper you wrote your goals on last for the whole year.

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1168287387686449612007-01-08T12:12:00.000-08:002007-01-08T12:16:27.703-08:00

In the dental marketing world, goals are helpful...if communicated properly...We are now one week into 2007, and hopefully you have already taken steps toward fulfilling your goal of having the best year ever for your practice.What are your goals for your practice? Does everyone on your staff know them, and could they relay them to me if I asked?As you know, one of the keys to a successful

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1167759835711553552007-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:002007-01-02T09:43:55.723-08:00

The first business day of the New Year. We’ve celebrated the coming and going of 2006, and now we have a fresh start, a blank canvas, an empty box that we call 2007.Maybe you have a vision of what 2007 looks like both personally and for your practice. Maybe you even have some of those goals written down and put in a place you see them daily (if you don’t, do it now).Once you have decided on your

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1166722296708886542006-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:002006-12-21T09:31:36.756-08:00

In the case of Dental Marketing, there always seems to be a strugle over what demographics to choose for a mailing program.If you are looking for an answer like "you should focus on 25-50 year old women who have an annual income of $40,000, live in a house valued over $200,000, and like to golf and travel," you won't get it here.In the case of dental care, instead of demographics, you should

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1165876307489152352006-12-11T14:30:00.000-08:002006-12-11T14:31:47.503-08:00

Many times in marketing, we get caught talking about ourselves. Promoting yourself is a great way to get the message out about what you do, and whom you help. As Donald Trump says, “Brag about yourself and your accomplishments because no one else will.I disagree with Mr. Trump. Although promoting yourself and your practice is important, there are plenty of people out there who will talk about you

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1165441644702968522006-12-06T13:46:00.000-08:002006-12-06T13:47:24.713-08:00

Google has become a household name over the last 5 years. If you were to say “Google it” to someone in the early 90’s, they would have looked at you like you were crazy. Now, Google.com has become THE online gateway for online information.How do you get listed on Google? Well, you can go through their adwords program where you actually bid to have your name at the top, OR, you can take advantage

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1164744372320685942006-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:002006-11-28T12:06:12.343-08:00

Being the Holiday season, it is a time for giving.Many of you in your practices create some sort of giving program. Maybe it is a giving tree, or perhaps you have a barrel where patients can drop food or toys for less fortunate families or children.This is a great idea, a great program and shows your heart and the true meaning of serving others. But have you taken every possible step you can to

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1164129513490311842006-11-21T08:29:00.000-08:002006-11-21T11:18:36.160-08:00

The following story has been posted by many if not all of the major news companies around the world including Yahoo, AP, Reuters, BBC, and many websites (including this one) have also reprinted the story.For those of you that haven't seen it yet, here is the run down:Lawyer Paula Brosnahan, 33, and her fiance Steve Hausman, 36, who will marry in April next year, sought a quote from The Great

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1164126523624628222006-11-21T08:23:00.000-08:002006-11-21T08:28:43.643-08:00

It’s been a generally accepted myth that the holidays (Thanksgiving to New Years) is a bad time to do any marketing. All types of businesses find their marketing doesn’t work, and because of that, December is their slowest month of the year.In Jerry’s SofTouch managed practice, we have found the opposite to be true. The practice opened to a full schedule the week of thanksgiving, The Christmas

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1163530489164658812006-11-14T10:43:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:54:49.190-08:00

First of all, don't skip this article thinking you have heard this before. Yes, you do know the patient truly pays your bills, but I still, time and time again catch examples of mixed messages going out. Are you trying to draw new patients, or draw the glorious attention of your peers. I don't know how you practice, but I have yet to see a dentist get a check from their competition with a note

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1163463113591061802006-11-13T16:09:00.000-08:002006-11-13T16:11:53.606-08:00

Business owners in general hate “tire kickers.” Those people that call, or even come in just to check out prices and see what special deals they can get.The main problem with “tire kickers” is how you deal with them. Once they ask for a price or are tagged as a price shopper or tire kicker they are written off as a lost cause. You think to yourself “they are just shopping, they won’t buy,” and

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1163224514611547532006-11-10T21:20:00.000-08:002006-11-10T21:55:14.623-08:00

Today was the birthday of The Marine Corps.I say this for two reasons:#1: I am a former Marine myself,#2: Every year, Marines everywhere celebrate this birthday of one of the greatest military forces in the world.When I was on active duty, the biggest event of the year was the Marine Corps ball/birthday party. A huge celebration, usually within your 3500 person unit that involved everyone from

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1163183329612171272006-11-10T10:27:00.000-08:002006-11-10T10:28:49.626-08:00

There are those things in life we come to expect. Simple things like the car starting in the morning, the light turning on when we flip the switch, or our coffee to be hot when we buy it.Then sometimes we get unexpected surprises. Events like a power outage, or finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk.One of the above surprises is an inconvenience, but the other is great, and can make a persons day.

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1162411264026657282006-11-01T12:00:00.000-08:002006-11-01T12:01:04.036-08:00

There are truly many ways to innovate in your practice.You can create a new procedure, or invent a new piece of equipment, but sometimes, the easiest way to innovate is to create “packages” of services.These packages offer convenience for the patient, and if put together and priced right, can really help to grow a practice and lock in patient loyalty.These packages can be either developed within

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1161876153679463182006-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:002006-10-26T08:22:33.690-07:00

What is the most important asset in your practice?If your answer was anything but patients, you are dead wrong.You see, everything else in your practice, the x-ray, the chair, the staff, and yes, even that DDS or DMD degree on the wall is useless without patients.Over the life of your practice, you have developed a list of these patients that are current in your practice, and you also have a list

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1161289131553108162006-10-19T12:50:00.000-07:002006-10-19T13:18:51.566-07:00

I just finished an article in the latest issue of Dental Economics regarding building trust in your patients.The article cited a survey of 1000 consumers in which 25% of the respondents said they stopped seeing a physician due to communication problems.You say, "But I talk to my patients all the time, my communication with them is great!"OK, point taken, but we have to remember, (and your spouse

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1161201783105605622006-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:002006-10-18T13:03:03.120-07:00

Yesterday, I was browsing through the local paper looking at all the advertisements from the national retailers. These are your normal weekly ads from Lowes, Target, and Sears showcasing all of their fall special prices.Everything was targeted at fall savings. Reminding me to buy the gutter cleaners, lawn rakes, and Halloween decorations that were all featured.I couldn’t help but think of how

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1160075416759372062006-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:002006-10-05T12:10:16.800-07:00

I receive a lot of questions asking me what kind of follow up systems that we recommend here at Jerry Jones Direct. This month I figured I would cover a couple of ways to follow up with those patients that scheduled, as well as those new callers that may not have scheduled.First things first…You cannot follow up with people if you do not collect their name, address, and phone number! This is very

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1159289635878151602006-09-26T09:51:00.000-07:002006-09-26T09:53:55.900-07:00

It’s almost like hitting the lottery.You’re sending postcards out, and you get a call that turns into a whole family worth of new patients. Maybe the woman of the house called and scheduled herself, her 2 kids, and her husband!GREAT, 4 patients in one call! That’s like getting two toys in your Cracker Jacks!What if every call could net you more than one new patient?Well, why not take the steps to

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1158085938537223562006-09-12T11:21:00.000-07:002006-09-12T11:32:18.553-07:00

Hello again, for this entry, I have decided to include video I discovered on the World Wide Web.The video depicts a pediatric dental office. I don't know where, or who the owner is, I merely know that even as an adult, I WANT TO GO THERE!This video takes the Walt Disney theory to heart, "Do what you do so well that people can't resist coming back for more and telling their friends to do the same.

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1157740799903736872006-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:002006-09-08T12:02:11.470-07:00

In a recent issue of The Dental Profit Report, I talked about word of mouth and how negative word of mouth spreads much quicker than positive word of mouth.This brought me to two somewhat humorous, but very true examples.The first comes from two regular guys and their stay at a hotel. Be aware, this presentation has not only made the rounds of the corporate office of the named company, but also

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1156367445491392462006-08-23T12:53:00.000-07:002006-10-19T23:23:35.656-07:00

In direct respose advertising, there are 4 things (Acronym AIDA) you should consider both when putting a piece together, or planning your method for handling the response. I'll take you through these 4 steps, and cover both the design, and response considerations...A = AttentionDesign: This is the first thing you need to get when someone looks at your direct response piece. THis is why the

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1155055321512516542006-08-08T08:35:00.000-07:002006-08-08T09:42:01.593-07:00

For most doctors, when I say referral program, their first thought is of a patient newsletter. Now, there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that a newsletter is a great (and essential) part of building patient loyalty and referrals, but it is by no means a comprehensive part of your referral "program."To get to where I am going with this, let's first define the word "program":program (n): a

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1154448588742332922006-08-01T08:47:00.000-07:002006-08-01T09:09:48.753-07:00

It disappoints me a little that I even have to write a blog with the following content. In the past 4 years, I have seen dentistry as one of the industries making the most strides in its marketing and overall brand management.But a call last week really reversed my outlook and made me realize that there are still some doctors out there that allow their staff to dictate how the business is run,

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1153415211957660142006-07-20T09:35:00.000-07:002006-07-20T10:15:35.433-07:00

For this entry into the JJD blog, I figured I would share some stories from the "real world" and let you know who is doing things right in the areas of marketing. I have a couple of local examples, and then one very big national example that anyone in business can learn something from. A big key to each of these is not only doing something right, but just doing something!SipSip is a small deli

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1152912792929010332006-07-14T14:07:00.000-07:002006-07-14T14:33:12.946-07:00

As I was talking to a future client of ours yesterday, he brought up a semi-valid argument against any marketing out there..."James, I've tried postcards before, they don't work for my practice."This is a common reason for resistence to any marketing. You can replace "postcards" in the above statement with anything. (websites, new movers, newsletters, newspaper ads, etc.)Here at Jerry Jones

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1152299319212063172006-07-07T11:35:00.000-07:002006-07-07T12:08:39.226-07:00

In reviewing some Yellow Pages ads for clients today, I noticed one thing common to them.They both listed CEREC as one of the features of their office.CEREC One Day Crowns/OnlaysBefore I go any further, let me say that I love CEREC, it really provides a great service to the patient, and I think that no dental practice should be without one.With that said, the general public wouldn't know the

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1150997685468155302006-06-22T10:29:00.000-07:002006-06-22T10:41:07.793-07:00

I have to share our most recent "home-run" patient attraction strategy with you!It hit yesterday ... 15 NPs in 8 hours!I tried to call Rachel (My Front Office) several times during the day, and every timeI called, I got, "Can I call you back, I have two people on the other lines!"THAT is an excellent response to an ad!The best part: $1,100 total investment!Wait though...I do have one other thing

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1150833548888327182006-06-20T08:43:00.000-07:002006-06-20T12:59:08.930-07:00

In my daily contact with our dental partners about their practice marketing, I tend to recieve a lot of questions, many come more frequently than others, so today, I am going to talk about one simple question that I get from almost every client out there.How many patients should I expect?Well, #1 it depends on the type of marketing...are we sending postcards for you, or are we doing our RARE

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1149634854894293622006-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:002006-06-06T16:00:54.906-07:00

Some of you may recognize the above title as a book by Napoleon Hill about your mental state and how it impacts your wealth.In watching one of my favorite television programs, Inked, the other night, I was reminded of how destructive a persons negativity can be.The owner of the tattoo shop featured in the show, Carey Hart, was in the process of getting an online store up and running to sell his

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1149282181430595662006-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:002006-06-02T14:03:01.440-07:00

Guest Column By Hillary O’CallaghanApparently, the oil industry isn’t the only one cashing in on the skyrocketing gas prices. In South Dakota, Dr. John is taking advantage of the soaring gas prices; while his patients are cashing in at the pump, his referrals numbers may be increasing at a rate faster than that Exxon Mobil sign down the street.Dentists are often baffled at how to reach their

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1148662561685852362006-05-26T09:31:00.000-07:002006-05-26T09:56:01.703-07:00

Many of the articles and marketing tips that we write here at Jerry Jones Direct come from our clients experiences, and this one is no different.In talking to a new client of ours yesterday, we'll call him Dr. O, I found out that he was planning to sell his practice within the next year or two.We discussed the fact that many new dentists nowadays prefer to start their own practice rather than

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1148064555306701112006-05-19T10:31:00.000-07:002006-05-19T11:50:48.246-07:00

Once again, a popular marketing publication inspires a blog posting. And no, this isn't a dental marketing book, or even health care related. Just another great source of information floating out there.Word Of Mouth marketing is growing in popularity. Over 43% of U.S. Executives cite word of mouth as a top strategy for the coming year.Notice the functional word in the above sentence is STRATEGY.

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1147454271868505482006-05-12T09:55:00.000-07:002006-05-12T10:19:45.893-07:00

We've had a lot of inquiries lately about our new mover market domination program, and frankly, it's a great program.But, what are your true goals when attacking a new mover... The number one answer I receive from dentists is..."I want to be the first dentist in the area to introduce myself to these new move-ins."Good point, however by your statement, you have just turned your profession,

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1147276681662466792006-05-10T08:50:00.000-07:002006-05-10T09:00:19.460-07:00

Most of you have seen the Jerry Jones Direct Wooden Nickels we use to help make our mail lumpy to generate that curiosity that works to get the envelope opened.We use them a lot for clients in their New Mover Marketing Programs, too. I think the Wooden Nickel is one of the most impressive pieces of added material in a direct marketing campaign, period. They’re relatively inexpensive and they get

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1147195780294849022006-05-09T10:24:00.000-07:002006-05-09T10:29:40.296-07:00

Back in December I began a little project with the local Lincoln/Acura/Mercedes dealer, Valley Motors. Klaus, my sales guy, has always been great to deal with. Let me give you some background:Klaus is absolutely first class in every aspect. The first car I ever bought from him gave me quite a shock. About 15 days or so after I took possession, I came into work one morning and a huge basket of

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1145391554047965172006-04-18T12:51:00.000-07:002006-04-18T13:19:14.060-07:00

Each day we receive dozens of phone calls from Dentists all over the United States asking for advice. We get different questions ranging from "When is my next postcard mailing?" to "What are the benefits of the patient newsletter?" and everything in between.Lately we've come across a trend of questions such as, "How do I develop a Unique Selling Proposition?"For those of you that don't know, a

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1143834411342392162006-03-31T11:29:00.000-08:002006-03-31T11:46:51.353-08:00

In reading DM News, a marketing trade magazine, I came across an article titled "10 Reasons People Don't Buy From You." by Peter Fogel, a copywriter and marketing expert.One of the reasons, and one that I hold to be very important is 'You don't let folks know anything about your business.' I'm not talking about electrical bills and staff costs, I'm talking personal stuff.As Peter puts it, "People

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1143762086494976992006-03-30T15:27:00.000-08:002006-03-30T19:50:19.196-08:00

Due to (get this) marketing, we currently have a dentist in Wisconsin that is looking for an associate to help him in one of his practices. We get this question often, and wanted to give dentists out there a resource of where to find help.Listed in no particular order:· I Hire Dental· Monster.com· DentalTown Magazine Classifieds· American Dental Association Classified in magazine (JADA)· Dental

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1143229309566306762006-03-24T11:41:00.000-08:002006-03-30T19:50:40.216-08:00

Well, in case all the evidence I’ve provided in the past still brings doubts to mind…Here’s a recent comment from Dr. Busby:The response to our “Green Card Mailing” has been exceptional. To date 31 people have made appointments. There have been no failures, patients have been receptive to treatment plans and have followed through with dental care. The ROI can’t be determined because it is still

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24553567.post-1143053093787520172006-03-22T10:44:00.000-08:002006-03-22T17:44:36.460-08:00

Thanks for visiting my blog…and Congratulations on making a decision to take your practice to the next level. I like to keep things simple. In order for my staff and I to assist you in your journey to maximum practice income, below are three areas we focus on here at Jerry Jones Direct.The three core issues we can help you with are:• Fine-Tune Your Practice By Providing Practice Management &

James Ericksonnoreply@blogger.com0