Who's Doing It Right?

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!

Sip

Sip is a small deli type store that offers "bubble drinks." What are bubble drinks? Well, if you don't know, google it, because I am sure that I couldn't explain it correctly.

Walking by sip on at least a weekly basis, I had always wondered what a bubble drink was. I had never stopped in because I was unwilling to risk $3 of my own cash trying one, when I could go to Starbucks down the street and buy something I knew I liked.

Well, in walking by on Monday, there was a nice young lady outside of Sip passing out FREE samples of bubble drinks. Try one? Of course I would, and what I found out was bubble drinks are absolutely delicious, and the banana creme frappucino at Starbucks fell far short in taste comparison.

Whats the lesson? A free sample, and a little bit of customer education has turned me on to bubble drinks. As a person, I was very leary, and uneducated on the taste of them until I was offered a sample for FREE. Best part, no commitment for me, and a new weekly customer for Sip. (They probably gained a few new customers that day.)

Woodhams Eye Clinic

"Atlanta's only 20/20 or FREE Lasik Guarantee"

Pretty strong stuff in that above statement, especially for a huge city like Atlanta, but let's look closer at what they have done...

USP: Atlanta's ONLY - talk about a strong diferentiation statement. They not only have a guarantee, but they told me that no other Lasik clinic does in this city. Makes the consumer decision easy.

Guarantee: Risk free to me...I see better, or I don't pay. That simple. No risk for me at all.


Billboard: 7 total words, a telephone number, and a website... They've said everything they need to in SEVEN total words. Thats the power of a USP...it sums everything up quickly and easily.

Website (woodhams.com): Focused on selling...Testimonials, FREE evaluation, and some patient education. Focussed on getting the patient.

JEEP 30 Day Return

Jeep has taken the risk out of purchasing a vehicle by offering a 30 day return on any Jeep vehicle purchased.

Now i'm sure the other companies will follow suit eventually, but right now, they are all screaming "ARE YOU CRAZY?" They envision thousands of returns, and people buying cars, driving them for 29 days, and returning them. (Jeep will profit from being different and the first to offer this.)

Chances are, there will be some returns, but Jeep also realizes it has a superior product and they are not scared to show it. They will gain a ton of customers that feel relieved they get to drive a vehicle for 30 days before they need to make a final decision. After 30 days, the buyers will have already seen the comfort and superiority of a Jeep vehicle.

I know some of you read the small print as well, and all the fees that are associated with the return. That won't scare anyone away from buying a Jeep, or from returning it. People know there are fees associated with a vehicle, and it still will dramatically lower the risk from being stuck with a $30,000 vehicle for a few years, or paying $400 to get out of a contract.

Learn from all three of these examples, and notice one thing...they all reduce the risk of the new consumer.

Have a profitable week!

Don't Blame It On The Media

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 Direct, we realize that there is more than one way to make a postcard, and many variables that go into it. Variables like: headline, offer, copy, postage, and color just to scrape the surface. Add pictures, and benefits in there just for good measure.

You see, just because one postcard doesn't work, doesn't mean all postcards are flawed and won't work.

Don't blame the media...blame the message.

It would be similar to saying... That toothpaste tasted horrible, i'll never use toothpaste again. Toothpaste (like postcards) isn't bad, it is whats in the toothpaste (or on the postcards) that affects the taste (and results).

Take a look at your mail, and each postcard you receive, notice how different the message/design is. And yet they are all postcards.

Same goes for new movers, newsletters, and any other advertising. If you don't have the right message, the marketing will fail no matter what media you use.

This is the big key to success behind our Simple Green Postcard Marketing Program. Yes, it is a postcard. But it's not the media, it's the Simple, Direct message and offer that makes it so effective.

So instead of "James, postcards don't work in my practice." say "James, my last postcard was a dud, but I would like to hear how yours is different and how it will draw patients to my practice."

Have a profitable day!!!

JAMES

Patient Education and How Your Marketing Suffers

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/Onlays

Before 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 difference between a CEREC and a Subaru.

Just because I am in the dental industry, I know CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. I also know that because I just checked the website...

But ask any person off the street what CEREC stands for, and they will just give you a blank look. Heck, most people don't know what LASER or RADAR stand for, or even that they are acronyms.

The fact is, if you are going to promote CEREC, you need to make sure to break it down into its pieces. Make it so simple, a 5th grader could understand it (thats the method USA Today uses). Don't trust that your patients know what you know. They don't spend years in dental school, attending CE courses, or even subscribe to DentalTown Magazine. They know little if anything about dentistry and the technology that accompanies it.

"Crowns in one visit" is a good start, but remember, how many people out there know what a crown is, and more importantly, what problems it solves. That's the key, and here is the advertisement.

Do you experience or have:
Pain when chewing?
Sensitivity to cold or hot food and drinks?
Chipped or cracked teeth?

Then you may need a dental crown. Come in and experience the convenience of our ONE VISIT crown service with the help of our CEREC aided design. With CEREC, we take pictures of the broken, chipped, or cracked tooth then design, construct, and attach the permanent restoration to your tooth, many times in one visit. At other dental offices you'll have to wait sometimes up to 2 weeks for the restoration to return, but with our CEREC technology, we'll have your smile bright, healthy, and pain free in ONE VISIT.

Ok, so it is quite a rough example,. but you get the picture. With the advancements in dental technology nowadays, you need to really educate your patients on how your services can benefit them.

ATTN: This is a very focussed advertisement, targeting only those with dental pain. It will not draw those in that are simply looking for a general dentist.

And most importantly, remember, 99.9% of your patients have never been to dental school.