Cosmetic Dentistry Postcards

Dentists need to reach people, right? What if you could discover the five secrets that have the greatest influence on your customers? And then tie these methods into your cosmetic dentistry postcards to get the word out there about your practice? Let's find out...

Becoming The Irresistable Dentist

The following ideas are postcard marketing strategies that any dentist can use. Read through them and keep an open mind. And a pen handy for any ideas that jump off the page!

1. Filling the void - When someone does a person a favor or gives them something of value for free, this act provides an imbalance in the relationship. This creates a subconscious pressure on the recipient to give back in some way. In marketing this is known as filling the void.

So, for example, could you offer a small free service when using cosmetic dentistry postcards, such as a free toothbrush or free healthy drink when they come into your clinic? Free fruit? Free guide to healthy eating?

2. Reciprocation - In marketing the word FREE has the most response of any word in the English language. That's why marketers keep using it! Everybody likes something for free, don't you?

Even though 'free' means there is no obligation or cost, the recipient does feel obligated. If something of real value is given to the person, an imbalance is created - a void in nature - that needs to be filled.

Maybe not immediately, but if that person has gotten great value and use from the gift, there will be a nagging sub-conscious motivation to reciprocate in some manner.

So, keep this in mind when creating your cosmetic dentistry postcards. Look for small offers that might work well, or work with other dentists to make a shared offer between dental clinics.

NB: It's important to make sure when you are offering a free gift with a promotion, that your customers are made aware of the full value of what they're receiving!

What really makes this work in postcard marketing though, is that you make your 'free' offer available when your customer takes action. It can be a very small offer too, like filling out a customer card for you (which gives you their name, address, and email address), or accepting your services on a 30-day trial.

3. Getting your customer to like you - Have you heard the phrase, "if a customer knows, likes and trusts you then they'll buy from you?" Well, you've gotten them to know you with your 'free' offer, the next step is to get them to 'like' you.

The quickest way I know to get someone to like you is for you to let them know that you like them (reciprocation, again).

Of course, not ALL people are going to 'like' you and you're not going to like all your customers, but if you take this approach you've a lot better odds of finding new customers!

When you're writing your ads and the offer for your cosmetic dentistry postcards, always write as if they are a personal note to a real, live, breathing friend. Use plain talk as if you're talking to your best friend, and not 'hi-tech technobabble.' Keep it simple!

4. Trust - I don't know about you, but when I hear someone say 'TRUST ME' it reminds me of a snake oil salesman and makes me do anything but trust them. So how do you get your customers to trust you? Take a leadership role with them and tell them what they should do to take action and buy.

You must be or present yourself as an 'Authority' figure. An expert in your field and the only one they should buy from as proven by the endorsements of your other customers, their friends and neighbors.

If your offer is made as a dental postcard, than include some endorsements from others, mention articles written about you, books, articles, newsletters that you've written, etc. (Testimonials work well, keep them short though!)

Most people don't want to make a decision, so it's better that you give them an action plan to say 'yes.'

5. Scarcity - This is one persuader that really motivates humans to action, and you must create and manage this to your advantage in every (postcard or otherwise) offer you make.

People want things that solve their problems or make them feel good about themselves that are of good quality. They want it even more - if the quantity is limited in some way. Remember the law of supply and demand? If the demand for a product is high and the supply is low, then the price that's charged will be accepted readily be it high or low.

Even if you create the 'perception' that there is a limited quantity available, a limited time frame for availability, or whatever you conceive to use, you'll find this a catalyst to action for your customer.

And lastly, always include a guarantee of some kind in your dental postcard offers. I've found that most times there are very few takers to the guarantee policy you offer, and if there is - you don't want to keep an unhappy customer anyway.

Be sure to include all five of these tips in all of your offers (ads, sales letters, cosmetic dentistry postcards, etc) and you'll see dramatic results and an increase in your dental business!