As a promoter of dental postcards (NicheDental.com & NicheDentalCollaborate.com) for a seller of postcards for dentists' offices (ExpressDentalMarketing.com) dentists can assume as much conflict of interest as they want about my position. But if dentists can deal with that weight of potential perspective diminution, I will proceed with my goal of completely ending direct mail value denial!
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(ASIDE:) Since I am very cynical of over-hyped promotional techniques, dentists reading my work may notice statements such as the last sentence, which denotes elements of the ilk. I do this to display how unlikely over-hyped messages can quickly die on the vine or backfire, either in the near or long term.
If that line of hype I used doesn't work on most dentists reading this blog, and actually turns those dentists off, then you/dentists may get my drift. If you don't like it, then consumers don't like it.
Even though over-hyping 'might work' for various other selling ventures, in dentistry it too often builds on the old, negative stereotypes. Worse yet, it can put the dental profession at risk of media over simplification of the complexities of various treatments (causing problematic patient expectations) or conflating every dentist with what a small percentage may do or have done incorrectly.
Dentists, and dental office owners, should avoid going in this direction, and commit to finding real solutions. Be wary of dental marketing simplification of how results are achieved or over-hyped dentistry promotional gimmicks.
As to this dental marketing consulting blog post, dentists need to fend off the tendency everyone has to deny the realities of how communication actually works, especially when new technology seems to supersede them merely as a new trend - supposedly everyone is now wedded to - and have shed all other marketing vehicles.
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VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY REALITY BLOW BACK
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| www.ExpressDentalMarketing.com |
The blow back is the relinquishing of reality. Or at least the virtual reality of relinquishing reality. Besides those semantics, my word antics and less than academic pun-dantics, the Internet is still about humans beings and less about Neo and the Matrix.
And yes, there is also the likelihood that any new technology is fraught with the value of getting in too soon with those so-called early adopters. This means dentists, and dental office personnel must take into account how many actual potential patients will be available on any one, new online marketing platform.
Twitter.com for example is less about numbers than it is about advocating for specific causes, news and product promotion, and a fun, unique way to communicate. While there is still value in the Twitter platform for dentists, it just does not have the volume of participation and awareness (by the 'general' public) that some more traditional marketing media still has.
That gets this dentistry marketing consultant to the concept of dental postcards, and how they are perceived by dentists, and dental office staff (sometimes the marketing decision makers) as well as the general public. Denial of the value direct mail has in the public mind, is quite a bit of urban mystical history, and most of it anecdotal, which ironically is very powerful, and extremely hard to overcome in general.
Maybe dentists or other readers noticed how I just gave away the colonel, or actually kernel idea of what is missed by most people, as to how direct mailers work their magical reality. It is the major point I want to get across. Again, what I should say, it is the general point. Basically, general is the point persona in this war on reality denial. General is not the individual consumer.
Communication is never a general force, it has a mind numbing singularity of purpose. Just as most people have an anecdotal generalized understanding of marketing, marketing has an equal but opposite individualized effect. Marketing is only effectual when it works, it only works when there is someone ready to accept the effect.
This concept of individualized effect is so real and significant when personalized, but counter-intuitive and not relevant in the aggregate public mind. As a public and as dentists, we make say things like: "I hate getting postcards. It just piles of paper. Why do them dastardly mailing people send me all this stuff?" And then the categorical killer, "It's all just junk mail!"
While this relieves some tension in our lives, like a Zen moment tinged with some corporal punishment of marketers, the tension is a symptom of our need to get/see something we want.
What if it was a postcard was sent to us with Ed McMahon saying he would be visiting soon to hand us a $10 million check from Publisher's Clearinghouse of Lots of Paper Filled Envelopes? Besides being creeped out, and wondering if seances were surreal, that notification of winner-hood postcard would be like the 2nd humming of Dean Martin. You would sing out, That's Amore´ at the first sight of that postcard in your mailbox! Right?
PROOF of Real LIFE Story To Make Postcard Point
TRUE tale, virtually written: As I am writing this marketing mumble and mutter of all blogs, the phone rings. To be clear it was my land-line. Yes, I still have one, which proves my point above about how holding onto technology varies.
Anyway, the call was from a marketer! Damn them @#4#@432! Don't they know I am trying to work. Oops... I should be on their side.
No, actually I don't need to be on their side right now. Being a father of two teenagers, I am used to being hypocritical when I need to take a parental stand. For those dentists or others now leaving this blog after putting up with my conflict interest, thinking being hypocritical is the last straw...
Please hold on till you find out how many free gifts you will get with each Ginsu Knife Set purchased. Actually, everyone, whether they buy something or not, will get a chance to chat live with Ed McMahon after the blog sign off.
Of course, only you will be live, unless I've lost you with my hummer back there. (Remember Dean?) Again, that should have been humor not hummer. But obviously, it was not. :-)
So I take the marketer's call. What is she selling? Broken windows fixing.
Thinking it was an important call for my teenager, from a number I did not recognize, I was perturbed about wasting my time answering this call. However, the marketer said something that kept me from lambasting, chiding and assailing her for bothering me.
I am kidding, of course. No, for real. Remember, I have two teenagers so I have learned to control my anger. Okay, that's is a lie. But I wanted to present an air of perfection, stability and rigidness of virtue.
Now that I also lie, as well as not perfect, many readers may have lost faith in me. But again, as a father of two teenagers, I am hoping at least the pitiful sympathy you have toward me will staunch your dismay for a short while longer.
What did the marketer say that stopped me from being so angry about the Junk Calls I am always getting? She said, "Have you had any trouble with windows since the last time we serviced your vehicle?" Darn! I used their service. How can I react negatively at them/her, now?
Yes, I have had a tough day is a good reason, but I kick my wet frog to deal with those issues. (Again that should have been pet dog, but my dog bites so I am afraid of her. And it is embarrassing to explain publicly, so I lying once more was the only option.)
Having used their fixing chipped or cracked windows service, I am trapped in a world of my personalized, individualized, singularity sized making, forsaking, confidence in my ability to lash out shaking. Therefore, I actually truly fully needed of their service the last time I got one of their dam... friendly question calls. Irony or ironies, their bothering of me was beneficial for both sides of the equation. Almighty Bruce Dern! My ability to foil them, spoiled again!
Yet, they need to call me regularly to 'catch me' at the right time. This despicable plan is paradoxically aggravating with disturbingly helpful results. Chipped and cracked windshields be Hoover Dammed! Vacuumed up like dust in the bin!
Okay, I need marketers (cursed as they are calling all the time). Similar to being a parent of teenagers. I love them more than life itself, but why do they need to be texting friends all the time... and how many years before they leave for college?
This paradox lives on in dental postcards and other direct mail marketing (unlike Ed). Anecdotal 'data' developed by dentists, dental team members and the public centers on direct mail being a nuisance. It sometimes even seems like some in the dental field have a visceral hatred for postal worker unions, or maybe it is philatelist collectivist community. The conflict of interest stamp lick curs conspiracy of it all!
First of all, calm down. Lick a toad if you get frustrated, and need to tongue lash out. Again, I meant to write, kick a wet frog (hint: frogs have no teeth, won't bite back).
All this rambling has a point to it. The point is that dentists can't virtually deny the reality of dental postcard mailings by merely pointing toward online advertising as having superseded the value and communication punch this 'traditional technology' still provides.
As I stomp around, demanding dentists avoid this, "because I said so!" there are other reasons as well... I am now stalling until those reasons come to me. But dentists can be assured I will take delivery of those answers soon.
Whew. Hi, Mr. McFeeley. Thanks for getting here just in time-delivery, as they say. Say hello to Mr. Roy for me. Oh, I didn't know he hangs out with Ed now. Learn something new everyday. Happy trails to you to.
Speaking of learning something. Knew I would use that phrase here, didn't you? Well, how about this:
When someone needs dentistry, let's say they have a chipped or crack tooth, don't you think getting a postcard might stand out for them, have a lot of value to them in that one individual instance, and not be a nuisance? Even though every other day your prospective dental patient might bemoan it, each want what they want when they want it.
Until you have a web cam on every consumer* sending out postcards consistently to promote your dental care services is the best way to tactically engage consumers who are geographically and demographically most likely to choose your dentistry office.
(*The technology is available now - just prohibitively expensive. As soon as DARPA and Homeland Security sells every-home-reverse-webcam technology to Google for mass exploitation and intrusion, I will send out a postcard to verify it for you. As Bill Maher would, say "I just kid you Google".)
CONCLUSIVE SOLUTION
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| Dental Postcards Marketing |
Some lies, truths, conflicts, sour pun mints, kicks and tales may have gotten in our way, but as everyone can now see, each and every living dentist, consumer and Star Search MC have all come to see my way about the value of direct mail, postcards marketing. Denial has been abolished and life can now go on in a more favorable way.
Yes, Ed will not join us in this, but I still have my $10 million envelope, and feel lucky today, punk'd. Have I been? :-)
PS: Truth is stranger than my fictional elements. Postcards work! I do not kid you about that.
FOR the Real Truth to Success:
Contact Oli,
Niche Dental Co-Consultant, Strategic Partner from Fallbrook, CA.1+888.380.0020 • EMAIL Oliver (Oli) Gonsalves
Written, Edited, Posted by,
Dick Chwalek
www.NicheDental.com
Co-Creator of ExpressDentalMarketing.com with Oli Gonsalves
Developer of Connective Communication©
Twitter.com/NicheDental
Facebook.com/NicheDental
NicheDentalCollaborate.com
In short, here is my recalcitrant rebuttal:
