Whats the best way to get Dentists to contract with?

[sblnde26]

I know Dentists are busy and I dont want to effect their day to day business by just showing up and offering my services. Can anyone give advice on what has been the best way to aquire a new account with a dentist. Is it mailing a business card or dropping it off? Is it just showing up and offering services? Is it sending an introductory email and waiting for reply if any?

Is there a way to find new dentist practices easily and target them first?

Help Help!!

 

[Kreyer]

I know Dentists are busy and I dont want to effect their day to day business by just showing up and offering my services. Can anyone give advice on what has been the best way to aquire a new account with a dentist. Is it mailing a business card or dropping it off? Is it just showing up and offering services? Is it sending an introductory email and waiting for reply if any?

Is there a way to find new dentist practices easily and target them first?

Help Help!!

Contact your local county dental society and ask them if you could do a table clinic at their next meeting in September. Tables usually cost around 200.00 depending on the size of county dental society. Get the table next to the bar and arrange all your sample cases and business info on your table. It is much easier and more effective, to stand at a table answering dentists questions while they are drinking than to do cold calls....plus you can have a beer while your at it as well.........
I haven't done this in years but it was very effective for me...

Rob

 

[the lab lady]

Any cards, or info about your services will quickly be discarded unless they are attatched to a nicely packaged bag of candies, or box of muffins from a local bakery...creates some odd sence of loyalty, they will at least look over your info, and when a problem comes up with their current lab, they may think of you- I worked in house and know this is effective.

 

[sixonice]

I know Dentists are busy and I dont want to effect their day to day business by just showing up and offering my services. Can anyone give advice on what has been the best way to aquire a new account with a dentist. Is it mailing a business card or dropping it off? Is it just showing up and offering services? Is it sending an introductory email and waiting for reply if any?

Is there a way to find new dentist practices easily and target them first?

Help Help!!

If your out selling, or have a target list of dentists you wish to visit, as stated before, taking in some "goodies" is always a great idea. chances are, your not going to get the dentist to speak with you right away. i would then ask the office staff if you could set an appointment when the dentist has some free time. if you get the appointment or a time to come back, your in great shape! at least then you know that there is some true interest there. you can make many contacts via email, introducing yourself and offering to stop by the office to speak with the dentist. again, if you get permission to move forward in that process your good to go. doing it either way separates the real prospects from the "duds".

 

[Stuffdogg]

seems crown and bridge is quite competitive. I've worked in house and we always had 5-10 c&B labs come in the office a week. We only got like 5 removable labs per year. So I say if you can offer full service even if you must outsource then that may help. Most of my new clients are refered to me by dentists I already work for. If you specialize like i do and if you are a smaller operation, hone your skills take classes, educate yourself and pay attention to every little detail in your work so it is beautiful, functional and consistant. The dentists that you do work for will appreciate that and trust you. If you can build a good relation and reputation with them, they will feel comfortable putting in a good word for you with their dentist friends. At least that is how I go about.

 

[McCall Dentures]

Honestly, I enjoy going to lunch with small lab owners. When I know the person making my dentures, rpds, valplasts, etc... it makes it much easier to pick up the phone and hash out any issues. If you are starting a lab and want to get dentists interested in what you are doing, spend $20 and buy them lunch. As others have said, I throw away most of the spam mail I get. Build relationships, make dentures.

 

[sensei]

Going to lunch is great for the right doc. Usually though that is MY time. I like to sit in my office, listen to the radio, and play some mindless game on the computer.

What I want from a lab is great communication, good product and ease of sending cases.

I know not all dentists are like this, but when a lab takes the time to call me and discuss a case and maybe share something I can do clinically to make their job easier or improve my technique... they have my business for life. You have to be careful, there are some egos out there that will NOT take fondly to that, but some of us know we're not infallible and really place value in knowing the lab has our back.

Make it easy to send cases, pre-print mailing address labels, provide shipping labels. I don't mind getting the shipping added onto my bill at the end of the month and it saves the assistants sooo much hassle when they don't have to go out and get things weighed and mailed.

 

[sensei]

Dentists get hit with so much spam from the big labs that most of the time the front desk chucks it in the bin before we even see it. You can't begin to compete with the volume of advertising we see so you need something else to differentiate yourself.

I think showing up at the office with some materials and offering to do an initial case at a significant discount could work. You may not get to actually talk with the dentist, but the fact that your stuff was hand delivered will make sure it gets to the dentist before it is thrown away.

You will get many who just do the first discounted case and never send you anything again, but all you need is to gain a few initial accounts to get you established and growing.

Just some ideas. I hope they help.

 

[MisT96]

Going to lunch is great for the right doc. Usually though that is MY time. I like to sit in my office, listen to the radio, and play some mindless game on the computer.

What I want from a lab is great communication, good product and ease of sending cases.

I know not all dentists are like this, but when a lab takes the time to call me and discuss a case and maybe share something I can do clinically to make their job easier or improve my technique... they have my business for life. You have to be careful, there are some egos out there that will NOT take fondly to that, but some of us know we're not infallible and really place value in knowing the lab has our back.

Make it easy to send cases, pre-print mailing address labels, provide shipping labels. I don't mind getting the shipping added onto my bill at the end of the month and it saves the assistants sooo much hassle when they don't have to go out and get things weighed and mailed.

Sensei, It seems like you need to contract with my brother's dental lab. I came here for advice, but can't help but see you look for the type of person my brother is and the type of lab that he and his business partner run. They do such good work and at reasonable prices. They are always communicating with their dentists, trying to improve things for the dentists and patients. They have a lot of integrity, are honest and fair, and run a great lab. Now I just need to find others like you who are looking for this type of business relationship. Anyway, thank you for the advice!

 

[Cbite Dental Products]

Just some reading material to get the creative juices flowing...

http://lmtmag.com/articles/backtobasics_marketing_leads_to_success_at_the_lab_2000_inc

 

[Cbite Dental Products]

Just a little more info you may find helpful:

http://www.jdtunbound.com/preparing-for-sales-calls/