Bill Neal, CDT

Internet use worldwide is continually expanding as more social media sites pop up, and companies continue to expand their presence on the Web. Smartphones are getting smarter, and many people have opted to purchase tablets such as the 

, all of which allow instant access to the Internet and a universe of Web-based apps. This activity creates opportunities but can create a multitude of challenges for those who have websites.

If you have a website, that’s great. But you must ask yourself, “Just how effective is my site?” What are my statistics (most lab owners do not review these or know they are available), and can my customers or prospective customers even find my site? Where does my site appear in page rankings when searched? How often are current customers using the data provided on the site? Does my current marketing strategy lead prospects and customers to my site? And once there, how long do they stay and what interests them?

These questions, and others, are all valid. More importantly, you can find answers to them. To help answer these questions, it may be helpful to look at what makes a website effective in the first place. Let’s go back to the basics of website design, functionality and purpose. You might be able to drive people to visit your site, but keeping them there and getting them to come back are key elements that make your site an effective and valuable tool in your marketing efforts.

Remember, the main reason for having a website is marketing. If you do a poor job at the beginning, you will not get a return on your investment, nor will your site give you the increased business activity you desire.

Effective website design starts at the beginning. It should contain the information and elements your customers are looking for. Your site also should provide important information supporting all of your products and services, and it needs to be a part of your overall brand-those things that your customers can relate back to you and your company.

Your website should be able to deliver any type of information that is requested by your customers or prospects. It should allow for prospects to request additional information, such as fee schedules, Rx forms, shipping labels, and information on special patient treatment options. Keep in mind that your website is a 24/7 salesperson specifically designed to answer any and all questions about your company.

You will need to understand that word searches are critical to optimizing your site. The use of metatags and text that is built into your website is critical to allow search engines to find your site. Alt image tags that are built into your page descriptions also should be considered as search engines will look for specific wording relating to the search being performed.

All of your non-Web marketing materials should contain your website URL to drive traffic to your site. The use of special landing pages, with unique URLs, will go a long way to provide you with a way to instantly communicate your message to those who visit your site as a result of your direct-mail marketing or pay-per-click marketing campaigns. In addition, you will now be able to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

Now that we have some ideas about what makes a website effective, you may have answered some of the questions in the beginning of this article.

So what do you do if your site does not accomplish enough of the above objectives? Some sites can be “re-worked” and some will need to be developed using newer language and up-to-date design features. Some Web developers won’t even mess with a poorly designed website as it is a little like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, just too much trouble and effort and not worth the expense.

However, some websites have been developed with current technologies and can be added to and updated to provide much of the information to help maximize your website’s effectiveness. Work with a good Web developer and through that process you will know which way to go.

Articles

Internet use worldwide is continually expanding as more social media sites pop up, and companies continue to expand their presence on the Web. Smartphones are getting smarter, and many people have opted to purchase tablets such as the iPad, all of which allow instant access to the Internet and a universe of Web-based apps. This activity creates opportunities but can create a multitude of challenges for those who have websites.

How to maximize your lab's online presence

	Given the state of our economy, businesses continue to look for ways to stay in touch with existing clients and attract new customers. One very effective tool, which is often overlooked because of the rush to get online and more involved with the digital world, is the newsletter.

	A newsletter is a powerful tool to keep your company name in front of your customers and prospects on a consistent basis. It provides an ideal way of informing existing and future customers about new products, techniques, CE events and other services that relate to your business. Newsletters enable you to inform readers on a low key level and create sales by providing the proper information so they can make an informed decision regarding the potential use of a new or existing product or service.

	First, you need to make a decision about the frequency of your newsletter. If you don’t provide one on a regular basis, it will lose the ability to impact the audience. Any form of marketing must be done regularly-consistency equates to your creditability. Marketing takes time and if you let too much time pass between issues you stand a chance of losing the initial interest of your audience that you created in the recent issue sent to them. You also will need to think about a name for your newsletter as well as a basic format or overall design masthead.

	Next, you will need to decide on what type of information or topics you want to include. Good mixes of product information, news about certain company events, CE opportunities and upcoming dental trade shows you may be attending are a good start. You may want to consider including a section to highlight some of those employees who handle the phones and speak with your dentist clients. Many may not have had a chance to meet them in person and a photo can be helpful in building customer relationships.

	Most people enjoy reading interesting articles, especially if accompanied by photographs, so make sure your newsletter isn’t all text, otherwise you might not hold their interest. If you are promoting a special or new product, do it by “informing” and not through a “hard sell.” Make sure to include some form of a call to action such as give us a call at 800-etc. for additional information, or to receive a special offer visit our website.

	Make sure you include a way for your audience to provide you with comments or areas of interest for future newsletters by giving them a real person to contact.

	There are two main categories of newsletters: you will want to consider printed and mailed newsletters or e-newsletters. You might even think about providing both formats because in the early stages you might not have enough e-mail addresses that have opted in to receive an e-newsletter from your company.

 The more traditional, yet still widely used, form of newsletter is the printed version. This can be a single page all the way up to a multiple page format. As you can imagine, it also is the most expensive version, especially if you decide on a newsletter that goes beyond a single printed sheet.

	The most common printed newsletters are usually a single sheet size 11 inches by 17 inches folded twice to 5.5 by 8.5 inches. This size doesn’t require any bindery other than scoring and folding in preparation for mailing. Newsletters such as these also will need to be tabbed or fixed together so they do not open up during USPS processing. All of this activity will add to the cost above and beyond the cost of development, printing and postage. Printed versions could be mailed to everyone you have an address for; however there are no guarantees they will be delivered.

 Gaining in popularity, the e-newsletter can be produced in several formats. You can send plain text e-newsletters, PDF-formatted e-newsletters or HTML e-newsletters. Plain text e-mails do not allow for graphics or the use of color or photographs, the lack of these makes for a very boring and uninteresting e-newsletter.

	A PDF-formatted e-newsletter allows for more design possibilities and the endless use of photos and graphic elements. PDFs can be viewed anytime once downloaded to a computer. One important element about PDF-formatted e-newsletters is that you will lose the ability to gather statistics; an important factor in gauging the success and/or failure of your newsletter.

	The HTML version provides many design possibilities and will be delivered to anyone with an e-mail address. If the recipient doesn’t have HTML activated it will still be delivered although in a text only version.

	HTML e-newsletters are Web-based; therefore each article or section will be a “snippet” of the full article. If the reader is interested he/she could click on “Read More,” if provided, and the link will take the reader to the complete article. In marketing this provides you with valuable statistics such as the number of times the article was accessed-also known as the number of “Click-Throughs”-giving you a better understanding of reader interest throughout your e-newsletter. You also would be capable of directing the reader to your website to complete the article, review additional information regarding your products or services as well as act upon a special offer.

	Mentioned earlier, you will need to provide an opt-in or opt-out area that allows the reader to not receive future e-newsletters or e-mails from you, or to confirm that they wish to receive future e-newsletters or e-mails. A good practice is to have your e-mail addresses qualified as already opted in using an earlier e-mail. Many e-blast services monitor spam and can block any future use or refuse to blast your e-newsletters if there are complaints or too many spam reports.

	If you are just starting, you might want to consider using a combination of print and e-newsletters until you have had a chance to refine your e-mail address marketing list. For further information you can go online or contact a company with e-marketing experience for guidance.

	E-newsletters are really a very quick and easy way to maintain your presence with your customers and prospects, and will help you gain new business.

 Given the state of our economy, businesses continue to look for ways to stay in touch with existing clients and attract new customers. One very effective tool, which is often overlooked because of the rush to get online and more involved with the digital world, is the newsletter.

Newsletters bring you business

	For more than 50 years dental laboratories have worked hard to differentiate their individual laboratory from the masses. In the early 1960s porcelain fused to metal restorations were just beginning to “come of age” and a few smart dental laboratories took advantage of this new technique to try to stand out from the crowd. There have been other techniques, materials and product/service innovations that laboratories have used over the years to try and gain a competitive advantage in an industry where everyone offers the same types of products and services.

	When asked, “What is unique about your laboratory?” many laboratory owners have a difficult time providing an answer. Many laboratories struggle to find a “niche” or a product or service that will help them maintain or grow their business…difficult tasks in a difficult economy. Economics aside, the proliferation of technological changes in materials and equipment have added to the difficulty. Mix in the explosion in the number of CAD/CAM companies, implant companies as well as outsourcing companies, various mergers and acquisitions of dental companies around the world, and the question becomes, “Where do I start?”

	Most dental laboratories don’t have an R&D department or the funds to develop new products, techniques or materials; this is what the manufacturers do for our industry. The challenge is in taking these new developments and applying them to your laboratory. Now the question evolves: Is it a product or a service and how will it be marketed to potential dentists? Keep in mind that in today’s market, many laboratories are pushing the same type of product, e.g. full coverage Zirconia.
	While that isn’t a bad idea, there is considerable competition. You may want to think about a rarely advertised product or service that could give you an advantage in opening a prospective customer’s door, which may eventually lead to sales of other products and services. Whatever type of product or service you decide to market, you will need to develop a simple strategy or plan for implementation that will help you become more successful.

	Prior to developing your plan or strategy, you might want to take a look at your laboratory operations. A simple analysis of your laboratory’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT Analysis) will go a long way in helping you and your team decide which product or service to promote. It also will help you understand the personnel and financial resources that will be required. Quality control, customer service, staff training and facility requirements as well as equipment and materials also should be addressed.

	If your laboratory has developed a different technique that results in a one-of-a-kind restoration that is offered exclusively by your laboratory you really have something you could promote under your own name. If you decide to come up with your own product name, you will need to do some investigating to make sure no other companies are using the same name. A patent/trademark attorney should be contacted to ensure you are not infringing on someone else’s trademark name.
	Once that has been accomplished, you will need to work with a graphic artist to develop a “look” for the name, which involves determining a font style and possibly the use of a color or even a logo or service mark.

	Next, you are ready to start branding (marketing) your product. Everything you do from this point on will determine the success of your efforts. Direct mail brochures, newsletters, journal advertising, social media campaigns, e-newsletters, e-blasts and postcards will help expose the marketplace to your product. You will need to create a company website or update your current one to allow for e-marketing and landing pages. This will take time and money, but will yield positive results in the long run.

	If you decide to brand your own product, there are several things you can do to begin introducing the product to the market. These suggestions also will help to keep you on track and should be included in your marketing plan and strategy.

		Develop a unique name and logo or service mark and consider applying a “trademark.”

		Write a press release: Many dental publications will print a press release on your product. Keep the release brief and to the point and provide a photo of the product.

		Update your website to include the new product or service.

		Consider running an advertisement in dental publications. To maximize the ad’s impact, run it in color rather than black and white.

		Send a new product information piece to existing and potential customers.

		Include statement stuffers on your product when you mail end-of-the-month statements.

		Provide new product information along with cases being returned to your existing customers.

		Make sure all phone personnel are informed about the new product and are able to provide information to dental offices.

		Hold seminars on your product and/or technique.

		Inform your target audience about your new product or service via the marketing methods mentioned earlier.

	Marketing your specialty product or service is similar to branding a laboratory. You may want to get more business on a national level. Whether you do this by running with a new or unique product offered exclusively by your laboratory, it will take time and money to get the job done. Your market may never have heard of your company or its product, so you will need continual exposure to succeed.

	Remember, selling a product requires a carefully planned strategy and proper finances. If you start to market a new product only to run out of funds and pull the plug too soon, you will have spent not only your organization’s time but a great deal of money. To ensure the best return on your investment-growth and sales-you first have to make sure you have a proper strategy in place.

 For more than 50 years dental laboratories have worked hard to differentiate their individual laboratory from the masses. In the early 1960s porcelain fused to metal restorations were just beginning to “come of age” and a few smart dental laboratories took advantage of this new technique to try to stand out from the crowd. There have been other techniques, materials and product/service innovations that laboratories have used over the years to try and gain a competitive advantage in an industry where everyone offers the same types of products and services.

Innovative product marketing

	A competitive business environment and the ongoing down economy have forced more and more companies to seek out new and better marketing alternatives. There is an increasing trend to use social networking as an affordable way to connect with customers and attract new ones as well.

	Social networking-or engaging in “member communities”-is an effective (and mostly free) tool that companies and marketers can use to generate exposure, create opportunity, and ultimately grow sales. Social media marketing offers various media platforms, the most popular of which are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and blogs.

	How popular are social media? According to a July 2009 Nielsen report, Twitter is the fastest-growing social networking site, increasing 1,928% year-over-year, from 1 million unique visitors in June 2008 to 21 million unique visitors in June 2009.

	Facebook has more than 350 million users worldwide, with more than 1.6 million active pages and counting. To put it into perspective, if Facebook were a country, its population would represent the third largest country in the world, just ahead of the United States.

	How effective are social media for marketing? Well, it is entirely dependent on how a company uses the tool, but according to the American Marketing Association in 2009, “In the last year, on average, companies with high levels of social media activity experienced an 18% increase in revenue.”

	Each medium has its own rules and methods on how to sign up and what you can or cannot do, all requiring some research on your part to choose which platform is best for you and your company.

	At first, I was unsure of social media. Being a little older, I was very skeptical and a little resistant when some of our younger team members wanted to start incorporating social media into our company’s marketing efforts-first for ourselves and then for our clients.

	The fact that social media demanded transparency brought some concern. However, as I began to learn how it could be used as a tool to identify consumers’ needs, concerns, and interests, as well as a platform to build and foster relationships, my attitude changed.

	Admittedly, it takes some organization and a definite time commitment to be effective in social media, and any lack of consistency in our company effort is probably due to my lack of social media understanding and direction. Nonetheless, I have learned a lot-perhaps mostly that there is a lot to learn.

	Here are a few key lessons you should consider:

 As I mentioned earlier, social media marketing is a great tool to generate exposure, create opportunity, and ultimately grow sales. But it only works if you have formed a relationship. People are looking to engage with the real you, so the veil has to go. Twitter is not the point, relationships are the point.

. Consumers are looking to engage with brands they know personally and that add relevant value, not companies that constantly try to push their products or services.

 Social media, like a company Web site, need to have fresh and relevant information that should be updated or posted on a consistent basis. If this does not happen, people will recognize this lack of new data and just move on to other more interesting posts, tweets, or blogs.

 It is important to remember that social media marketing is most effective when used in conjunction with traditional marketing vehicles, and I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on social media marketing to achieve your growth goals. Obviously, if your company is small and you have not done marketing in the past, social media might be a great way to get started on a smaller scale.

 Social media marketing is a great tool, but it should be something you enjoy.

	Prior to starting a social media campaign, do some research. The Internet, as you know, has a wealth of information available and is a great place to start. One white paper I found, Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses, written by Michael A. Stelzner,  should prove to be an invaluable tool that you can download to help you make the important decision on which social media to use and how to get started.

	Don’t let a lack of knowledge or information keep you from exploring social media marketing. Get a plan together, do your research and join the conversation! I promise you’ll have at least one fan (me!).

 A competitive business environment and the ongoing down economy have forced more and more companies to seek out new and better marketing alternatives. There is an increasing trend to use social networking as an affordable way to connect with customers and attract new ones as well.

Don't be anti-social

	The current economy has forced many labs to add new clients to fill the void of work no longer coming in. To do so, some have curbed advertising and marketing, while others have stepped it up. One thing is certain: You have to get in front of your existing and prospective customers for some face time. But what can you do to make your sales calls more effective?

	A common mistake is to just go out and make calls without any preparation. You need to do some homework and develop questions to ask that will give you some answers on what your customer or prospect might need in his or her practice.

	Look at your customers first. The goal is to gather the proper information to help you be more effective during your visit.

	Who are your customers? What type of work do they send? By analyzing which department they fall into, you can determine which area has the greatest opportunity for growth based on experience.

	Performing an account analysis will provide you with a wealth of information. An account analysis is a ranking by each account and the type of work they send to your laboratory based on dollar volume. It should guide your sales efforts to the areas that will give you the greatest return. You might discover there are customers not giving you work in certain areas, and that is an opportunity. You’ll also discover who your most important customers are. These are the accounts you need to make sure are taken care of properly. But you already knew that, right?

	An account analysis also should give a profile of customers who give you the bulk of your business. You’ll probably find the 80/20 rule applies (80% of your volume comes from 20% of your customers). Similar attributes such as age, dental school, location of practice, study group interest, and how you obtained the account are useful pieces of information to know as you plan your call on new prospects.

	There are different applications to use with existing clients versus prospective customers, so just be aware that you need to rely on your existing client account analysis for help in developing your questions. This also applies to calling on new prospects.

	There are three rules to consider when growing any business:

 If the 80/20 rule applies, then it is critical you know who they are and take care of them. How many new customers would you need if you ever lost one? By concentrating on keeping the business you have, you can reduce account attrition.

 Your laboratory already has a relationship with the practice, so why not leverage this relationship to increase business and not simply maintain it. A good program of up-selling and cross-selling to your existing customers also keeps you in constant communication.

 Once you have a system in place to handle existing customers, work on adding new ones.

	Sales is a difficult profession and calls for someone who can take rejection, has patience, and is determined to get the job done correctly. But gathering information and developing a sound sales-call process will make getting up-close and personal more enjoyable and financially rewarding. Developing a strategy that appeals to your existing customers’ needs and wants also will appeal to potential customers. 

	When making in-person sales calls on current or potential customers…
	

		Ask how much time you might spend with him or her during the visit

		Ask open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a yes or no

		Ask about what they are experiencing and how you might help them

		Listen for areas of specific need or shortcomings with existing labs

		Ask what they like about their current laboratory partner

		Ask about personal likes, hobbies, etc.

		Get back with answers to questions you could not answer

		Listen, take notes, and show a true interest in their practice

		Assume you know what the client or prospect wants

 The current economy has forced many labs to add new clients to fill the void of work no longer coming in. To do so, some have curbed advertising and marketing, while others have stepped it up. One thing is certain: You have to get in front of your existing and prospective customers for some face time. But what can you do to make your sales calls more effective?  Be Prepared

Up-close & personal

	By now most of us realize the dental laboratory industry has dramatically changed and will never return to what it was five -to-six-years ago. In addition to technology and our stubborn economy, we are faced with two other important factors that are changing the face of our industry.

	First, the amount of laboratory work that’s being outsourced has increased at a higher rate than many industry leaders first predicted. This has obviously reduced a considerable amount of market share available to U.S. laboratories.

	The second factor is the type of competition many laboratories have to face in their day-to-day operations. More and more laboratories are joining forces with larger organizations or getting involved with groups that can provide the types of services and products that are being offered by larger corporate-type laboratories and the off-shore organizations.

	While this is a natural result of our world economy and the advances in technology, it creates a different challenge for many dental laboratories. For some, it could mean their customer base is shrinking, and many have lost considerable volume to operations outside of their market.

	In addition to having to increase marketing efforts, many laboratories are now looking to replace lost sales volume by expanding outside of their traditional regional markets by going national.

	For many owners and managers, this can be a daunting task, especially if they don’t have experience with out-of-state or national marketplaces. Doing business outside of your traditional or regional marketplace requires some serious thought, strategic planning and a budget to enable marketing of your services and products.

	In addition, many states now-or will soon-have registration requirements to do business in their state as a commercial dental laboratory, so it is wise to check with each state where you plan to do business. You will need to review your internal processes and capabilities, if you have not had much experience in dealing with dentists out-of-state, to make sure you have all of your T’s crossed and I’s dotted before you start.

	You will want to address the following areas in your plan when going national.

		Establish a getting started process with your lab

		Allows you to compete with larger organizations

		Include testimonials on marketing pieces as well as website

		Consider marketing in areas where your lab is known

		Consider regional areas (e.g. Midwest or Atlantic states)

		E-mail addresses-opt in and opt out features

		Use existing accounts out of state to help expand via referral program

		Possible account rewards loyalty program

 By now most of us realize the dental laboratory industry has dramatically changed and will never return to what it was five -to-six-years ago. In addition to technology and our stubborn economy, we are faced with two other important factors that are changing the face of our industry.  First, the amount of laboratory work that’s being outsourced has increased at a higher rate than many industry leaders first predicted. This has obviously reduced a considerable amount of market share available to U.S. laboratories.

Going National

	We all have the need for marketing collateral materials designed to help present our business to prospective clients. Many laboratories have “starter kits” or “presentation pocket folders” while some laboratories have no materials to help them distinguish their laboratory services from the competition.

	Let’s put the first two marketing tools mentioned in proper perspective. The pocket folder is primarily used to send out to prospective dentists who have expressed an interest in a laboratory’s services, often in response to a sales call, a direct mail piece, a phone call or any other inquiry. The starter kit is mainly used to provide information, samples, Rx forms, shipping boxes or other items to dentists who have either sent in their first case or have expressed a need for materials so they can send a case.

	From a sales or marketing perspective, either will work as a follow up tool to interested parties. However, sending a starter kit to a prospect who has not had any previous contact from the laboratory can be expensive and may not provide enough return to offset the expense. Pocket folders, when used correctly, can be less costly and more effective in the sales process.

	Many laboratories use pocket folders for sales follow-up and solicitation of new customers. Many of these folders contain the same type of collateral materials (sales literature from the same manufacturers) and are usually over-stuffed with too much information. Often a dentist will request information regarding a specific product and the laboratory will respond by sending out a pocket folder containing information regarding all of their products and services. This can be confusing and irritating to a dentist who only wanted details about one product or service.

	This also means the laboratory has nothing left to follow up with as all of their information has been sent out to that dentist; expensive and not very effective.

	Let’s explore the sales process from lead to the point of sale, and what types of collateral materials you could use in your pocket folder to be cost effective and more selective. Keep in mind that if a dentist asks for information regarding a specific product, technique or service, you should reply only with the requested information. By doing this, you respond to the inquiry while retaining additional marketing materials with which to continue to try to gain additional interest in your laboratory.

	Figure 1 illustrates how you might view the sales process and what types of collateral material might be used and at what stage of the sales process.

	All of your collateral materials should be used as aids to help you move your prospect from the lead position down the pyramid to the base, which is the customer position. Note that the last position in the pyramid is titled “Starter Kits,” which gives potential new clients all the proper information and tools to send their first case to your laboratory.

	The inverted pyramid contains all the marketing pieces you could use to gain a prospect’s attention. The top row is bigger meaning there are more touch points (contact with potential customers) such as ads, sales calls or others. As you move down, you will notice that you will need less and less marketing materials. Early in the sales process you might entice someone with product information, and as you move down to the apex of the pyramid you will need more specific information to answer the question: Why should I use your laboratory?

	Types of marketing materials you should consider include:

		Direct mail brochures with Business Reply Cards

		Specific brochures about one department such as implants or cosmetics

		Manufacturer literature, prep guides, etc.

	As you can see, there are quite a few pieces of literature that could be used to consistently “touch” your prospect. According to Jay Conrad Levinson, author of an article titled “Frequency in Marketing” (gmarketing.com/articles) it can take as many as 20 views of a single ad to get a person to respond. So, it makes sense that the more touches you offer using different types of marketing collateral the better the chances that you will get a prospect to respond.

	When selling to prospects that have not heard of your laboratory, use product-based marketing materials that have a mix of manufacturer literature and literature that is specifically designed for your laboratory. As you move closer to the apex of the pyramid, use more materials that talk about your laboratory and what makes it unique.

	Most laboratories boast of delivering high-quality restorations, consistently, on-time and with great customer service. To set yourself apart, you need to tell a story, give them information as to why your laboratory is different, and continue this process until you gain their confidence and ultimately, their work. The entire process is about the presentation-do it right and you will gain new clients and grow your company. 

 We all have the need for marketing collateral materials designed to help present our business to prospective clients. Many laboratories have “starter kits” or “presentation pocket folders” while some laboratories have no materials to help them distinguish their laboratory services from the competition.