How to Weed Out Time-Wasters & Cheapskates

There’s a reason why top copywriters (people who write ad copy) can command fees in excess of the best-compensated specialists in any medical category.

Example: One guy I know, to put together a comprehensive ad campaign along with marketing strategy, you’d easily write a check for $175,000 or more… and, he’d insist on getting paid an “end” on the deal, meaning, he’d ask for (and he gets) a tail of 5% of the gross sales. How can he get such fees? Well, one, he has the guts to ask, and two, he’s top in his field. Few can do what he does at the level he does it.

It’s why I’ve spent over a decade (now almost 2) learning the skill. It pays very well. And, it’s the one skill that has fueled every business I have ever been involved with.

Why am I telling you this? A while back, a Member (who I won’t name), mentioned that he was seeing a lot of patients, but no one could “afford” his dentistry. So, he wanted to quit running ads, or, just put them in the hands of people that “could afford it.”

There are a lot of things wrong with the above paragraph. First, I’d suggest some sales training for the doc. If you can’t close at least 7 out of the 10 people (on some level of care) your ads put in your chair, you need to face facts and you and your team need to get some sales training. I’d wager none of his assistants can sell, and in place of selling, he bores them to death with facts and figures instead of something far more straight-forward. But, I digress.

Look: Your ads can do the heavy lifting of getting someone off their butt to call you, but you will be hard-pressed to eliminate all of the “coupon seekers and low-life” this guy was bitching about. If you carefully examine the “Free Exam FSI” I ran successfully for well over a year, with incredible results, you’ll note the carefully crafted language about, “…you shouldn’t have to pay to find out what’s wrong, just to fix it.”

That was an intentional phrase. It was designed to get those with ZERO money and no income to stay at home. Instead, anyone with a heartbeat, honest and hard-working, we wanted ‘em in the office. That single ad fueled growth of well over 50% “cash in the bank” in year-over-year growth. And somehow, the staff & docs worked through and made all that showed up, feel welcome, whether they just had their teeth cleaned or, only needed a filling. I know any dentist can do the same or better. As the old saying goes, focus on the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. Think of these “tire-kickers and freebie seekers” as pennies. Oh, and they do know people that can “afford” your dentistry. Wouldn’t it be great if they referred others to you? They won’t if you your attitude of gratitude is in the tank.