Offline Marketing - How Do You Get A bus. owner to read your letter?

Buy $50 DVD players. Video the sales pitch on a DVD. Load the DVD into the players. send to the doctors. They will get thru the gate keepers.

(PS-Works with lawyers too)

ya know - I really like the creativity of that. I do have an expensive product, that I think would sell with the right doctor.

I think I'm going to buy large pill bottles as mailers first - Dan Kennedy idea.

On a similar topic, Dan K. says that people send him dvds all of the time (he never mentioned the entire player though... gosh I like that idea more and more). He says that it's a pain to load up the dvd then find the spot he needs to watch (people ask for product reviews I think he said). He said that he prefers to get a vcr tape that is in the spot that he needs to see... just a thought - I may send both the next time I need something to be watched

Dan Kennedy's courses are your best info source on this for sure

Send it in a small flat box or padded envelope via a courier service. It will get past the gatekeeper and get opened. More expensive than a stamp, but cheaper than buying and shipping DVD players.

In my area, if you buy the Dr. and his staff lunch (about $100) you get to speak about whatever you want for 30 minutes in their conference room.

Mostly drug reps do this, but anyone can.

I'm sure it's standard practice in many doctors' offices.

Dan Kennedy's partner used the DVD player ploy with a huge conversion (Bill Glazer). For offline marketing ideas, his new book,
'Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously...

is a great investment.

Just to add another idea -send your offer by Fedex.

Make friends with the gate keeper: ( secretaries)

It most cases with direct mail you have to go through the gate keeper, which is most of a time a female secretary.

So, make a deal with a hair saloon and get some free services for free advertising.

Then make a post card offering the free service to the secretary.
(Secretary appreciation service)

Here's How You Get The Direct Mail To Physicians:
- On your post card you have a phone number to claim the offer or make reservations.
That phone number is your phone number... answer it and be really friendly, set up the appointment, tell her that person will call her back to confirm.

- Before you let her off the phone make your pitch. [her name] I also work for a company the provides XYZ. (30 second benefit statement) Do you know anyone who would interested in this? (wait for a reply)

- If she says my boss, "Great what is the best way to make sure a package gets open by him/her?"

- If the answer is no, ask why she think Dr. X would not be interested. Don't you think he or she needs to make up their mind after see all the available information?

With certain professions you need to meet the people.
I am helping a friend/associate who works in the field of property law. He wants estate agents to refer people to him.
We both attended an estate agents networking meeting/association event and very quickly got lots of good leads. We were the only "Property Law" specialists there.

Meet people and then just arrange to meet them at their convenience

I'm getting WAY more ideas than I imagined. I've already started round 1. I will choose one of the above strategies for round 2 (heading to Walmart right now to price cheap electronics!).

I am a person who takes massive action so your suggestions will not go unused. Once again - thank you thank you

Just a word to the wise - if you're not familiar with the business culture of your area tread lightly with the word "secretary". In my area the term "secretary" has gone the way of "stewardess" and those that still exist are referred to as administrative/executive assistants/professionals. Even the day formerly designated as Secretary's Day is now officially Administrative Professional's Day. The distinction could make the difference between getting in the door, and not...

I highly recomend Dan Kennedy's stuff and his partner Bill Glazier. The books are cheap - get the Ultimate Sales Letter

Lumpy mail is always a good one that I've had success with - stick something in there and tie it into your sales letter.

Simon

The DVD player idea is a good one.

However, one thing to remember is that these doctors or lawyers or whomever, do not know you... How much do you know about them? Suppose you send some of the DVD players out and find out that these doctors are not in the market for what you are selling?

Suppose one of the doctors was impressed with what you have to offer, but is a complete #!#?*@+! ?

Wouldn't it be more profitable to research a little bit and find someone you WANT to work with than just throwing mud on the wall and hoping some of it sticks?

How would you like to have doctors chasing you?

Let's face it, however. If you are first starting out, you need to market until you have a base of referrals feeding you business. If you are going to spend 50 bucks on a DVD player, why not spend a few bucks sending the doctor to a concert or other event?

THEN, make sure you are sitting next to the doctor.

You can be friendly, chat, and not talk a thing about business, but then call later and ask if you can send a package.

When you are sending a letter, you are hoping the doctor is ready to talk about your offline marketing tips.

Warmly,

Millard

PS Here's a free seminar that can help... https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/161562185

ummm... make a doctors appointment?? Too simple?

Why not just focus on businesses or professionals that don't use gate keepers, like contractors or brokers? This way you won't have to spend a fortune on marketing.

I just scored a job working with a local company (a contractor - kitchen remodeling). No gate keeper and the guy does business using mostly his cell phone.

His business is booming and was kind of desperate to have someone do his online marketing. We worked out a good deal and I am building his website now.

Wow, lots of creativity in this thread. I LOVE the dvd player idea. I see ones right now online at walmart for $30. Perhaps if this is a technique that you see working, you could even buy in bulk from a wholeseller.

One of my goals for January is to build a small list of businesses that I think will be perfect matches for me, and be diligent at winning them as clients.

Matt

The simple answer is that you cannot get anyone to read your sales literature.

You can attract their attention briefly.

If your message is about them, their fears, dangers, opportunities, etc. than they will give you their attention long enough to see if their is a benefit for themselves in your message. If your offer is so good they'd be foolish to not do it, you will have sales.

If it is all only about you and making a sale, you won't have their attention for long.

good luck,
Dave

Use one day express mail. Its going to look as if there is something very important inside.

Great suggestions above. I would just add that it is important to watch your mindset.

Are you "trying to contact physicians"? Or are you contacting physicians? BIG DIFFERENCE - IMHO.

ileneg

Great idea with the DVD's, but I would certainly pre-sell this with a short hand written invitation to claim it over a prepaid return card, or sending him a telex (still used form of personal short messages).

I think it really depends on how many business you have to get to pay the investment.

G.

A guy that owned a software company was trying to "get to" the CEOs of the companies he was mailing to.

To get past the gatekeeper, he put the sales letter in a pink envelope, had a woman hand address them, spray a dab of perfume on the envelope, then kiss the back of the letter with lipstick on.

The gatekeepers didn't dare open or sort those letters! They all got passed right through.



Just be sure to mention in the letter that you had to find some creative way to get past the gatekeeper so they will appreciate your creativity. You could also make the letter from a woman. Gary Halbert's Coat Of Arms letter was signed by his wife.

Interesting, huh?

Have a good one.

I work in the medical field. A $20 golf club will most likely go in the trash and a busy doc won't spend the time to hook up a DVD player that he probably doesn't need to begin with. You can throw endless money at this without actually getting your proposition thoughtfully considered by a physician. BTW: the pill bottle has been used to death.

At the end of the day, as with all marketing, you have to know your customers and prospects. Without knowing your product it is hard to be very specific on specific tactics would be most effective. In general Doctors use networking and Peer Group meetings to select vendors. Seminars, public speaking and getting published (even as an ad) is the most effective way in. Trade shows are important as well. Network with vendors that have existing relationships and could use you for affiliated products. Word of mouth and referral marketing is simply the most powerful strategy for this very closed niche.

Office staff are also excellent entry points, especially if your product impacts them. Having educational luncheons and other ways of informing them of your services/products will eventually impact the doc. Gifts and lumpy mail are more effective with staff and at a lower price point. Coach them on getting your info and you in-front of the physician.

Good luck...Russ

I talked to a former sales rep for a drug company who liked to do magic.

He first showed a WOWZER trick to the gatekeeper. He told the gatekeeper that he would show them how the trick worked after he talked to the doctor.

Once he got in to the doctor, he showed the doctor another gangbuster trick and GAVE IT TO THE DOCTOR. The doctor usually bought.

The key is to make yourself stand out from the average person.

Warmly,

Millard