Marketing and Growing a Mercury-Safe Dental Practice
Dr. Tom McGuire is an expert on marketing and promoting a mercury-safe dental practice. With over 30 years experience as a mercury-free and mercury-safe dentist, he has developed a Marketing Program designed to cost-effectively promote a Mercury-Safe Practice. His program is guaranteed to generate new patients and increase revenues.
The key to the program is the Marketing Video (available on this page as a Free Download) that stresses the value and importance of practicing mercury-safe dentistry and introduces Dr. Tom's Marketing Program and Marketing Strategy. The marketing material that supports the information on the DVD is accessible from the Marketing Program's Table of Contents on this page. Dr. McGuire's program is easy to understand, laid out in a step-by-step format, and is designed to be easily and quickly implemented. Each Segment of the program has its own Table of Contents, making it easy to move around in the program. No marketing expertise is required and Dr. McGuire and his marketing team will work with your and your staff to customize the program to fit your practice.
Participation in Dr. Tom's Marketing Program is easy. Follow the order in the Table of Contents and each step will be clearly explained. As you will learn, the success of the program is based on effectively utilizing his books, The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings . . . Hazardous to Your Health and Healthy Teeth and Healthy Body: How to Improve Your Oral and Overall Health to generate new patients and increase revenues. Dentists who are listed on Dr. Tom's Mercury-Safe Dentist Internet Directory receive substantial discounts on his books but the program is available to all mercury-safe dentists.
Note: The program is also available in a printed version and includes a Reference Binder, the Marketing Program DVD, Booklets and Dr. Tom's books. While all of the information needed to understand the value and benefits of the program are included in the Online Version. If after reviewing the program on the website you decide you'd like to have the printed version please call us at 800-335-7755. Upon request we will send you sample booklets and copies of Dr. Tom's books.)
The Binder Version of the Marketing Program is available to non-members of Dr. Tom's Mercury Safe Dentist Internet Directory for $150. Quantity discounts on his books are also available to non-members. If you aren't a member of my Directory Click Here to order the Binder.
Marketing & Growing a Mercury-Safe Practice
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Index
Segment One: Introducing the Marketing Program
As an expert in promoting Mercury-Safe Dentistry I’ve learned that most mercury-safe dentists are not experienced at marketing their practices and have over-emphasized cosmetic dentistry. I’ve also learned that it is no longer realistic to think that just promoting your practice as mercury-free is enough to generate new patients.
Today you must be able to effectively market your practice as being both mercury-free and mercury-safe! This is the only way to obtain the marketing “edge” needed to distinguish your practice from the ever-increasing number of dentists (now over 50%) who are promoting themselves as mercury-free; but aren’t mercury-safe. (Segment Four in the Reference Binder includes an article about the important difference between dentists who are only mercury-free and those who are also mercury-safe.)
Because of my many years of experience in this area I can offer a proven strategy to market and promote your Mercury-Safe Practice. My Marketing Program is not only designed to save you and your staff a great deal of time but also shows how to:
- promote your Mercury-Safe Practice in all markets;
- generate new patients;
- increase revenues; and
- become the Education Dentist.
The downloadable video, along with the information and handouts included in the Table of Contents, will serve as a step-by-step guide for you, or your staff, to easily and quickly implement my program. In addition I, and my marketing director, will be available to work with you to personalize the marketing program to your practice and answer any questions you may have.
As a long-time mercury-safe dentist I know the key to adding anything new to your practice is that it not be time-consuming or disruptive and needs to have a high Return on Investment (ROI). To that end, we have done the work for you. As you will discover, my Marketing Program:
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- requires no marketing expertise;
- can be easily implemented and monitored by a staff member; and
- is extraordinarily cost-effective - with a high ROI.
Watching the Marketing Video and reading the related material in the Five Segments of the Table of Contents, will create an understanding of why promoting yourself as Mercury-Safe, both on the Internet and within your community and city, is the key to growing your practice in these challenging financial times.
Implementing the Program: Where to Begin
Marketing Video
Once you have read through this introduction and after you and a designed staff member have watched the 50-minute Marketing Video, Segment Three: “Implementation” will give you the information necessary to quickly and easily implement my program.
Marketing Segments and Table of Contents
The material in the Marketing Segments listed in the Table of Contents is arranged so that each element of my marketing strategy has its own easily identified section. This makes it easy to access and utilize. The links are placed strategically and allows you to move throughout the program contents.
Key Elements of the Marketing Program
Patient Referrals from Health Practitioners
Introducing health practitioners (alternative and orthodox/traditional) to the vitally important relationship of oral to overall health is a major component of my Marketing Program. Health practitioners are a goldmine of patient referrals but until now most dentists have not understood how to tap into this resource. The key to getting health practitioners to refer patients to your practice is to provide them with valid reasons why it’s in their best interest to do so. How to do this will be explained in the DVD and Segment Three of the Reference Binder.
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Become the Education Dentist - Making Patient Education Profitable
Another key element in promoting your practice, and clearly distinguishing yours from other dentists, is Patient Education. This cost-effective strategy to educate existing and new patients evolved from learning that while I had to “treat patients at the dental office, I didn’t have to teach them there”. I call this segment of my marketing strategy gaining the “Education Edge”. This extraordinarily effective “practice-builder” will be explained in detail in Segment Three of the Reference Binder.
Patient Handouts
I recommend that you provide your patients with two handouts that I’ve prepared for you and are included in Segment Four of the Table of Contents. The first will explain why you are a mercury-free and mercury-safe practice and will also serves as a disclaimer. The second handout explains the difference between a mercury-free practice and one that is both mercury-free and mercury-safe. Once you read them you will readily understand their importance to your practice. You can copy/paste them and customize them to your practice.
Internet Marketing
If you are a member of my Mercury-Safe Dentist Internet Directory you are already taking advantage of the most cost-effective way to achieve the highest Internet Exposure possible. Today, over 70% of people looking for mercury-free and mercury-safe dentists find them on the Internet and that number is increasing. Because of my website’s extraordinarily high Search Engine Rankings “they will find you through me”. Having such a Prominent Internet Presence is the cornerstone of any successful marketing program. We also have a software program that tracks visits to each members listing page. Thus, at the end of each year you will know how many people actually visited your listing on my Directory. If you aren’t familiar with the many other benefits and advantage of being listed, or want to know why you should be listed on my Directory, you can review them at: www.mercurysafedentistdirectory.com.
Using My Website for Patient Education
Another effective way to help educate your patients is to use my website. It has over 350 pages of educational material, most of it dedicated to the patient. The website covers many topics including explaining the role that oral health plays in overall health, along with information about amalgam fillings, chronic mercury poisoning, and mercury detoxification.
I’ve made it easy for you and your staff to refer your patients to the appropriate pages on my website. For example, on my Homepage (www.mercurysafedentists.com), go to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section and see how easy it is to guide patients to subjects of interest. Utilizing my website and books as viable and effective education tools means you can educated your patients - outside the dental office - saving you and your staff valuable time.
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Other Approaches to Marketing Your Mercury-Safe Practice in Your Community
There are other cost-effective ways of getting your message out to those in your community. These are introduced in the Video and there is a corresponding section in the Segment Three of Table of Contents that expands on these opportunities. I encourage you to take advantage of them.
The DVD: How to Make Your Practice Mercury-Safe - Minimizing Occupational Exposure to Mercury in the Dental Office
The central component necessary to effectively promote a Mercury-Safe Practice is to make certain your practice is as mercury-safe as possible. The DVD Dr. Paul Rubin and I produced from a live seminar, How to Make Your Practice Mercury-Safe: Minimizing Occupational Exposure to Mercury in the Dental Office, details all the essential requirements. You can learn more about it in Segment Four of the Reference Binder.
Connecting Oral to Overall Health
When all the dots are connected, the ultimate purpose behind Marketing and Growing a Mercury-Safe Practice is to make it absolutely clear to your existing patients - and those looking for a dentist and are considering you - that your approach to dental treatment includes far more than just dealing with teeth and gums, or how white and straight their teeth should be.
A good example of the benefits of patient education is the patient who, through your office, gets the message that eliminating gum disease and safely removing amalgam fillings will have a positive effect on his or her overall health. This type of motivated patient is desirable in that they realize their health is important and are willing to pay for the necessary dental treatment. For many, improving their overall health is a far greater motivator to pay for dental treatment than trying to convince them to pay for cosmetic dentistry simply so they can look better.
All of your marketing should be ultimately focused on making the connection between oral and overall health but to effectively do so, you must provide your patients with the information they need to make that connection and to make an educated decision about their dental treatment. Return to Table of Contents
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Summary
The above is a brief overview of the basic strategy and components of my cost-effective Marketing Program. Once you review the Marketing Video, and read through the material found in the Table of Contents, you will be able to easily and quickly tie it all together.
Dentistry is no longer about just teeth and gums and more and more people are becoming aware of how oral health issues, such as the harmful effects of gum disease and mercury from amalgam fillings, can affect their overall health. This means an ever-increasing number of people are looking for dentists like yourself whom they can relate and trust to safely remove their amalgam fillings. Yet far too many dentists don’t understand or appreciate the importance and value of patient education and marketing and promoting a Mercury-Safe Practice. My program will change that for you.
As a dentist, I know how time consuming it is to run a dental practice but I also know it will be well worth the small amount of time it takes to review and implement my program. There is no better time to creatively market your Mercury-Safe Practice than now and there is no time like the present to move this strategy forward.
What I’m suggesting works, is cost-effective and we have done most of the work for you . . . so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make it happen. Once you implement my marketing strategies it will not only save you time, but add new patients, and increase revenues. If you have any questions I or Brenda, my marketing director, will be happy to answer them.
Segment Two: Downloading & Watching the Free Marketing Video
 I consider watching the 50 minute Marketing Video essential to the success of the Marketing Program. It will introduce all aspects of the Program to you, and/or a designated staff member who will help implement the program. Once you’ve downloaded and watched the free Marketing Video (see below), the information included with my Online Marketing Program will serve as a step-by-step instructional guide for you, or your staff, to easily and quickly implement my program.
Having an overview of the strategy I developed for Marketing and Growing a Mercury-Safe Practice will provide you with the background necessary to understand the value of promoting a mercury-safe practice and the many ways it can be used to grow your practice by adding new patients and increasing revenues. Myself and Brenda Salaz, my Marketing Director, will work with you to personalize the program to your practice. For additional information call 800-335-7755.
Note
The Marketing Video was taken from a live course, “How to Make Your Practice Mercury Safe: Minimizing Occupational Exposure to Mercury in the Dental Office” by myself and Dr. Paul Rubin. As you will hear when you view the Marketing Video, there are references to other sections of the complete course this segment was taken from.
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Index
Downloading Instructions
There are two ways to download and watch or save the video. If you are new to this process I recommend first reading through the two methods of doing it.
Saving to Your Hard Drive
If you want t o save the Marketing Video file to your hard drive (or desktop) so you can access it at anytime do the following.
- Put your mouse over the colored link below under the heading Downloading the Marketing Video, and Right click your mouse. A box will open.
- In Windows Internet Explorer (IE) scroll to "Save Target As ..." and Left Click. A window will open and you can browse to the appropriate folder on your computer, or Desk Top. Once you’ve selected and named the folder you want to save the marketing video file in, choose Save.
- In Firefox mouse over the link below, right click your mouse and left click on "Save Link As ...". A window will open and you can browse to the appropriate folder on your computer, or Desk Top. Once you’ve selected the folder you want to save the video file in, choose Save.
- After it has been downloaded to your hard drive (or desktop) you can then open the folder and Click the Link MarketingMercurySafeDVD.mov to play the video. It will now be stored on your hard drive and you can watch it at any time.
Watching the Marketing Video Without Saving it to the Computer
If you have QuickTime* and and want to watch the Marketing Video without saving it to your computer do the follwoing.
- Put your mouse over colored link below, Click Here to Download the Marketing Video, and Left click.
- The file will download and when the downloading is finished a window will open and the video will start automatically. (If it doesn’t start on its own, click the Play button.)
- If you download the Marketing Video this way it won't be saved to your computer and you will have to download it each time you want to watch it.
*You can watch the Marketing Video without saving it to your computer but you must make sure you have the appropriate QuickTime software installed. (If you don't have QuickTime, or not sure, you must first download it before you attempt to download the Marketing Video. Downloading and playing the Marketing Video requires QuickTime Software. Quicktime is a free program from Apple for PC and Mac. It can be downloaded from www.apple.com/quicktime/download.)
Downloading the Marketing Video
Click Here to Download the Marketing Video Marketing and Growing a Mercury-Safe Practice.
Note
Please note that downloading the Marketing Video could take some time depending on the speed of your Internet connection. So please be patient. (See below to determine how much time it could take take.)
How to Determine Download Time
The time it takes to Download the Video will vary depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the size of the video file. In order to determine your download speed go to www.speakeasy.net/speedtest.
To calculate the time it takes to download the video to your computer go to www.numion.com/calculators/time.html and enter the file size (193) and select megabytes from the dropdown menu. Then scroll down under Speed until you see the download speed you recorded from speakeasy. The section to the right of the Download Speed will indicate the approximate time it will take to download the video.
To give you general idea of download times at various download speeds; if you have a 1 Mbps connection, it should take approximately 25 minutes. If it's a 5 Mbps connection, it will take about 5 minutes to download.
Return to Segment 1 & 2 Table of Contents
Segment 3 - Implementation
Segment 4 - Education Support
Segment 5 - Program Support
Index
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