DentalFlak

A Reading From The Blog According to Luke?

2010-01-23T21:59:00.041-05:00

Who would've expected that 82 year-old Pope Benedict XVI would be telling priests to use the internet "astutely" by writing blogs and using new forms of communications to spread the gospel message.

Hey, I wouldn't lie about the Pope - I couldn't handle the guilt!

But seriously, in his message during the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Communications this past Saturday, the Pope said, "Priests are challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audio-visual resources, images, videos, animated features, blogs and websites which alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue..."

This foward-thinking comes from a man who still writes his speeches by hand and has his assistants surf the web for him. But this is more forward-thinking than I would have ever expected.

When you come to think of it, weren't the Gospels of the apostles very blog-like?

Before You Hire a Social Media Consultant...

2010-01-03T20:41:00.003-05:00

It appears that the dental industry officially discovered social media in 2009 - Kind of like Columbus discovering America when it was already populated, but better late then never, right?

One by-product of dentistry's social media gold rush is the emergence of many self-proclaimed social media gurus, ninjas and experts who want to charge a fee to slap up a Facebook page and set up a Twitter account.

Ah, if only it were that easy. Here are some things to consider before signing up with a social media consultant:

Social media is a marketing function, and is usually best handled by social media savvy public relations professionals. What experience does your potential social media consultant have in marketing and public relations?

Social media is not a silver bullet. It should be part of a comprehensive marketing strategy and complement the other marketing tactics being used. How does your prospective social media consultant propose to integrate social media with the rest of your marketing mix? If he or she recommends eliminating most of your other marketing activities, run for your life.

Social media is not a quick fix. It may take months to engage with your target audience. You don't build relationships with the flick of a switch or the posting of a fan page.

You can't set it and forget it. It can take a couple of hours each day to monitor and participate on social media metworks and update your own corporate accounts. So who is going to do that, you or your consultant?

Where is your consultant learning about social media best practices? From other dental industry social media experts? This can be akin to attending a hillbilly wedding.

One resource I find extremely helpful is the web site http://www.socialnetdaily.com/ which covers the following topics in great detail:

Social Networking News
Social Media News
Social Marketing News
Facebook News
Twitter News
Blogging News

I also follow SocialNetDaily on Twitter and find its Tweets among the most informative that I receive.

The bottom line is that social media is real and it's here to stay - Make sure your social media consultant is as well.

Greater New York Dental Meeting: Waiting On Line for the Prizes

2009-12-01T21:24:00.013-05:00

This past Sunday, I did my annual Jersey Shore to Manhattan Island shuttle to attend the Greater New York Dental Meeting. The planets appeared to be in perfect alignment.

It was a beautiful mild day with hardly any traffic - was Will Smith filming Legend Part II?

I discovered an empty parking lot on the corner of 11th ave and 28th - 8 bucks for the whole day! Sweet!

As soon as I walked into the world's largest terrarium otherise known as the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, I realized the attendee registration lines were unreasonably long.

Unfortunately, I had to take my place at the end of the que because although I registered online months ago, I never received my badge via snail mail in advance of the meeting.

Neither did hundreds of other people waiting in this line who were grousing about the same thing. This was free online advance registration glitch #1.

Last week when I first realized that I never received my badge in the mail, I attemped once again to register online. I printed out the confirmation form with the bar code that would enable me to pick up my badge at the "express registration counter".

The only problem was that there was no express registration counter. The convention center employee actually laughed when she told me there was no such line despite what the GNYDM web site and confirmation form said - Not funny! Let's count this as free online advance registration glitch #2.

As I shuffled along the maze of velvet ropes that eventually lead to the non-express registration counter, I couldn't help overhear the woman behind me obsessing over the potential prizes she may win on the exhibit floor.

She asked the laughing convention center employee, "Is this the line for the badge they scan to win the prizes?"

At one point she was standing at my side and silly me for making eye contact. "My freind gave me her badge, but I don't want the prizes sent to her house, so I have to ait in line for my on badge." Er-r-r, that's nice.

I was saved by the door bell ring tone of her cell phone. She told the caller, "I'm waiting in line to get a badge for a dental show at Javitts. Once I get that, I'll be eligible to win prizes."

Call me suspicious, call me skeptical, but I don't think this woman had any connection whatsoever to the dental industry. In fact, I'll bet any prizes I might win on that. Let's count this as free online advance registration glitch #3.

So although the Greater New York Dental Meeting was well attended, how many of those attendees were qualified dental professionals and how many were swag-seeking stroller pushers and prize junkies?

Do you ever wonder?

Virtual Magazine Rack

2009-11-01T20:57:00.035-05:00

A new web site named Maggwire.com provides magazine publishers with a new means to distribute their content online.

Maggwire intends to apply the i-Tunes business model to magazine publishing, which you probably already know is drowning in red ink.

According to a company press release, "For the first time, magazine readers can select a topic and browse current magazine articles from a pool of more than 600 leading magazine publications.

While Maggwire Beta is currently free, the company is partnering with magazine publishers to develop Maggwire Premium, a subscriber model that will deliver premium magazine content exclusively to Maggwire users."

So what's the big deal? Magazine publishers have been putting their content online for years. Many have tried to charge for so-called premium content with few takers. Why is Maggwire.com any different?

The company's co-founder and COO, Jian Chai readily admits that virtually all digital initiatives by magazine publishers to date have been failures. The reason? "Magazines have achieved limited innovation compared to music, videos and books," explains Chai. "Now we finally have a product focused on delivering an incredible experience to readers, while helping magazine publishers and advertisers reach their goals."

The user experience will be shaped and driven by social intelligence technology. In other words, based on your reader preference history, Maggwire "learns" what you like to read and then makes recommendations accordingly.

Here's how your preference history is tabulated: As you read and rate articles with 1-5 stars, Maggwire.com builds a personalized profile of your interests. The company then uses that information to "predict" how you will rate newly-published articles.

What's more, unlike Amazon's and Apple's proprietary approach to content distribution, Maggwire is an open platform, accessible from any phone, computer or digital reader.

The amount of magazine titles available on Maggwire.com surpasses that found on traditional news stands. However, no dental publications yet

Hygienist be Heard!

2009-10-05T15:20:00.005-04:00

In case you weren't aware, Lanmark Group (my employer) is conducting an online survey for dental hygienists only.

We believe the hygienist's opinion, insight, and point-of-view are extremely valuable when it comes to product preferences, day-to-day office procedures, social media usage, career satisfaction, CE/training programs, patient communication, etc.

The survey will take about 20 minutes, but think of it as spending quality time with someone who truly values your input. So if you've ever thought to yourself "How come no one asks what the hygienist thinks?" Here's your chance to be heard.

By the way, if you take part, you'll be entered for a chance to win a Grand Prize of an Amazon Kindle™ 2 (retail value $299). You’ll also have the chance to win one of five $50 VISA gift cards...Not too shabby!

Here'e the link: http://bit.ly/EaHlT - Feel free to forward to your hygienist colleagues!

Twitter: It's In The Way That You Use It

2009-09-27T01:07:00.015-04:00

According to Newsweek writer Daniel Lyons, Twitter is “a playground for imbeciles, skeevy marketers, D-list celebrity half-wits and pathetic attention seekers." He also cites a recent report that found 40% of Twitter content to be "pointless babble."

That's harsh commentary for a micro-blogging platform that just received $55-million in venture funding, but I know what he means. There's certainly a lot of trivial content chaff surrounding the grains of useful information originating from bonafide subject experts.

But Twitter is only a few years old and many aren't quite sure what to do with the kid. Because it's free, easy to use and very portable, it's expected to gain 12.1 million registered users by the end of the year - and right now, a lot of people are simply messing around with it. This includes the legions of Oprah lemmings who signed up earlier this year after Ms. O said she uses it.

Eventually, those with nothing to say but "I'm eating corn flakes" and those tired of receiving such compelling messages from their self-absorbed friends, will get bored and drop out of the network for more interesting pusuits - such as watching Paula Abdul's replacement on American Idol.

In the meantime, Twitter will continue to attract and retain a core base of power users that frequently share truly useful information with others sharing common interests or working in the same industry.

For example, I think the majority of dental industry tweets I receive are keeping me pretty well informed. Inside information from industry insiders - what's not to like.

In his article Mr. Daniels goes on to say that “...of all the hellish things that have been spawned in the fever swamp that is the Internet, Twitter may turn out to be the most successful of them all — not in spite of its stupidity, but because of it.”

However, he also admits that some serious people, like George Stephanopoulos and Al Gore, use Twitter, and that he himself uses Twitter to link to his articles and blog posts.

He also mentions thatit was a Twitter user who posted the first photos of the US Airways plane crash on the Hudson River in January, and that the first reports of the Iranian protests broke on Twitter. Scooping CNN - That's some serious tweeting!

So when it's all said and done, the question of whether or not Twitter is relevant or irrelevant can be best explained by quoting the title of an Erin Clapton song, "It's in the Way That You Use it."

When Was The Last Time Someone Gave Your Dental Practice A Free Marketing Campaign?

2009-07-27T22:00:00.004-04:00

Did I mention that there are no strings attached?
It's true. The Dental Trade Alliance recently launched the “Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™” Awareness Campaign to warn consumers about the risks of postponing regular dental checkups and treatment.
Therefore, the DTA with the help of my employer, Lanmark Group, has developed a strategic, fully-integrated, multi-faceted marketing campaign that is available to any and all dental practices for the taking...or download if you will.
This is slick, big-agency stuff that is beyond the budget of most dentists. Using the materials is pretty much a no-brainer in my book - Here's what I'm talking about:

Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait logo and slogan
Dedicated Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait website for dental professionals http://www.oralhealthcarecantwait.com/
A special consumer web site as well -http://www.visityourdentistnow.com/
Dental trade and print and online advertising support
Consumer print and online advertising materials
Professional and consumer public relations support
Radio public service announcements
Patient education brochures and posters
Dental practice marketing tool kit to promote “Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait” campaign in local markets
Online video for distribution via YouTube, etc.
Statement stuffers
Newsletter article
E-mail template
More items being continuously added

The Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait campaign's ultimate goal is to sustain and improve oral health in America with the grass roots marketing materials developed to move the needle on a national scale being very valuable to local dental practice marketing efforts.

You may have to pay for some printing and ad placement, but the strategy and supporting materials of this campaign are gifts to the industry, to your practice and to consumers in communities across the country. Take advantage of these gifts by bookmarking http://www.oralhealthcarecantwait.com/ and then implementing the marketing materials provided.

Twitistics

2009-07-19T21:01:00.015-04:00

With all the hype about Twitter being the next best thing since the invention of Velveeta, marketers the world over are wetting themselves as they attempt to answer to those annoying little questions asked by clients and corporate executives, such as "Who uses Twitter...and while you're at it, how do they use it and why?

Help is at hand from a Toronto-based company named Sysomos (Greek for "everything together"), which describes itself as providing business intelligence for social media. In other words, Sysomos provides analytics for social media; thus filling a critical void for any marketer tasked with integrating social media strategy and tactics within the rest of their marketing mix.

The company recently completed an extensive study to document Twitter's growth and to gain insight into how people use it. Here are a few statistical nuggets that came out of the company's analysis of information disclosed on 11.5 million Twitter accounts:

72.5% of all users joining during the first five months of 2009
85.3% of all Twitter users post less than one update/day
21% of users have never posted a Tweet
93.6% of users have less than 100 followers, while 92.4% follow less than 100 people
5% of Twitter users account for 75% of all activity
New York has the most Twitters users, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco and Boston; while Detroit was the fast-growing city over the first five months of 2009...You read that right - Detroit!
More than 50% of all updates are published using tools, mobile and Web-based, other than Twitter.com
TweetDeck is the most popular non-Twitter.com tool with 19.7% market share
There are more women on Twitter (53%) than men (47%)
Of the people who identify themselves as marketers, 15% follow more than 2,000 people. This compares with 0.29% of overall Twitter users who follow more than 2,000 people

The study, entitled "Inside Twitter: An In-Depth Look Inside the Twitter World" was compiled by Sysomos analysts Alex Cheng, Mark Evans, and Harshdeep Singh. The complete 29-page report is available as a free PDF download at http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/. There are gobs of interesting and useful information with many corresponding charts and graphs.
If you're a marketing professional, this report can help you look and keep your pants dry in the board room.

Treat Employees Like Crap. Watch Company Go Down The Toilet.

2009-05-31T12:55:00.027-04:00

On Sunday, May 3oth, the Asbury Park Press, the dominant newspaper for the Jersey Shore area, published a feature article by business writer David P. Willis entitled "New Kid in Town."

The article examines how the family-owned, regional consumer electronics chain P.C. Richard & Son is expanding beyond its New York strong-hold into new local markets recently abandoned by the bankrupt national chain Circuit City.

The century old company, now run by a fourth generation Richard family executives, seems poised for success based on several smart retail business factors:

Extensive product selection

Emphasis on name brand merchandise

Low price guarantee

Well trained employees - Across all departments!

After sales customer support

One aspect of Mr. Willis' article that really made stop, think, and nod my head in agreement, was his mention of a seemingly small detail that I firmly believe struck the final death blow to the once mighty Circuit City.

"Circuit City's decision to lay off its most experienced sales workers in 2007 and replace them with lower-paid staff are among the reasons touted for the company's demise. Angry customers abandoned the retailer."

I remember when Circuit City first announced this policy and saying to myself, "This will be a public relations nightmare." The company did give long time employees the option of accepting a 50% pay cut, but that was a "thanks for nothing" offer.

What the Circuit City bean counters failed to take into consideration was the community relations meltdown that this policy caused.

Let's face it, even national chains are community businesses in the respect that they employ people from the surrounding community. Other than store managers, the majority of rank and file retail employees live only a few miles from the store.

If you live in the same community as a Circuit City location, the people the chain laid off were very likely to be your friends, children, spouses, etc.

This six degrees of separation ignited a negative word of mouth brush fire that helped to reduce one of the country's leading retailers to ashes.

I don't believe that average person wants to support a business that obviously screws other people - especially people they know and especially when they can easily take their business to another retailer down the road or on the Internet for that matter.

Now even if a shopper were oblivious to the announced Circuit City "employee bait and switch program" they surely noticed a lack of product knowledge on the part of the newer, lower paid employees - As the old saying goes, "They stayed away in droves."

What does this all mean to a dentist or any small business owner for that matter? First of all, your professional reputation and standing in the community depend heavily on word of mouth.

There's always going to to be a former disgruntled employee who will badmouth you at any given opportunity. However, if your business is a revolving door churning out legions of naysayers, something is definitely wrong.

Better hire a management consultant or remove yourself or your general manager from day-to-day employee contact.

Secondly, do your best to hire, train and retain the most qualified people possible in order to provide your customers with the highest level of customer service - The community will take notice and patronize your business.

Is Your Dental Office Peter Perfect?

2009-05-17T15:50:00.077-04:00

It's an overcast, drizzly Sunday afternoon at the Jersey Shore.

I've been whiling away the day by pounding on my laptop while the Style Channel's Peter Perfect marathon plays in the background.

Yeah, I know - I should probaly be watching the Yankee game or something more macho, but this show appeals to the marketer in me.

Anyway, in case you weren't aware, Peter Perfect is a business makeover program featuring Peter Ishkhans, a British-born hairstylist to the stars who is remarkably effective at reinventing and re-branding floundering small businesses of virtually any type.

He does this by combining his impeccable good taste with common sense principles of corporate branding, interior design, retail layout and employee image.

It made me think that it may be time to for Peter to visit a dental office.

Although dentistry has come a long way from the days of drill and fill, rinse and spit; many dental offices do a poor job of communicating this via their visual appearance.

Half-taped, hand-written signs, dog-eared wall paper and stained carpeting do not enhance the patient experience or the professional image of the practice.

In fact, they actually counteract and devalue the highly-aesthetic, beautifully photographed images provided by the manufacturers of tooth whitening systems, veneers and clear orthodontic aligners.

That's because a cluttered, shabby office makes it hard for patients to believe that the results shown on these slick waiting room posters are possible at the dental practice they are sitting in.

You wouldn't expect a gourmet meal from a restaurant that looks like a greasy spoon would you? And not for nothing, any doctor's office should be spotlessly clean.

But what do I know? I'm just a consumer.

Swine Flu, Pork Chops and Public Relations

2009-05-02T12:37:00.018-04:00

There's no denying that the recent swine flu outbreak is dominating the news. The media just can't get enough swine flu info and quite frankly, the public relations industry is more than happy to give it to them.

The PR machine of the National Pork Board has been working full-bore (full-boar?) to distance the swine flu virus from the ingestion of swine food products and to have the media refer to it by it's official name - the H1N1 virus.

In case you've forgotten, the National Pork Board is the same organization that gave us the "other white meat" campaign and also spearheaded the genetic re-engineering of pigs to produce a new generation of "healthy" pork chops that now have the taste and texture of shredded wheat - minus the milk.

Not only has the National Pork Board and its allies such as the American Meat Institute, and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (Think about it, who do you think Babe, Arnold Ziffel and Gordy go to when they're sick?) have gone to great lengths to convince the public that the virus is transmitted by human-to-human contact rather than pork rinds-to-people.

As I write this blog, I have CNN on in the background and the news ticker and computer graphics are using the term H1N1 virus. The reporters are now using the name H1N1 interchangeably with the word swine flu.

Coincidence? I think not. Never underestimate the power of pork-fueled public relations.

Seriously, the National Pork Board is doing a great job in counteracting misconceptions regarding the origin of the virus, and in maintaining consumer confidence in the US food supply.

I Agree With Fred. Everything is Marketing.

2009-04-19T19:19:00.021-04:00

I just finished reading "Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth" by Fred Joyal, who is the CEO and co-founder of
1-800-DENTIST. I highly recommend this book for any dentist looking for ways to boost practice production and profits.

As a public relations and marketing professional, I read a lot of general marketing books, newsletters and blogs and do my best to share relevant and transferable information with the dental community via this blog.

Fred's book is written specifically for dentists. His knowledge of the dental industry and how consumers think about dentistry is what make this book superior to typical "marketing tips for any business" books and a must read for dentists wanting to take their their practices to the next level.

Imagine spending a few hours over a beer with a marketing guru buddy who knows the business of dentistry inside out and sideways and has compiled more dental-specific consumer behavioral data than anyone on the planet . That's what reading this book is like - conversational and informal, but informational and insightful as hell.

Fred defines marketing in real world terms and emphasizes elements that are often overlooked or taken for granted. Here are just a few examples:

Why the business of dentistry is unique - even when compared to other health care professions.

Why dentists should position themselves as "lifestyle enhancers" and how to achieve that.

Understanding human nature/consumer behavior and how ignoring it can lead to failure.

Building customer loyalty and understanding why customers leave

Converting emergencies into long term patients.

Transforming your office into marketing environment.With special attention given to the handling of phone calls.

Common sense ways to implement and evaluate your advertising programs.

The book is available in hard copy, audio book or Kindle e-book from Amazon.com or directly from Fred Joyal's dental marketing advice web site GoAskFred.com.

What Kind of Blogger Are You Anyway?

2009-03-24T16:27:00.012-04:00

Can a blog's text provide insight into the blogger's personality?

According to Swedish researcher Mattias Östmar of the media analysis company PRfekt, yes it can if the blog text is analyzed with the help of statistical modeling algorithm technology that can match frequently-used words with the profiles of the standard Myers-Briggs personality types.

I remember taking the Meyer-Briggs test in high school to help me choose my career path. I'm still waiting for the call from NASA to invite me into the astronaut program.

Anyway, the statistical modeling algorithm tool is now online and free to use by any blogger on the perpetual quest for self-awareness or perhaps still mourning over the passing of Madame Marie of Asbury Park boardwalk fame.

I ran this blog through Typealyzer and discovered that I am a "Doer" - The active and playful type. I am especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy...engaging in physical out-door activities.

I am supposedly happiest with action-filled work which craves my full attention and focus. I may also be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. I may also have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Based on this analysis, it may be time to stop letting my Labrador Retriever ghost write my blog. Where's the Frisbee? Where's the Frisbee?

Seriously, Typealzer is an interesting tool that I found to be about 75-80% accurate for a basic personality profile. There's also additional tabs to determine what type of lover you are and what type of sports you're interested in - I found the the accuracy of these profiles to be about about 50%.

But then again, this is a free statistical modeling tool. How much self-revelation can you expect? Just it try it out and have some fun.

The Face Book for Dentists?

2009-03-15T20:10:00.011-04:00

I recently came across a new social media site targeted to new dentists named NewDocs.com.

Founded by New Jersey expatriate and practicing Ashland, Oregon dentist Dan Marut, DMD, NewDocs.com is described as "the must-join social & professional network for dentists of all specialties."

Should you join? I did because as a dental industry marketer I'm interested in learning more about the specific needs, concerns and insights of newly-minted dentists and forward-thinking veterans who are shaping the future of the profession.

By the way, Dr. Marut explained to me via e-mail that the name NewDocs was chosen to represent the site's focus on new ideas, new thinking, new sharing, etc.

NewDocs.com claims it will help cut through the online noise and provide a superior online networking forum. From what I see so far, this is not hype.

NewDocs.com is well-designed, easy to navigate and has some cool functions and services such as the ability to assist with the management of study clubs, associations or groups.

According to NewDocs.com, "Almost every association has a website. But does every association have a thriving online community backed by the latest social networking technology geared toward the niche area dentistry represents? The likely answer is no. It takes time, money and an IT savvy individual to maintain a truly up to date and useful online resource."

The site explains further, "Dental associations can build their own social networks or groups on NewDocs.com for free, and choose whether they are open to the public or private for association members-only. You can even host your own study clubs online and completely free on NewDocs."

NewDocs.com membership is free and provides access to an ever expanding library of information and downloads about insurance, HR practices, accounting, billing, personnel manuals, interview questionnaires, CV samples and more.

The site also allows new dentists to interact with seasoned dental industry veterans via online communities or via KOL-authored blogs. Think of it as virtual mentoring.

There is also an industry classified section that includes job postings and equipment for sale listings.

NewDocs.com is definitely worth a closer look no matter how long you've been in dentistry.

You Talkin' to Me?

2009-03-08T20:18:00.008-04:00

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a sales representative for a dental industry magazine targeted to dealer sales reps.

The rep expressed frustration with dental manufacturers who merely run their dentist-focused ads in the publication rather than taking the opportunity to address the needs and concerns of the dealer sales rep.

It made me think of Robert DeNiro's Travis Bickle character from Taxi Driver asking - "You talkin' to me?"

Many companies believe they are being cost conscious by getting the most mileage from a one-size-fits-all ad campaign. However, untargeted advertising (and any other marketing communication for that matter) that does not resonate with the recipient of the message, is one of the most common wastes of marketing dollars.

Every time the reader of your ad asks, "You talkin' to me?" and then flips the page, is like flushing a portion of your marketing budget down the toilet - Can you afford that?

How many different dental professionals are you trying to reach in their specific trade journals? GP dentists? Specialists? Hygienists? Dental assistants? Office managers? Sales reps?

If your answer is more than one of the above, invest a little extra time and money to discover the hot buttons of each dental professional category and fine tune the message, benefit and call to action. This can often be accomplished in a copy revision rather than a complete re-design.

The result may be the difference between "You talkin' to me?" and "You're speaking my language!"

Chicago: An Oasis of Positivity

2009-03-02T12:51:00.017-05:00

I've been back from the Chicago Midwinter Meeting for a full day now and figured I'd bang out a post while New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast gets slammed with snow - March certainly came in like the proverbial Lion!

Let's cut to the chase - Despite all the doom and gloom drumming and bleating we've been hearing for the past year or so, Chicago was like an oasis of positivity - at least from my perspective.

The first positive sign was arriving in O'Hare on Thursday, 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I wish I knew what I did to appease the weather and travel gods so I can repeat it as ritual before each business trip.

Great turnout at the Oral Health America Gala - schmoozed my butt off. The fundraising auction went very well, with proceeds going to a great cause.

Exhibit floor traffic was brisk on Friday and most of Saturday. Not sure about Sunday, as I departed that morning . Guess what? I arrived back in Newark ahead of schedule. Now that's scary good luck. There's got to be a 14-hour layover in Guam on the horizon.

Our clients reported excellent lead gathering and order taking activity; especially first time exhibitor Evolve Dental Technologies (KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching™ System).
Many dentists I spoke to said their practices are still very busy. It may be relevant that the majority of these dentists consider themselves to be high-tech and use lasers, CAD/CAM, digital x-rays, etc.

Our press events for Sirona and Evolve Technologies were very well attended. Thanks to all the editors and key opinion leaders who participated - you know who you are!

Had a great dinner at Keefer's with RDH Magazine's chief editor Mark Hartley who brought with him an entourage of influential hygienists; Anne Guignon, Lory Laughter and this month's "cover hygienist" Danielle Victoriano - Some lively and interesting discussion to be sure. It's always good to get to know the people behind the bylines. Thanks Mark for making the introductions and for picking up the check!

Sirona's House of Blues blow out was a hoot as usual. Had several people tell me that I should make my blue long-haired wig as my permanent look - That's a compliment, right?

All in all, an upbeat dental meeting full of positive buzz, renewed relationships and exciting new developments in dentistry.

There was however, one major disappointment. Our Senior Public Relations Specialist Erin Foster came down with a severe ear infection last week and could not make the trip to Chicago. Erin worked very hard for months to prepare for our press events and could not be there to witness the fruits of her labor.

It must be like playing well during the pennant race, but being put on the disabled list during the World Series...Next year kid!

See me. Feel me. Touch me. Buy me.

2009-02-01T21:19:00.005-05:00

Some recent research* validates what most of us have known for a long time - If you can get a prospect to touch the goods, they are not only more likely to buy, but to pay a higher price.

Researchers from Ohio State University and Illinois State University conducted a simple experiment with an inexpensive coffee mug that revealed that in many cases, simply touching the mug for as little as 30 seconds created an attachment that led people to pay more for the item.

According to the lead author of the study James Wolf, assistant professor of information systems at Illinois State University, “By simply touching the mug and feeling it in their hands, many people begin to feel like the mug is, in fact, their mug. Once they begin to feel it is theirs, they are willing to go to greater lengths to keep it.”

This academic research merely reinforces what the best sales pros have known intuitively for generations. It's why car salesmen ask you to take a test drive and why clothing store sales persons ask you to try it on.

It should be noted that the findings of the study are not being used to train better sales persons, but rather to help consumers understand their own buying behavior in order to make more prudent purchasing decisions.

* Ohio State University (2009, January 12). You Can Look -- But Don't Touch. Science Daily.

Epiphany on the Parkway

2009-01-01T16:33:00.008-05:00

About a week ago, I was driving north on the Garden State Parkway at about 6:00 AM to catch an early morning flight out of the Taj Mahal of international air travel, Newark Airport.

The road was dark and desolate as I approached the PNC Art Center. The sun was just beginning to rise behind and peek above the Vietnam War Memorial, providing an ethereal back light for one of New Jersey's most somber places of honor and remembrance.

Immediately ahead was the PNC Art Center's neon billboard, vilified by many as a grotesque eye sore on a highway that touts its aesthetic sensibilities. No oil refineries here. This isn't the Turnpike, it's the Parkway dammit!

Generally, the neon god they made (if I may quote Simon and Garfunkle) is usually put into service to remind passing motorists when Def Leopard tickets will go on sale and to drink Bud lite, but to drink it responsibly.

This morning the sign flashed two words: Token Redemption.

The sign was already in my rear view mirror before the second half of the message came on that explained that New Jersey motorists had until January 1st to redeem their toll booth tokens for cash. Alas, Easy Pass killed the Parkway token much like the Metro Card killed the NYC subway token.

Being a word geek, I couldn't stop rolling the phrase token redemption around in my sleep-deprived brain. What did it mean?

According to Dictionary.com, token used as an adjective can have two meanings:

1) Serving as a token: a token gift; a token male on an all-female staff.
2) Slight; perfunctory; minimal: token resistance.

The same source lists the top definitions for the word redemption as follows:

1) An act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed.
2) Deliverance; rescue.
3) Deliverance from sin; salvation.
4) Atonement for guilt.

So based on the above definitions what does token redemption mean?

Could be that modern society's search for spirituality is often symbolic and shallow. "Let's give small percentage of that money we made from insider trading to charity?"

That there is very little meaningful commitment to doing the right thing or helping others. "Not my problem."

Why does token redemption replay in my mind like an unsolved riddle? Maybe it's the time of year. Maybe it's been a year of hard-to-take headlines. Maybe its knowing too many people who are going through rough times and in turn being forced to put faces to the statistics.

Something to think about in 2009.

Happy New Year.

Oprah Likes a Clean Toothbrush

2008-12-06T18:07:00.017-05:00

Every year around the holidays, Oprah Winfrey announces her list of "Favorite Things."

It gets a huge annual hoo-hah on her TV show, her magazine, and other TV shows like Good Morning America.

If the product of a small company is chosen by the queen of the O media empire, it's like winning the lottery, the Super Bowl, The Oscars , and the Miss Universe Pageant all at once.

Better hope you have enough of what Oprah likes in stock and that your web site can handle the additional traffic!

Anyway, this year she's included a dental product. One that leads me to believe Oprah may be a bit of a germaphobe. You may have heard of it - The Zapi toothbrush sanitizer, which uses UV light to destroy nearly 100 percent of bacteria.

You can check it out at http://www.violight.com/. You never know when Oprah may visit you unexpectedly. Be sure to have an extra, unopened toothbrush and Violight on hand.

A Rainy Sunday at Javits Center

2008-12-01T17:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I did my annual cruise and schmooze at the Greater New York Dental Meeting. With a midtown monsoon blowing outside, I was happy to finally enter the world's largest terrarium, more commonly known as the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

I started my day off by attending a Dental Tribune Symposia session on "CEREC CAD/CAM - The Power of Technology in Clinical Restorative Dentistry."

The presenter for this session was New York's own Dr. Gene Antenucci who has been using CEREC for more than 20 years. Dr. Antennuci is an excellent, unflappable speaker who had to contend with a malfunctioning PA system and a lot of noise bleed-through from Dr. Larry Rosenthal's presentation next door - more on that later.

Dr. A did a great job explaining and demonstrating why CEREC is not a high-tech luxury, but a must have piece of equipment for today's successful dental practice. He lives the CEREC gospel he preaches every day in his Huntington, Long Island practice.

This year, Greater New York is featuring regularly scheduled "live dentistry" demonstrations from an impressive roster of key opinion leaders. Dr. Rosenthal kicked it off with his session on "Veneer Preparation and Temporization - The Essence of a Successful Aesthetic Dental Practice."

The set-up was a large stage with a fully-equipped operatory, 18 Hi-Def 60" plasma screens and an AC/DC tour-worthy PA system. Although the set-up was hyped as a 300 seat theater, it was just a large roped-off area. The result was that neighboring seminars and exhibits were simply blasted.

Great concept. Well-attended. Dentists sitting on the floor! However, the execution could have been better had the venue been better isolated. Nonetheless, it was clear to me that dental meeting attendees are hungry for live demonstrations of technology, products and procedures.

Attending GNYDM? Take Time to Squeeze the Charmin.

2008-11-29T18:44:00.007-05:00

If you're participating in the Greater New York Dental Meeting as an exhibitor or attendee, you'll be happy to know that the Charmin Restrooms are back.

During the past three years, Proctor & Gamble has been boosting the bottom line of its iconic toilet-tissue brand by sponsoring free, clean restrooms in Times Square during the holiday season. Tourists and native New Yorkers alike are letting out a collective sigh of relief.

Take it from me, my family and I appreciated the Charmin Restroom experience three years ago when we drove in to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree...Sure beat holding it in until we got to Jersey or (gag) using the Times Square McDonald's public restrooms.

The 2008 Charmin Restrooms were officially opened last week by former N'Sync singer Joey Fatone who is also this year's "King of the Throne". Now before you start cracking the "career going down the toilet" jokes, keep in mind that since his boy band days, Joey appeared on Broadway in the musical "Rent", competed in "Dancing with The Stars" and hosted "The Singing Bee."

Maybe his agent was having a bad day when Proctor & Gamble came calling. More likely the the paper Mr. Fatone is squeezing these days has more dead presidents on it than you and I will see in a lifetime.

I'm not sure if Mr. Whipple is rolling in his grave or beaming with pride, but the Charmin Restrooms are centrally-located in Times Square between 45th and 46th streets and take up two floors.

The first floor is for, shall we say "product sampling" within 20 luxury stalls whose halls are decked in a winter wonderland theme and the second is for recharging digital devices and relaxing - Wow, a real rest room!

It won't be easy to dump and run because there are also baby-changing stations, flat-screen televisions, a Charmin retail boutique, and a "family photo section" with a printing station.

My wife and I proudly display our family bathroom shot from three years ago next to our Carnival Cruise family photo. But we're just sentimental that way. You may just want to humiliate your kids by creating a special MySpace page or using the photo in this year's holiday cards.

Talk about smart cross-promotion - Duracell, which is also a P&G brand, is the sponsor of the second floor's "Power Lodge," where you can recharge all your gadgets and gizmos, before you hit the streets...or before nature calls again.

The restrooms are open every day, all day on Thanksgiving and until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, but are closed Christmas Day - No pit stop for Santa and the Elves before they head back to the north Pole.

The restrooms will also be open on New Year's Eve until the wee-wee hours...when most of those in Times squre will be three sheets to the wind.

I don't even want to think about what went on during New Year's Rocking Eve before the Charmin Public Restrooms opened. I guess that's why Dick Clark always stood on a scaffold above street level.

The Charmin Public Restrooms in Times Square is one of the best examples of grass roots promotional branding that I have ever seen in my twenty plus years in marketing and public relations. It's been reported that 400, 000 people have visited these facilities in previous years.

Proctor and Gamble is wiping out the competition with this one. If you're in the city this holiday season, check it out - It's really a hoot and masterful marketing.

On Location, Making The Planets Align

2008-10-23T19:18:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of working with Proofs Magazine editor Kevin Henry on an on-site client interview. I won't disclose the client or topic, I'll let Mr. Henry promote it in his own time in his own way.

I have to say it was great to get out of the office and do some face-to-face public relations somewhere other than a dental meeting exhibit hall. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the client location was where the story unfolded and hopefully, spending some time observing the client's business up close and personal provided Kevin with some some real world insight - it did for me. It was almost like a class trip that didn't require a permission slip from my mom.

I've always believed that ideally, the relationship between a PR practitioner, the client and a journalist should be collaborative and I believe yesterday was a good example of that. The client's management team was very articulate, personable and on-point as they explained and demonstrated their unique value proposition. I did my best to ensure that Kevin was getting all the shots and executive interviews he needed for his Proofs in print, and the video footage for the online version.

I can't wait to do it again. Although we did put Kevin through hell to get some interesting photos and video. If he's afraid of heights, he didn't show it!

Will Your Press Release Make The Grade?

2008-08-17T23:49:00.007-04:00

I recently came across a free online tool that can help PR novices and veterans evaluate their press releases based on traditional factors such as language and content and newer metrics for search engine optimization.

Press Release Grader by HubSpot is easy to use - Just cut and paste your press release text into the appropriate fields and you'll quickly learn whether your announcement is written on the appropriate reading level of your intended audience, how strongly the overall content supports the main topic, and how well-optimized it is for search engine indexing.

Keep in mind that this is an automated tool and not the be all and end all of press release writing. However, you may find Press Release Grader to be a useful part of your press release development process.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

2008-08-10T14:52:00.021-04:00

If I were still working in radio, I would dedicate that 1980 Pat Benatar classic to New Jersey's Registered Dental Hygienists who will soon be administering local injections throughout the Garden State.

That's right. Here's the official letter to the members of the New Jersey Dental Hygienists' Association:

Greetings Colleagues,

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 was great day for the Dental Hygienists in New Jersey.

The Board of Dentistry voted UNANIMOUSLY to pass the regulations for Local Anesthesia expanding our scope of practice. There were no negative comments received.

This has been a very long process - 20 plus years with numerous persons working toward this day.I congratulate and thank all who played a role in any way to achieve this additional procedure for the treatment and the comfort of our patients.

The next step is the publication of the regulations in the Register and they become effective after that. This may take just a few short months. It was noted that schools may begin getting their Local Anesthesia programs in place.

Winnie Furnari, RDH, MS, FAADH
President
New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Assoc

It should be noted that until this recent development, New Jersey was one of only 10 states in the U.S. that did not allow local anesthesia administration by a registered dental hygienist - So much for being at the forefront of progressive thinking, but better late than never.

Rumor has it that New Jersey Hygienists got the approval only after they agreed to pump their own gas, but those of us who live here know that hell would have to freeze over and Bruce Springsteen would have move to Delaware before that would ever happen.

Speaking of local anesthesia, I've had the pleasure of helping to launch a new local anesthesia delivery device which was invented by a “main street” dentist, is about the size of a power toothbrush and costs less than $500 for the full introductory kit.

The patent-pending, FDA-registered ACCUPAL® Comfortable Palatal Injection System is a cordless, compact, handheld device that effectively pre-conditions the oral tissue to receive virtually pain-free palatal or other intraoral dental injections that were previously unobtainable via manual injections or through the use of other devices.

ACCUPAL Full Text Press Release

One of the things I like most about my job is launching new companies and products - especially when the company principals are as sincere and enthusiastic as Dr. Michael Zweifler and Jim Motl of ACCUPAL. You'll be hearing a lot more from them in the months and years ahead.

Low-Tech Genius

2008-07-19T19:59:00.019-04:00

I'll never be able to compete with my high-tech dentistry blogger friends Dr. Jablow and Dr. Flucke, but I know low-tech genius when I see it! Let me explain.

The other day when I was getting ready for work, I noticed a bright blue piece of plastic attached to our Osmond Family-sized tube of tooth paste. Being a married man with two teenage daughters, I assumed that once again, the sanctity of my manly domain was being invaded by some sort of frivolous hair widget.

Oh well, just something else to add to the usual assortment of hair straighteners, blow dryers, medieval torture device eyelash curlers, broken-point mascara pencils and the stray wrapped tampons that I must push aside before I can attempt the manly pursuit of shaving...jeez! Who's castle is this anyway?

Anyway, I reached for the tooth paste with both hands (industrial-sized tube remember?) and noticed the brightly-colored piece of plastic affixed to the tube was not a hair widget, grooming tool, iPod accessory or any such thing. It appeared to have a real tooth paste-specific purpose.

But wait there's more....

* It may be the simplest tool ever invented by man after the pointed stick
* It works like a charm
* It retails for about three bucks
* It probably cost a dime to make
* It's a Donny Deutsch Big Idea
* Why didn't I think of this?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Squeezit!

Thanks to Squeezit, the Ventriello family is getting every drop of fluoride and whitening goodness out of each tube of tooth paste and disposing of perfectly flat tubes that kinda look like road kill on the Garden State Parkway...Exit 91 if you must know.

Now if somebody would just invent a Roomba type device that scoops up stray wrapped tampons and puts them back in the box and under the sink where they belong...