Sakaduski Marketing Blog

Interestingly enough, since my recent blog about instant messaging vs. email, I received a notice that AIM, the popular instant messaging service, is now available in a secure format designed for business use.  AIM Pro integrates with Outlook and will provide a way to rapidly communicate with coworkers, set up meetings, or chat with colleagues in real time.  Previously, instant messaging was nearly exclusively the domain of the young and those of us who need to communicate with the young.  Now, a real alternative to email is available for business users.  While it won’t (at least initially) replace email, it may provide an inexpensive alternative to overseas calls and allow coworkers in far flung facilities to quickly communicate.  Find out more here:

http://www.download.com/AIM-Pro/3000-2150_4-10567762.html?tag=lst-0-1?part=dl-AOLtag14&subj=dl&tag=button

Those of you who think you are up-to-date because you use email for business communications and perhaps have dabbled in e-newsletters or promotional email blasts, hold on to your buggy whips.  A recent study found that younger folk view email as “a way to communicate with old people.”  If you have a teenager or 20-something person in your sphere, you already know that when they are not on their cell phones (and sometimes even when they are), they are instant messaging their friends.  “IMing” is a way to email in real time.  It’s an ongoing written conversation, on the computer, between people using a software program such as AIM. 

We are increasingly operating in an environment of instant gratification.  Consumer products companies now often have a “chat” function to answer questions or provide technical service.  Recently, I was on the Lands End website looking at clothing and, having not put anything in my shopping cart yet, a chat window opened up asking “Is there something I can help you with?”  When I responded, a customer service representative chatted with me to determine what I was looking for and then found a beige cardigan in my size for me. 

How will this affect the dental industry?  Will an influx of younger dentists spark a change in the way we market products to them? 

Give some thought as to how you can incorporate this trend into your business today.  Can you provide better help in making purchasing decisions?  Reduce delivery times?  Provide faster customer and technical service?  Establish a way for your customers to give you feedback?  As the world becomes increasingly impatient and moves toward a single phone/email/IM/MP3/Web/camera/TV/GPS device, the way people learn about products, make purchasing decisions, and buy will change as well.  Even in the dental industry.

The most anticipated movie in many years opens tomorrow. It is opening to the biggest buzz in a long time, all generated by bloggers and internet afficianados. The producers could not buy better publicity, and they are not even concerned about wether or not the movie is good or bad.

Don’t you wish you had that kind of excitement about your product or service. You can get it by making sure the right people know about it, use it and then talk about it to their peers. The dealer rep is one place to start. Study groups are another. And good PR also helps a great deal. Also, make sure your sales and customer service reps are excited about it, as well.

And, last but not least, make your website the one place everyone wants to go to see what you have got.

Yesterday, there was announcement from Henry Schein, Inc. about an exclusive distribution agreement between Schein and Biolase. This is another example of a direct-seller of technology changing course and now using a dealer. Perhaps, the control of the customer is at stake.

How much control do you have over the users of your products? Where do they get their information? Are they satisfied with the performance, delivery and pricing of your product?

This might be a good time to find out. Input from your reps and users will tell you in very short order how you are doing. If you need to make some changes, do it fast, because the ground may be shifting as new alliances are formed.

With the problems today in the Middle East, and the latest news about a pipeline leak in Alaska, energy costs can only go up. That means higher airline tickets, higher hotel rates and higher convention costs.

Do what you can to book travel as far in the future as you can. You know the dates for Yankee and Chicago, and this year the will be an IDS meeting in Cologne.

If you book travel now, you can lock in some good rates. If you have to change , the penalties are not as severe as they used to be.

Your customers will be thinking the same way. Should costs continue to skyrocket, be sure your website is up to date and interactive.

Many of us have had a golf lesson or two, or three. It gets down to stance and grip and bending and a million other things. When all that is said and done, you still have to hit the shot.

It’s the same thing with planning. You can know all the right steps, but if one little thing is not right, the whole thing gone go off course.

With golf, a miss may cause you a stroke. With planning, a misstep may cost you your business.

A recent survey by transportation services provider BostonCoach found that 70% of ATTENDEES had negative feelings about their experiences at trade shows.  From boring presentations to the hassle of travel, trade shows are seemingly disliked by the attendees nearly as much as the exhibitors.  The survey, which was reported by Sales & Marketing Management, found that, in addition to lack of stimulating activities and dislike of travel, respondents pointed to a lack of return on investment.  Given the increased cost to attend a show, many attendees have negative feelings about the lack of value trade shows provide.

In the dental industry, it used to be that trade shows MEANT value.  Doctors came to take advantage of show specials, floor discounts, and other opportunities to save money or snap up new products.  With much of the floor discounting a thing of the past and the availability of the Internet to search out special offers and new products, it’s no wonder we’ve seen a decline in booth traffic in recent years. 

If you continue to make a major investment in trade shows, think about what value you can offer your customers.  Is there an energizing activity or presentation you could offer?  If you plan to offer a show special, how can you get the word out in advance of the show?  What can you do to make that doctor say “that was worth it”?

The summer is always a slow time in the dental industry. It is also a good opportunity to use this downtime to plan for the months ahead. Reviewing strategic plans, evaluating personnel or taking a harder look at your competition can put you in a better position to expand sales in the third and fourth quarters. Also, keep an eye on merger and acquisition activities since this can really alter the landscape. Doing a little maintainence in the slow time will keep things rolling when activity realy picks up.