Sakaduski Marketing Blog

Last night we had dinner at a new restaurant (it was Joe’s birthday!).  Joe ordered the antipasto and I had a salad with shrimp and figs stuffed with gorganzola cheese.  They were both sensational.  I mean truly spectacular.  Then the entrees arrived.  They were underwhelming.  Not bad– in fact, had we not had such high expectations after the two outstanding starters, we might actually have thought they were pretty good.

Are you doing the same thing with your marketing activities?  Think about your communications:  advertising, literature, sales presentations, demonstrations, etc.  Are you building expectations so high that your product creates disappointment?  Make sure that, even as you provide glowing descriptions of your product’s advantages, you are not giving customers false impressions regarding how easy the product is to use, how fast it is, how long it will last, etc.  Be factual while emphasizing your product’s strengths so your customers’ expectations are not unrealistic. 

There’s an expression that goes:  “Under-promise and over-deliver.”  We have tried to do that in our own business.  Whenever we are working to a deadline, for example, I like to come in a day or two early.  With a client that is on a retainer with us, I will often provide a small service that is not covered under our agreement–without charging for it.  Everyone likes to get a little something extra. 

Find ways to give your customers a little something extra. When you ship the product, include a coupon for a discount on the next purchase or a free sample of a different product.  If the product is a piece of equipment, throw in a free cover, cleaning product, or batteries.  This creates good feelings as the customer opens the product, without setting it up against unrealistic expectations.

We understand that our list of frequent dental convention types (see “Field Guide to Convention Wildlife” post) is making the rounds on the Internet (without crediting the source, however).  We invite anyone who would like to add other types to the list to post a comment.  If we get enough, we will post an updated list in the future.  Glad everyone’s enjoying this!

The dental industry lost a true friend and pioneer with the death of Carl Parker last week. Carl was a founding member of the old DMA and with Dr. Ed Shils helped set a high standard for trade associations. Any one who has ever played tennis with Carl at a DTA meeting can attest to Carl’s sense of spirit and his sense of fair play. He was particularly kind to junior members and my son will always have fond memories of matches with Carl. Carl passed on many of his industry skills to his son Andy, who served as president of the DMA as well. Quite a family legacy. I extend condolences to Andy and his family because I know they will miss Carl greatly. With Carl’s death, one of the brightest smiles in our industry is gone.

There is an interesting new website, www.dentalsalespro.com, that is designed by a dental sales rep for dental sales reps.  A social networking site similar to myspace, the site allows reps to post a profile, communicate with other reps, set up “friends” groups, and follow developments in the dental industry. Although in its early stages, the site is worth keeping an eye on.