One day the wife got a bright idea.


“Why not market ourselves? We can put up a big sign and also put our message on billboards. We can even spend some money on the local radio stations extolling the virtues of our great food.” Before they knew it, trucks and cars


were stopping by and business was booming. They enlarged the stand and hired many people to accommodate the traffic. They stayed open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and made more money than they ever thought possible. It was the American Dream come true. Business stayed good and they grew the business into a chain. Eventually, their son grew up and went to college. He studied hard and earned an economics degree. His delighted parents took him into the business with a fancy title and office to match. Their clever son studied the general


business conditions and surveys of the future by the most reputable people in the nation. He finally concluded: “We are headed


118 www.lifesciencesmagazines.com


for a recession, and possibly a depression.” He discussed this with his parents and


convinced them that his training would now pay off. “Let’s stop advertising and save the money, and when things change we’ll be in good shape again.” The signs came down, radio commercials stopped and trucks and cars whizzed by as they did before the company started promoting. Business worsened, with the chain dwindling to one stand. Finally, bankrupt, the last stand was also shut down. As the father sat with his wife one


«If your external marketing was done correctly, it has created true perceptions of the unique experience you offer and set high expectations based on your strengths»


hour before closing he couldn’t help but think to himself: “My son was really right; we are in a depression.” The moral of the story is, you can’t sell


it if you don’t show it, or tell anyone about it. If you don’t tell your story – and tell it well – everything else falls apart. It’s been proven again and again that those who market when business conditions are slow are way ahead when it gets better. In the dental practice, there are two


parts to successful marketing; external and internal.The purpose of external marketing is to create enough perceived value that patients will choose to invest their time and money with your practice. The most important part of your external marketing therefore, is to convey a compelling message that differentiates your practice from other options and helps patients see the unique value you offer. Keep in mind that the process of influencing perceptions with external marketing is also the process of setting expectations. How


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