Saving Up for a Sunny Day

Saving Up for a Sunny Day

Why do we never hear the phrase, "Saving up for a sunny day?" Everybody puts away something for a rainy day, but I can't remember anyone ever telling me they were saving for the good days. It makes sense when you think about it. We all know that just like rainy days, sunny days will come again as well. Wouldn't it be smart to be ready to take full advantage of everything that sunny days offer? By the way, am I really talking about the weather? Well, of course not. People just understand that when you speak of the proverbial "rainy day," you are talking about challenging economic times. Rainy days for many in the dentistry field, especially in cosmetic dentistry, are occurring right now. Cosmetic dentistry is elective dentistry and people (patients) have a way of holding off on elective purchases during rainy days. You are probably doing the same thing at this point. Maybe you're putting off purchasing a new vehicle, or a trip, or whatever it is that you have deemed an elective purchase in your life. What I think is interesting, and what I think many of us fail to recognize, is that nobody says, "Economic times are not sunny at this point, so I have decided to never purchase the new car." Or, "I am not sure that sunny days will ever come again so I have given up on ever going to Paris."

What we say instead is, "Money is a little tight right now so we'll have to put off the trip to Paris." Why? Because our wants, once recognized, don't go away. Our needs may change, but wants involve emotion as a very strong motivator. And, so, we wait. But we don't give up on getting what we want. In fact, you can think of the stream of wants in our life as a real life stream. Unimpeded, it flows with a bubble and a gurgle and everything is peaceful. People are happy. It is when we throw a dam across that stream that wants begin to back up. The pressure builds and downstream suffers from lack of fulfilled wants. Then one day, the sun comes out and the dam is lifted. Now it becomes a priority issue. All of our wants cannot be fulfilled at once, so we choose those that are topmost in our brains. Did I say those wants that make the most sense to fulfill first? No, we fulfill those that have been kept uppermost in our wants pile.

The arrival of sunny days signals a flurry of buying activities in people. How do you make sure that your proposed $20,000 smile makeover case is one of the first wants your patient fulfills? They put it off six months ago and now they see sunny days ahead. Will they buy the car, take the trip or have their smile redone? Is this a good time to market to them, call them, mail them, do something? Of course it is. What about the prospective patients that have been hating their smile for the last year because of that comment that person made at the dinner, or because of the promotion for which they were passed over, or for whatever emotional reason they have developed? Isn't this the time when you should be getting a message out to them that lets them know that you offer the highest quality and artistry in cosmetic dentistry? Absolutely! However, the problem is that sunny days arrive at different times for different people and it's hard to predict just exactly when that is.

Here is where my encouragement to "save up for sunny days" begins to make sense. I consistently see companies, dentists included, who cut back or discontinue their marketing when rainy days arrive. For general dentists who are almost 100% based in health-related dentistry, that makes sense. They are dealing with that old economic force of "demand." Their patients and new patients will recognize their symptoms and come toddling back for services. However, in the case of the elective dentistry based general and cosmetic practice, it makes no sense whatsoever. That practice needs to remind people that they hate their smiles, even as rainy days keep that person from buying at that time. That practice actually must accomplish two goals during that time. They must keep that awful smile gnawing at that person's mind to keep it on the top of the wants pile, and they must keep their practice at the top of the "preferred sources" list so that when it comes time to fulfill the want, they are considered as the fulfillment source.

History shows that companies who continue to market during hard times acquire more market share, and enjoy higher profits, when good times come back. I am sure that you have all heard this before in seminars or books. I hope this article sheds new light on "why?" For those who may be thinking that I am just promoting Curtis Marketing Group, let me say this: It does not matter to me how you develop your marketing tools during these rainy days. It does matter, however, that you continue to put your name and your message of a better life through a better smile out to the public. Cosmetic dentistry is slowly becoming an accepted and personally justified product in the public's eyes. We're in the plasma television stage. People want what we offer but are still working on the justification. Justification, oddly enough, is often a function of how often the person has read, thought or talked about a product. It's everywhere, so why don't I have it?

Therefore, continue marketing. When sunny days arrive again, you will be blessed with large cases at good prices. In addition, you will be helping the interests of all AACD members. You will move cosmetic dentistry from "I'm not sure if that's for me" to "I need to get this done for me."