The current economic slowdown is prompting a growing number of U.S. dentists to spend more time on marketing and less on dental care, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.
"Dentists are taking a good look at their systems, trying to figure out what they can do internally that won't cost them anything but will keep people coming," Gene Werner, vice president of business development of Mercer Advisors, told the Wall Street Journal.
Some are sticking with traditional approaches, such as contacting patients more often, while others are being more aggressive: sending newsletters in the mail, offering phased payment schedules for the recently uninsured, calling patients directly to book routine cleanings, and taking advantage of lower advertising rates, according to the story.
Others have turned to personal e-mails and social networking sites such as Twitter to put out marketing messages.
"You can't go to the office and just be a dentist anymore; you have to go to the office and be a dentist and a CEO," David Wong, a dentist in Tulsa, OK, told the Wall Street Journal.
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