Sink your teeth into this advice - Editor's Note - editorial

Home Office Computing, May, 1991 by Bernadette Grey

Sink Your Teeth into This Advice Last February, right around Valentine's Day, a florist delivered a single red rose to my office. When I opened the accompanying card, I was surprised to discover that the flower wasn't from my husband; it was from Dr. Spindel, my dentist.

Don't get the wrong idea. Dr. Spindel is not like Dr. Fleckstein, the philandering Long Island dentist who seduces his female patients in the movie Compromising Positions. Dr. Spindel sent the rose as a token of thanks for a referral, a marketing practice he calls Rose for a Referral.

Other devices Dr. Spindel uses to attract new business include gift certificates awarding complimentary dental services to first-time patients, and free exams and X-rays to anyone who donates toys or food to homeless families during the holidays. Still another example of his marketing finesse: Just before my wedding two years ago, he offered free cleanings to my fiance (who had his own dentist) and me. Dr. Spindel figures that newlyweds consolidate everything from dishes to doctors. Sure enough, by our first anniversary, my husband had switched to Dr. Spindel.

In a competitive market like New York City, today's independent dentist can't possibly build a comfortable practice simply by hanging a nameplate on the door or driving a signpost into the front lawn. In fact, it doesn't matter what business you're in: Customers and clients don't just come knocking on your door. (Wouldn't it be nice if they did?) Whether you're a doctor, a consultant, a writer, or an entertainer, you've got to get outside and invite prospects in.

Many independent business owners would rather have their wisdom teeth pulled. Readers tell us again and again that selling themselves is the job responsibility they dislike most. Few people enjoy singing their own praises. But to be successful in sales, you don't have to climb onto rooftops and boast to the world how wonderful you are.

Effective selling is usually much more subtle than that. In our cover story, "Selling: 7 Steps That Work Like Magic" (page 35), marketing consultant Steve F. Edwards shows you how vital it is to establish good relationships with prospective customers or clients. Successful selling isn't about being pushy or immodest, Edwards says. It's about creativity, enthusiasm, preparation, and persistence. And to carry you though tough economic times or an industry down-turn, your sales efforts must be continuous. Edward's story is filled with practical advice and is especially suited to people who market services to other businesses.

Let's get back to that rose, which brightened up my office for the better part of a week. Whenever anyone commented on the flower, I'd mention that it was from my dentist. As a result, two people here called him to set up an appointment. So a single rose delivered an elegant thank-you to me, new business to my dentist, and publicity Dr. Spindel never expected--a plug in HOME-OFFICE COMPUTING.

Keep the roses coming, Dr. Spindel!