Bill Neal, CDT

Internet use worldwide is continually expanding as more social media sites pop up, and companies continue to expand their presence on the Web. Smartphones are getting smarter, and many people have opted to purchase tablets such as the iPad, all of which allow instant access to the Internet and a universe of Web-based apps. This activity creates opportunities but can create a multitude of challenges for those who have websites.

Given the state of our economy, businesses continue to look for ways to stay in touch with existing clients and attract new customers. One very effective tool, which is often overlooked because of the rush to get online and more involved with the digital world, is the newsletter.

For more than 50 years dental laboratories have worked hard to differentiate their individual laboratory from the masses. In the early 1960s porcelain fused to metal restorations were just beginning to “come of age” and a few smart dental laboratories took advantage of this new technique to try to stand out from the crowd. There have been other techniques, materials and product/service innovations that laboratories have used over the years to try and gain a competitive advantage in an industry where everyone offers the same types of products and services.

A competitive business environment and the ongoing down economy have forced more and more companies to seek out new and better marketing alternatives. There is an increasing trend to use social networking as an affordable way to connect with customers and attract new ones as well.

The current economy has forced many labs to add new clients to fill the void of work no longer coming in. To do so, some have curbed advertising and marketing, while others have stepped it up. One thing is certain: You have to get in front of your existing and prospective customers for some face time. But what can you do to make your sales calls more effective? Be Prepared

By now most of us realize the dental laboratory industry has dramatically changed and will never return to what it was five -to-six-years ago. In addition to technology and our stubborn economy, we are faced with two other important factors that are changing the face of our industry. First, the amount of laboratory work that’s being outsourced has increased at a higher rate than many industry leaders first predicted. This has obviously reduced a considerable amount of market share available to U.S. laboratories.

We all have the need for marketing collateral materials designed to help present our business to prospective clients. Many laboratories have “starter kits” or “presentation pocket folders” while some laboratories have no materials to help them distinguish their laboratory services from the competition.