Have one client but having a hard time expanding.

[whiz]

I have to be majorly fucking up on something to only get like, 2 responses out of ~300 letters.

I've been mailing to dentists that are Page 2 and beyond in my state.

My first mailing was 67 letters with a really fancy and over-the-top presentation. I now think it's too flashy and salesy, but it got me 1 call and 1 close.

My second mailing was about 220 letters sent out in simple pastel-colored invitation envelopes with a mailing address only (no return).

I got one call and haven't closed yet - we'll see what happens.


Why is my call-back rate so damn low?

I doubt its the presentation. I bet 50%+ of the letters were opened just because of how personal they looked.

I think my offer just doesn't hurt enough. Either that, or I'm going for too big of a goal and I should adopt a value-ladder or foot-in-the-door approach.

Should I just offer something like a free audit or another low-effort value offering?

I'm stumped here.

Here's the copy I used for the letter:

Friday, 9:32 a.m.

September 14, 2018



Dr. [doctor last name],



My name is [my name]. I help dentists get the patients they’re missing out on.


Allow me to explain how you’re losing heaps of money as we speak:


Every month, there are over 1,500 Google searches in which [Town] area locals are looking for a dentist like you. Each search is an opportunity to get a patient to ring your telephone and walk through your doors.


People search everything from broad terms like “dentist [Town, State]” and “best dentist [Town]” to specifics like “oral surgeon near me” and “dental implants [Town]”.


The problem is: when a potential patient searches for these terms, your practice is nowhere to be found.


Places like [Competitor1] and [Competitor2] show up at the top of the results and take all the patients, while your practice is tucked away on the “side streets” of Google. Not many people go there when they’re looking for a dentist. Most people just pick from the top of the first page.


The good news is: I can put you right up there with them; front and center for when someone needs you. And if everything goes right, we can even get above them.


If this is something you’d be interested in, give me a call (or text) at [Phone number]. If I’m busy with another client, just leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.



Sincerely,





[my name]

Local SEO Specialist

[Phone number]

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Your problem is the phone number.

It's fake.

Everyone knows there is no number 555-555-5555.

I'm amazed you even got one response with that 1964 TV phone number.

Dragnet is just reruns and not real life so don't take their ideas and use them for your marketing campaigns.

 

[lacifitra]

I'd recommend you to read Cas$vertising. Your order is messed up, but the letter isn't too bad. Just way too tryhard-ish. Dentists are people, not some noble creatures.
You should never start a letter off like that. Basically what you're doing with "I help dentists get the patients they’re missing out on." is saying "hey, look - I know your business hasn't been the best lately, so let me get customers for you" which they'll take as an insult.
So now they'll ask themselves:
Why is this guy trying to offer a service I didn't ask for?
Who is this guy, I don't know him so why I should buy anything?

And "If this is something you’d be interested in, give me a call (or text) at 555-555-5555. If I’m busy with another client, just leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible." is quite unnecessary. It comes off as desperate. "Please, if you can't reach me, please look at all those other ways you can contact me, I REALLY NEED YOU AS MY CLIENT, although I say that I MAY BE BUSY WITH OTHER CLIENTS RIGHT NOW."

I hope that helps.

 

[whiz]

Your problem is the phone number.

It's fake.

Everyone knows there is no number 555-555-5555.

I'm amazed you even got one response with that 1964 TV phone number.

Dragnet is just reruns and not real life so don't take their ideas and use them for your marketing campaigns.

Lol. The 555 number is just for BHW so I don't put my phone number online. I'll edit the post with brackets to explain the variables.

 

[Gr00t007]

I actually called on that number. Someone picked up and said, it's Whiz, Whizzington.

I have mailed the governing authority of the area you live in, i.e Blah. Let's see what happens.

 

[Deleted member 15724]

Dentists/Doctors get a ton of unsolicited emails, calls, letters, etc., so you're competing with other marketers/agencies looking to offer the same service. I typically like saturated markets since there's more opportunity to scale, but I think you'll have an easier time closing in another industry.

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

Lol. The 555 number is just for BHW so I don't put my phone number online. I'll edit the post with brackets to explain the variables.

I know that, Dude, I'm messing with you.

Please post your real number so @Gr00t007 can really call you and see what your phone pitch is.

 

[whiz]

I'd recommend you to read Cas$vertising. Your order is messed up, but the letter isn't too bad. Just way too tryhard-ish. Dentists are people, not some noble creatures.
You should never start a letter off like that. Basically what you're doing with "I help dentists get the patients they’re missing out on." is saying "hey, look - I know your business hasn't been the best lately, so let me get customers for you" which they'll take as an insult.
So now they'll ask themselves:
Why is this guy trying to offer a service I didn't ask for?
Who is this guy, I don't know him so why I should buy anything?

And "If this is something you’d be interested in, give me a call (or text) at 555-555-5555. If I’m busy with another client, just leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible." is quite unnecessary. It comes off as desperate. "Please, if you can't reach me, please look at all those other ways you can contact me, I REALLY NEED YOU AS MY CLIENT, although I say that I MAY BE BUSY WITH OTHER CLIENTS RIGHT NOW."

I hope that helps.

I took the "I'm busy with other clients" from 7878's original letter, he threw a couple things in there to try to build authority.

My mentality behind the "(or text)" was that some people hate high pressure salesmen and wouldn't want to pick up the phone out of fear. So they could tire-kick with a text and I could reel them in.


I'm going to go to a new market since I've pretty much maxed out dentists in the area and I want to try new strategies and explore more... but I want to have a good letter and value offering.


Do I offer a free audit or a free service to get my foot in the door? Do I make my proposals more personal?

 

[whiz]

I feel like it just has to be my bad copy.

A copy God like Gary Halbert or David Ogilvy could probably write a letter that would make them have their credit cards out before they even picked up the phone.


How do I make them feel the urgency/need for local SEO services?

 

[mickyfu]

I think if you put teeth in the envelope you would generate more interest.

 

[Gr00t007]

I know that, Dude, I'm messing with you.

Please post your real number so @Gr00t007 can really call you and see what your phone pitch is.

I might be a potential client but my accent sucks. He would block me right away...

 

[lacifitra]

I took the "I'm busy with other clients" from 7878's original letter, he threw a couple things in there to try to build authority.

My mentality behind the "(or text)" was that some people hate high pressure salesmen and wouldn't want to pick up the phone out of fear. So they could tire-kick with a text and I could reel them in.


I'm going to go to a new market since I've pretty much maxed out dentists in the area and I want to try new strategies and explore more... but I want to have a good letter and value offering.


Do I offer a free audit or a free service to get my foot in the door? Do I make my proposals more personal?

Well, is it even profitable for you to do this locally? Remote work is always an option, and in my case far more beneficial.
But if you desire to have clients in your area, I'm sure they'll appreciate a free consultation in person (if they're oldschool, or professionals like lawyers).

More personal would be good for you. You don't have to believe me, but I have a drink with my GP every month or so and when people from the world of medicine (neurologists, urologists, cardiologists) join in, they love being addressed like how you'd address regular people. They love to help people, but "being the doc" makes them feel rationalized most of the time and people tend to forget that (if they have their own office) what they do is still a business and they're individuals like you and I.


Tip: Real-estate agents are usually the fastest people to say "yes" in terms of SEO services.

 

[smacker]

TL;DR

you only have one paragraph to hook them in,

so right after an amazing opener .. you have 2nd chance to drag them in further with a really well thought out image which shows their pain point and your solution exactly .. something to set their mind working without having to read all that 90’s bollox ..

then after you can do all that .

a picture speaks a thousand words

 

[whiz]

Well, is it even profitable for you to do this locally? Remote work is always an option, and in my case far more beneficial.
But if you desire to have clients in your area, I'm sure they'll appreciate a free consultation in person (if they're oldschool, or professionals like lawyers).

More personal would be good for you. You don't have to believe me, but I have a drink with my GP every month or so and when people from the world of medicine (neurologists, urologists, cardiologists) join in, they love being addressed like how you'd address regular people. They love to help people, but "being the doc" makes them feel rationalized most of the time and people tend to forget that (if they have their own office) what they do is still a business and they're individuals like you and I.


Tip: Real-estate agents are usually the fastest people to say "yes" in terms of SEO services.

I don't really care where the clients are located.

I just started local because I figured it would be easier to close by meeting the prospects in person.


My goal is really to get to the remote stage where they trust me to get them their results, and I communicate via email and the (if necessary) occasional phonecall.


So I guess my question here is - how do you make a prospect take action and call you?

I know where to find clients, I just don't know where to poke them to turn the "luxury of SEO" into a "necessity".

I want them to feel the urgency and take action.

 

[whiz]

Also, how do most of you contact prospects?

Are you guys emailers, or cold-callers?

 

[lacifitra]

I don't really care where the clients are located.

I just started local because I figured it would be easier to close by meeting the prospects in person.


My goal is really to get to the remote stage where they trust me to get them their results, and I communicate via email and the (if necessary) occasional phonecall.


So I guess my question here is - how do you make a prospect take action and call you?

I know where to find clients, I just don't know where to poke them to turn the "luxury of SEO" into a "necessity".

I want them to feel the urgency and take action.

Again, read Ca$hvertising.
It's barely 200 pages and available for free, on top of that written by Drew Eric Whitman for the digital age.
Worked wonders for me when I was still doing Local SEO.

 

[whiz]

Again, read Ca$hvertising.
It's barely 200 pages and available for free, on top of that written by Drew Eric Whitman for the digital age.
Worked wonders for me when I was still doing Local SEO.

Alright, I'll grab it right now.

Why did you stop doing Local SEO?

 

[whiz]

Here's the link to the Ca$hvertising book @lacifitra mentioned above. Just downloaded and sent to my iphone, gonna read it tonight

https://manofsteelsuperman.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/cahvertising.pdf

 

[lacifitra]

Alright, I'll grab it right now.

Why did you stop doing Local SEO?

It got boring, in terms of IM services I moved on to PPC since it's more fulfilling.

 

[whiz]

More fulfilling how?

More fun and engaging for you?

Better effort : reward ratio?

Easier to explain results to clients? Happier clients?


Cause shit, if you can sell me on this, I'll just get straight to learning PPC if it's better bang for buck