How to Build a Lead Infrastructure and Grow Your Dental Lab With Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most effective and least complex digital channels for dental labs of any size. So naturally, small dental labs look for the tool to help them grow and expand their customer base.

But here is the problem: in isolation, email may not be successful in helping you accomplish that goal. If you want to grow your dental lab with email marketing, you have to build a reliable infrastructure around it.

Focus on Organic Leads

The success of your email marketing efforts only goes as far as your audience. If you send even the greatest emails to recipients who simply don't care or who your selling proposition doesn't apply to, you may as well never hit the 'send' button.

But how do you reach this type of audience? Despite conventional wisdom, buying lists of recipients within your industry is not the answer. Instead, focus on a marketing strategy that helps you grow your leads organically. If you only add contacts into your email software who have actually stated their interest in your company, you know that your emails will reach the most relevant audience possible.

Define and Segment Your Audiences

Of course, even using the above strategy, not every email will be relevant for every member of your contact database. That's why contact management and segmentation is absolute key for successful email marketing.

Instead of sending email blasts to every member of your database, consider segmenting your contacts into relatively homogenous groups. For example, for a local dental lab, you may want to consider separating your recipients into groups that might be interested in specific products, or live in individual neighborhoods. That way, you can design emails that are more uniquely relevant to these audience segments.

Build Beautiful Emails

Speaking of which: at the core of every email marketing strategy is the actual message. We now receive more than 100 emails every single day, which means that your emails absolutely have to stand out from the crowd in order for your audience to actually pay attention.

A beautiful email starts with the subject line, but it certainly doesn't end there. The best marketing emails are short, to the point, and actually valuable. They're also designed with at least one visual, and attractive enough to be readable (and enjoyable) on any screen.

Automate Your Lead Nurturing Flows

Finally, consider building a framework that doesn't rely on you sending individual emails out each time you want to reach your audience. Instead, build an automated lead nurturing workflow that sends emails to your target audience in pre-defined intervals to slowly nudge them toward the sale.

We've discussed lead nurturing in this space, and the core benefits remain the same. If you can build an automated flow of relevant emails to your current contact, you can build credibility and make sure that when your leads are ready to become customers, they'll remember you.

Find the Right CRM

All of the above tips can help you integrate email marketing into your dental lab promotional strategy. But we have not yet discussed the final step of building a consistent and reliable email infrastructure: your customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Here's the thing: your CRM can make or break the success of your email marketing. Choose the right one, and you can easily implement all of the above initiatives without significant external help or budget. Choose the wrong one, and you complicate the issue to a point where successful email marketing is difficult or impossible to accomplish.

That's why we'd love for you to give us a shot. DentalLabSupport.com offers an affordable email and contact management solution that's specifically designed for dental labs To learn more about how we can help you successfully use email marketing to grow your dental lab, contact us.

instill a sense of trust and build rapport with your dentist's

Making the sale isn't always about having the best quality product, at the best price. 

Sure, some dentist's are concerned only with their bottom line, and are just hunting for one-time deals, but many are hungry to cultivate relationships with sellers, or brands, and find companies with whom they feel comfortable doing business time and time again. 

For sustainable sales boosts in the the dental lab arena, this is the kind of loyal customer businesses should be looking for too. Building a comfortable rapport with dentists and instilling a sense of trust are key to closing sales.  Here are some tips to keep in mind during the sales process to connect with customers on their level. 

Avoid the hard-sell and ask questions instead

When a potential dentist shows interest in your products and services, they've probably already done some research and have an idea of what you offer. Of course, some clarification is good, but what they really want is an open discussion about their needs, and how you can fulfill them. Start the exchange with open-ended questions, not talking points. Listen carefully and tailor responses to each unique situation. Basically, don't drone on about features and stats, instead give them information as they ask for it, steering them towards the conclusion that your product is the best option for them right now.

Don't sling mud at competitors 

Buyers are not interested in hearing you badmouth other brands or dental labs, and in fact, will likely be turned off by it. They want to hear why you are superior, not why others fail. It could come off as a smokescreen, or just push the interaction in a negative direction. Comparisons and examples are great, and should be used, but the focus should be on the quality of your products, not harping too much on the weaknesses of your competitors. 

Demonstrate genuine concern for the consumer

Honesty, even if it means a delay or potential decline of a sale, is important when building relationships. Each exchange with a client, whether they are an existing partner or potential, should leave them feeling like they gained something from the interaction. That you, as a seller who wants to work with them again in the future, have their best interest at heart. Many times that will hopefully be an agreed-upon deal on a new product or service, but sometimes it will be honest advice that, right now, unfortunately you don't have exactly what they need at the right price point, and that's okay. They can contact you again when circumstances have changed, and you can keep them updated on new offerings or features that could lead them to purchase in the future. 

Make good on your promises

Another important aspect of building trust is following through on your promises. It's pretty much a given, but bears repeating: Deliver what you've discussed, consistently, on time, every time. If you've made a deal, stick to it, and don't change anything at the last minute. Set and meet clear expectations during each sale. 

Engage afterwards 

A good way to stay in touch with your clients and keep them engaged with your brand is to connect digitally. This means networking on social media, sharing content, offering the ability for them to review products, and keeping the channels of communication open. Offer promotions and special deals for loyal customers, perhaps encouraging them to share content or positive reviews about your brand in exchange for discounts on their next purchase. Keep it light and simple online to stay memorable, but avoid pushiness. 

Training sales staff solely with a hard-sell, make-the-sale-at-all-costs, mentality just isn't the way to go about it anymore.These days, consumers have options and they know it. Giving them a voice and turning sales into more an exchange than a pitch will keep them coming back. 

Contact us to learn more about developing a sales strategy with your team that will delight customers and sustain repeat business. 

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