Dental Practice Signage: It’s Worth a Shot!

Update on Dr. Jeff Clay’s Sign: Redneck Target Practice

Just received the following email from Dr. Jeff Clay in Shady Spring, West Virginia, updating me on his marketing and especially his dental practice signs, both standard and electronic:

Jim,

Thanks to your guidance and leadership, I do a lot of external marketing in my practice. I do radio, phone book, ChrisAd brochure, IDA website, 1stDDS.com, Hycomb quarterly newsletter, and there’s the new LED digital sign I sent you pictures of last year. Well, all that work (combined with internal marketing) is yielding an average of 67 new patients a month YTD.

The most glaring difference is the numbers I am seeing from my sign. In 2006 with my old sign, I had 36 patients say that the sign is how they heard about us. Through the end of August 2007, I have had almost double that number (69), with last month setting the record. Last month, 19 new patients put on their registration form they heard about us through our sign. The sign cost $40K, but I am feeling better about it all the time. Just thought you might find this interesting.

Sure would love to see you and Suzanne some time. I have great respect for the two of you and the great difference you have made in my professional life.

Jeff Clay, DDS

P.S. Here is a story for you! Just to keep up the redneck traditions of West “By God” Virginia, my new sign has been up since December 2006. One night earlier this month, a “good ole redneck boy” drove by the sign and put three bullet holes through it. The holes are less than the size of your fist and not very noticeable. I am considering a partner and if that happens, we will likely change the sign face anyway. I am probably going to live with it for a while until I see what I am going to do about this partner idea. If I can get 19 new patients a month from it, I don’t care if they shoot some more holes in it! 🙂

Just click on the photos to see close-ups of the damage to the doctor’s sign.