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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
Do any of you owners out there have pointers on how to expand your client base? What is your best advice on how to pick up a new dentist? (*Warning* Poster may steal technique)
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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
Wondering of better ways to save gold shavings when grinding alloys... I currently use a workbox and a paper towel with the vac turned off... Any more ideas from all you geniuses out there?!
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Betty Zoller, CDT/TE · Dept/Head Ceramist
I have my technicians use a paint brush and wet wipes, we use vac on. Also a removable rug to be sent in along with shaving.
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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
What kind of removable rug?
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Betty Zoller, CDT/TE · Dept/Head Ceramist
Our refining rep (Chris from Heraeus)gave us two,to place under our chairs to collect any that falls onto the floor. He also told a crazy story, an owner refined his carpet for $30,000. Really any rug with thick nap would work.
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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
That would be psychotic to find that much gold off the floor. NUTS. Anyway, thanks for the reply!
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Darrick Hartman · Lab Manager
we tear out and send in our carpet every 3 years for refining and average 11k everytime. we get the cheap office standard carpet with no padding. after we rip it up we also vaccum the life out of the subflooring. we have a two stage central vac that catches all shavings. and we refine every single central vac bag. we send 30lbs scrap barrels to cora every 2 months and average 3k off those.
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Betty Zoller, CDT/TE · Dept/Head Ceramist
Brett how long have you owned your business? And how many emplyoees?
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Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
I've been at it for 5 years now, and have owned for 3. And it's just me until I am more busy.
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Betty Zoller, CDT/TE · Dept/Head Ceramist
That is awesome! Owning a business is alot of work. My husband owns a portrait studio, a working with dentists taking portraits of happy patients after the placements. One Dr. Purchases session and 2 portraits and hangs 11X14 in office of own work. What a marketing tool.
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Darrick Hartman · Lab Manager
central vac with a drop collector before the bag, also send in every bag we fill.
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Brett Butler
Owner, Ceramist
Small dental laboratory in Richfield, UT Been a tech for 5 years now, and loving every bit of it. I'm always seeking to improve my work in competing with a machine filled world, especially in the...See more
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Andy Woods · President
Hi Brett, Referrals are wonderful when you can them but most labs seem to fare better when "selling" is simply a part of their daily process. For smaller labs that just means taking the time to regularly schedule some personal sales visits and offer some meaningful reasons for a prospect to give you a chance. Good Luck!
February 15, 2012 · 2 peopleGary JohnstonAaron Hoffman
Aaron Hoffman · Part Owner (I'd rather be in the trenches than a suit)
Hey man! I agree with Andy, and I'm no Mr. Owl but I can tell you in our experience, that beating the streets and the doors down of 5-10 Dr.'s offices usually results in 1 to 2 doctors. The luxury that you have is that......YOU ARE the quality control. You check Brett's work, you get to let Brett know the doctor like what Brett did, and you get to throw Brett under the bus when something goes wrong....See more
February 20, 2012 · 2 peopleGary JohnstonSteve Proctor, JASDT
Nick Azar · Managing Director
Brett, you got a very good advise from Andy. If I can add one more marketing vehicle to consider, I would add “Education.” What I mean by that is two folds: One, continue to invest in your education so you can add value to your customers. Two, find a way to share that knowledge. You might consider offering your laboratory to your local specialists for their study club meeting. I find laboratories...See more
February 21, 2012 · 3 peopleGary JohnstonAaron Roux
Aaron Hoffman
Darrick Hartman · Lab Manager
Im with Nick. Hosting continuing ed is a great marketing tool. But through this past year I've found that getting the oral surgeons and periodontist involved in predictable lab outcomes, has led to an endless amount of implant work to us. We have 7 surgeons and 4 periodontists including our lab slips with treatment release to restore letters. They are being sent to their entire implant referral base.
February 21, 2012 · 2 peopleGary JohnstonKim Molinaro
Brett Butler · Owner, Ceramist
Wow, thank you guys. Great feedback, but I've found with other lab techs, we all try to give advice freely and show one another support. What a great gesture in a crappy world. Thanks for the pointers, hopefully I'll be able to adapt this information into my marketing strategies for the near future. Once again, thank you all.
February 21, 2012 · 2 peopleGary JohnstonAaron Hoffman
Gary Johnston · Owner
C Brett, in this field all u have to do is ask, then go learn how 2. Great advice from all.... Let us know how u stand 6mths to a year from now.... "G"
February 22, 2012Aaron Hoffman · Part Owner (I'd rather be in the trenches than a suit)
Brett.............sssoooooooOOOOO? Whats the word? Hope things are going well for you dude. If i run into any impossible to please dentists, i'll send them your way! lol Seriously, hope you've seen some results no matter how you went about it. Also, I don't know if you have a website, but wix.com is a great place to start one with minimal monthly expense of $15. You can do some pretty schweet...See more
July 23, 2012Matt Finney · Sales Representative
Hey Brett,
July 24, 2012 · 2 peopleRayne VerityI would encourage you and most small-to-midsized labs to work smart, not hard. Figure out the type of doctors you want to target first. For most techs using modern products who want to promote them (and for this example I will assume All Ceramics for C+B), the following steps seem to prove very effective for the labs I work with:
1) Get a list of 30-50 docs...See more
Aaron Hoffman
Mark Jackson, RDT · Owner
I like all of the above suggestions. I'll add one more. We had an open house this weekend and we sent out 2500 invitations. In addition to inviting dentists, I invited all the local hygienists, assistants, lab owners and xray technicians. We had a steady stream of people coming in all day, and even had to run to Costco for more food and drinks. We have been getting calls for pick ups yesterday and...See more
July 24, 2012 · 2 peopleRayne VerityJose Walter
Matt Finney · Sales Representative
Hosting is a great practice Mark, and great for larger labs / smaller modern labs certainly. Not all of em you'd want to be in, though! haha
July 24, 2012 · 1 personGlynn VelardoAnd as far as the "If it aint broke, don't fix it" mentality - Sorry Aaron, couldn't disagree more! Thats the mentality that I believe leads to complacency, not a good thing in a competitive business environment. I counter your phrase for one of...See more