Q: DC sent me a one month marketing plan. Below is my reply .. sorry I am unable to include the plan. A: Thanks for the reply. I opened your marketing program and first let me say that something is better than nothing .. but sometimes something become nothing. This is the case if there is no real planning and action steps. I tend to get to the point when I assist others .. your plan shows a lot of planning with little action. Letters are okay but they must be followed with phone calls or better yet meetings. This is especially true if you need quick action. So .. tell me: Do you have a written outline for these meetings .. a written script with actual words you will use. Is there physical plan of action .. who you will meet what will you say and what will you offer? If not .. do it. The act of doing it (writing and planning) even during normal office hours .. writing these out by hand or with a computer will produce results. Can you send me the actual press release and who is it targeted to .. is it directed to your business farm (5-10 miles from your office) or throughout the city. Do you have an actual outline for your workshops and is it written down so you can send it as well or fax it to me at 770-491-3799. It is all well and good to write letters to MD's and lawyers but it has to be under some degree of control. Mass mailings without logging who it went to and what was sent and an area for follow up phone calls etc. will not bring results. The best approach is to send a few and three days later call the office or in the case of the MD .. speak with their referral staff and see if the letter was received .. you may wish to send the letter addressed to the attention of the referral department .. many MD's have their staff do the referrals. In this way both the staff and the doctor see your letter. Rather than a letter to SAM's .. go there during lunch. Walk in and ask for the manager. They have an aggressive safety program .. your purpose of the meeting is to offer your time to instruct the employees (called associates) on proper ergonomics .. I can send or e-mail you my SAMS program .. in fact I think it is on my webpage under Practice Tips .. just scroll down a bit. They have employee shifts .. speak during this time in their break room and from there ask to so a postural stress screening during the weekend. Same for other places. So .. you are on the right start but if this is what you have done in the past .. in this way .. and have not be satisfied with results .. it may be time to do things differently. I would invest in my Marketing or Workshop book or by itself the Smart Start Book .. all can be purchase via my webpage: www.chirosmart.net .. so you have some structured ideas. If you can consider what I wrote above (sorry if it is cryptic .. I am in the midst of two projects) and want to send me or e-mail me what I mentioned .. I would be pleased to help you further. In conclusion .. we all have to be more aggressive when the time comes. Dr. Fernandez has all his clients meet 3000 people within their community .. and it's not by letters Have a Great Day Dr. M