02/11/2008

Ideas Are The Starting Points Of Future Success; Document With A Digital Recorder

digital recorder_web_1.jpg If you are like me, your greatest strokes of genius occur when there is no pen and paper handy to jot it down. My creativity seems to peak when I am either in the shower, driving down the road, or walking the dog. Many potentially great ideas have been lost by the wayside, stored within the clutter of my mind, until I finally smartened up and bought a digital recorder.

It didn't take long for me to fully appreciate the power of this mini piece of digital equipment. I initially bought one to save myself time in the office, recording my To Do list as I went through the day. I was tired of chasing down post-it-notes on patient charts or having to sort through my desk for the notes that fell off my computer monitor. I was immediately more organized and efficient. I was now able to track all the little things I sometimes forgot when trying to navigate a typical busy patient day. It quickly became my new best friend. At the end of the day or when I had a free minute, all I did was listen to the recorder, add each item or idea to my To Do list, and I was off and runinng again.

I soon found myself recording everything, including personal reminders and marketing ideas. You would be amazed how many "remarkable" marketing ideas you run across in newspapers, magazines, the grocery store or just in everyday travels. It could be an ad, copy, or some unusual gimmick to attract customers. With a recorder, you can document everything right then and there. You no longer had to worry about "out of sight…out of mind" or scramble to find a pen and paper to write it down.

Creating "remarkable" marketing strategies that increase "word of mouth" chatter to promote your practice, just became easier.

My first digitial recorder cost about $100, a little over 3 years ago. Today, the same recorder is $34. The technology has improved and cost has dropped, as with everything else digital. One great feature that is available now, that wasn't then, is the ability to take photos. If you run across a great idea, all you have to do is:

Record your idea or thought
Take a picture, if you can, to document detail
Transfer to your marketing tickler file for future reference

I found the Olympus W-10 Voice Recorder on Amazon with a digital camera for only $32.00. It is an older model but received great reviews from buyers. You don't have to shoot perfect photos, just clear enough to document the idea. At this price, you might want to consider ordering one for each member of the team. It will help organize staff, and pay for itself immediately while encouraging the team to contribute marketing ideas of their own. Make a contest out of it to make it more fun and increase creativity. Remember…

Two minds think better than one…four minds think better than two…

Use a digital recorder for 30 days, the time it takes to acquire a new habit. I guarantee, once you start using one, you won't stop, especially if you want to make your life less stressful, more organize and increase creativity when marketing your practice.

Here's to marketing smarter, faster and with less team effort.

About Mary Kay Miller
Mary Kay Miller is an Internet marketing coach specializing in SEO and Web 2.0 Internet marketing solutions. She has created and managed her own Internet business since 2006. Mary Kay teaches orthodontists, dentists and professional practices how to market their website, blog, video, and social networking sites to attract more new patients and increase production. For more information, visit www.orthopreneur.com.

Tags: dental marketing, online marketing, orthodontic marketing, orthodontic online marketing, orthodontics, practice management, professional practice marketing, word of mouth, word of mouth marketing