When we heard that a major manufacturer was launching new technology in early September, we went to the drawing board to plan a sophisticated and methodical campaign that was aimed at maximizing every possible opportunity.
We wanted to ensure that “no stone was left unturned” and that we introduced new technology in a way that was transparent, trustworthy, and did NOT make the widget the star of the show.
For the past several weeks, we’ve been helping our members to run this unique campaign (and it has already generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales).
In this article, I’m going to share how this unique campaign works and map out the blueprint for successfully launching new technology in a way that builds patients’ trust and doesn’t make you a manufacturer show pony.
Let’s cut the jibba-jabba and jump right in.
How Did This Unique “New Technology” Campaign Work, Step By Step?
This isn’t just a bland mailer to the database that repeats manufacturers’ technical jargon; this is a 4-step campaign that was aimed at not just driving revenue short-term but it was also about positioning as market leaders around this new product.
Here’s how it works:
#1 – The Hand-Selected Trial Campaign
Before you can recommend this new technology to your entire patient database, you need proof that it delivers. That’s why the first step of this campaign is to hand-select patients that are 3+ years and invite them to trial this new technology in exchange for their feedback.
Our members sent a simple one-page mailer to a hand-selected group of patients (no more than 75).
The letter explained that new technology had become available, that we didn’t want to recommend it until it was first tested by trusted patients, and shared that they can have a 14-day trial in exchange for their honest feedback.
This simple one-page mailer was driving between a 25-35% response rate.
What we also quickly discovered is that following the trial, many of the patients wanted to keep hold of the new devices and decided to upgrade. This mini campaign alone was driving 15-25 patients to upgrade their technology (generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for some members).
But most importantly, for each patient that trialed the new technology, we had them complete a feedback form answering several questions and rating their experience.
#2 – The Wider Upgrade Mailer (With Proof)
With the initial “trial” campaign resulting in each member collecting patient feedback, we were able to craft a wider database mailer that was sent to all patients that are 3.5+ years.
However, this mailer was very different to the standard new technology mailers that we regularly see.
It doesn’t discuss how many “flux capacitors” the new widget has, it doesn’t include manufacturer spiel, and it doesn’t offer any silly discounts.
Instead, the letter is a comprehensive review of the new technology.
It includes an overview of what the trusted patients thought of the new technology with their personal reviews, it includes an overview of what each audiologist thinks of the new technology, and it explains why the new technology is different (focusing on ONE easy-to-understand thing that makes it different).
It then invited readers to experience the difference for themselves with options to make a seamless transition into the new technology through a buy-back program and payment plans.
The mailer is 4 pages long. It’s different to anything else that I’ve seen run in this industry.
Initial results are now rolling in (and I’ll update this section of this article over the coming weeks when we have some solid numbers for you).
#3 – Crafting an Online Article to Win the SEO Gold Rush
When new technology reaches the market, there is an online land-grab available on Google.
All of a sudden, people are searching for somebody that didn’t exist several weeks ago – this means that creating a detailed and helpful piece of content around new technology will see you be rewarded by Google and ranked prominently for searches.
By creating an article that is rich with real-life patient reviews, the thoughts/feedback of audiologists, and an insight into what makes the technology different, we’ve been able to create articles that comprehensively review the new technology in a unique and helpful way.
This is achieved by recycling the work that was done to create the wider mailer.
This ensures that members are not just winning short term by driving revenue, but they’re also winning long term through Google search traffic.
#4 – Leveraging Your “Tested Not Sold” Database
Leveraging your “tested not sold” list is often the missing piece of the jigsaw for many “new technology” campaigns. That’s because, with any new technology release, it means that the previous line of technology is commonly available with some form of reduced pricing.
This presents an ideal opportunity to reach out to your “tested not sold” database to share that your previous most recommended line of technology is available with a significant savings for a short period of time.
It’s like when BMW launches a new model of their car, it doesn’t mean that a brand-new version of the previous model is any worse or the driving experience decreases, yet the price is heavily reduced.
It’s a simple one-page mailer that is sent to TNS leads from the past 18 months.
This campaign yielded better results than we’ve seen from any previous “tested not sold” campaign, reengaging between 5-10% of patients to schedule another appointment.
Your Key Take-Aways
This campaign is still in progress for many of our members, and the results are continuing to roll in.
But what we have now developed for our members is a blueprint of how we will launch all future new technology, ensuring that we only ever recommend new technology to patients once other trusted patients have given it their seal of approval.
This ensures that we never make the widget the star of the show and that patients understand that hearing CARE is the most important part of achieving better hearing.
