Customer Appreciation Event

Many thanks to all of you who attended the Customer Appreciation Event at our NEW Henry Schein Center! It was a fun-filled evening, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to attend!

Holiday Fun at Monkey Mania Adventure

Last weekend, we met Kristin and the kids at Monkey Mania (one of Brennan's favorite places to play) for their Holiday Event. They had Santa there along with Polar Express Train rides. It was so much fun! In addition to all of the other fun rooms, they have a dress up room where they have costumes for boys and girls, then they can walk into a room with a stage and put on a show. Brennan dressed up as Spiderman and had the best time dancing around on the stage and singing into the microphone. He had all of us laughing!!!

Customer Appreciation Event

Mark your calendars to attend Henry Schein Dental's Customer Appreciation Event this Thursday, December 4th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm at our NEW ABQ Henry Schein Center! I hope to see you there!

Fun With the Grandkids

As the weather is getting colder, our activities with the grandkids move indoors. So, Will and I ventured out to the toy store on a Friday night to get some fun new toys for our house. We couldn't wait to pick the grandkids up the next day to come spend the night with us! Kaleigh took right to her little baby doll, Brennan loved building things on his Handy Manny work bench, and then he used his tools to help Pappie put his car together. Both kids loved riding in the car, and Brennan had fun pushing Kaleigh all around the house! We ended our weekend at Hoot's, where this Granny climbed up with Brennan to help him down the slide! :)

"Where the Wild Things Are" Halloween

Our Halloween was quite a "treat" as Max (aka Brennan) ruled over the Wild Things (the rest of ClubNelson). We all went out to the movies all dressed up in our costumes to see "Where the Wild Things Are!" Then we headed back to Brian & Kristin's for the Wild Rumpus around the fire and to take Brennan trick or treating. My favorite thing about the entire evening was seeing the grandparents, aunts, and uncles dress up as wild things to support Brennan and make Max really come to life for him. Following are 2 slideshows of our fun day together. The first is of our adventure to the movie and the second is the wild rumpus and trick or treating.

McCall's Pumpkin Patch

Our annual trip to McCall's Pumpkin Patch was even better this year with Kaleigh along for the fun! She loved riding in the cow train and going down the slide with her Mommy. Brennan loved ALL of it! I think his favorite thing, though, was the slide. He kept climbing up the big hill so that he could slide down...over and over again!

Eric & Emily's Wedding

It was a beautiful day at Prairie Star as Eric and Emily exchanged their vows under the Cottonwood tree with the Sandia mountains as the background. Eric and Emily were such a happy couple on their big day. The next day, they were off to Clearwater Beach, Floria for a memorable honeymoon!

Fall Family Fun

Fall is a great time to get out and enjoy time with your family before the cold weather sets in. I am definitely a warm weather person, so I ease myself into the cold Winter by taking full advantage of the beautiful Fall days in New Mexico. I thought it would be nice to share some of the Fall activities that my family enjoys.

Dixon's Apple Farm

This beautiful apple orchard, nestled in the mountains about an hour and a half North of Albuquerque (past Cochiti Lake) has some of the most delicious apples you've ever tasted! They reported a great crop this year, but the apples go fast...if you decide to go, be sure to check the website first for updates on availability. Make an afternoon of it by taking a picnic to enjoy by the stream that runs through the orchard. My grandkids loved splashing in the stream and enjoying the cool mountain air!

McCalls' Pumpkin Patch

Take a trip out to Moriarity one weekend between September 26th and October 31st to visit McCall's Pumpkin Patch. There are activities for every age there...a corn maze, a giant cannon that shoots out pumpkins, animals, a sandbox filled with corn kernels, a "cow train" for the kids to ride, a giant trampoline, slides, and much more! And, of course, a hay ride to the pumpkin patch where you can pick out your perfect pumpkin! They even have a special haunted hay ride & haunted corn maze at night.

Wagners Farmland Experience

Located in Corrales, this farm offers hay rides, children's activities, a pumpkin patch, and apple orchard, and a petting zoo. They also offer a nighttime corn maze with a bonfire and roasted marshmallows.

Rio Grande Zoo

Visit the zoo to see the brand new baby elephant, born at our zoo just a few weeks ago! Better hurry because this "baby" weighed in at 318 pounds when she was born...she won't be a baby for very long!!! If you get to the zoo before September 25, you can stop by the Zoo's Cottonwood Cafe to vote on your favorite name for the baby elephant.

Botanic Gardens

Check out the new Bug Exhibit at the Botanic Gardens while you enjoy all of the Fall foliage around the gardens and the bosque. Brennan took a trip to see the "Fantastic World of Bugs" exhibit, and he was brave enough to touch the milipede that they had out!

I would love to hear about your Fall Family Adventures. E-Mail me a picture (donna.nelson@henryschein.com) of your Fall Family outing, and I will give you a $5 Starbucks gift card to enjoy a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Dixon's Apple Farm with Brennan & Kaleigh

Girls Celebration Weekend at the Tamaya

We had a great time celebrating my son's Bride-to-Be, Emily, with a girl's getaway at the Tamaya Resort in Bernalillo. We can't wait to see them exchange their vows under the Cottonwood tree at Prairie Star on September 25th!

Today's Wall Street Journal: Dentists Step Up Marketing as Patients Skip Their Visits

Dentists Step Up Marketing as Patients Skip Their Visits
By MAUREEN SCARPELLI

Wall Street Journal
August 11, 2009


In the slowdown, even dentists are feeling the pinch.David Wong, who runs a private practice with his wife in Tulsa , Okla. , has seen his business slip 10% since the beginning of this year. That has him spending more time marketing and less time cleaning or pulling teeth.

Dr. Wong has upped his advertising, taking advantage of low newspaper and broadcast rates, and now sends email reminders to customers on top of traditional mailed postcards. He is even on Twitter, aiming to connect with customers as "not just the guy in a white coat with a drill in his hand."

"It's a lot more work," he admits. "You can't go to the office and just be a dentist anymore; you have to go to the office and be a dentist and a CEO."

Like many dentists, Dr. Wong has noticed a trend in the last year: As more patients lose jobs and employer-sponsored insurance, fewer come in for major treatments or even routine cleanings. A little more than half of 1,275 dentists surveyed in July by the American Dental Associaton said their net incomes have decreased and their unbooked appointment times have increased from the first quarter. That means more dentists see the need to step up the marketing of their services.

"Dentists are taking a good look at their systems, trying to figure out what they can do internally that won't cost them anything but will keep people coming," says Gene Werner of Mercer Advisors, a company that does financial planning and practice management for about 4,000 dental practices across the nation.

There are more than 120,000 dental practices in the U.S. , according to the dental association's last count in 2002; more than 60% of them are solo practices.

In dental school, most dentists learn that good location and personal service will earn referrals to new patients. But these days, the old ways alone aren't enough to cut it and dentists with slumping business want to know what to do differently, Ms. Werner says.

Dentists like Ken Peters of Highlands Ranch, Colo. , noticed twice as many patients were cancelling appointments and putting off expensive treatment in mid-2008 from the year before. "They figure they can't afford it so they wait," says Dr. Peters, who estimates between 20% and 30% of his patients have put off dental treatment, hoping to find another job in time to cover them. "They'd rather feed their family than spend the money on a crown."

Hesitant about the effectiveness of marketing for dentists, Dr. Peters says he and his small staff haven't modified their strategies much besides contacting patients more often.

Other dentists have significantly upped their personal connection with patients by sending newsletters in the mail, offering phased payment schedules for the recently uninsured, or calling patients directly to book routine cleanings.

To be sure, some dentists have received a business boost as the soon-to-be unemployed seek health care before their benefits run out. But turning those patients into regular customers is tricky unless they are in pain.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wong in Oklahoma uses Twitter to reach patients with marketing messages. One recent tweet: "Check out our latest implant surgery video to stabilize loose dentures."

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page B5

On-Hold Voice Messages

You read about how On-Hold Marketing can benefit your practice in August's Dental Dialogue. Here is a brochure to provide more information about what Ray Sample, with SOH Productions, can offer you. You can also visit the SOH Productions website to learn more.

E-Mail Me!

Would you like to win a $25 gas card? Send me an e-mail with your office's primary e-mail contact address, and you will be entered to win a gas card! Your e-mail address will be kept confidential, and will only be used for me to communicate with you and to inform you of updates on donnasdentaldialogue.blogspot.com
Send your email to donna.nelson@henryschein.com

Jill & Daniel's Wedding Pictures!

DemandForce Dental

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Dr. Paul Huddleston

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Dr. Wendy Spektor

Click here to learn how you will see a return on your investment when you set up DemandForce for your office.

Weekend Fun with the Grandkids

Will and I had the kids over to spend the night this past weekend, and we "beat the heat" by taking the kids to the Corrales pool. This was our first visit to that pool, and the kids LOVED it! We stayed there all afternoon...Brennan just couldn't get enough of the water slide and crawling through the tubes, and Kaleigh loved watching the action and splashing in the water!

Welcome to the Website!

I created this website/blog as a supplement to the information in the monthly newsletter that I mail out. Don't worry....your office will still receive the newsletter each month, but this will be a way to share more pictures, provide more information on featured products, and provide surveys to learn how I can better serve my offices.

Below, you will find the first 2 posts...one has more information about this month's feature, E4D, and the other has a slideshow of more pictures from our vacation to Newport Beach. Along the right side, you will find a survey. Check back regularly for more pictures!

I would love to know what you think...below each post you will see a "comment" button; click on that to leave a comment...leave a comment on this post to let me know what you think about the website and give any suggestions of what you would like to see. Each person who leaves a comment will have their name put "in the hat" to win a $25 gas card...I will draw 2 names on July 29, so leave a comment by then to have your name entered into the drawing!

July Featured Product: E4D DENTIST

In this month's newsletter, you will find some hot promos going on for this leading edge technology, including this CEREC trade in promo for $25,000 in merchandise credit!



If you are interested in traveling to the E4D University in Richardson, TX for an E4D Preview Event, click here to find a date that best fits your schedule. You will receive a $1,000 discount on your E4D purchase to cover travel expenses!

Learn more about E4D on their website at http://d4dtech.com/dental/

Nelson Family Vacation- Newport Beach, CA

Click to play the slideshow for a glimpse at the fun we had on our annual family vacation. The highlight of this year's vacation was Jill & Daniel's wedding aboard a yacht that sailed the Newport Harbor!