The importance of directory ads

Q How important is it to buy telephone-directory advertising?

"Established practices find that the majority of their new clients come from personal referrals from existing clients," says Roger Cummings, CVPM, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and consultant with Brakke Consulting Inc. in Dallas. Yet maintaining a listing in the telephone directory is still important.

"New practices or practices that relocate might need larger directory advertisements initially," he says. "And specialty and referral practices might need to maintain more visibility, too."

Cummings says one of the greater challenges is deciding which phone directory to advertise in. "Ask 10 of your clients which telephone directory they use, and then buy listings in the directories they use the most," he says.

Cummings also suggests training receptionists to find out how new clients learned about the practice and obtained the contact information. "Use this to help determine how much to invest in telephone-directory advertising and where to refine your approach," says Cummings.

Roger Cummings