Print Solutions December 2006
CASE STUDY, PRESENTATION PRODUCTS
Referral Books Earn Repeat Orders
Customized referral books from PBHS Inc., Pomona, N.Y., help medical specialists land clients.
PBHS Inc. penetrates the medical market with customized products.
Before most companies heard of the internet, PBHS Inc. designed websites for medical and dental professionals. The Pomona, N.Y.-based marketing company also provides clients with stationery, promotional products, brochures and instructional CD/DVDs. A leader in its niche, PBHS has enjoyed particular success selling customized referral books.
When patients need a specific treatment or procedure, their physicians or dentists recommend specialists. These specialists market themselves to the referring doctors to gain business. Since the referral forms that most medical professionals use are generic, specialists order customized books for their prospects. PBHS designs these books.
The books come in a variety of sizes, and feature the referring physicians’ names and logos on the covers. The cover is printed with 4-color process ink or foil. Each book contains 25 to 35 duplicate or triplicate coil-bound sheets that include the specialist’s information imprinted on them. “What we’ve done is turn a prescription form into a presentation piece,” says Don Levine, president of PBHS. “Originally, we just made the forms almost like a salesbook, but then we said, ‘Let’s make this hot.’”
Specialists give the books to their prospects and customers, along with presentation folders, brochures and other marketing collateral. The referring physicians tend to reorder the referral books because they’re nicer looking and easier to use than generic forms, says Levine. PBHS first introduced the referral books 15 years ago. The design hasn’t changed much, and now PBHS sells thousands of the books each year. “We like to sell a product that’s easily renewable,” says Levine.
Levine first got the idea for a customized referral book at a trade show. Though PBHS developed the concept specifically for the medical market, it’s an idea that could be applied elsewhere. “For any company that relies on referrals, the idea is to take this form and offer it to their customers,” Levine says. “The key is personalization.”
—Andy Brown |
