Marketplace Resource Roundup
Useful Tools from Our Partners
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Tricks of the Trade - DPMs
Pediatrics on the Rise
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Speak Up DPMs
My Favorite Meeting
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Practice Partner Pearls
DME & DASS with Dr. Alan Bass
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Practice Partner Academy
The Latest On-Demand
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Tricks of the Trade - Vendors
Picking Up on Scientific Trends
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Speak Up Vendors
Significant Changes in Meetings
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Tricks of the Trade - Planners
Strengthen Your Strengths
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Meeting Calendar
Next 90 Days
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Give Our Sponsors Some Love
MARKETPLACE RESOURCE ROUNDUP
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DARCO International
International Symposium
on the Diabetic Foot
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Doctor Hoy's Natural Pain Relief
Exploring Doctor Hoy's Products with Dr. Nick, DPM
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McClain Laboratories
Building a Relationship
with Your Path Lab
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Pedifix Medical Footcare
Alternatives for Common
MTPJ Conditions
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Podiatry Content Connection
Free Practice Acceleration Session
from DPM Marketing Experts
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PowerStep
ProTech Orthotics Variations
and Clinical Indications
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Remy Class IV Laser
Treat Pain/Inflammation, Fungus, Mosaic Warts, IPKs & More
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The Richie Brace
How to Get Insurance
to Cover AFOs
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SureFit
Medicare Document
Management Program
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The CORE Group
Wound Solutions
Integrated Approach
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Quick Tips for DPMs
If You've Been Wanting to Explore Pediatrics...
The Time is Now
Sarah Breymeier
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If you know me, you know I love practices that go all in to niche markets.
While I would love to go deeper into how to find your niche, what I really wanted to point out this month is that there seems to be a massive trend toward pediatric scientific content. In fact, after going through a quick CALENDAR OF EVENTS review, I noticed that there are three upcoming meetings specializing in this unique patient demographic.
They are:
Saturday, October 7
Saturday, October 14
October 19-21
One of my favorite conversations was a year ago with Dr. Mikkel Jarman. He is a pediatric foot specialist who lives and breathes his niche.
If you are one of the many who is currently interested in developing your pediatric practice, take some notes from Dr. Jarman below from last year's PodiatryExpo from PodiatryMeetings.com
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Dr. Mikkel Jarman
Becoming The DPM Parents Trust...
Building a Brand in Pediatrics
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PRACTICE PARTNER PEARLS
DME & DASS with Dr. Alan Bass
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THIS is Why You Don’t Need to Use the Same Old Thing!
Either you are a seasoned practitioner who has been successfully treating patients and getting good results or you are new in practice and have been trained by some of the best physicians out there in surgery, medicine, orthopedics, and biomechanics. It doesn’t matter. You should always strive to improve the clinical outcomes in your practice or improve its financial health. The information I’m about to present will hopefully do both for you.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME), Insurance & OTC Products
Dispensing DME and billing insurance carriers, including Medicare, has become commonplace. Nowadays, issues with credentialing, declining reimbursements, and audits, have caused physicians to steer away from dispensing DME that require the providers to bill insurance carriers. Many of my colleagues are moving towards a completely cash-based practice and are happier about that. For those of you who don’t want to fully commit to that, carrying products or providing services in your practice for your patients to invest in is one way to start. Carrying OTC products or providing specialized procedures is one way. For those of you who treat ankle sprains, and I say that with a wink of an eye because we all do, dispensing a new type of dynamic brace to treat ankle sprains is going to become commonplace. I’m going to show you that this dynamic brace will become the “go-to” device for your patients and they will readily invest their dollars on their foot health.
A New Dynamic Ankle Brace
For the longest time, ankle bracing has been big, bulky devices that many people didn’t feel comfortable in, didn’t like the appearance, or had difficulty wearing it in sneakers or shoes. What if I told you that you can dispense a brace to your patients that is comfortable, easy to wear and will provide the support needed, but you do not have to have a specialized DME license to dispense because while it is a “brace”, it is also a sock?
The Powerstep® Dynamic Ankle Support Sock (DASS) is the most unique product that I have come across in years. This sock, through its unique design, offers targeted compression plus enhanced support, alignment, and stability. It has a flexible support cage and stability straps to maintain healthy movement while supporting weak or injured ankles. It can help prevent injury and improve stability during physical activity. The sock offers a gradual compression that supports the arch, aligns the ankle, and stabilizes the heel. The patient will have a natural range of motion and anatomically correct positioning with the ankle support cage. Soft ankle straps hug the foot and ankle for customized tension and a perfect fit. The design of the sock and brace are low-profile which allows for easy fit into most shoes. It is also machine washable for everyday wear.
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SPEAK UP, DPMs
My Favorite Meeting
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September - November is always jam-packed with meetings... there's no way you haven't attended at least one of the upcoming meetings previously!
Its OK... we'll let it slide this time.
But get to clickin' below!
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PRACTICE PARTNER ACADEMY
Helping You Choose Strategic Partners for Your Practice
Watch our newest on-demand recordings and take away key pearls for common ankle conditions that you can use in your practice immediately.
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What Do I Try
First for PTTD?
Foot Orthosis?
Richie Brace®? Gauntlet?
Presented by
Dr. Doug Richie
Sponsored by
The Richie Brace®
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A Revolutionary
New Product
for the Treatment and Prevention of Ankle Injuries
Presented by
Dr. Alan Bass
Sponsored by PowerStep
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Quick Tips for Exhibitors
Notice Scientific Trends & Make It Work at Your Booth
Sarah Breymeier
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This October there are three conferences that are narrowing in on a single patient demographic - pediatrics. Did you notice???
I always find it interesting how the profession seems to take on trends like this; in fact, right before COVID hit there seemed to be a major surge in dermatology-focused meetings.
I'm bringing this up because I want to challenge each of you, as I always do, to end the cycle of copying/pasting your booth strategy from show to show. Conferences are becoming less "generic" and more specific to focused scientific content. This trend should impact your conference strategy.
It's a bit challenging to explain how one company can do this across the board, so I find that hypotheticals work best; and since pediatrics is the hot topic right now, let's use it.
So - you are exhibiting at a pediatric conference... here are some examples of how different vendor types could do low-cost updates to their tradeshow display/materials:
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MARKETING AGENCY: Showcase how you can help physicians become "The DPM Parents Can Trust." Watch the interview with Dr. Mikkel Jarman in the DPM Tip and learn how he has built a brand with consistent marketing strategies; then help your clients achieve the same. |
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ORTHOTICS LAB: I really hope this one is a no-brainer. Simply display your pediatric custom and OTC orthotics and make sure you have developed some specific collateral that is not tied into your enormous catalog. |
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PATHOLOGY: DPMs may not be creating a large amount of awareness to parents regarding the importance of monitoring their children's feet for any abnormalities. If you are a pathology lab and want to encourage DPMs to build a relationship with you... create tools for them to create relationships with their community's parents. These could be printed materials for their offices, videos they could use in the waiting room or online, and/or suggestions for social media posts/education/awareness. |
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LASER AND/OR SHOCKWAVE: Big equipment usually necessitates big evidence. Showcase how your technology is showing up strong in scientific research for children and adolescents. Here are some random examples I found in 3.5 seconds:
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These are just a few examples; but I hope you get the idea. The main point is take the necessary time to ensure your booth materials and messaging is in alignment with the content your audience is being immersed in while you're in the same physical space as them.
You will find sales easier to close and, more than likely, DPMs who appreciate that you took the time to ensure you are offering relevant products and services for the practices they are building.
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SPEAK UP, Vendors
Monthly Quick Poll
How are Meetings Changing - For Better or Worse?
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Meetings have changed a TON since 2019.... and that's across the board. We have, however, overheard vendors mentioning that a "meeting just isn't as good as it used to be." We have also heard, "this meeting has really stepped up its game and I'm pleasantly surprised." There have also been brand new meetings that have come out of nowhere and made decent sized splashes in the profession.
We want to know.... what meetings do you feel have changed for the better, for the worse, or who has just blatantly surprised you in some way shape or form?
We can't really do a poll for this one, so please just email us your thoughts at beheard@podiatrymeetings.com. If you'd rather take an anonymous survey... we LOVE that too!
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90-DAY MEETING OUTLOOK
Click below to see industry events for upcoming months.
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Quick Tips for Meeting Planners
Strengthen Your Strengths
Sarah Breymeier
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If you've read over this entire newsletter, you likely caught that I've taken notice of the "hot topic" of pediatrics in podiatry. It also may have you thinking, "Oh no.... I don't have a pediatric track in my agenda!"
Don't stress!! Just because something is seemingly trending, doesn't mean every organization has to jump on board. Whether you are a meeting or a button store, it's important to stick to your strengths. If pediatrics (or whatever the next hot scientific trend is) doesn't make sense for the type of meeting you've shaped - don't do it.
Similarly, focus on your strengths vs. spinning your wheels trying to improve upon your weaknesses. Everyone has both. Growing up and then through college, I played tennis; so indulge me and allow me to use a metaphor that comes naturally to me.
My serve was the best weapon in my game. So if I got to choose, I always served first in a tennis match. Follow it up with a wicked forehand and I was feeling good. What wasn't so hot - my backhand volley. I have a real knack for smacking the ball down into that pesky net that some mean person decided to put in the middle of the court. So does that mean I never practiced by backhand volley? No. I didn't want it to be so noticeably awful that people would attack it... BUT I spent more time practicing strategies that would keep players from hitting to my weak side when I was at the net and forced myself into positions where I was utilizing my strengths. I practiced MUCH more on ensuring my strengths were exposed vs. polishing a turd that was my backhand volley.
So if your meeting has created a reputation for having the best scientific content revolving around .... oh ... let's make up an example..... biopsies and dermoscopy.... stick with it and pound it home to your champions who want more! Avoid getting distracted by the new, bright shiny thing - unless it elevates where you're currently thriving.
Everyone has something they do better than most... and someone else is better than you at something too. Let them be great at "that thing" and you be great at "your thing." A jack of all trades is a master of none.
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PodiatryMeetings.com presents information about upcoming podiatric events, featured podiatry vendors, exhibiting and travel tips, and more!
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