Alternative Med Doctor Uses Mail to Sell Franchises
A California-based alternative medicine doctor has used a combination of direct mail, local space advertising and live events to recruit doctors to open franchises around the country.
So far, the Holtorf Medical Group has sold four doctors to open franchised offices. These doctors use non-pharmaceutical treatments for age-related ailments such as hormonal deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction or chronic fatigue syndrome.
“We went to the Family Practice conference in April and we are going to be going to another conference in November, “says Jeny Kherkher, marketing director at the Torrance, CA-based firm.
CEO/founder Kent Holtorf both speaks and exhibits regularly at conferences, such as A4M in Las Vegas and FL and Pri Med in Long Beach, CA. At these events—usually held twice a year—Holtorf gathers the names of doctors and adds them to his database for future direct mail efforts, Kherkher says.
So far the database has about 4,500 names, she says.
Holtorf deliberately stays away from using rented lists, preferring to generate his own names.
“We don’t like to blindly use lists, we like to get the names from the conferences,” Kherkher says. “We rely on this because we know there is at least some interest.”
In addition to medical doctors, Holtorf is also targeting now doctors of osteopathy and nurse practitioners.
The mailing pieces try to appeal to doctors who may be disillusioned with conventional medical practices and are looking for ways to make a lot of money fast.
“At the end of the day, Dr. Holtorf wants to help doctors to have successful cash based practices,” she says. “So we do have a franchise model that helps doctors. What he has to offer doctors is a turnkey practice. To teach them and give them the tools to actually treat patients and make them well.”
The mailing pieces and space ads use the web address www.holtorfmed.com/affiliate.html as the response device.
The web page contains a downloadable brochure and online videos about franchising as well as testimonials and seminar information.
During this time, Holtorf has acquired about 8,000 patients through referrals, ads and its website http://www.holtorfmed.com, she says.
At present, two franchise practices have opened in St. Joseph, MO and Pasadena, CA, and two more are slated to open soon in Philadelphia and Sacramento, CA.
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