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G
etting on the local news may be easier than you think. Getting on once
in my opinion is easy; getting invited back as a regular guest is whats
important. I want to focus on your message in this short article.
What separates the most successful practitioners in
medicine and dentistry is clarity of message.What do patients
want?According to Andrew Weil, M.D., They want a doctor
that can explain treatment in a way they can understand.
I want to share with you what Ive learned over the years
while helping doctors get ready for TV interviews.First, a
little bit about my experience in public relations, marketing
and advertising.In 1998, I launched the eort that would
become The Wellness Hour, Americas Gold Standard for
Health News.Since then I have directed and produced more
than 1,050 30-minute television episodes, featured best-selling
authors in medicine, and worked with well-known dentists
like Dr. Bill Dorfman, Dr. Bill Dickerson and many more.My
medical news show has become a television and social
media platform for doctors to discuss breakthroughs in their
specialties with the communities they serve.The Wellness
Hour airs in 98 million homes across the U.S. and Canada.Of
the 1,050 infomercials I have personally directed and produced,
more than 500 of those have been for dentists.I have coached
the best of the best and the shyest guys youll ever meet for
television media, and Ive seen amazing transformations with
dentists who perceived themselves as not good for TV as they
became television personalities. Its about education, not being
a salesperson.In fact, you dont have to be loud or salesy. You
never want to get caught selling. Its about presenting in a way
that motivates others to take action.
Lets begin with the basics of how to get on the local news
in your city or town.Decide what your topic is going to be.It
should sound exciting, current, and it can be sensational or
controversial.
BY RANDY ALVAREZ
TV Talk Show Host, CEO/Founder of The Wellness Hour,
The Leader in Medical News and Information
How to Become
a Regular Guest on
Your Local News Station
M
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA
Q4 - zc:: - www.TheProDentist.com | :
LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES:
- How small lmprovemenLs Lo your smlle can geL you a
better job or promoted in the job you have.
- How your smlle can holu you back
- SeuaLlon For Lhe hlghly anxlous paLlenL.Don'L leL your
fear of the dentist keep you from having the smile you
have always wanted.
- CosmeLlc - How a beauLlFul smlle can open uoors Lo a
new job, spark romance and be a huge boost to your
self condence.
- No More 1raulLlonal DenLures
- Your bleeulng gums can klll you!
APPROACHING THE LOCAL NEWS STATION
You can hire a public relations rm to send a news release
or make a call. You can have your oce manager, marketing
person, or your web person call the station to present your
idea for a topic.You can send an email or fax a press release
or, better yet, you can PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL
YOURSELF. Ask for the news director, and introduce
yourself.Tell the person who answers the phone, that you have
a news story worth telling.When the doctor calls they usually
get through to a decision maker at the station. Personalize the
call with where your oce is, how long you have been in the
town and if you are a fan of their station, let them know.Be
enthusiastic.You will usually get your one shot.You may have
to call several times over a few months, but you will get your
chance to be on TV.
OK, so now you are on TV being interviewed by the local
news reporter or news anchor. What do you say? Remember
one thing...this is not a deposition. Whatever they ask you can
be spun to address your main points or message.
Your goal is to get everyone in that newsroom and the
audience excited about your topic.They will feed o your
passion.Here is my simple message. Whether its dental
implants, veneers, or gum disease, your job is to mention the
symptoms, let them know how common they are, and oer the
solution. If they give you three minutes or 30 minutes, present
a positive case for dental implants, like the specic lifestyle
benets they oer.The same goes for cosmetic dentistry.
You need to present a case for cosmetic dentistry. Like an
attorney who presents an argument as to why a person should
be convicted, you need to present a case for why a smile is
important.Do you know
5-10 reasons why a smile is important? Five to 10 reasons
why you need to take care of 6 ml pockets? Five to 10 reason
why dentures are not good and ve to 10 benets of dental
implants?Can you rattle them o?If not, you may not be ready
for TV just yet.
DONT LEAVE THAT NEWS INTERVIEW
WITHOUT MENTIONING THESE IMPORTANT
POINTS:
- PuL lnLo perspecLlve LhaL a smlle (or LeeLh) are ln Lhe
middle of your face and 95% of who you are is usually
covered by clothing so your smile is one of the rst
things people notice about you.
- A smlle ls more aLLracLlve Lhan a pouL.
- lF you uon'L llke your smlle lL holus you back.
- A smlle can open uoors Lo a new job by maklng you
look positive and healthy.
- A smlle can spark romance.
- LaLlng Fber wlll make you Feel Full, help you lose
weight and is good for you.When your teeth are
strong and healthy you can eat foods that are good for
you.
- 1wo Lwlns on a job lnLervlew -- same euucaLlon, eLc.
One is smiling and one is not.Who do you hire?
- You are ,c anu uaLlng anu you have a uenLure how
uo you Feel?Or you are ,c anu uaLlng anu have a Fxeu
seL oF LeeLh!
- You can'L be sau when you are smlllng!
- You are more approachable when you smlle.
Can you imagine a three-minute interview mentioning
these 10 points?You will get invited back! You wont have time
to mention all 10 points in one interview because each point is
a discussion!These are my 10; you will have your own 10.The
news stations are looking for doctors who can make their
station worth watching.One point to remember - local news
interviewers often try to make themselves seem smart by being
negative and then you get stuck talking about problems with
the mouth.Dont be part of the bad news!
I will end with HOW NOT TO GET INVITED BACK ON
THE NEWS. Here are the common mistakes dentists make.
- 1alk abouL Lhe hlsLory oF uenLal lmplanLs For more Lhan
one minute.
- 1alk abouL hearL ulsease, lnammaLlon, or prevenLlon
z |
for more than one minute.These are important topics
but you need to present your case on these topics
quickly and then oer the solution.
- 1alk abouL how you are more quallFeu or have more
experlence Lhan oLhers For more Lhan zc seconus.
- 1alk abouL new Lechnology For more Lhan one mlnuLe.
lF you are golng Lo menLlon gulueu surgery, or pre-
planning cases on the computer, you better quickly
mention what that means to the patient.Less trauma
to the gums, very little pain, fast recovery, no bleeding,
more predictable outcome, etc.

I am aware that many dental trainers are advising clients
to present the link between heart disease, diabetes, etc.,
in your advertisement and on the local news, but GOOD
LUCK SELLING PREVENTION.I say this from a perspective
of possibly having more experience than anyone on this
subject. (I work with many famous TV doctors on nationally
syndicated shows and on their book tours.) For short 3-5
minute interviews keep it positive and when you get 15
minutes, spend more time on prevention. The top-selling
health books are all on reversing heart disease not preventing
heart disease. Its not preventing diabetes its reversing
diabetes. Lose weight now or prevent weight gain? Note:
Laced in everything you say the side benet is preventing these
horrible problems; dont make it your main message.Your
positive message will get you invited back on the news.You
want people to crave the mental picture you paint of being
better o.You oer hope, you put things into perspective and
you oer simple solutions to have the smile you have always
wanted.
So what are you waiting for? Decide on your topic, brush
up on your facts, and then make that phone call!
RANDY ALvARLZ
lounuer J CLO
1he Wellness Hour 1v Show
Amerlca's Golu SLanuaru For HealLh News
Oce ,6c--
www.wellnesshour.com
Maln WebslLewlLh over ,cc LhlrLy mlnuLe eplsoues
www.getstarted.tv
Information about howto become a guest
www.randyalvarez.tv
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