In a former life, I aspired to the life of a dentist. I've even helped a few dentists and dental specialists install some of their own digital signage solutions. In fact, it was working for a prosthodontist for 8 months--after completing my undergrad in business management--that made me rethink my career goals. It's certainly an inviting profession with many perks. It also takes a particular type of mindset--one which I did not have. But dental offices are perfect venues where digital signage can be implemented and implemented beautifully. We have talked quite extensively here about taking digital signage to the mainstream. Medical professionals--especially those that represent the SMB will be some of the most profitable venues for digital signage software and hardware sales in the coming years. Why? Below I have outlined a few reasons why dental and medical professionals will be excellent sources to target in your digital signage sales offerings.
Medical Professionals are NOT Salesmen
When a dentist or physician is speaking with a client, we often don't realize they are performing a sale. We would like to think all in life is altruistic, but it is not. In some cases they are trying to upsell us for our benefit when we are being too cheap at the expense of our health. Either way, we are receiving a product and/or service from these professionals. However, we hope they will tell us what is best in order to fix our particular ailment. In doing so, they are focused on our health--not on an upsale. At least, that is what we hope. 
These professionals often make their greatest margins on products which are not "standard." Lumineers, Envisalign, and teeth whitening kits are a few of the high-margin, low cost items a dentists wish they could push more often. An in-house digital signage network, both in the lobby and the operatories, creates a way for these services to be marketed non-obtrusively and takes the burden of the "upsale" off the shoulders of the professional--giving them the freedom to perform their specialized tasks more effectively.
Specialty Offices Hold a Very Captive Audience
If you have to wait for very long in an optometrist's office or at the local renal specialist clinic Golf Digest doesn't do it for you after 20 minutes of waiting. A nice digital sign will not only aid in alleviating some of the boredom, but will also give the internal marketing of the clinic a nice boost. Compared to retail, specialty offices of physicians and dentists hold a measurable and captive audience.
If your dwell time in the waiting room of a particular clinic is 5 minutes and you're time in the operatory is 20 (that's if they don't find anything wrong) you're looking at a dwell time that trumps nearly every single "captive audience network" currently on the planet. Those who disagree, can come find me after this post and receive a duty-free slap up-side the dome.
It is Better to Prepare and Prevent than Repair and Repent
Healthcare professionals still would have opportunities even if we all flossed everyday and avoided trans fats. One of the truths of life is that we get old and we die. Unfortunately in the meantime, there are things that naturally go wrong with our bodies as a result of our "humanness." But as the saying goes "an ounce of prevention..." I'm sure you can fill in the blank. In the medical field this is a huge part of what professionals are attempting to accomplish: create better health by educating patients on proper preventative measures.
In a previous post I spoke on how digital signage is not always about advertising. This applies splendidly here. As an educational tool, digital signage can help medical professionals educate and inform patients of the risks of irregular check-ups and poor health habits--once again aiding the professional in performing his/her job more better (a grammar test to see if you are still awake).
More Legit Than Urinals
Last week I wrote a post that I think grossed a few of our readers out a bit: "Urinal Digital Signage." Digital signage in a medical facility is not only more legit, it's a seemingly more professional installation. Similar successful deployments have taken place at vet clinics across the United States and Europe. Emebavet is our country's "posterchild" for such a deployment. PDN and Strandvision have also done some great work in this sector as well. A great case study on the Emebavet deployment can be found in Jimmy Schaeffler's book: Digital Signage.
My question is what is the best marketing strategy for targeting such a niche? Who will be the dominating players here? What will be the best biz model for targeting the SMB of healthcare professionals?
