It's a dazzling, fully animated presentation with full stereo sound
that, if used as your core marketing tool, will help you position
yourself in the addiction treatment community. Power Point is Microsoft's
computer-based slide show creation and presentation product. It shows
it's slides in any sequence you desire, and you can use highlighting
tools to point to or draw circles around key points like John Madden
during an instant replay.
Addiction Epidemic 3.0 was
created in Power Point 97, but it can be shown on any computer or laptop
that runs Windows 95 or 98. And yes, there is a viewer that can even let
you show it on an antiquated computer that uses Windows 3.1. We always
include the viewer on the disks we send to you. For a modest extra fee,
in addition to the computer-based presentation, we provide full-color
overhead transparencies. Sorry, color 35-mm slides are no longer
available.
So what is this marketing tool
and how can it help you grow your addiction treatment practice? First of
all, it was created to fill a significant void, i.e. no marketing tools
are available to "sell" addiction services. Other than some
letters you'd mail to medical doctors and lawyers, created by Dr. Linda
Ehlers, the ACACD class of 1997-98 was not presented with any marketing
tools or ideas. After learning to use Power Point at New Horizons
Learning Center, I started writing "Addiction Epidemic" on my
laptop computer after each module of the ACACD curriculum, while the
information was still fresh in my mind. Our seminars were held near
Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It's a lonely place for a married man
without his wife and young son, fortunately for the ACACD.
With time on my hands on
Saturday night, I would go to the Cyber Cafe in Orlando and stay up
until 2 or 3 am, creating Power Point slides from my notes and handouts.
Each new module presented a challenge, to create something really visual
that could be used for marketing myself. I never even thought of
marketing it to my colleagues until I showed an early version of it to
Dr. Holder. He was astounded! He immediately suggested getting it to
members of the ACACD. So, after considerable, adding some really cool
animation and sounds, Addiction Epidemic 3.11 is a fully mature product
of 80 dazzling color "slides." I can tell you how I've used
it; you can probably think of many more ways to use it.
My latest coup was to show it
to the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association of Pinellas County, Florida.
They even gave 3 CLE credits for attending the presentation, which was
presented at one of their regular monthly dinner meetings. The referrals
are still coming in from that one! I also run it on my laptop during my
monthly appearances on the Recovery Broadcasting Network's evening radio
show. I consult various slides to get statistics and answers to
questions from the show's host, Charlie Pitman. I've shown Addiction
Epidemic 3.11 to State Attorneys, to the Public Defender, to Dr. Ku of
the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, to Justice
Coordination, and to the Medical Director at the County Jail, to name
but a few.
Dr. Ku was so impressed with
Addiction Epidemic 3.11 that he offered me a highly paid position at
his Institute teaching addictionology to his students. I used an
"Outline View" of the Addiction Epidemic 3.11 slides to create
a presentation on in-jail recovery for our county Substance Abuse
Advisory Board (SAAB) meeting in February of 1999. I simply cut and
pasted from the "outline view" computer file to create my SAAB
presentation.
The point is, you have to get
involved in your community's substance abuse recovery and prevention
efforts. Position yourself as an authority on addictive and compulsive
disorders, and watch the referrals flooding to your practice. Join your
state's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Association, go to their seminars and
schmooze everyone you meet. Ask for opportunities to show your Addiction
Epidemic 3.11 presentation. I recently gave a free "Lunch and
Learn" Seminar to 50 DUI Defense Attorneys, doctors, and addiction
professionals. Since I also have a busy personal injury practice, a
local MRI facility picked up the tab for lunch! My cost: about $200 for
invitations & postage, two hours of my time, and indigestion from
the Italian buffet! The response, about 40 referrals so far - and
counting!
I can't tell you how many DUI defense
lawyer's I've shown it to. Just take them to lunch and show it on a
laptop computer. Better yet, take a catered lunch to their office and
show it to them and their staff, using an overhead or slide projector or
computer projector. It works! I suggest you buy a 3M overhead project
for $150 - 200 at any office supply store. You can buy clear
transparency film and colored markers to expand or expound on any slide.
Oh, and by the way, I use
Addiction Epidemic 3.11 one-on-one with my substance abuse patients.
It's a great way to tactfully start talking about delicate subjects like
denial, relapse, co-dependency, spousal abuse, etc. I usually show about
half the presentation on their first visit, and the second half on a
subsequent visit. It's a powerful way to present the multi-factorial
basis and the genetic basis of addiction. It really helps patients to
understand their disease - a picture truly is worth a thousands words.
To order Addiction Epidemic
3.11, please contact the American College of Addictionology and
Compulsive Disorders at 1-800-490-7714 or 1-305-535-8803 and charge it
on your credit card. You may also mail your check to:
