I remember meeting Steve as if it were yesterday. He was a young dentist, right out of school and a traumatic associateship, who plunked down roots in a strange town four hours from home. Steve had bought the practice of an older dentist who had passed away, much to the delight of the widow and a legion of grateful patients. The building was well maintained (even if you had to exit the hygiene bays to change your mind), and it was in a neighborhood known for healthcare offices. And Steve, who had hired me to create a logo for his business, was ready to give his fledgling practice a go... and go he did. Almost ten years later, when circumstances had us find each other again, he wasn't even using the logo he had picked - a swirl of blues with his tag line under it. "Why aren't you using that?" I asked. "Is it because it says 'Dental Excellence' so commandingly?" Steve groaned. I could tell, through the phone line, that he was rolling his eyes. "It sounds too pretentious," he answered. It was an interesting comment from someone who takes his work incredibly seriously. The truth is Steve hadn't spent even $500 a year marketing his office. He had a listing (not an ad) in the yellow pages and was doing literally nothing else to attract patients. Steve thought marketing was a desperate ploy, until some of his friends 'fessed up that it had worked for them. Those testimonies were enough to have him abandon his old ways and try his luck at the marketing game. Yes, he is reluctant to do anything that will not turn a profit...but he's less hesitant to try something that will give him a sizable advantage. Incidentally, I think Steve's an excellent dentist. Now, the hard part is to convince him that saying so, even without overtly saying so, is good business.