Dear Doctor: I have read the letters you sent me, with a great deal of interest, and will say to you frankly that they have convinced me that there must be a lot of good in your treatment. I am now making arrangements to come to Chicago, and will do so as soon as I can close a deal which is now pending and get hold of some cash.
I return the letters as I know you must prize them highly, and would dislike to lose them.
Will write you a day or two before I start, as it will be necessary to have some one meet me at the depot.
Very truly yours,
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Did I get this man for a patient? Yes, and he paid a good fat fee. And the best part of it all is the fact that, after about three months of treatment, he went back home comparatively a well man. On his first visit to the office he was in a wheel chair—he could not walk. When he left he was able to walk a mile or more without undue effort.
It would defeat the purpose in using these letters from patients to send them broadcast as circulars. Discretion must be used as to the manner of distribution. Never send one until you have had considerable correspondence with a prospect, and then be careful that duplicates do not get into the small towns. The smaller the town the faster the news travels. If John Smith, living in a hamlet of 300 population, receives communications of this kind it is only a matter of a few days until everybody in the place knows of it. Smith tells his wife, his wife tells somebody else, and in this manner the news is circulated.
Now, if Aleck Brown, living in the same town, or close by, should get duplicates of these letters Smith and the others would soon hear of it and, instead of being looked upon as priceless treasures submitted for Smith’s inspection, they would naturally be classed as some new-fangled method of circular advertising.
Having passed several preliminary letters with Mr. Smith without getting him to commit himself as to coming in for treatment, pick out a couple of the letters from patients which apply the most directly to his case, the particulars of which may be obtained from the prospect index. Enclose these with a letter of your own addressed to Mr. Smith, and reading about like this:
G. H. Wilkinson, M.D.