Implant Direct has created a "price point shift" in the implant industry by offering a broad product line of high quality implants with All-in-1 packaging and 1980's prices. In a January 2010 Implant Industry Report by Berenberg Bank, it was noted that Implant Direct is, "more than a so-called internet discounter and is moving towards the pack of value/premium players albeit at a significantly lower price point."

 

Implant Direct believes closing the gap between the list prices of its implants, starting at $150 and those of Nobel Biocare, Straumann, 3i, Zimmer Dental, Astra and BioHorizons, starting at over $300 will help our business because the 70% price difference acts as a barrier to some dentists who mistakenly believe that higher prices somehow assures higher quality or greater success. We prefer to reduce this gap by forcing the prices of our competitors down, rather than raising our prices. Nobel Biocare and Zimmer Dental, in particular, have aggressively discounted their prices to try to retain customers from switching to Implant Direct. We suspect that Straumann will do the same when Implant Direct launches its new SwishPlant, SwishPlus and SwishActive implants later this year, expanding compatibility and lowering prices. GPs buying just the prosthetic components have very little, if any, negotiating leverage.

 

Implant Direct has created an on-line Discount Registry to create transparency to the selective discounting practices of many premium priced companies. For those dentists who choose to continue buying implants from our competitors, this will provide the information needed to negotiate lower prices.

 

All submissions, whether by salespeople or dentists, will be posted anonymously but verification records will be kept on file by Implant Direct. It is unlikely that Nobel Biocare or ClearChoice will reveal the discount deal they have negotiated which indirectly funds the huge advertising budget of ClearChoice, in competition with dentists in the areas of their 21 offices. Military personnel may have the authority to explore this issue because US government contracts mandate that the military should receive the company's lowest discount. Implant Direct is aware of dentists that effectively negotiated 40% - 60% volume discounts from Nobel Biocare and Zimmer Dental, inclusive of price reductions, product exchanges and free ancillary products, in order to switch customers back from Implant Direct. Implant Direct does not discount from its everyday low prices, regardless of volume purchases and has lowered the price of several of its implants over the last three years. We do provide one-time introductory offers of either 3 free implants, 5 free implants with the purchase of 20 implants or a surgical instrument kit with an initial purchase of 50 (basic kit) or 100 implants (complete kit).

 

Negotiating Strategy: To increase your negotiating leverage, simply order Implant Direct's 3 Free Introductory Implant Offer, place the implants and then show your rep an X-ray pointing out the features you like with this system such as its All-In-1 packaging, micro-threads, self-tapping grooves, diameter and platform options, etc. When they do offer you an additional 10% discount, refer them to Implant Direct's Discount Registry and tell them that they have been overcharging you for years and you expect an additional 20% discount (assuming you are not getting more than 25% discount already). You will be surprised how far they are authorized to go and what additional free products (healing collar, drills, abutments) they are prepared to throw in if they think it will help retain your business. If the sales rep comes back with claims of superior customer service to justify higher prices, point out that Implant Direct has 60 customer support staff in the US, a website with 3D graphic educational videos on every procedure and the industry's most intuitive on-line shopping cart. After negotiating lower prices, Implant Direct hopes you will then objectively evaluate how much better Implant Direct's products are - at any price.