Ask doctors if they have a newsletter, some prefer to send out the discount card printed onto its pages, saving you time and money.

      Expect a 1% to 2% recipient response rate (max).  So if a doctor has a thousand patients, expect 10 to 20 sales (some client lists have over 10% response rates, so be forewarned).  One to 2% is what you’d get from a very good newspaper ad, which sends out thousands of copies to all demographic groups, most of whom have no discomfort incentive to buy. Many are in the “buy the cheapest protein” category—not lamb’s market.  With doctors’ patients, your audience is targeted.  Unlike a newspaper ad, you’re not overwhelmed with excessive callers.  You won’t waste money on “wrong demographic” readers.

      One last thing:  Note how many promotional recipes for lamb practically empty the spice cabinet trying to cover up store-bought lamb’s taste.  Lamb and mutton from animals of a single breed—if all identically raised—will have reliably uniform qualities.  This is true whether you raise strong or mild-flavored breeds.  Reliability is key here:  No doctor wants his customers telling him the lamb he endorsed “tasted yucky.”  If your lamb’s flavor is different from one animal to the next, then examine and fix your breeding and feeding methods.  Get it right and you’ll soon find there’s healthy demand for lamb and mutton wherever you live.

When you see the doctor, have some sample discount cards in hand.  A diagram sketched on the back of an envelope just won’t do.  If you or your kids know how to run a computer you can make some professional-looking discount card samples fairly easily.

      The most important element of a discount card is the phrase “discount card,” which must be prominent so a patient won’t accidentally throw it away.

      The discount itself can either be say, “10% Off,” “$31.50 Off” or “70¢/lb. Off” our regular price.  Some buyers are more attracted by dollar figures.  See how your local food store handles its ads.

      Next, the doctor’s name or clinic ought to be mentioned on the card—this is their main incentive to hand out the cards to patients:  “Value added.”

      Put an expiration date on the cards, together with the disclaimers “good until the [this year’s] lamb crop is all sold” and “not to be used with other discounts.”  (See accompanying sample discount card.)

Real samples of discount cards lend credibility when first discussing the cards with doctors.  They’re printed—obviously a serious strategy—so they’re legit.  Herb Cohen, author of You Can Negotiate Anything, terms it “the power of legitimacy of the printed word.”

      Get the doctor’s logo, as shown.  Some docs like to put their photo on the card; a few will even want their signature on it.  If so, use a fat, black felt-tip pen.

      A thermos full of Betty Fleming’s fabulous lamb soup recipe from sheep! [Mar/Apr 2008, p.12 & add water as needed] is a cheap way to make instant converts to your lamb around the office.  Nothing sells lamb like the enthusiasm of happy customers who love it.

      Help insure they’re happy customers; give doctors twice the discount patients get, employees something between.

      Decide with the doctor ahead of time on the offer’s closing date.  Don’t leave it open-ended.  In 3 to 6 months you’ll exhaust most doctors’ client lists.  Year-round lambing allows specials like this among several doctors, or different offers according to time of year.  Used cards can be stored for future negotiations with other doctors—lending credibility.  Some doctors shortsightedly refuse; just move on.