Why should a dental practice test every advertising medium before signing a contract? Because contracts lock the practice into spending against unproven response, and direct response testing reveals within a short window whether a given venue will actually produce qualified inquiries. The mistake pattern is recognizable. A media rep approaches with attractive contract terms: longer commitments produce discounted rates, exclusive placements require multi-month minimums, certain campaigns require contractual lock-in to begin. The doctor signs, often without first testing whether the medium will produce response in their specific market for their specific case mix. Three months in, the contract is producing nothing, [...]