“Without promotion, something terrible happens … nothing!” – P. T. Barnum
WHETHER YOU ARE a private practice, optical boutique, or a nationwide chain, the rules of promotion are the same. Small and large businesses must both recognize the behavior, perceptions, and beliefs of their target audience.
P.T. Barnum understood this. Barnum was a master of promotion and marketing, often using sensationalism and bold advertising to attract public interest. He understood the importance of spectacle and showmanship.
The truth is, there is entertainment in every enterprise; you just have to figure out how to feature it in your business.
Doug Lipp, author of Disney U, provides a good understanding of how customer service is also showbusiness. At 29, Doug was the head of training at Disney University. He explains that Disney employees are taught the difference between “on stage” and “backstage.” Unless you’re on break in the breakroom, you are “on-stage.” And just like Disney, everything is done to support “the show.”
To succeed at promoting your business, there are key elements you must understand and incorporate into creating your “greatest show” in optometry.
Understand your audience. Outside the exam lane, most doctor owners spend zero time learning about their patients (audience). But patients offer information about themselves to each person they encounter — the receptionist, the pre-test technician, the optician, etc. But the ringmaster of the show, the doctor, plays the key role in the patient’s experience and largely influences if they will be back for another performance.
Create what you want your “audience” to know about your practice. As the owner or manager, you set the tone you offer patients.
Southwest and United Airlines both fly people from airport to airport; their difference is the experience they offer guests.
Every optometry practice provides exams and sells eyewear. The difference between your “show” and the one down the street is the delivery.
People want a memorable experience, one where they feel recognized, valued, and delighted. People often mention the fun Southwest employees share with guests. I was recently on a Southwest flight when the attendant asked us all to sing Happy Birthday to a passenger. With enthusiasm, more than 100 people sang Happy Birthday to a stranger — fun.
Don’t stop promoting. Tell everyone about your “show.” Look for opportunities to speak to outside groups, sponsor local events, provide door prizes of your eyewear, send emails to guests wishing them happy birthday, happy anniversary, or congratulations on a new job. Send texts to patients about special events and offer complimentary tickets to local civic events.
If you win an award, make sure every patient knows about it. Frame any certificates for community involvement or recognition and place them somewhere everyone will see. Your promotion budget should be at a minimum 5% of your gross revenue. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on advertising if you and your staff constantly spend time in the community promoting your “show.”
Become someone everybody knows. A smile and a handshake last much longer than a 30 second commercial or a social media post.
Can you imagine The Greatest Show On Earth arriving in your town and no one knows about it? Of course not. It’s time to take position in the center ring and put on a show that everyone wants to attend and revisit over and over.
