Apr. 2-8
PLANNING Uncertainty has made it hard to plan effectively this year. So a Q1 review is important: Did you hit your sales and/or patient acquisition targets? Is cash flow sufficient to handle all your obligations? If not, it’s time to adjust marketing and operational management.
Apr. 9-15
OPERATIONS Spring cleaning goes on. “Clean up or purge dead files in your file cabinet and/or in your computer, topographer, and OCT,” urges Dr. Robert M Easton Jr. OD, FAAO, in Oakland Park, FL, adding an important proviso: “Consult your state board as to how long you must keep files before you hit the delete button.”
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MARKETING Sunglass season is almost here. You should be advertising this part of the business “in every way possible,” says Geoff Graham of Lake Country Optometry in Lake Country, BC, listing “marketing and social media to promotions to doctors promoting in the exam rooms and even receptionists and pretesters mentioning the benefits of sunglasses (and the deals!).”
MARKETING Send reminders for customers to stock up on contacts, supplies, spare glasses and sunglasses as they start planning vacations, says Annette Prevaux, of The Visionary Inc. in Allen Park, MI. “Remind patients that tax refunds are a great way to take care of themselves.”
Apr. 16-22
MARKETING If you’ve never done an in-store event give thought to something small — a small trunk show, a product launch, participation in a local craft walk (hey, eyewear design is an art form!). Your goal should be just to get people in the door so they can experience your independent spirit and sow the seeds for a future visit when they have real vision needs.
OPERATIONS Study your parking lot. Devise and publicize a policy on staff parking. If necessary, can you encourage staff to take transit to free up spaces for customers? What do you do if a car needs to be towed?
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Apr. 23-29
MARKETING Mine passed due recalls — it could be your last chance before the slow season arrives. “By the end of May most people are ready for summer and will not respond to old recalls as much,” notes Dr. Zachary Dirks of St. Peter and Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers in Saint Peter, MN.
SALES TRAINING Try selling by skin tone and eye color. Pre-identify flattering frames in your inventory for people with various hues of hair and skin.