Get Some Reps in for Sun Sales Training and More Manager’s To-Do Tasks for May

May 4-10

PLANNING It’s time to get ready for the summer months. Call a staff meeting to map out an initial strategy for the sunwear and back-to-school months. Sidewalk tent? Open house? What about targeting a niche like departing college students — they probably need eye exams and a refresh of the shades they wore to high school.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING Based on the last few years and depending on where you live in the country, there’s a good chance you’ll see some wild weather soon. Take advantage of National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 1-7) to make sure you’re as ready as possible. The National Weather Service has a list of things you can do here: weather.gov/safety/hurricane-plan

May 11-17

SALES TRAINING Looking to build your Rx sunwear business? Your staff needs to be up to snuff in selling it. Schedule sunwear training once a quarter. Ask some of your reps to come in and help.

STAFF Motivate staff with a contest to win an extra paid day off during the summer months. A three-day weekend? Sweet!

May 18-24

CLIENT SERVICE Run an EMR report on patients who have significant diagnoses — like glaucoma — and audit their appointment histories. If they have dropped out of regular care, a personal call from the doctor can reinforce the importance of monitoring.

LEGAL Inspect sidewalks and driveways to identify areas where people might trip. Call a contractor if repairs are needed.

May 25-31

ONLINE Spend some time on your competitors’ websites, both locally and national vision chains, as well as online optical retailers. Look at sites outside the field, too. What can you do better? Can you improve your site yourself, or should you bring in a pro? Your website is your first impression for most potential customers. Make it powerful!

MANAGEMENT Start thinking summer reading. Set yourself a target of reading one business book a month for the next quarter. For female business owners looking for a gender-specific take on time management and productivity, consider The Plan by Kendra Adachi. For everyone else, dive into Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman and Joe Knight to gain a deeper understanding of what your books are truly saying about your business.