HAVING NOW SAT on the other side of the table selling a product to optometrists, I have witnessed some interesting habits we have. I share this as we are coming up on Vision Expo West to make it a more enjoyable show for you and for the vendors who help keep your costs low by sponsoring events that bring our industry together.
At Dr. Contact Lens’s first trade show we were super excited to share our product with the optometric world but I learned very quickly about the “Be Back Bus” and was hit by it many times. The Be Back Bus is a term we use when someone walks into a booth, learns just a little bit about the product but doesn’t really have an open mind, typically asks about cost, and finishes by saying “we’ll be back” without any intention of going back.
Not only have we done ourselves a disservice in this scenario, but we have also done our industry a disservice by not moving it forward through innovation. Even if you have no interest in the product, technology, or [fill in the blank], go into it with open ears, an open heart, and most especially an open mind. You never know what will come from it. You may learn something, you may realize you want it sometime in the future, or it may inspire something else you’re looking to bring to your clinic.
If it’s something you are validly not interested in, be kind and give feedback. This is what helps all of us get better. It is then up to the salesperson to take that with a grain of salt or incorporate that feedback into future iterations. We have all gotten this far by learning and evolving and tradeshows are where we can do that and do it quickly. I often meet incredible ODs with a mindset like mine: a growth mindset. We exchange ideas, we get deeper in conversation about why we do what we do every day, what we are working on, the issues that we are having, and what we have implemented lately. We build each other up. Then, I encounter those who either know it all and don’t like feedback, those that are paralyzed by indecision, or those who are waiting for everyone else to do it first because they’re scared to take a risk. Don’t mistake someone offering advice as them dictating what you should do; most of the time they genuinely want you to be successful. I’ve gotten this far in my career by being open to advice and sharing my experiences, good and bad, with others.
As clinicians, we need to be sure when we’re treating patients that what we are doing is backed by science and first do no harm. In business, however, this approach is detrimental. The science of business means taking chances and saying yes to new ideas.
By kicking the can down the road with a disingenuous “I’ll be back,” we are not only hurting ourselves but hurting our practices, our team, and our patients by not learning about the newest and latest on the market. There are only so many sales reps that companies can hire to get new technology and devices into our hands. So, the next time you’re at a tradeshow lean into the booth with enthusiasm.
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Listen to the entire pitch, think about your patients first and cost last, look at it as an investment, put trust in your yourself, and see your clinic grow to the next level.
