Is It Already Time to Get Ready for the Holidays? Yup! And More Manager’s To-Dos for October

Commitment to follow through is on my Manager’s To-Do. I can get easily distracted and if I don’t force myself to sit down and do it, it doesn’t get done. — Sherry Berry, Eye Against Eye, Philadelphia, PA

Oct 1-7

STAFF If you don’t already, institute quarterly meetings between your optometrists and opticians to discuss their recommendations and learn about new products. It will ensure both sides are on the same page when it comes to discussing lens and frame selection with patients.

INVENTORY Get serious about the upcoming holiday season. Organize and finalize your marketing strategy. Prepare for ad campaigns and trunk shows. Shore up the team in terms of scripts (greetings, what to showcase, etc.) and additional training. Draft a cleaning schedule.

DISPLAY Autumn has arrived. Change your window display to reflect seasonal trends and the coming cool months.

Oct 8-14

EVENTSocial obligations tend to proliferate with the arrival of the holiday season. Help your patients and customers prepare with a makeover night. Partner with a esthetician or a makeup artist. Many women love free skin care samples and the chance for a makeover.

strategy Get to know local officials as their actions can have significant effects on how you do (or don’t do) business.

MANAGEMENT It’s hurricane season. If you’re in a high-risk area, run a mock emergency and bad weather training session to ensure your protocol is up to speed. 

Oct 15-21

SALES Institute a “good, better, best” ranking system that allows you to explore lens and frame options with your patient. The doctor explains the best lens option. If the customer hesitates or pricing is an issue, move to better, then finally best. 

SELF CARE Spending a lot of time at a computer or hunched over patients? You may be setting yourself up for back and joint issues down the road. Chair and office yoga can help. Typical “routines” take between 5 and 15 minutes. Give it a try.

Oct 22-28

EMAIL Your weekly e-mail bulletins should now be encouraging early holiday shopping while also promoting popular gift products and categories.

MARKETING Yes, Black Friday belongs to the big guys, but figure out a blockbuster promotion to feature on your website. It’s a time of year when everyone is on the lookout for a deal.