Week 1 / NOV. 10-14
MARKETING Begin your flex-dollars advertising in local print media. What’s your promotional target this year? Whether your want customers to stock up on contact lenses, get new prescription eyewear, save on the vision-correction procedure of their choice, or all of the above, now is the time to get your message out there.
EVENTS Make final preparations for your big fall event/trunk show. You are having one, right?
Week 2 / NOV. 17-21
MERCHANDISING Impulse buys can come in many price ranges and store locations. Rethink the way you normally position these items.
MARKETING Create a “Holiday Gift Guide,” maybe with the trend-tracking advice from The Vision Council’s Eyecessorize.com blog. Include gift suggestions by sex, age group and style (sophisticated, sporty, rugged, cute, etc.). Put your gift guide front and center on your website, at the top of all your holiday emails, on your reception area TV, and even on an iPad in your dispensary.
Week 3 / NOV. 24-28
MANAGEMENT It’s Thanksgiving Week. Tell your staff and customers how much their hard work and patronage mean to you.
MARKETING Record a new message for your telephone to reflect the holiday season. Don’t forget to mention flex-dollar promotions and gift cards (if you have them). If you’re selling gift cards on your website, tell customers they can do their holiday shopping with you 24/7.
Week 4 / DEC. 1-5
VIDEO Just for fun (and maybe some social media buzz), cut a holiday karaoke video with you and your staff singing seasonal classics. Play every hour or two (at a low-ish volume) on the video monitors in your store or practice. Don’t forget to share on your website.
SOCIAL MEDIA Update your business page with a different gift idea each day.
Week 5 / DEC. 8-12
MANAGEMENT Put five coins in your right pocket and move one to your left pocket each time you praise someone. By day’s end, all the coins should be in your left pocket. Praise is usually the best way to guide behavior.
CUSTOMER SERVICE Keep the holiday spirit going with handwritten thank-you notes in customers’ bags. Keep it short: e.g. “It was a lot of fun serving you today … I think our gift/your new look is going to be a big hit!” Shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds per sale.
Week 6 / DEC. 15-19
MARKETING Last week before Christmas — resend your “Holiday Gift Guide” email with helpful shopping ideas.
Week 7 / DEC. 22-26
MARKETING Your flex dollars are expiring! YOUR FLEX DOLLARS ARE EXPIRING! Yes, this is how simple (and how loud) your message to customers should be over the next two weeks. Add a daily countdown graphic to the front page of your website as well. (8 days, 7 days, 6 days, etc)
Week 8 / DEC. 29-JAN. 2
PLANNING Take a deep breath, reflect on what you’ve achieved in 2014, and get ready for an even better 2015. The very first step? Renew your subscription to INVISION. We’re publishing 10 times next year!