July 28-Aug. 3
BACK TO SCHOOL Reach out to local schools to encourage teachers to check their students for signs they might need glasses. Supply posters for school nurses and bundle in vouchers for free pairs for students in need.
Aug. 4-10
SOCIAL MEDIA Sign up for a business Instagram account. Spending 5 mins a day scrolling through your favorite eyewear designers and fellow retailers is time well spent. Thrill your patients by featuring them in their new glasses.
Aug. 11-17
CUSTOMER RELATIONS Install a display in your waiting room featuring professionally shot photographs of all staff members wearing their favorite frames. Your customers will love it and it will help them get to know your staff better.
Aug. 18-24
MARKETING Check with your lab to see if they offer discounts on second-pair pricing that you can pass along to your patients. Then communicate the offer – say, “All additional pairs of lenses (meaning blue light, suns, back-ups, reading glasses) purchased within 30 days are 50 percent off.” It’s win-win-win.
Aug. 25-31
OPERATIONS Ever had a student extern? Reach out to local colleges to see what’s involved. It’s a great learning experience for you both and the student can help provide an improved experience for your patients.
Sept. 1-7
MARKETING Media outlets from newspapers to blogs prepare gift guides to help readers with holiday ideas. Find out the deadline for these guides — for magazines it can be four months out or more — and start pitching some unique suggestions. The editorial calendars for most trade and regional magazines can be found on their websites.
Sept. 8-14
OPERATIONS Power surges happen more frequently than thought. Surge protection devices are simple and inexpensive.
LOCATION Have you tried searching for your practice using a GPS app such as Google or Apple Maps? Sometimes there is a problem with these services so test them out occasionally.
Sept. 15-21
STAFFING Don’t hire and train in October to get ready for Christmas, says sales trainer Shane Decker. Hire support and sales staff now. If it’s part-timers, start with a few hours a week to ensure they are up to speed when the holidays arrive.
Sept. 22-28
OPERATIONS For the last quarter, call a meeting of your fun committee: What ideas do they have to add a little light-heartedness to your practice.
BUYING Back Home from Vegas? Don’t wait too long before you draft a product launch plan and schedule training sessions to ensure the successful sell-through of the exciting new lines you’ve just ordered at VEW.