BUSINESS

  business strategies

Get out of the Kitchen

The best way to succeed as an O.D. is to stop practicing

GARY GERBER, O.D.

Over and over, I hear doctors lament that they struggle, or at least underperform, because of several reasons: Patients want only what insurance covers; staff “doesn’t get it”; the Internet is becoming more of a competitor; and there are too many doctors.

To those doctors I say, if you’re an optometrist, you’re right. And if you can’t stand the ocular heat, get out of the optometric kitchen. Or, here are some suggestions for other things you could do.

Problem: Most patients want only what their insurance covers. They don’t value other services.

Solution: Either attract patients who value your services, and/or don’t take that insurance. Few would take this step, though.

Problem: My staff “just doesn’t get it.”

Solution: This is easy. Fire those staff members, and hire staff members who DO get it. Most O.D.s are too timid and lack the leadership to pull this one off.

Problem: The Internet is becoming more of a competitor.

Solution: That’s why you shouldn’t practice optometry anymore. Do something that the Internet CANNOT compete with.

Problem: There are too many doctors.

Solution: That’s not exactly true. What is true is that there are too many doctors doing the same thing. So again, stop practicing optometry like all other doctors.

I’m not really being facetious. The point is, if your practice is hurting because of any of the above, it’s time for a new perspective. Just as the saying goes, “If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same results.” It’s easy to conclude if you keep practicing like every other O.D. who has these problems, you’ll have the same problems.

Play by your rules

So, change the playing field. Make the rules YOUR rules, and play with those you want to play with. Our best-performing clients run the least conforming practices. That’s not by accident ­— it’s by design.

Some patients will never value your services and will always feel that they’re under the thumb of their insurance provider. If that’s the case, fire them, or fire the plan. Configure your practice into one patients will want to visit, even when you’re NOT on their plan.

Pipe dream? It’s not. I’d venture a guess that close to 99.9% of readers have seen patients from plans they’re not on. The only problem here is that close to 99.9% have never really analyzed and then capitalized on “Why would these patients come to see me when they have insurance coverage with another provider, and how can I market my practice to other patients just like them?”

When staff aren’t in lock step with your culture and values, the only challenge is to step up and do what you know you must do. Not easy, but essential if you’re to design a practice unlike most others, which have “culture by default.”

The Internet is readily neutralized once you initiate the above two items. In fact, done properly, patients come to realize that $8.99 online glasses are actually worth every penny they paid.

The same goes for the perception of too many doctors. Once you change your practice model to the one that you’ve been dreaming about, your less dreamy competitors will be just waking up to your successes.

Time to build

You worked hard to get where you are. Now, create the practice YOU want by rolling up your sleeves and building it! OM

DR. GERBER IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE POWER PRACTICE, A COMPANY SPECIALIZING IN MAKING OPTOMETRISTS MORE PROFITABLE. LEARN MORE AT WWW.POWERPRACTICE.COM, OR CALL DR. GERBER AT (888) 356-4447.