BUSINESS

  MERCHANDISING

MAKE SPECIALTIES SPECIAL

USE THESE STRATEGIES TO MERCHANDISE THE UNIQUE SERVICES IN YOUR PRACTICE

AT SOME POINT in time, most of us have likely sought the care of a specialist. Whether for a one-time visit or establishing a long-term relationship, think about how you became connected with that individual. Was it by word-of-mouth? A doctor’s referral? A website? Online reviews? Depending on the specialty service, I’m sure it differs. It often takes time to build a reputation for services that go above and beyond the usual and customary. Here are three successful strategies for merchandising specialty services in your optometric practice.

1 MAKE IT GREAT

You are probably thinking, “Of course I’m going to ‘make it great.’” But really. My challenge to you is to make the experience of your particular specialty service memorable and meaningful. Say you are offering orthokeratology to your patients now. Make the service more concierge-like by ensuring there’s enough time to focus on each appointment, give the patients all the supplies they need in a nice quality office-branded bag, and connect them with their own staff member who’s assigned to them specifically, so they know their consistent point of contact throughout.

Either you or that staff member could call patients during the treatment course to ask whether there are concerns or questions. Give them VIP-like status for scheduling, so they know if they had to, they could see someone very quickly in regard to this service.

Adolescent patients may be involved in school or community activities. Note any recognitions they’ve received, and commend them when next in the office, or send them a note of congratulations. . . even though it has nothing to do with your service. I’m willing to bet their other doctors are not doing the same thing.

2 ASK FOR TESTIMONIALS

After that phenomenal service is delivered, ask those patients for written testimonials and recommendations. Have a binder in your reception area or wall hangings that highlight those testimonials, and make sure they are on your website and social media (with patients’ permission — ensure there are no HIPAA violations).

This voicing of satisfaction, straight from other patients’ mouths (or their written word), is powerful. Gather satisfied patients’ information into a referral list, which you can share with prospective patients who are interested in a specific service. We know the sway word-of-mouth referrals can bring to recruiting just general primary eye care patients. If you can reign in that influence for a niche service as well, all the better.

3 EDUCATE, INFORM, REPEAT

I have a mantra in my office. My staff knows I always talk about “planting the seed.” Oftentimes, patients don’t know they are eligible or candidates for a special service until my staff or I tell them. Not anticipating this extra bit of information, patients many times leave the office without committing to the service.

However, they now have had the proverbial seed planted. These patients may think about the service and remember what that service can do for them. The next time you see them, they are prepared to hear about and move forward with that service. Or maybe not. But they may the next time. And all it cost you was a smidgen of time.

KEEP IT GROWING

Whether your specialty services include contact lenses, dry eye, etc., traditional merchandising may not get the conventional response, so think of creative methods to grow that side of the practice. OM

GINA M. WESLEY, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O., practices at Complete Eye Care of Medina, a Vision Source practice, which she opened in 2008. She was honored as Minnesota’s Optometrist of the Year in 2011. Email drwesley@cecofmedina.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.