BUSINESS

  MARKETING

CHANGE PATIENTS’ MINDS

LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT MAKES YOU THE BEST OPTION FOR THEIR EYE CARE

STEVE VARGO, O.D., M.B.A.

ONE MOMENT I would like to erase from my memory as an optometrist was when a mom brought her young daughter in for a “red eye.” After a meticulous evaluation of this little girl’s unfortunate predicament, I turned to mom and confidently explained that her daughter had conjunctivitis — a form of “pink eye.” Mom responded with,“Ooh, should I take her to the doctor?” Ouch!

While the scope of optometry has advanced significantly through the past few decades, for some people the perception of optometrists is stuck in the Reagan era. Maybe Carter? Yup. Despite the legislation and efforts that have advanced our profession, some people still think their family physician or even (gasp!) the E.R. is the best option for eye care! While we can’t change everyone’s perception of optometry, we can all do our part to impact public awareness.

Here, I explain.

DIFFERENTIATE YOUR MARKETING

The truth about marketing is that it’s hard to grab people’s attention these days with so many advertisements and marketing messages vying for it.

Great! Your website tells me you treat eye infections. Here’s the thing: There’s a good chance your competitors are making the same claim.

When it comes to promoting your services, resist the urge to be so “vanilla” in your marketing. When everyone is making the same claims, the message fails to grab the consumer’s attention.

PROMOTE YOUR PASSION

Ask yourself this: “If I wasn’t spending so much time doing wellness exams, how would I spend my day?” What are you passionate about? What topics or conditions do you enjoy discussing with colleagues? Some examples might be anterior segment disease, dry eye disease (DED) therapy, diabetic eye disease, specialty contact lenses, nutritional supplements and preventative eye care. It’s okay to provide a multitude of services, but instead of being “good” at a lot of things, think about what service you could be known for in your community.

Let’s say you have a DED specialty. Would I know that sitting in your waiting area? Would your staff discuss this with me during pre-testing? Would I be informed of this when I visited your practice website, browsed your Facebook page or searched for you online? When you have the knowledge, experience and technology to provide the “best” care in a specific area, don’t bury that on your practice website. This is part of your brand. This is what makes you unique. This is what makes you the “best” option for patients.

YOUR EFFORTS REWARDED

What happens when you’re the best? People recognize that you, not their family physician or the E.R., are the best person to see for their eye care. In addition, patients rave about you to their friends and family. After all, you’re the best! Further, patients become motivated by what you can do for them, not how much money they can save. When you have that going for you, patients provide the best marketing — referrals. OM

DR. VARGO serves as Prima Eye Group’s vice president of Optometric Consulting. A published author and speaker with more than 15 years clinical experience, he is now a full-time consultant advising O.D.s in all areas of practice management and optometric office operations. To comment on this article, visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment.