Develop your 2019 strategic plan for growth

Contact lenses are an important piece of the services and products I provide in my eye care practice — and, I would wager, in yours. As the year ends, take the time to evaluate how 2018 ended regarding your contact lens growth, and determine the next business steps for 2019.

ASK YOURSELF SOME HARD QUESTIONS

These can include any of the following that will help you determine what areas you’d like to focus on for the next year. (Use practice management software to pull the statistics needed to evaluate these questions.)

• Have your contact lens sales increased?
• Are your professional fees appropriate?
• What is your product mix of contact lenses sold?
• What is your contact lens capture rate?
• Do any of your contact lens procedures (ordering, shipping, etc.) need to be updated?

DEVELOP YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN

Focus your 2019 plan on anything and everything contact lenses in your office: from your fitting procedures, to the pre-appointments for next year’s exams, to the delivery of the annual supply. Write your office’s plan for what procedures to adjust to achieve your goals.

For example, if your practice is committed to increasing presbyopic contact lens wearers, write exactly how that is going to happen. It may look like this:

• Discuss multifocal lenses with all presbyopes.
• Prep extra staff on contact lens insertion and removal in anticipation of more patients needing to be trained.
• Keep your favorite trial lenses in stock at all times.
• Celebrate your patients who say goodbye to their readers because they are now successfully wearing contact lenses!

GET YOUR STAFF ON BOARD

Discuss the plan for 2019 and why it is important for staff to work together on this plan. When everyone is moving in the same direction, growth will occur.

For example, we made a commitment to increase our daily disposable wearers a number of years ago, and that strategy has helped our practice move the needle in that modality. This commitment consisted of a “first-line offer” strategy with all the doctors and staff for this modality. It has resulted in a five-time growth of the modality in my practice.

Getting staff on board means education on why a lens is special and how it will help patients see or feel better. When possible, fit some of the staff members with that contact lens, so they can communicate their experiences with patients.

READY FOR 2019?

Tighten up your contact lens foundation because 2019 is looking like an exciting contact lens year with new product launches in a variety of modalities and designs. Develop the strategy that makes your practice your patient’s resource for their contact lens needs. OM

DR. MILLER is a partner at Eyecare Professionals of Powell, Ohio. He is past president of the Ohio Optometric Association and assistant professor of clinical practice at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Dr. Miller has received honoraria for consulting, lecturing, research or acting in an advisory capacity from: Alcon, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, J&J Vision Care, Revolution EHR and Shire.