Leadership Insights

from   LeadershipOD.com
November 2011- Vol 2, Issue 11
In This Issue
Fundamental #5
Update from ROB


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Greetings! 

I want you to know that as a reader of this newsletter, I am thankful for you.  I know that you have a lot going on and for you to take the time to read this every month means a lot to me.

 

I am also very thankful for my family, friends, staff, home, patients, community, profession and my health.  I recognize that I am truly blessed.  I hope you and your family enjoy this Thanksgiving Day.

 

Today's Basic Fundamental may be the most "basic" of them all.  But I have found that all successful practices are steadfast with their marketing efforts.  And the rules are changing faster than they can be written.

 

After "Facing the Facts" of my marketing strategies last month, I have been adjusting to take advantage of more traditional marketing techniques.  I realized that Coca-Cola continues to paint on building even though they have a great web presence.  I am going to have to be careful not to neglect what works in lieu of what's new.  Many of you need to be careful too.  And others have to be convinced to try something new.

 

Review of Optometric Business has quickly became the go-to source for practice management information.  So we welcome back Dr. Mark Wright and Dr. Carole Burns, the Professional Editors of ROB.  They let us know how everything is going at ROB and share with us a few key articles.

 

Truly Yours, 

Mike Rothschild, LeadershipOD

Mike's Blog Post from LeadershipOD.com

Dr. Mike Rothschild

Fundamental #5- Consistently Market

 

Marketing advice from a very successful OD in his 70's:  "Have one of the (staff) start at the A's, pulling down each record off the wall.  Open it and if they haven't been to the office in two years or more, call them and tell them it is time to come back.  That's what saved my practice."

 

Marketing advice from an enteprising 50-something year old doctor with several practice locations and a multi-million dollar business: "One word - Radio."

 

Marketing advice from a 20-something year old associate OD working for a small two doctor practice: "Social Media and Search Engine Optimization.  It is the way of the future."

 

And remember last month, the example of the doctor who felt the secret is accepting every vision insurance plan available?

 

Who's right?  Everybody.  They are all correct in their own way.

 

While few of us would be so inefficient to pull a paper record down and call one at a time, you can't deny it would be highly effective and highly reliable way to stay in touch.  

 

In my study of long term successful practices, they all have a strategic method of continuing to attract new and retain existing patients.  Everybody markets, but the successful practice has a strategy in place and sticks to the plan.  Many practices participate in "knee-jerk" marketing by simply reacting to reduced practice activity.  Others focus on the "one thing" that they are convinced is the secret.  

 

Developing a Successful Marketing Strategy

 

1 - Identify Tools

List every avenue you can think of that gives you an opportunity to spread the word about your practice.  Think of signage, internal systems to show off new equipment, advertising, recalls, phone calls, emails, asking for referrals, and social media specifics.  Look through old notes, read articles.  Visit ROB for some very good ideas.

 

2 - Choose 

It is not a good idea to try to do everything you can.  Categorize and decide where you want to concentrate your energies and money.  But make sure to spread it out and not put all of your eggs in one basket.  Sometimes it is easy to get excited about something new and neglect effective marketing tools.  Care needs to be taken to make sure the strategies match the vision of the practice. You don't have to implement every good idea.

 

3 - Delegate

One person in the office needs to be given the responsibility of making sure that all things on the plan are done as scheduled.  This person should be empowered to make things happen and everyone should have a role and understand the importance promoting the brand.  

 

4 - Re-Visit

Maybe the most critical step.  Plan to plan.  Things are changing so fast and new methods are constantly emerging to help us stay in touch.  No matter how perfect your marketing plan is today, parts of it will soon be obsolete.

 

Every strategy will be different and will depend on a number of factors: practice personality, budget, age of practice, demographics, personnel availability, etc.  The point is to concentrate on marketing and be consistent year round and year to year. 

A Fast Manager Reads Fast Facts
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Professional Editors, Review of Optometric Business

In two years of editing Review of Optometric Business (www.reviewob.com), we have drawn from many good data sources to reflect trends in the marketplace and attitudes of the consumers who comprise our patient base. But more than just keeping abreast of trends and attitudes, a nimble manager needs to act-to adjust how he or she practices,manages, bills, markets and merchandises-to put knowledge to work.

We're not only in the Information Age. We're in the Act on Information Age!

Here are a few recent ROB Fast Facts, along with actions to take in your practice to be a Fast Manager.


Some 57.7 percent of ECPs sell contact lenses on their web site, according to Jobson Optical Research's 2010 ECP Internet Usage Study. Some 16.3 percent sell sunwear, while another 16.3 percent sell prescription eyewear and 9.6 percent sell other goods on their site.

Actions to take: Does your web site permit your patients to order contact lenses at 7 pm at night? If not, then you are not helping your patients stay loyal to your practice. In today's marketplace, you must make it easy for your patients to order from your practice. There are many different ways to do this today, find the one that agrees with your philosophy and make it happen.


Nearly all surveyed optometrists (97.6 percent) routinely performed annual dilated funduscopic examinations on their diabetic patients in their offices, according to the American Optometric Association's 2010 Caring for the Eyes of America survey. Seven in ten ODs (71.4 percent) also reported that they performed fundus photography in their offices. Four out of five (80.1 percent) routinely send written reports to the primary care practitioners, internists and/or endocrinologists regarding the ocular health status of their diabetic patients.

Actions to take: Only 80 percent of ODs send a written report documenting a dilated fundus exam on a diabetic to primary care physicians! This means 20 percent of the ODs don't understand the importance of the written report to the PCP. PCPs are audited by third parties. The third parties are specifically looking at the documentation in the PCPs record for diabetics. If there is no evidence that diabetic patient has had an annual dilated fundus exam, the PCP is docked points. PCPs are smart. They send patients to eye doctors who do dilated fundus exams and send a written report back. Just like all doctors, the PCPs want to come out of an audit looking good. So, from a practice management perspective, do you want the PCP to send you diabetic patients? Then make sure you send the PCP a written report documenting the dilated fundus examination on diabetic patients.


Some 50.8 percent of consumers say they will "possibly" use daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social to help them purchase eyewear in the future, according to The Vision Council's Vision Watch 2011 Daily Deal Eyewear Report. Some 5.5 percent say they "definitely" will use daily deal sites to help them purchase eyewear, and 43.7 percent say they will not use these sites in the eyewear purchasing process.

Actions to take. Patient loyalty is essential in our practices. It is the lifeblood of any practice. We need to recognize that patient loyalty is constantly being assaulted in today's marketplace. Radio, television, internet, social media ... the attacks are relentless. Michael LeBoeuf, PhD, the author of How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life, states that 68 percent of customers are lost due to indifference. Since the Vision Council's Vision Watch 2011 Daily Deal Eyewear Report is telling us about half of our patients are considering going elsewhere for eyewear purchases, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is something we had better consider.

Lori Greenwell, manager of marketing communications for American Business Advisors, Inc., gives 10 ways to improve loyalty. We've modified her list for our eyecare practices.
  1. Thank patients for allowing you to provide care for them.
  2. Stay in contact with existing and past patients on a consistent basis.
  3. Give patients more than they expect.
  4. Listen.
  5. Pay attention to the obvious (e.g.: say please and thank you, be on time).
  6. Make realistic promises-and be consistent.
  7. Share information - always look for ways to help patients learn.
  8. Make consultations and referrals to other doctors.
  9. Explain how things work.
  10. Have fun by really enjoying your patients!
Read back over the list and grade yourself on how well you are doing each one of these steps. Based on your results, identify what actions are needed to improve patient loyalty in your practice, put in place a plan, and then, make it happen!