Sight Care's 10 regional meetings which toured the UK over three weeks and attracted significant audiences came to an end recently in Bristol.
Chief executive Paul Surridge said commercial aspects were gaining in importance for independent practitioners. 'It is virtually impossible to ignore the fact that sustainable success today requires practitioners to devote concentrated time on all those non-clinical issues such as marketing and finance and this is where we can act as strategic partners.' Surridge reminded delegates that the recession was not over and more had to be done to maintain patient loyalty through the provision of unparalleled customer service.
Interior designer Suzie Paddock, who has worked on optometric retail assignments in Australia, advised practitioners to make the most of their retail space, creating bold statements that conveyed a quality image and differentiated messages. She highlighted the obsession of placing waiting room chairs in the window, consuming valuable retail space and making patients feel they were in a goldfish bowl.
Richard Beevers (pictured) dispelled the myth that marketing was just a posh term for advertising and promotion. 'Everything you do and say in the practice has a profound impact on people's perceptions,' he said. 'We get it wrong occasionally that's life. What matters is how we deal with those challenges: this is what the customer will ultimately remember.'