Practical recession-busting tips were on offer to delegates at the Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Business Building session in London last week.
The event was part of the company's string of roadshows being held throughout the UK and Ireland which focus on teaching practitioners how to retain patients and attract new custom to the business.
Keynote speaker Dennis Reid, chairman of Retail Performance Specialists (RPS) and a former international sportsman and Olympic coach, urged delegates to re-examine their practice performance and use the evening to set at least three or four action points that could be implemented immediately on return to their businesses.
He cited research that indicated 63 per cent of patients who visited an optometrist failed to make a return visit because of their indifference to the practice.
Moreover, he emphasised how research revealed it was customer service and not always price that was the driving force for patients when booking an eye examination.
'Go back to your practice and put up your prices by 10 per cent and you'll see that it will make no difference. Stop selling yourself short - you are selling a vital service. Don't get caught up in the discounting war - make sure people want to belong to your club,' said Reid.
He also asked delegates to ensure they had a 'customer journey' plan in place, starting from the time a patient enters the practice to when they leave and afterwards.
Reid stressed the importance of maintaining regular communication with patients by sending them reminder letters, distributing regular newsletters and notifying them of promotional incentives.
The session also included a presentation from Craig Ramsey, learning and development manger at RPS, who focused on marketing tips on how to beat the recession. He offered practical tips on writing advertorials, leaflets and using incentives to drive traffic to the business.