A week of news - traffic problems

One striking quote in this week's news was a delegate at the Optical Confederation's annual meeting who asked 'Do you think we are naive or stupid?'

She was referring to conversion rates and wanted to know how to get a greater number of patients through the door.

Another phrase being bounded around the profession at the moment is there is no magic bullet - and perhaps for good reason.

The current retail environment is tough, especially for independents, but last week's Confederation meeting underlined the importance of playing to your strengths.

For optical practices, these could include latest contact lens technologies, providing community eye health services or differentiating with quality fashion frames.