Seven ways: Dwarfing your problems

1. Start with Doc

A good relationship with local doctors has to be the best networking an optician can do. It is of course a two way street – an eye test can show up a far wider range of conditions than just short or long sight, so doctors should be keen to establish a working relationship with you. You would also be helping to save GPs’ time and hence the NHS’s budget. Doctors need your services themselves, of course. If you became known as the optician doctors choose that could only boost your practice.

2. Happy

Everybody wants happy customers. You want them walking out the door delighted with their new glasses or contact lenses because the delighted customer tells 18 people about you. The satisfied customer tells four and the disgruntled customer tells nine. Ask them for referrals – a nice letter or email from you saying, for instance, ‘your sister suggested I contact you because she was so pleased with our services’ could recruit one new customer per existing patient.