Editor Chris Benett commented (Optician 26-05-17) that ‘Independents who thought they owned the clinical high ground may have to think again’. He was talking about Specsavers’ multi-million pound OCT roll out across all 740 stores.
He is exactly right because like it or not, what Specsavers does affects the positioning of all independent practices. Specsavers own the space of ‘optician’ in the mind of the British public and that is what we all are constantly being compared to.
Unfortunately, that will not stop a flood of independents now finally deciding they must rush out and buy an OCT because Specsavers has one. Others who have long had an OCT and want to ‘own the clinical high ground’ will start buying even more technology for the practice as if they were in some kind of arms race.
The truth is an OCT has practically nothing to do with the success of your practice. As an independent practice you do not need an OCT. Most practices who have invested in OCT have done so with a very flawed business strategy. They think they have to have one.
Technology does not differentiate your practice. We live in a world where technology is omni-present. In April on a trip I made to the US the customs and border control was almost fully automated and it was hands-down the worst entry into any country I have ever experienced. No one was wowed by the fancy flat screens and scanners.
Most technology-filled environments are miserable. Everyone is so focused on the technology they forget about the experience the human being in front of it is being subjected to.
And do not forget technology is scary. If you were told you need to have an MRI scan tomorrow I assure you, being impressed by the technology is not up there on the list of things going through your mind. Worry. Panic. Uncertainty. Fear. Claustrophobia. These are the things you would feel. And with that in mind hospitals would have a tough time selling MRI scans to patients based on how advanced the technology is.
Independent practice owners get confused about how to differentiate their practice. There is a lot of talk about it but little action. The good news is it is not rocket science. It is simply about making someone or something different.
The last thing I want my practice to look like is ‘just another opticians’. If you own an independent practice your goal is to be the polar opposite of Specsavers. You are not going to beat them at their own game. They won the average optician game a long time ago as evidenced by their amazing numbers – £1.69 million turnover per practice versus £240K for the average independent practice in the UK. That is a differential of more than 700%. So you have to play a different game. You have to differentiate.
My personal view is this. OCT is not my area of expertise. Nor, as a business owner, is it in my interest to develop that expertise. I would rather work closely with ophthalmologists and allow them to be ophthalmologists.
As opticians, we have far more profitable things we can be getting on with. Things our clients and patients actually care about. That is the thing about differentiation: it has to create value for your customers. Consider what do they really want? There are not many people laying awake at night wishing their optician had an OCT – but lots are frustrated with the service, the experience, the hassle, the choosing, the products, etc. By focusing on these areas we can win.
Dispensing expertise and effective dispensing processes are in short supply in most practices. This expertise is particularly lacking in the multiples where the majority of dispensing is done by unqualified staff. If you want an area where the multiples are weak and you can be strong, this is it. This is the most important strategic advantage of the independent.
My clients would be as excited about a trip to Specsavers as they would be a trip to A&E on a Saturday night. The thought of it sends chills down their spine. There is a huge percentage of the population who feel the same way and would happily pay you more if you only demonstrated how you are different from Specsavers et al, and how you create value for your client. And by treating them like an individual. This is far more critical than any technology you bring into the practice.
Conor Heaney is an optometrist and owner of Jones and Co Styling Opticians. His practice has an average dispense value of £800, over five times the industry average. He has authored a report for owners of independent opticians: The Nine Keys That Unlock The Hidden Profits In Your Practice, available for free at www.opticalsuccessacademy.co.uk.