Surveys:

Does anyone have any type of surveys they use to determine what types of products they will offer? Ie, what patients want?

It seems from reading on here most base their future purchases mostly on previous sales. A bit harder to do with a brand new office. I think reps may play a bit of a role initially, although I realize what a lot will say about that.

So, is there a better way to determine what to start off with besides educated guessing? Surveys, reading magazines of industry trends, what works. I can see how questions guided to your intended patients would probably work the best.

thanks,

Four words. Know thy target market.

yes. yes. i thought thats what i was saying. so, how do you do that in a new market?

I'd look at the stores in the area -- style, price-points, types of merchandise. That will tell me alot about people who come to that area for goods and services.

Is this a new office for the doctor as well? If it isn't, can the doctor do a demographic summary for you (age etc)? That might help.

I'd also start with a relatively broad selection of styles and price-points, go for breadth rather than depth in the frame selection, and then adjust as I go along and see what people want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrew Weiss

I'd look at the stores in the area -- style, price-points, types of merchandise. That will tell me alot about people who come to that area for goods and services.

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I did that at the office I'm currently with - first thought I had was 'Man, everyone's underestimating what people will buy'. I saw conservative, I saw boring, I saw bland - and every place I went in to said 'we're a farming community, this is what people buy'. Bull.

We carry BeBe, Nicole Miller, ProDesign, Stratus, Reflections by Traff, Ohh LaLa de Paris, BCBG Maxazria, Girogio and Emporio Armani, Ellen Tracy, and Oakley (sun and ophthalmic) along with the more conservative styles Claiborne, Liz Claiborne, Adensco, Flexon, AutoFlex, Chesterfield and Safilo Team and Elasta. Last two quarters the trendy styles are outselling the conservative styles.

So I went against what others in the area were carrying because I wanted to offer something different - an alternative while still maintaining a conservative base.