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Thread: Monthly Promotion

  1. #1
    Bad address email on file Loomy's Avatar
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    Hello all,

    I have an idea I would like to share with you all, to get some feedback.

    The idea is that every single month of the year the store has a special discount promotion on a certain brand.
    I think this will be very good for the store, that it has something happenning every month.
    What do you think?

  2. #2
    Sawptician PAkev's Avatar
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    Loomy,

    As a previous manager of a large chain, my experience with monthly discount programs have been nothing but headaches. If you have a perpetual sale then technically it is not a "special" offer.

    Specials are a great tool to perk cash flow but when folks realize that they will be able to get the same deal tomorrow and the next day and in two months, it doesn't do a good job of influencing them to buy now. In the meantime they remain a candidate to purchase eyewear from other professionally agressive competition.

    I've found a more effective way is to develop an accross the board programs and policies which are offered to everyone all the time. For example, I offer 20% off a second complete pair of eyewear; 50% off scratched lens replacements instead of a scratch warranty; and 10% off two or more add ons to any lens package. This maintains the clients confidence that you will provide them with the best eyewear at a good value

    Regards,
    Kevin


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    Bad address email on file optigoddess's Avatar
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    Hi Loomy:

    My opinion is that I prefer to advertise & promote the features of a product & how it can benefit a person's lifestyle. I see the "constant promotion" of "deals" in the USA has really watered down the message of: we can help you see better...let us show you how ! I am not familiar with the differences in your country verses ours. I like the idea of offering a straight 20% off on a multiple as mentioned in the previous post. I work in corporate-run optical so I don't have any influence in what promotions we run; I have known some independant opticians who have successfully used Co-op marketing with Vendors to promote various brands.

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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    I've these two "things" fighting inside me.
    One thing says people buy for price.
    The other "thing" says people don't buy for price.
    Wo . . . wait a minute. If the other "thing" says people "don't buy for price", what is the "thing" really saying?
    Oh, golly, Oh, heck, Oh, gee!
    What could the "thing" be thinking?
    Could it be thinking that maybe the buyer RESPECTS an agent and not a salesperson?
    Well, what do you think about that?
    Maybe the buyer isn't convinced to buy at any price?
    Maybe, do you suppose?
    Maybe, we, the all knowing, omnipotent, bearer of the best, have done a pretty poor job of acting as the customers agent instead of the companys's salesman/saleswoman/salesperson/ordertaking dude!
    Maybe we need to pause for a second before we engage our mouths and look at what we need to get our buyer away from before we tell them what we need to get them in to!
    Now, if anyone wants to talk about being an agent instead of being a sales person, let's have at it. Until then . . .

    promotions proshmotions . . . too many of us think "ROLL BACK the price" before we start thinking like personal advisors.

    OK, big shots. Put up your dukes on this one. Let's have at it. C'mmon, guys. Let's go for a round. Anybody for an optical pillow fight with a cousin?

    Answer this question:
    How do you show your customer you care?
    What do you say?
    How do you say it?
    Who should do all the talking?
    How much from you and how much from the customer/patient/whatever?


    I'm waiting!!!!!!!!!

    PS. Happy Easter


  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder Joann Raytar's Avatar
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    Loomy,

    Who are you trying to bring in with the promotion? Are you trying to attract new customers or get existing customers to come backe in? Are you trying to get people who just purchased glasses to get a second pair?

  6. #6
    Bad address email on file Loomy's Avatar
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    Jo,
    Who are you trying to bring in with the promotion?
    New customers.
    Are you trying to attract new customers or get existing customers to come backe in?
    I think, both.
    Are you trying to get people who just purchased glasses to get a second pair?
    Yes.

    My idea is to try to show that we have something hapening always.
    Or maybe I should change it to, that we promate on a monthly basis that we have something new arrived. To show we're dynamic, and have the latest in optics..!


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    You said a monthly promotion not a monthly sale/discount. Try the old Marshal Fields aproach: Put something nice (but maybe hard to get rid of) on black velvet, put a spotlight on it and call it the "Frame of the month." I almost guarantee a sale a day, plus a few sales of other things to people that came in to see the wonderful "Frame of the month."

    Chip

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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    Chip
    The Marshall Fields approach is excellent. It enhances the value of the product.
    If you'v got more of that please don't stop, You're on a role.

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    Bad address email on file optigoddess's Avatar
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    Chip:I like that idea to "put it on black velvet" to really spotlight the product...

    Loomy:I think most American optical professionals are a wee bit tired of constant and seemingly endless promotion of "deals" ... But I do like the idea of featuring a product - as I said in my previous post, I know of an independant optical (3 offices & 1 central lab) company that regularly used co-op marketing from frame & lens vendors to hi-light products.


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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    Loomy
    Jo's question has some far reaching implications.
    Promotions as well as advertising in general can't have a clear message with impact if there is a multiplicity of purpose. It's mixed signals.
    There's a basic axiom in marketing that the optical business rarely follows. That is the theory of distinctive competence. Fedex has a distinctive competence of arrival on time. Elizebeth Arden Cosmetics is "they sell hope.", Lenscrafters originally was "Highest quality glasses in about an hour." (Attributed to the Procter and Gamble mentality of its founder). There are others. Chip referred to the Marshall Fields display which had a distinctive competence of enhanced value of one product at a time shared by many upper class retailers. I am not saying that a business without a distinctive competence is a loser, but I am saying that the business that has a declared distinctive competence and keys in all its advertising and customer service to that distinctive competence, has a crack at a strong presence in the marketplace.


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    Bad address email on file Loomy's Avatar
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    I'd love more great ideas as the "black velvet".

    Alan, I totaly agree on the "distinctive competence" theory you mentioned. But as you said the optical business rarely follows. Why do you think is that?
    Is it because it's hard to find one. Or is it, simply, there's many.
    I would say mine is " to build a strong brand name for my stores".
    I'd like the customers to think about my stores when the words "glasses", "optics", or anything related to optical needs is mentioned.
    Would that count as a "distinctive competence" ?

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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    I wish I knew, my friend. I wish I knew. I know this . . .
    All those who have successful slogans and other things that seem to be illustrations of distinctive competence have paid professionals to develop them out. This is not a grass roots thing. Of course, Dean Butler, the founder of Lnescrafters was also the brand manager of Folgers Coffee and Tide Laundry Soap. So, he has experience, but I believe the J Walter Thompson Agency was hired by Procter and Gamble to do Tide and Folgers Coffee. We're talking big bucks to achieve brand identity. Now, there is another way of achieving the "label" we're talking about. It's called the Story Boarding process which has also been called BrainStorming. That process has been quite succesful. In fact I helped facilitate that process with all the executives of Lenscrafters in French Lick Indiana, a retreat we went to to work out the Core Values Lenscrafters lived by in its early days.So, you see that's some pretty serious stuff. If you and you alone came up with the idea, you may be walking on thin ice, if you know what I mean. On the other hand, if you gathered all your employees for a day or two, fed them tons of humas and fulafel, and used the brain storming process, you might come up with something quite by surprise and very powerful. I recommend you do a net search for IMAGINEERING by Michael LeBoueff. I am confident there is a write up on the net on how its done. I have the manual and would be happy to scan it and email it to you if you promise to pay all my legal fees, support my wife while I'm in prison and promise me a consulting job when I get out of jail. As for us in the trenches of opticianry, it wouldn't be a bad idea to do that for ourselves.

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    Once worked for a man that had a slogan, in posters in the office and on his business card: "One pair of glasses is not enough!" He sold a lot of back~ups, occupationals, and Rx sunglasses.

    It won't hurt. I offer 20% off a second pair if purchased at the same time or very close to origional sale.

    Chip

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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    Loomy
    You will make more money by running instore contests on higher profit items than a sale hoping for someone to walk in on a promotion.
    Look at your current sales levels for AR, Progressives, Poly.
    Set goals. Realistic goals for AR are 65%, Progressives 70%, Poly 80% in this market. I don't know what yours is. If you are doing half of those currently, then in store contests with rewards worth 10% of increases, time off, etc. are good in retail environments. Don't do them all at once until they've done each one successfully.
    Polarized lenses should also be a good promotion in your part of the world. Ask your supplier to join with you in short promotions to incent your people (spiffs).
    Its important to always keep a balance between promotions and ethical sales. Shoving add ons can be dangerous unles you train your people to point out to the customer the disadvantage they've been living with without the add on, then recommednding the add on or upgrade. I cannot stress the importance of regular staff meetings to announce promotions and train to succeed at them. Always create opportunity to improve performance and enhance skills. Both go directly to the bottom line in the form of profits from increased sales or lowered costs. Internal marketing such as contests, etc, plus external marketing such as some the great examples you've seen can't help but breed success.

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    Master OptiBoarder ziggy's Avatar
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    Big Smile

    Loomey, I have found that going with a non-advertised promo works great. That may sound funny, but if you sit your employees down befor the 1st of the month and say "next month we are going to sell anti-reflective coating and the one who sells the most gets an extra day off with pay" This has always worked for us as long as you set all of the guide lines first,ie. there is a minimum # to qualify. Just my thoughts, Paul

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    Bad address email on file Loomy's Avatar
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    ziggy, I like your idea, but I prefer group incentives. Such as monthly target for the store. I'd like to encourge team work.

    chip, if I give 20% off the second pair valid for 2 weeks. Is this an ongoing offer? For example, When someone buys a new frame I give him a 20% discount coupon which is valid for 2 weeks on his, or his friends purcahse. So, if his friend comes and shows me his coupon, I'll give him his 20% dicount. But then shall I give him another 20% discount coupon for him or another person to use?
    I mean shall keep it going on like a cycle, to bring more people?

    Alan, could you please explain more on this "You will make more money by running instore contests on higher profit items than a sale hoping for someone to walk in on a promotion. Look at your current sales levels for AR, Progressives, Poly. Set goals. Realistic goals for AR are 65%, Progressives 70%, Poly 80% in this market. I don't know what yours is. If you are doing half of those currently, then in store contests with rewards worth 10% of increases, time off, etc. are good in retail environments. Don't do them all at once until they've done each one successfully."

    I know how important contributions are to the business. I do give that a lot of attention. This why I'm very happy I'm getting all of this wealth of information from all you optiboarders. Many Thanks!

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    When we offer 20% off on a 2nd pair (or third or whatever) this is offered for the same patient as an incentive to have two pair of glasses for back up or different uses. We do not include other family members.

    My own feeling on offering 'sales incentives" to the employees is very negative as you make your "opticians" into salesmen and put them in the position of "selling" things the patient may not need. If AR were needed (as say for a T.V. announcer) the they should be advising it anyway. If it would not be good idea as say for a dirt farmer (it might help with glare but sho' won't last long enough to be worth while) then the "optician" salesperson should not have any ecconomic incentive to push it.

    Chip (Boy do I expect some flack on this one) Anderson

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    Master OptiBoarder Alan W's Avatar
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    Loomy
    It is not for me to impose my philosophy of sales onto you. That is something you need to decide. As a multiunit supervisor I can tell you that when you have multiple points of sale maximizing sales activity can result in some subtantial profit gains. A single store operation doesn't have that advantage. An increase in sales of items like AR can bring in a substantial improvement in income. If you have a problem selling to farmers then don't sell to farmers. That's like saying to a professional photographer: "Don't use a coated lens if you are shooting pictures outdoors. Just use a plain uncoated lens because the dust is going to scratch them." Tell that to an NBC camerman who makes $75,000.00 a year based on the quality of the image and subject he shoots. Likewise, you will have to decide who should use AR and who shouldn't based on the customers desire for excellence in vision, not yours. But, deleting from the list all those people who shouldn't buy AR still leaves you with plenty of opportunity. Tracking present sales, as I suggested in a private email, will tell you what your teams present performance levels are. Setting new goals, even if it is modest, such as a 15% increase, is substantial. The cost of advertising, or using passive marketing may inhibit bottom line increases as you might have planned in your goals. But, generating an increase in staff sales performance using ethical guidelines, without an increase in payroll, facilities, or advertising expense, etc. and offering incentives based on the increase in performance, is a logical way to increase income. There are diamonds in your own back yard. Mine those diamonds before exploring new fields. Before you increase costs, maximize performance. And, set the groundrules of ethics etc. in your staff meetings. This has nothing to do with visual merchandsing expense or advertising. I am 100% in favor of those. BUt, as a business leader, I am sure after tracking your present sales in targetted areas, you will see opportunity for improvement.

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