Has anyone had any experiences with optical consultants. If so , positive or negative. Any need for scepticality? Do some work for 'Management' companies that try to take over operation?
Has anyone had any experiences with optical consultants. If so , positive or negative. Any need for scepticality? Do some work for 'Management' companies that try to take over operation?
This is something that your lab should supply, thats if your doing business with the right lab. A good rep would be trained in consulting and save you money.
For what it's worth, Redd Foxx died doing his little "I'm coming" heart attack skit. Everyone thought he was just going through his act, so it was 10 min. before anyone paid any attention to him.
Thanks DaQuano
No rep as consultant...................
That is like the golf course manager who hired the salesrep from one of the chemicals companies as consultant and ended up buying $ 10,000.00 worth of fertilizer that was the wrong kind and did not work.Originally Posted by DaQuano
Never hire a consultant that is active in a sales job. There are plenty retired specialist's in every field that gladly offer their services for a fee.
I have to disagree with you based on prior experience. This is where making sure your doing business with the right lab comes in to play. A good lab will partnership with you, not sell you things merely for their profit. Its in their best interest to improve your business therby improving theirs. I chose to use a specialty lab for this service and increased my profits over 245,000 dollars in a 12 month period. Again, be selective and both parties can reap the benefits.
Sodium D,
What aspect do you need consulting on? Retail shop, Frames, Lab, software, what? Define the need and then you can determine the resources needed. Thanks
Actually the owners of the company I work for hired one. I personally don't think its necessary. But the consultant is currently running another officewith a few locations. I think he's set up under an outside firm (his own company) and runs those locations. I just hope it doesn't turn into something like that.
We have used Williams consulting years ago...pretty good results, we did learn a lot. We most recently used DR Kattouf, he was pretty good as well. With each consultant you learn some and you pitch some but over all each experience was positive. Its nice to learn and grow.
I have never used a consultant yet. But I certainly would if the need arose. There are so many areas of expertise in the optical business that no one person can know it all. It's worth hiring a specialist who knows about your problem or opportunity.
I agree with Ryser about paying for objective advice if the matter is important. If I make my living selling lenses, then guess what my advice will be? BUY MORE LENSES!! And if my lenses can't help you, then why would I put serious effort into solving your problem for free?
Is it okay if someone sells lenses AND consulting advice? Yes. But do you know any labs that also offer business consulting services? I don't. The science of lens manufacturing is nothing like the science of business management.
Sodium, what exactly was your consultant hired for?
Is anyone here involved with an optical business management group?
I was involved in one years ago and it was the best thing that ever happened to me, as far as business management is concerned.
A group of opticians, let's say 7 or 8 meet a couple of times a year and help each other with their businesses. Members are from non competing markets and share their businesses information with one another. The groups are led by usually an accountant who serves as the consultant. If you need to have your eyes opened a little have your business scrutized by an outsider!
That sounds like a great group!
Getting advice from someone not in the business or even worse retired and stuck in yesterday I think is a waste. Look to the leaders and see what they are doing then adapt then to your business. Fresh ideas are needed in this quickly changing business.
I've done consulting for ODs and MDs that dispense. I also was contacted by a large hospital that has a dispensary, but I turned them down, due to the many layers of management I would have to work with/through. Before I went in, we sat down and discussed their expectations, and what areas they thought they were weak in. (There were many other issues they didn't even know existed in their offices.) We also discussed their willingness to implement my suggestions. I charged $140 per hour (8 years ago). The MD increased his profit by $180K, the OD has called me 3 times since when he is setting up a new office (he has 5 now). I'm not telling the success to brag, but to illustrate that consultants can get results if they are addressing specific areas. I don't market myself as a consultant, and only did it because they were refered by friends. I must agree that I would never use a vendor as a consultant due to the obvious conflict. I have also heard of the consultants that end up "managing" the company in the end. When I was a rep, one of my accounts signed on w/ a company that had them going to monthly meetings to meditate, sweat lodge sessions, and having the entire office repainted, "cleansed", and "blessed". His staff all left, but somehow, he managed to stay in business. He stayed with them for 3 years and they nearly bancrupted him. He finally got out from under the "consultants", but only after a ton of $$. (The consultants had "franchised" his office).
Every January, I go skiing with 2 friends that also own small business. One sells industrial fasteners, and the other owns a national candy company. We ski for 4 days and I learn more on these trips from these guys than I ever have at any seminar. Business is business and you can often get fresher ideas from an industry that you think you have nothing in common with. There is a lot of time to talk when you're riding a lift, or wairing in line. Personnel issues, distribution, financing options, marketing...you find out how similar all businesses are. Because we are also on each others board of directors, the entire trip is a great write off, and I come home more pumped up than if I'd just sat through a day of motivational speakers.
Yes these labs do exist. They are privately owned and offer a multitude of products from various manufacturers to meet the varying needs of their clientele. They see that if they are able to assist their clients in maxification of patient scheduling, practice marketing, staff relations, Dr./patient relations and all other aspects that define a successful practice then they too will be successful via word of mouth alone. A rep's income depends on your business' success. A lab should partnership with you and be an extension of you office, note I say office and not optical department. If your lab is merely in the business to just sell lenses, then again I say you have parternshipped with the wrong lab.
Benefit by advising......................
Wrong............you can not change the word or the value of "expirience". Business techniques are all the same in any field. dvice should come from somebody that has no personal or work related financial benefit from giving said advice.
Looking to the leaders is a good idea....................but following the leaders is in one way not a feasible and possible solution.
The leaders in manufacturing are brain washing the public by big time advertising to the public and in the retail end the leaders are doing the same thing...............which the independent can not afford.
Fresh ideas is very important as said above....................but they should not come from advice that has a direct benefit from it.
Can you name a lab that sells business consulting services other than free advice on which lenses to buy?
"Free" advice is worth exactly what you pay for it, and not a penny more.
"Always laugh when you can. It is a cheap medicine"
Lord Byron
Take a photo tour of Cape Cod and the Islands!
www.capecodphotoalbum.com
Good anser Harry,.....................you might also have added that he can also get all the consultants he wants for free on the Optiboard.
Mikef said:
“Getting advice from someone not in the business or even worse retired and stuck in yesterday I think is a waste. Look to the leaders and see what they are doing then adapt then to your business. Fresh ideas are needed in this quickly changing business.”
To which I would add never take advice from a non entrepreneur with an agenda. Unless you have your family jewels on the line when making business decisions your advice will be of academic interest at best. Any business owner who has survived in business long enough to retire certainly must have some sound principles and procedures that they can pass along.
The adoption of fresh ideas, for their own sake, is a poor business practice and seldom proves beneficial. Sound, well proven, business practices yield business growth and prosperity.
And hcjilson came in off the golf course long enough to said:
"Free" advice is worth exactly what you pay for it, and not a penny more.
Perhaps you have never heard of SCORE. Check them out. In fact, it will not be too long before we are recruiting you. I hope that you really do not feel that all of the advice, opinion and blather that you have contributed so freely here at OptiBoard has no value.
I met with SCORE several times before I purchased my business.
It was worth a lot to me...and it was free!
I agree that a great consultant is probably worth his weight in gold. The problem is that so many of them are frauds and not really worth anything. I would absolutely be happy to pay a generous hourly wage to anyone who could really help me make business decision; however, I have found that most are about as clueless as I am. And those that aren't clueless are too lazy to really figure out how they can be of help to me even though I'm paying them for it.
I've found that some of the best consulting "sessions" were nothing more than sitting around and talking w/ my peers. It doesn't have to cost anything to be valuable.
I'm fortunate to work for a Lab owner who is believes in education of ECP's creates a long relationship. We are members of Optical Service International. OSI is much more that a buying group. The Group spends many dollars to educate the Sales Reps in ECP training. We have brought many training and consulting programs to our customers. You may have seen OSI advertise the $2000 Minute seminar. This Seminar is ECP patient care consulting. We provide this free to our customers and charge a modest fee to non customers. I'm basically an free consultant to my customers. With my 20 years experience as an optician before becoming a Lab Sales Rep, I can consult my customers, and be more valuable that a sales person without an optical background. We will never be the cheapest lab because we spent the time and money to be a better partner with our customers.
John Zimmerman
Sales Manager
Tri-City Optical Laboratory
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