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Thread: Marketing Ideas

  1. #1
    Bad address email on file
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    Confused Marketing Ideas

    Good day,

    New to the board, but I am hoping some of you optical guru's could offer some good advice for marketing and practice building. Oh but wait, there is a catch - it has to be an extremely low cost method(s).
    Here is a little backround: We are on our 4th year in operation. we seem to be hitting a lull in patient generation, new and previous. Newspaper, bulk mail, local coupon flyers, are what we have currnetly used, only the bulk mail has generated cost covering results, the other two have failed to produce adequate results. Radio and TV would be great, if they were not so expensive. Recalls have their place but do not help to bring in new clients. We have gone through our year 2000 patients who have not returned and sent them a nice letter, that seemed to generate some response.

    Has anyone tried some specific idea that produced well received responses? if so, could you share your idea? If you wish to limit who views this concept, you could e-mail it to me: SG@salemvisioncenter.com

    I sure do appreciate any and all responses. Have a great day.

    Cowboy

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder Texas Ranger's Avatar
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    Cowboy in NH;
    Well, "marketing" is a thing that is beyond "advertising"., and most of th things you mentioned require that you present some sort of "hook" to get folks into the shop. At four years, I would think that your best bet is writing to the clientele that you already have on file. they already know who and where you are; tell them that you appreciated the opportunity to serve their eye care needs, that you hope to be "their eye care professional" forever...ask for some feedback, what can we do to improve our services to you? (enclose a return card..) you didn't say whether you do exams or not, and even if you don't, advise them that they need a periodic exam, tell them about new technologies, like the new TNG, Crizal/Alize coating, new fashion emphasis of eyewear, discuss polarized sunwear, etc. or the new Nikon Online computer lenses..but mine those old files, a lot of things have changed in four years...let your patients know it...

  3. #3
    One of the worst people here
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    What about word of mouth?

    Word of mouth is the absolutely best advertisment that you can have. People will always trust their friends and family over an ad in the paper. So how do you generate word of mouth?

    - Great service (this has to be a focus).
    - Great selection
    - Great prices

    Now you might be able to substitute prices for selection or vice-versa. Our stores main feature is our service, backed by our selection, but our prices are not the lowest. My goal as far as prices go is keeping them competitive, but not necessarily the lowest. Anyone can beat a price, but no one can beat a service.

    But here is the key thing. I know you said that you are bringing in former clients but not new ones. Make sure your goal is to keep your former clients. It is a lot less expensive to keep a client than to gain a new one. If you are doing a great job with your current clients, new ones will follow. So make sure that everytime that your client comes in that you treat them like royalty. Too many places suck up to their clients to get them to buy, but forget about them after that purchase. They need a repair, no problem.

    Image is also key. You know what type of store image you are trying to project, make sure you reflect that in your advertisment. High end store = High end advertisment. Newspaper can be included in high end, but some other means are not.

  4. #4
    OptiBoardaholic OdTech's Avatar
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    Hello
    technology makes lots of difference in profit making just check out the latest article in 2020mag.com about the Debonaire Eyes, topic: Retail Strategies
    See what they got and compare to yourself and make improvemets:idea:

    good Luck

  5. #5
    OptiWizard
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    xx
    Last edited by walt; 08-27-2004 at 07:05 PM.

  6. #6
    sub specie aeternitatis Pete Hanlin's Avatar
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    I would look into sponsoring something on the morning drive time of one of your AM stations for the following reasons:
    • AM is relatively inexpensive
    • AM is talk radio- therefore its usually not just "background noise"
    • Running the ad at the exact same time means you will hit the same audience (driving to work) every day over and over

    Only run one ad per day, but make sure it is ALWAYS in the same exact time. Yeah, you only reach one audience, but that audience is surely large enough to provide the growth you want... For example, let's say you have a relatively small market and only 1,500 people will be listening to that station at that time each morning. Assuming a two year buying cycle for exam/glasses, that means 63 people each month are going to hear the ad on the morning they decide to do something about their visual health needs. If only 5% of these people decide to take action on your ad, you will have 3-4 new patients every month from the ad. Figuring each spot is costing you $15, and you run it every weekday morning, that's $300 a month to generate 4 new patients. Now, $75 is a lot to create one transaction, but hopefully your excellent service and effective recall is enough to bring them in each year. By the end of your second year, you will have about 100 new patients. Assuming you are making a net profit of $100 per patient on all goods and services (conservatively), that means increased profits of $10,000 per year each year afterwards.

    As Bruce Williams used to say, Early to bed, early to rise, work like heck, and advertise!!! I've been out of Tallahassee for two years now, and I can still tell you all about the lawn services of the company that used to advertise on the local sports AM station every morning on my way to work.

    Focus on one small group of people, then hit them every day. Be prepared to commit to the long haul, and you will see results.
    Pete Hanlin, ABOM
    Vice President Professional Services
    Essilor of America

    http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74

  7. #7
    sub specie aeternitatis Pete Hanlin's Avatar
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    You're driving to work in your small town- every morning you hear this same message (or something similar) right about the time you are at the stop light of Kennedy and Bligh Avenue...

    Today's weather was sponsored by Pete's Optical. Don't wait for those road signs to get fuzzy, stop in today for your yearly eye exam and our Board Certified Optometric Physician, Dr. Rick Dean, will examine your vision and your ocular health in our state-of-the-art eyecare facilities. After your examination, Pete Hanlin- our board certified and licensed Master Optician- will create comfortable, stylish, and attractive eyewear that you'll actually enjoy wearing. We have over a 1,000 frames to chose from and we accept most major insurances and local HMO plans. So, when you're ready to see what you've been missing, call our friendly receptionist Debbie at 555-2020 or visit our website at midvillevision.com!

    When you finally sit on your glasses, notice blurry vision, have to use up your medical reimbursement account, take your kids for an eye exam, etc., don't you think chances are good you might decide to visit Mr. Pete and his friendly crew?
    Pete Hanlin, ABOM
    Vice President Professional Services
    Essilor of America

    http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74

  8. #8
    OptiBoardaholic hip chic's Avatar
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    Cowboy~

    At nearly 7 years old, my business is still a baby too. I have loved the advertising/marketing aspect of my own shop.

    I think it's most important to keep in touch with your current patients/customers...and not just those that came to your shop 2 or more years ago. I try to send a newsletter out 2 or 3 times a year. Knowing that my market is more fashion oriented than technology oriented, I concentrate on frame styles and trends. Knowing that most of my customers are artists of some sort (musicians, sculpters, graphic design artists ect.), my newsletter is visually attractive. And it's fun. I think of my newsletter as a way to keep in touch with "my people"....I really don't look at it as a sales tool (though ultimately it is). People make comments about how they enjoy reading it...they come in to see the new styles...it's all good.

    With regard to attracting new patients, I think the most important thing is to know your market....so important. Who is your typical customer? Male? Female? Age Group? Occupation...white collar? Blue collar? Once you identify your market, learn all you can about them...where they shop, eat, what they listen to...what events in town draw your market...that's where you should be...that's where your advertising should be concentrated.

    This is all my opinion, of course. It has worked for me.

    Good Luck~
    Hip Chic

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