The Matching Game: Matching Your Products and Services To Your Customer’s Needs

Understanding your customer’s needs - and matching your products and services to those needs - builds sales and loyalty. Sell the problem you solve, not the product or service you sell.

Patient loyalty is an essential component of success in optometry. When patients feel valued, heard and understood, they are more likely to return to your practice and recommend your services to others. We don’t build our business on one sale; we build it on loyalty and return business. One of the ways to create patient loyalty is by matching patient needs to products and services.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Listen To Your Patients

   The first step in matching patient needs to products and services is to listen to your patients. Whether they are coming in for an eye exam or to buy eyewear, take the time to understand their needs and concerns.
   
   Ask them questions and give them the opportunity to express themselves; we don’t learn anything when we are talking, so learn to truly listen. This will help to identify what products and services will be the best fit for the individual customer.

2. Make Recommendations

   Once you have identified your patients’ needs, offer personalized recommendations. Don’t just recommend the same products and services to every patient. Instead, tailor your recommendations based on their specific needs and preferences. For example, if a patient is looking for a pair of glasses for athletic activities, recommend sports eyewear that is designed for their specific sport. Our role really is to offer solutions versus selling products and services.

   In one example we observed, the OD transitioned an elderly patient to the lead optician with an updated prescription. The optician immediately told the patient he needed the driving lens, insisting that it was the best lens for him and pushing him to get it. After about 10 minutes of this, the patient made the purchase, even though it was more than he wanted to pay. Now, we can agree that the optician sold the patient a great lens. What we don’t know is whether this patient even drives, because the optician never asked a single question. Had she asked questions and discovered that he does drive and is struggling with glare, on-coming lights etc., then this recommendation and the features of the lens would make sense. But we don’t know that, because she didn’t ask.
   
   The office made the sale that day, but I wouldn’t be confident that this patient will be back. We don’t build our business on one sale; we build it on trust, which results in loyalty and return business.

3. Provide Education

   Educating your patients about the products and services you offer is essential. Provide them with information about the benefits of each product and service as it relates to their needs. This will help patients feel more empowered to make informed decisions and be more satisfied with the products they choose, eliminating buyer’s remorse.

   Emphasize what relates to their needs - not every single feature and technical term you know about the lens, making them feel completely overwhelmed. If they can’t articulate why they paid for a particular lens, you haven’t done your job. Think about the gentleman who bought the drive lens: when he tells his wife what he spend and can’t explain why, how do you think that is going to play out?

4. Acknowledge Loyalty & Generate Referrals

   Finally, thank patients for their loyalty and let them know that you’re honoured to be entrusted with their eye heath. When patients thank you, offer a compliment or sing your praises, let them know that you would be happy to extend the same care to their friends and family.
   
   When you get a referral, be sure to send a note or a small gift card to the patient who made the referral. When I refer a patient to my dentist, they send a card with a $5 gift card to McDonald’s; it’s not about the amount, it’s about the acknowledgement.

   We know that when patients are referred, they are more likely to purchase and remain loyal, so generating referrals is the very best marketing you can do.
   
   By matching patient needs to products and services, you can create patient loyalty within your practice. Take the time to listen to your patients, provide personalized recommendations, educate in detail based on their needs, and create loyalty and referrals. Doing so will ensure that your patients feel valued and head - making them more like to return for their future eye care needs.

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Nancy Dewald is a business development professional, workshop facilitator and optical industry veteran who founded and is CEO of Lead Up Training & Consulting, a company specializing in identifying business gaps, implementing solutions and developing leaders.

Article as seen in Optical Prism.