Understanding your customers’ 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 understand, they are more likely to return to your practice and recommend your service to others.

Retailing is defined as when a business sells a product or service to an individual consumer for his or her own use. I often hear “we are not a retailer” but, let’s agree, Optometry is in the retail business. Once the patient leaves the lane and are transitioned to the frame gallery, they become a customer. We need to run our business accordingly and think in terms of a retailer.

As back-to-school approaches, optical businesses need to plan now if they want to benefit from the additional traffic. This is a prime time for parents to get their children’s eyes checked, and they will be on the lookout for fashionable and durable eyewear.