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THE UNIQUE SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

The Fantastic Four

Stand out from the crowd.

BARBARA HORN, O.D., WASHINGTON, MICH.

Go to your favorite search engine, type “eye doctor” + your location, and you’ll notice you’ve got company. Whether this is one other provider or 20 or more, this search illustrates the importance of positively differentiating yourself so patients seek your practice for their eyecare needs.

Here’s how I’ve attempted to accomplish this:

1 Competent staff

To create patient satisfaction, which leads to practice loyalty and referrals, you must have a caring, competent and knowledgeable staff. This means that your staff members communicate using eye contact, are able to accurately answer patient questions and correctly operate the required technology. When a new instrument is added, I work with my technicians on its operation and create scripts for discussing the tests during the exam. A knowledgeable staff gives patients a reason to come back and tell others about you.

Dr. Horn makes staff training on new devices a priority in her practice.

I have found that you can’t teach “personality.” Many of my staff members, like my patients, come as a referral. Numerous staff members have recommended those with whom they have worked.

2 Advanced technology

We take pride in doing just about everything an optometric practice can do (OCT, orthokeratology, etc.). If we don’t provide a service we feel is necessary, we refer the patient to fellow optometrists for that care. Having most of the advanced technology, a competent staff and referring “within the family” binds patients to the practice and prompts referrals.

3 Community involvement

My practice is a huge part of our local community. We coach and sponsor children’s sports teams, in addition to visiting local schools and libraries to give presentations on the eye and the importance of ocular health. All these activities have first and foremost worked to educate the public regarding the importance of eye care and secondarily marketed our practice to the community. Posting these events on our practice Facebook page has been a great way to share our participation in successful community events and encourage people to get involved in upcoming events.

To get involved in your local community, visit your township’s web page, local schools or libraries, and contact the appropriate party. Whatever event or organization you decide to join, make sure you have a genuine interest in it and can dedicate the required time. Poor performance in these roles may deter potential patients from your practice.

4 A parting gift

We’ve substantially cut back on phone book and newspaper advertising intentionally to take that money and spend it on a parting gift for patients. Specifically, we give our patients a little gift bag that includes ophthalmic lens cleaner and cloths, among other items, and thank them for coming to our office. This final personal connection reinforces that we provide unparalleled service.

Worth a try

Having a thriving practice is contingent on drawing and keeping patients. Find ways to positively differentiate yourself. As the four items above helped me achieve a successful practice, why not give them a try? OM

DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PRACTICE? E-MAIL JENNIFER.KIRBY@PENTAVISIONMEDIA.COM. OM OFFERS AN HONORARIUM FOR PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS.