12 Dec People don`t buy spectacles
People don`t buy spectacles, people buy people first and their spectacles second, become the optician that people rave about because you made their experience FUN, make their experience memorable by having a conversation with them. Take time to find out EXACTLY what their job entails. Use probing questions in the conversation about their daily vision environment, how many devices do they use, what type of devices and how they use them. Use the phrase, I recommend because not enough adult wearers benefit from computer spectacles or anti fatigue lenses and most are very interested when told about the benefits of enhanced work performance that spectacles can deliver.
Recommending the same lenses to a patient because they have always been happy with them seems crazy in my view.
Consumers retain 90% of what they experience compared to 20% of what they read and hear and 40% of what they observe.* What we do and the way we do it has changed. No longer can optical retailers rely on doing the same things expecting different results. The new age is here, right now. On-line focus gives consumers an advantage not available to them not so long ago, they can now suss it all out online and can be really savvy about what they want and how to get it.
Are they going to be happy buying online? Some will perhaps, but many others will be disappointed. Recent figures show a large percentage of returns of online spectacles compared to practice purchases. So don`t worry about the online burglar stealing your business, you can retain and grow your customer base if you work hard at creating the experience consumers are looking for.
Know your stuff, don`t be boring and have fun, after all your patients are buying YOU.
* Source: NTL Institute for applied behavioural sciences / Spectrum Optical
No Comments