Do your patients buy their contact lenses from you, or do they go somewhere else?
Here is a three-step prescription to get your patients to buy contact lenses from you.
STEP 1. Find the answers to WHY and WHERE.
First of all, do you know how many patients take their contact lens prescription from your practice and buy their lenses elsewhere? Have someone in the practice survey every patient who does not fill their contact lens prescription in your practice and simply ask the two major questions: WHY? And WHERE?
Here are possible scripts: “We want to meet all of your needs and make sure you have the best vision possible, would you please let us know why are you filling your prescription somewhere else?” Or, “… would you please let us know where are you planning to fill your prescription?”
If you do not know the answers to these two questions, you cannot target a response to help more people fill their contact lens prescriptions in your office. Once you know these two answers, you can roll up our sleeves and get to work.
STEP 2. Decide if you want to make a change in your practice to get more patients to purchase from you.
Show that you are price-competitive. As long as your prices are within 7 percent of where they can purchase the contact lenses somewhere else, the majority of people will buy from you. Create a chart showing patients exactly how much it will cost them if they purchase elsewhere. This requires staff time to do the research, but it is worth it. Target the places where your patients are telling you when they answer the WHERE question.
Make sure your staff presents fees appropriately. When patients ask fees, always tell them the fee after rebates, discounts and/or third party coverage.
Commit to making changes to capture the business. Decide if you want to make changes in your practice to keep patients from walking with their prescription. There really is one major consideration: How does the change impact how you have positioned your practice? (Have you positioned your practice as a spa or as a warehouse? Or have you positioned your practice as the middle of the road?) If the change supports how you have positioned the practice, then make the necessary changes.
STEP 3. Make it easy for your patients to do business with you.
Convenience is the number one reason people purchase online. It is not price. Make sure you have a convenient way for your patients to buy contact lenses from you online. One example to keep in mind is the patient on a one-week vacation who realizes at 8pm of the first day they are out of contact lenses. Can they purchase contact lenses from you and enjoy their vacation?
When your office is closed, life still goes on for your patients. If it is not convenient for patients to purchase from you, then they will purchase somewhere else. The key to keep in mind: Make it easy for patients to do business with you–and they will do business with you.
