New This Week
Power Up Your Optical Dispensary, Part II: “Be the Expert”
Mark Hinton, of eYeFaciltate, shows optical dispensary staff how to be experts and not order takers. The key is to listen to patient needs–then to guide patients through the eyewear shopping experience. This is the second in a series of staff-building video tutorials from ROB and eYeFacilitate. >>READ MORE and Download Discussion Points for Your Staff Meeting>>
Medical Model
Spring Brings Opportunities in Treating Ocular Allergies
By Arthur B. Epstein, OD, FAAO
As spring allergy season approaches, take steps to enhance and publicize your ocular allergy services. Providing this as primary care creates a revenue stream not to be overlooked. >>READ MORE>>
Ophthalmic Lenses
Generate Revenues by Educating Patients about Personalized Lenses
By Rajeev Raghu, OD, FAAO
Offering personalized lenses is a premium option that can set you apart from competing practices and online optical retailers. Succeeding with this high-performance, high-ticket vision solution requires educating the patient—again and again. >>READ MORE>>
Marketing
Creative Marketing Concept: Signature Windows
By Rachael Click, OD
Enhance your practice brand–and attract new patients–with catchy window designs that become the talk of the town. Here are easy-to-do ideas. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
Percentage of Frame Market Dollars Spent at Independent Optical Practices?
Some 49.6 percent of the $8.365.9M frame market dollars spent in the US last year were spent at independent practices, including those owned by ODs, ophthalmologists and opticians, according to the Vision Council’s VisionWatch December 2011 Consumer Barometer report. Some 27.9 percent was spent with corporate-owned retailers, while 11.5 percent was spent with mass merchandisers; 4.9 percent was spent at optical centers in department stores; and 6.2 percent was spent with unnamed “other” retailers.
Click HERE to read more from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, on capturing more of those frame dollars.
Vistakon Lauches One-Day Replacement Lens for Astigmatism
VISTAKON, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., announced the US launch of 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST Brand Contact Lenses for ASTIGMATISM, a new daily disposable soft toric contact lens for individuals with astigmatism. >>READ MORE>>
Transitions’ New Global Consumer Campaign
Transitions Optical, Inc., introduced a new global communication campaign–Life Well Lit–to help convey to consumers the practical and emotional benefits of Transitions lenses. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Poll Results
Your Most Challenging Financial Management Task? Annual Budget and Inventory Management
Asked about their most challenging financial management task, 33 percent of ROB readers cited creating and maintaining an annual budget, while another 33 percent said inventory management was most daunting. Twenty-two percent said negotiating with vendors was hardest, and 11 percent said payroll management was most difficult.
