Marketing

Your Practice’s Best Advertisement? You.

By Sherin George, OD

There’s no better way to market a product than the OD using or wearing it. Posters and brochures are good selling tools, but the most powerful advertising is when a doctor wears the same eyeglasses she prescribes. If it’s good enough for my doctor to use it, it must be a good product, patients say to themselves.The same goes for the power of opticians and front desk staff wearing the eyeglasses you sell.

About a year ago, a little after the birth of my son, I decided to have LASIK surgery.Most, if not all, of my patients knew that I was having this corrective surgery done. A year later, when these patients returned, I was questioned about why I was still wearing eyeglasses. I get so excited when they ask me this question. Here’s my chance to tell them all about the ShamirRelax, asingle-vision lens that relieves fatigue.Just wearing Relax lenses is a great way to advertise themto your potential LASIK patients.As expected, many patients that were weary about having any type of corrective surgery will now consider it since their doctor did it.Suggesting and getting these patients into a “Relax” lens will have them coming for their annual eye exams, and your office will not lose them as patients.

I have a wide variety of frames, which I wear in my office. I used to do this more before my LASIK surgery. I’ve had patients say to me countless times that they want the same frames I’m wearing. Of course, I make sure that my frames are consistent with the latest trends in fashion and have a good profit margin.

Since the cost of marketing your products this way by wearing it yourself is little to none, it would be a travesty not to use this tool. Many frame representatives are more than happy to give us complimentary frames or at a discount off the wholesale cost. The same applies to lab representatives as well. So why not take advantage of this tool? Even if there’s a small investment to get these products, the rate of return is considerably higher–not to mention the multiples sales that can be achieved by a doctor who looks great in the very eyeglasses she has just prescribed.

Do you wear the same frames and lenses you sell and prescribe to patients? How do you use your own eyecare story to market your practice’s products and services?

Sherin George, OD,is the owner of Franklin Square Eyecare inFranklin Square, NY. To contact her:sgeorge10@gmail.com.

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