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Chris Cornell, Tiger Woods, and Handling the Stress of Influence

5/31/2017

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Last week, authorities found Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) dead in his hotel room after a concert in Detroit, Michigan.  First responders listed the cause of death as suicide.  Millions mourn the talented singer, songwriter, activist, and family man.
 
Earlier this week,
Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge.  Authorities found him asleep in his running car.  The vehicle suffered damage to the right side, and both tires were flat. 
 
Both musician and golfer have legions of fans who have walked with them through the ups and downs of respective addiction and excess.  Sadly, tales of talented, influential people rising and falling are all too common.  
 
And while few of us will maintain the level of acclaim and fame that these men did, nearly all of us are in places of influence.  Whether you be a doctor, pastor, employer, father, mother, older sibling, etc., being an influencer offers so many challenges.  People depend on you, look up to you, and the pressure is often great.
 
Seeing these influencers fall, what should we learn?  What steps should we put in place to protect ourselves?
 
Well, the tips are simple, but they are also hard to implement and maintain.  Here are a few.
 
Take care of yourself physically.  Exercise and nutrition enable you to handle stress better.  They don’t prevent every potential disaster, but they do protect the body from sickness and disease.  A discipline of movement provides great stress release.  Without these practices, the body and the mind always move towards excess.
 
Establish and maintain spiritual disciplines.  The soul’s pursuit of prayer and study enable the influencer to reorient and decompress.  The lack of these things leaves the mind to its own ends, and that is never a good place. 
 
Find a trusted and authoritative confidant.  It has been said by many in several different fashions, but these truth should have an impact:  You are only as sick as your secrets.  If you are struggling with depression, addiction, eating disorders, pornography, etc., an authoritative confidant is a must.  Find someone in whom you can confide.   Give them the permission to speak boldly into your life.
 
These tips alone will not protect you in every way.  But as you seek to influence others, these tips will establish a pattern in your life that will protect you from being left to your own devices.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO of
ProSight Success (consulting the eye care industry) and pastor of Evident Grace Fellowship in Fredericksburg, VA.
 
If you are having thoughts of suicide, you can find help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Phone Number.  Call them 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

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Protect and Maximize the 1099 Doctor Relationship

5/30/2017

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image: www.goingslawfirm.com
1099 OD’s make up a large portion of the Optometric population.  Older Optometrists, moms, the doctor who chooses not to be nailed down by leases and contracts, etc. make up this workforce.
 
Practices love this partnership.  For example many a sole-practitioner does not have enough patients for 2 full-time OD’s, and sometimes, the sole-practitioner just has to schedule a day off.  That’s where the 1099 partnership works.
 
But there also pitfalls.  Undoubtedly, even the most conscientious, part-time doctor is not as committed as the owner.  The overwhelming number of these doctors care greatly for their patients and provide the absolute best care that they can to the extent of their ability.  However, the nature of contract employment can cause unexpected obstacles. 
 
In my consulting, I have seen one, dominant struggle in the partnership:  the number of hours that the 1099 doctor works.  Let’s say you contract an OD to work 2 days a week at $450 a day.  How many hours must the OD work (defined as seeing patients, primarily comprehensive eye exams)? 
 
Some practices struggle because the 1099 doc doesn’t want to see exams past 4:30 so they can get home.  Perhaps they instruct the staff not to schedule comprehensive exams late in the day. 
 
Maybe the doctor comes in after the start of the business day because they work somewhere else.  Maybe they don’t get in until 130 (when they should be there at 1:00) because they were caught up seeing another patient at another practice. 
 
Do they still get their full pay?  Is that acceptable? 
 
It will be if you aren’t clear. 
 
Remember, the owner is the one who instructs the staff and the doctor as to the patient schedule.  Make a clear rule that no one is allowed to change the schedule without proper approval.  If this is not clear, you won’t get your money’s worth.  Staff will grow confused or frustrated, or worse:  lazy.  You won’t maximize the benefit of your contracted doctor.  And the list goes on and on. 
 
Usually, all that passes in a 1099 relationship is a handshake and a tax form as the partnership can be ended at any point.  Whether you decide to write a contract or not is up to you, but nothing will end a friendship or partnership quicker than expectations that are neither communicated not agreed upon.  It doesn’t take a lawyer to create a contract.  A half page document detailing your expectations singed between the two of you is all that it takes.
 
But a contracted 1099 doctor understands the expectations and the owner understands their commitment.  Protect your staff, your patients, and your professional relationships by making expectations as clear as possible.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of the Prosight Success System and advises Optometrists across the country. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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A Memorial Day Tribute

5/28/2017

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My life has been blessed, touched, and protected by the military just like yours has.  I have family members and friends who gave their life to protect our country, and I have some who have passed after years of service.
 
I’m most proud of my brother, a Gulf War vet, who served faithfully for 23 years. 
 
And while the day is full of cookouts and sales and trips to the beach, I just wanted to write to say, “Thank You”. 
 
I know that some of you served faithfully in the military.  Thank you.
I know that some of you have lost family members in the military.  I mourn with you.
I know that some of you, and many of your family members, continue in service.  I pray for you and them.
 
So, on this Memorial Day, I salute all of military, past and present.  I’m thankful for our freedom. 
 
I hope you enjoy the day.  If you are off, rest with family and have a great day.  If you are working, thank you.
 
Gordon Duncan
www.prosightsuccess.com
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Seizure Related Vision changes and A Quest For Awareness

5/26/2017

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At age 42, during a year where both my parents died and I chose to move to another state to take a new job, I noticed something about my health.  Inexplicably, I would take these long, awkward, unplanned pauses. 
 
At first, I waved them off as daydreaming or deep thought, but they kept occurring.  Finally, my family noticed one as I sat behind the wheel of our family van, and there was no excuse that would allay their concerns. 
 
The pauses got longer and potentially more dangerous (running, driving, etc).  Finally, as I was speaking one day, a friend who was a doctor noticed and told me that he thought I was having “silent seizures”.  He recommenced a doctor and encouraged me not to waste any time setting up an appointment.
 
After seeing the neurologist, it was confirmed.  Officially, I have partial complex seizures of the left frontal lobe.  The lobe fires excessively whenever it wants.  The only explanation as to why is perhaps the concussions I had as a child (I was knocked unconscious several times).  Stress, no doubt, was a trigger as well.
 
After months of drug regiments, I finally landed on an RX that dampens the seizures.  I still have them, but the effects are mitigated.  But there were side effects.  For example, one day, while trying to read the numbers off my insurance card (something I had to do a lot at that point), I couldn’t focus on the tiny digits.  My wife had to read them to me.  She joked I was getting old, but one thing was clear:  my sight was getting worse and worse at a rapid rate.
 
While consulting with an Optometrist/friend, she told me exactly what was happening.  The seizures were affecting my sight, and the meds were causing a swelling of the optic nerve.  She said that as my body got used to the meds, the decreased vision might slow down, but I should plan on worsening eye sight going forward.   
 
I got my first pair of bifocals that day.
 
Now, my prescription gets stronger each year, and I joke it’s a good reason for a bigger TV.  In a few weeks, I will return to see my friend the OD and expect a new script with a stronger pair of glasses coming my way. 
 
I’ve considered over the past few years how I could be more active in the epilepsy community, also pondering how my work in the eye care profession could connect.  I’m open to ideas, but there is one thing I can do.
 
Going forward, I will donate 10% of every purchase of the www.prosightsuccess.com system to the epilepsy foundation to encourage awareness and treatment and support.
 
Please connect with me to make me aware of other platforms and avenues that I can pursue.  But a few tips for everyone:
 
Long pauses like mine shouldn’t be written off. 
Tell someone.
Go see your doctor.
Get your eyes checked every year.

Thanks for walking this journey of awareness and treatment with me.
 
Gordon Duncan
www.prosightsuccess.com

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This Tax Break Could Save You and Your Practice Thousands of Dollars

5/25/2017

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Taking advantage of tax breaks, write-offs, and deductions is a must for every eye care practice. Doing so will save you thousands of dollars.  And while you more than likely have a great accountant, it is still your responsibility to educate yourself.  (Note:  your accountant is the final authority in any tax advice).
 
Having said that, here is one tip that will save you thousands:
 
Wouldn’t it be great if you could write off the miles of your commute from home to work each day?  Typically you can’t because your ride is to your place of business, and the IRS does not accept that as a deduction.  But there are allowances.  Here is an approach that will not only save you money, it will also benefit your patients as well.
 
Sign up for a direct marketing business to sell your patients Omega vitamins (or some other supplement that has eye health benefits).  But for the sake of this discussion, let’s talk Omegas/Fatty Acid Supplements.  The American Optometric Association says this: 
 
Fats are a necessary part of the human diet. They maintain the integrity of the nervous system, fuel cells and boost the immune system. Research shows omega-3 fatty acids are important for proper visual development and retinal function.
 
Having established that, then you become an ambassador for a company that sells Omega supplements.  Once you do that, you become a 1099 employee of that company operating out of a home office.  The square footage of your office is written off as a percentage of your mortgage and your utilities.  That can be worth thousands of dollars to you.
 
But here is how you write off your drive.  You become the vendor for your practice’s Omega Eye Supplements.  Your practice buys them from you, and then the practice sells them to your patients.  Because of this, you can now write off your mileage to work each day.  Your going to your practice is a business expense for you.  The 2016 mileage allowance was $.53 per mile.  The best way to keep up with your miles is with an app that does it for you.  I recommend MileIQ (Pay for the upgrade.  It’s worth it).  If you live 10 miles from your office, your 20 miles each days is a tax break of $10.60 PER DAY.
 
Think of the benefits of this approach:
 
Home Office Deduction (square footage percentage of your mortgage and utilities).
Mileage Deduction on your work commute.
Potential income of selling supplements.
 
Deductions for your office are detailed and included in Book 6 of the ProSight Success System.  Learning and applying just one of the deductions included in the system would more than pay for its cost. 
 
Disclaimer:  Neither I nor Prosight Success are accountants.  Please note that any tax approach should be cleared by your accountant as they are the qualified expert in this field. 
 
Don’t wait any longer.  The government incentivizes small businesses (assets under $10 million) and claiming those deductions is up to you.  Let us know if we can ever be of help.
 
Gordon
 
P.S.  The Prosight Success System is designed, not only to help you increase revenue, but also to help you get your largest tax break.  Both are necessary for greater profits.  Get yours today.

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How To Fight Warby Parker and Their Online Eye Exams

5/23/2017

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Online frame retailer, Warby Parker, wants to take down the local eye doctor’s office.  It is not bad enough that your patients can take your eye exam and buy their frames online.  Now, it looks like they don’t need you for an exam either.
 
According to Vision Monday, Warby Parker is rolling out a mobile refraction service.  Basically, you download an app, take a 20 min eye exam, and if your RX hasn’t changed since your last one, a WP OD will write the patient a new one.  If there is a change, then the patient will have to go see their local Optometrists (Gee, thanks). 
 
Unless you want your office to go the way of JC Penny and Sears, then you are going to have to put some things immediately in place.  I offer three:
 
Recall, Recall, Recall.  Recalls, emails, and cards just became even more important.  The best way to avoid this mess is to get your patient in your office so you can at least have a chance to recapture the frame sale.  You might even think about hiring a full-time recall staff.  Think about it this way.  Let’s say your RPP (Revenue Per Patient) is $325.  That means that every time you do a comprehensive eye exam, you deposit $325 (we talk about how to best determine this number in “Prosight Success #1 Practice Progress”).  And let’s say you pay an employee $12 an hour to make recalls.  With taxes and Social Security, let’s say that employee costs you $15 an hour.  Then they work 8 hours.  What did that day of work cost you?  $120.  That means that if your employee could book at least 1 exam from phone calls, then you have a net of $205.  No brainer, right?  And a decent recall staff is going to book more than that.  If they get their exam from you, you are on the way to fighting Warby Parker.
 
Educate Your Patients:  Warby Parker qualifies their app with the admission that the test is not a comprehensive eye exam and it isn’t meant to replace visits to an eye doctor.  No duh.  Unfortunately, many patients will take their script and run.  Every eyeball in front you must be educated on the importance of a yearly eye exam.  Teach them all the conditions that can be detected.  Talk Glaucoma.  Talk Cataracts.  Make yourself indispensable to their health. 
 
Shape Up Your Frames/Frame Seller:  People don’t buy ugly frames from Warby Parker.  They buy fashionable frames from pictures of fashionable people.  Your office better be full of fashionable frames sold by fashionable people.  If you have ugly frames and frame seller who can’t project a fashion sense, you are going to lose frames to Warby Parker.  Your frame department is a fashion department.  Approach it as such.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of www.prosightsightsuccess.com.  His most recent book, “The7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care”, is free for digital download.

 
 


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3 Tips to Address the Challenges of Rural Optometry

5/21/2017

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In a previous writing, we discussed 3 challenges of practicing rural optometry.  They were:
 
The Health Effects Related to the Socio-Economic Realities
The Challenges of Medicaid Eye Care
Acquiring and Keeping a Quality Staff
 
And while the scope of addressing each issue could fill a book, I thought it would be helpful to offer a few tips to help.
 
First, how do you address the health effects related to the socio-economic realities?  This one is not a strategy.  This is a return to your roots.  As we spoke about in Book #2 of the Prosight Success System, we have to return to the Optometric Oath:
 
With full deliberation I freely and solemnly pledge that: I will practice the art and science of optometry faithfully and conscientiously, and to the fullest scope of my competence.
 
You see, some of your patients habitually ignore the eye-related effects of their socio-economic environment.  They are only going to change when you persevere faithfully and conscientiously to help them see the damage they are doing to their eyes. I wish this one was a quick tip or a quick fix, but it is not.  Helping them is going to come down to your persistence in treatment and follow up.

Second, how do you address the challenges of a Medicaid-heavy eye practice?  Again, whew.  Yes, a lot of perseverance is going to come with this one.  But here is the thing.   The particular patterns of patients with Medicaid differ from region to region.  All you can do is figure out a philosophy that is ethical and communicated.  If you accept Medicaid, then joyfully see Medicaid patients, and communicate with them.  If you double book, then let them know the office is going to be busy.  If you don’t schedule them but just tell them to come in, be sure they get treated as well as other patients.  You can’t “fix” the challenges seeing Medicaid patients, but you can lessen the challenges while still treating the patients with dignity.

Third, staffing.  Here is the one you can address.  No, you may not find an incredible staff.  But typically, you can find one, rock solid employee.  The best way to address the other issues is by investing in that one staff.  Pay them well, train them well.  Make sure they know they are respected and appreciated.  If you’ve got that one, hold onto them, and put as many decent pieces around them.  All you need is that one.

The challenges of practicing rural Optometry aren’t going to go away, but you can mitigate some of the challenges.  Prosight says, “Cheers” to all of you doing the hard work.

Resources for staffing and increased sales can be found in our Prosight Success System.  Additionaly, download “The 7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care” for free if you would like to begin moving your practice towards greater profitability.  Check it out, and let us know how we can help further.
 
Gordon Duncan
ProSight Success System
 

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The Challenges of Rural Optometry

5/18/2017

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Recently, I consulted in a rural area of the country.  I had the opportunity to work with multiple doctors, in multiple offices, in multiple cities. 
 
As I traveled home, I had time to reflect on the unique challenges of practicing in the rural corners of our country.  While some challenges are common, it appears that these areas have their own particular obstacles to overcome. 
 
I found 3 challenges that rural practices face most. 
 
First, the social-economic realities affect day to day practice.  Rural areas, on average, offer their citizens lower wages, and the fall out affects health.  Obesity is high.  Diabetes is high.  Blood pressure is high.  Eating habits are poor.  Exercise is low.  This, of course, is not the story for every patient, but rural areas of the country face these challenges more than others.  That’s means that all the eye-related issues from the health concerns above are rampant.  And while Optometrists love to care for the issues, patients taking them seriously is not always the case.  Doctor frustration rises with each passing appointment.
 
Second, Medicaid patients are more prevalent.  And while caring for these patients is a privilege, Medicaid patients don’t have a great reputation for keeping appointments.  Because of this, many OD’s double and triple book Medicaid patients.  Some, don’t even schedule them.  They just tell them to come in, and if they show, great.  If not, okay.  Of course, many Medicaid patients take their eye health seriously and are conscientious about keeping appointments.  But that is not always the case.  As a result, appointment books swing from overbooked to empty.  
 
But perhaps the biggest challenge is the third one:  finding, keeping, and paying quality staff.  In a day where I was supposed to interview new employees, I was shocked.  I had over 50 resumes.  I personally called 12 potential interviewees.  I scheduled 10.  Only 3 showed after agreeing to a particular time.  And we only found one semi-decent candidate.   The doctor admitted that this was common, as did other OD’s in other towns.  Additionally, keeping good staff is just as much of a challenge.
 
So, as you practice, or consider practicing in a rural areas, these are going to be 3 challenges that continually pop up.  In our next post, we will address some actions to treat the symptoms of rural, optometric practicing.
 
Resources for staffing and increased sales can be found in our
Prosight Success System.  Additionaly, download “The 7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care” for free if you would like to begin moving your practice towards greater profitability.  Check it out, and let us know how we can help further.
 
Gordon Duncan

ProSight Success System

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(FREE BOOK) The Seven Essentials to Profitable Eye Care

5/15/2017

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I write my blogs to help Optometrists be profitable and enjoy their practices. 
 
To help you, I'd like to offer something I believe will be extremely beneficial.
 
Just this week, I launched a new book called: “The 7 Essential Elements of Profitable Eye Care…”
 
And I got you a
FREE copy.
 
Just go to this
page now, type in your email, and I will send it to you.
 
Thanks again for reading my blogs and continue checking them for more cool stuff.
 
Thanks,
 
Gordon
 
P.S. In case you're one of those people who just skip to the end of the email, here's the deal:
   
I will email you my free book.
 
I want to help make you (more) profitable.
   
There's no catch... no gimmicks... You will NOT be signing up for any "trial" to some monthly program or anything like that.
   
So
click here to claim your free copy now.
 
You won't regret it.

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Doctor, Please Don't Tolerate Rude Front Desk Staff

5/11/2017

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Earlier this week, I published an excerpt from my upcoming book “The 7 Essentials of Profitable Eye Care” in an article on LinkedIn.  I hoped people would read it, but I couldn’t have expected this much response. 
 
It is entitled, “Doctor, Don’t Tolerate Rude Front Desk Employees”.  In less than 48 hours, nearly 1,000 people have read it.
 
I’ve included it below because patients want their doctors to listen.  Take heed of the needs and desires of your patients.  Listen.  Serve.  Grow.  Profit.
 
--
 
I will not shop at, browse, walk through, or basically go into any store that has rude staff.
 
Very few people will.
 
I bet you don’t either.
 
And the businesses that have staff that are rude won’t last long.  They will go out of business eventually.
 
Knowing this to be true, ask yourself these things:
 
Do you have a friendly staff?
I mean, do you have a really friendly staff?
Are you putting up with average staff?
And the tough one:  Do you have staff you just need to fire?
 
Listen, you may have incredibly loyal patients.  They have been with you for years.  You may have patients continuously walking through the door.  But do you really think they are going to keep coming back if your front desk is not friendly? 
 
And you may have incredibly loyal employees, but the day and age of tolerance for poor customer care has gone.  You will eventually have to choose between your staff and the growth of your practice.
 
Don’t accept anything but the highest customer care.  Don’t communicate anything other than the highest standard.
 
--
 
So there it is.  Not a lot of words, but patients and professionals resonated.  Ask yourself, “Do you have a phenomenal front desk staff?”  If not, why not?
 
Tips to find, train, and keep phenomenal front desk, as well as other types of resources, can be found in our Prosight Success System.  Check it out, and let us know how we can help further.
 
Gordon Duncan
ProSight Success System

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    Gordon Duncan

    Gordon Duncan is an award-winning educator, salesman, teacher, manager, and writer. He has taught in the public school system, lobbied for school's accreditation, managed eye clinics, led sales' teams, and also publishes books on theology, church, and culture.

    He has been happily married to Amy for over 20 years and is the proud father of 3 wonderful girls. 

    He is a graduate of East Carolina University and Reformed Theological Seminary. 

    He has been in the eye industry since 1999, an elder in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) since 2000, planted Sovereign King Church in Garner, NC in 2005, and planted Evident Grace Church in Fredericksburg, VA in 2013. 

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