The AOA recently noted that most Optometrists graduate with over $200,000 in school debt.  That means most OD’s start their professional career with the equivalent of a house payment long before ever buying one. 
 
Even with a median starting salary of $94,690, that kind of debt can cripple or at least handicap professional and personal growth. 
 
Some OD’s eventually own their own practice and have the opportunity to make great money.  Some are part of practices that offer incentives and bonuses.  But many Optometrists are salaried employees with limited options for income growth.
 
What to do?  Here are 3 tips.
 
One:  Work Multiple Jobs
 
Of course, many doctors don’t want to work at multiple practices.  Picking up a shift at a Wal-Mart on a Saturday is incredibly unappealing for many OD’s.  But in the immediate, what else are you going to do?  Especially if you are a starting Optometrist, now is the time to get ahead.  Work now, so you can play later.
 
Two:  Care about the Numbers
 
So many doctors (even owners) don’t track their revenue per patient, but these numbers are easy to determine.  If the young OD can track that they have a high revenue per patient (enhanced by things like contact lens and frame sells), then the young OD can make a case for raises and bonuses or even better jobs at practices that are hiring.  Care about the numbers, and the numbers will care about you.
 
Three:  Be the Best OD in the Practice
 
This may seem obvious, but often it is not.  If you are the best, most congenial, and caring OD in the practice, you will be build a loyal patient following.  Your reputation will grow and the opportunity to start your own practice will be enhanced because the patients in the area think highly of you.
 
We hope these tips help.  Optometry debt is out of control, but know this.  Taking 20 years to pay off that number while trying to build the life you want is going to be a challenge.  Help yourself by instilling these three tips into your patient and professional care.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant at ProSight Success.  He has been an eye care advocate for nearly 20 years. 

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June 27th is National Sunglasses Day.  Quick, notify all of your patients.
 
Post a picture on your Instagram and Facebook accounts of a model wearing one of the brands you carry announcing 25% off all sunglasses and 33% off if they like or share your post. 
 
What does this do? 
 
Several things.  It, of course, increases sales.  It also gives your patients a reason to visit you outside of their once a year cycle.  And most importantly, it raises your social media profile and creates free publicity in yours and your patients’ circles.  Be sure to use the hashtag #nationalsunglassesday   
 
Now, if your patients don’t interact with you online much, you may not be able to take advantage of the opportunity.  This again is shows the importance of raising your social media profile.  Facebook and Instagram pages are essential to the growth and health of your business.
 
So, get those sunglass photos up and hashtag away. 
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success, a consulting company with a focus on the eye care industry.
 
Follow Gordon and ProSight at
 
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How much is your time worth? 
 
If you measured it by chair time, your 15 minutes in the exam room is worth anywhere from $50 - $125 depending upon the level of care you are giving. 
 
That means your time is worth $200 - $500 an hour- not chump change.
 
Your time is too valuable to waste:  in the exam room, in the office, or in your free time (if you have any).
 
If that is the case, do you invest in understanding and taking advantage of your time? 
 
There are scores of time management books, but there is a central problem with most of them:  they take too much time to read and implement. 
 
Not anymore, Prosight Success has created a time management system called “Streamlining” that we can summarize right now:  Reduce, Redeem, and Rest.
 
Find ways to reduce distraction on the essential tasks.  Set apart time where you will not be interrupted.
 
Find ways to redeem time where you can multi-task.  Do this in the car or during exercise or wherever.
 
Find time to rest where you are not doing anything at all. This will make you more productive.
 
Live this out, get more done, and make more money.  Your time is valuable.  Don’t waste it.
 
If you would like to pursue “Streamlining”, as well as the other elements of the ProSight Success system, you can find those resources at www.prosightsuccess.com.  The $169 investment will help you exponentially make more than that.
 
Gordon Duncan is CEO-Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. 

 
ProSight Success is an easy to learn and easy to implement system that enables you to grow your eye care practice and grow your profits.  
 
Created by Gordon Duncan, who has nearly 20 years of eye care experience, one doctor said this…
 
“These books should be gifted to every graduating O.D. today. Being an eye doctor is fun, but being a businessperson is hard work. Gordon has the incredible ability of making the business of eye care easy and profitable.” - Jon Scott, OD.
 
There are 7 steps in the ProSight Success System:
 
Step 1: Practice Philosophy
 
We call this step Practice Progress.  Here you will find a toolkit to enable you to increase your Optometric revenue.
 
You’ll learn diagnostic tools to determine the health of your Optometric practice. 
You’ll hear about incentive programs that motivate staff.
And many more things.
 
The end goal is that your practice will begin practicing the progress you want it to make.
 
Step Two: Back To Basics
 
Returning to the basics means returning to the core of what you already know.
 
Those basics are:  Provide the best eye care, Keeps costs low, and Increase revenues.
This book helps you do just that.
 
Step 3: Decision Making
 
Just like you ask your patients, you’ll be asked, “Which is better: One or Two?” in 3 specific areas of your practice.  If you apply the one or two model, you’ll find an enjoyment in your practice, you’ll find enjoyment with your staff, and you’ll find enjoyment with your patients.
 
Step 4: Time Management
 
Isn't it ironic that most time-efficiency systems come in books that are 300 pages long? Well, this step streamlines all of that.
 
This process is easy to understand and easy to implement.
 
Step 5: Human Resources
 
Let’s Resource Human Resources.  In this step, you’ll find ideas ranging from where to find quality applicants to how to conduct efficient interviews to how to retain quality employees.
 
Step 6: Tax Breaks
 
This step isn't sexy, but it packs a big punch. Many owners neglect one central aspect to save money: Tax Breaks. 
 
The government does put things in place to enable businesses and practices to take deductions, and sometimes they are massive. This step is here to help.
 
Step 7: Insurance
 
There may not be any more confusing (or more pressing) issue for health care providers than understanding and implementing the government’s Meaningful Use policies. This step enables you to provide more thorough quality care for your patients.
 
Usually, these 7 steps are sold separately as 7 books.  But for a very limited time, get immediate access to the ProSight Success system for one incredibly low price.
 
The Value? $499.99
 
Your Price? $169.99
 
You can find access of these resources at www.prosightsuccess.com.
 
Gordon Duncan is CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success and has advised the eye care industry for nearly 20 years.

This week, a photo of me was published by Cosmopolitan magazine. 
 
I’m not joking, and I am as shocked as you are.
 
Here’s the story.  Cosmo ran an article about how couples were creating mermaid photo shoots for their maternity announcements.  They then mentioned that men were getting into the action as well.  That’s where I was featured.
 
No, I have never done a mermaid photo shoot, but on my last vacation, my children wanted to bury me in the sand.  Being a dad of 3 daughters, I said, “Sure”.  So, they buried me in the sand and made me a…pregnant mermaid.  My wife put the photo on Instagram with the hashtag #pregnantmermaid.
 
Apparently, Cosmo searched for mermaid photos on Instagram with that hashtag, found my wife’s photo of me, and now I’m a Cosmo model.
 
A friend of mine summarized the lesson here well, “Gordon, all those hours working out, writing, studying...and your wife’s IG made you a celeb.”
 
I’m not a celebrity, but the whole ridiculous scenario demonstrates the power of social media.
 
For you, patient, consistent work on social media has great value for your business.  Cosmo may not feature you in an article, but social media will raise your presence in your community, it will educate your patients/customers, and it will give you a direct line to your crowd for things like sales and specials.
 
For some, social media may be a necessary evil, but it is necessary nonetheless.  It is worth the investment.
 
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.  He also does social media consulting for the eye care industry. 
 

I was managing a large eye clinic with well over 10,000 patients, and the practice was making a profit month after month.  No problem, right?

Well, there was one problem.  Our profits leveled off.  Essentially, we weren’t growing.  And in this day and age, if you aren’t growing, then you are dying.  Why?  Because someone else is growing, and their market share will eventually eclipse yours.

So, this is what I did.  I gave every position in the office a bonus/spiff program.  Each area was given a goal based upon a percentage increase of what they did in the respective month last year.  If they hit the goal, I gave them money. 
And profits took off.

You see, the staff only received the bonus if they hit a percentage increase from the year prior.  That way, the doctor only bonused on increases, so the bonuses never hurt the bottom line.

We gave the staff more money, and the practice made more money.  Why?  Because bonuses motivate, and in addition, they also give an objective evaluation tool to management.

For example, let’s say in July of last year, you deposited $100,000.  You then tell your staff that if the office deposits increase by 5% ($105,000) in July of this year, then everyone gets $100.  Increase by 10% ($110,000), then everyone gets $150, and on and on.

On a 5% increased month, the practice deposits an extra $5,000.  With a 7 person staff, the employees earn a combined $700 in bonuses.  The office nets $4,300.  You make more money because you gave your staff more money.
This gives your staff an additional reason to care about their performance and your practice.  It gives you a goal to give your staff.  And, it puts more money in the bank.
Don’t be worried about bonuses.  As long as they are based on increases, you won’t lose any money.

Gordon Duncan is the CEO of ProSight Success.  Tips like the one above, in addition to many others, are a part the ProSight Success System that has helped 100’s of Eye Care Practices in America and 5 other countries. 

I once knew a very successful practice. They had three locations and were growing.  The owner had recently hired a talented manager to oversee operations, and he was finding his way.  In fact, from my viewpoint, he was picking up things quickly. 
 
He understood the structure of the offices.
He focused on personal and creating a team environment.
And most importantly to the owner, the manager understood the connection between all of those things and profits.  As a result, the practice was making more money since he arrived.
 
But there was one problem.  The owner would not let go.  He wouldn’t entrust the manager to make decisions.  He hovered over every detail of the manager’s day.  Consequently, the manager was stripped of authority in the minds of the staff, and he was frustrated and considered leaving.
 
Now, granted, each owner has the right to create the environment that he or she desires.  Each owner also has the right to give or limit the amount of authority their manager has. 
 
But here is as general rule.  If you have a gifted manager who imbues the practice philosophy, unchain them and let them manage.  If they don’t imbue the practice’s philosophy, either invest in them to get there or let them go. 
 
But trusting good staff is essential to growth.  Otherwise, your practice will be limited by your time and your talent.  Good staff will always multiply the time and talent of the owner.
 
So, ask yourself these questions:
 
Do you have the manager/staff that you think can successfully lead your staff towards your goals?
If not, are they trainable?  Are you doing that training?
If not, why are you holding onto them?
 
No matter what, don’t accept substandard performance from your employees, and simultaneously, don’t limit your staff by second guessing every one of their decisions.  And then, put things in place for professional growth (both staff-wise and practice-wise).  Remember, your approach is the largest factor to determine whether your manager is empowered or restricted. 
 
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.
 
 

The year is half over.  Are you close to any of the goals you decided upon on New Year’s Day? 
 
Maybe you didn’t articulate your goals or write them down, but I imagine you had some things you wanted to happen in your practice.
 
Maybe you held onto an employee to give them one more shot.  How are they doing?
Maybe you wanted to increase frame sells.  Are they trending upward?
And I’m sure you had the one goal that every business owner has:  you wanted to increase profits.
 
So, how are you doing?
 
Do not worry.  The year is not over.  It is still time to make changes and reach your goals.  But one thing is necessary.  You have to take action.  You can’t wish these changes to happen on their own.  If they were going to, they would be occurring already.
 
So, take massive action…today.
 
If you have an employee who is not improving, either put a performance contract in place or let them go.  Every employee can be replaced.  Not every employee can improve.  Either way, figure out which one is the case for this employee.
 
Are your frame sales trending up?  Is your schedule more full?  Are you selling more contacts?  If not, dig into the numbers and figure out why.  Train your staff.  Put an incentive program in place.  Do you part by beginning the sale in the exam room. 
 
Are your profits increasing?  There are two things to do:  increase income and decrease expenses.  Decreasing expenses is the one you can most easily control, so don’t waste money.  But more than likely, your challenge is not expenses but income. 
 
Emphasize to your entire staff how important each of them is in the patient process.  Motivate them with spiffs.  Celebrate wins and teach from losses.  Engender a winning/performance spirit with your staff.  Only allow the best employees to work for you. 
 
But take control of your practice today.  The year is only half over.  You can still meet your goals.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  ProSight Success is an entire practice system to increase profits, motivate staff, and improve your practice environment.