What’s the business axiom?  Win the employee war; win the battle.
 
That has never been any more true than today.  The largest complaint and concern that I hear from business owners and managers is that they can’t find good staff and they have a hard time training good staff – primarily front desk staff. 

​Finally, the Front Desk Academy is here to solve your Front Desk woes.  Whether you are a medical practice, lawyer's office, or pretty much any other business with a desk to your customers, ProSight Success is here to help.

We have trained nearly 1,000 staff in the last 20 years, and now our expertise is here to help you.  Here is how it works.

First, at no cost to you, we call to assess your front desk needs and concerns. 
Second, we schedule our twice monthly Skype/Zoom/FaceTime meetings with your staff.

Then, we call in twice a month for an hour to empower your front desk to be the best in your industry and area.  

We cover greetings, physical and vocal posturing, how to handle irate customers, and any other specific issues that you might have.  

We can even take one of our sessions to work with an individual employee or a new hire. We are glad to customize to your needs.

We offer 4 different payment plans for these twice monthly training sessions, and you earn a great discount the further out you commit.  Take advantage of this offer now as the monthly costs are sure to rise in the coming months.

And don't worry, you can cancel at anytime with no penalty.

Don't hesitate, and if you act today, we will email you a digital copy of our international bestseller, "Resourcing Human Resources".

We can't wait to help. 

Gordon Duncan
Front Desk Academy
​
Be sure to check out our resources for the eye care industry at:
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightworkbook.com
www.prosightsuccessblog.com

Hurricane Harvey is wreaking havoc along the Texas Gulf Coast, and the devastation doesn’t look to stop anytime soon.  Waters continue to rise and relief shelters swell.
 
The death toll sadly has risen to 9, and relief experts predict that 30,000 will need to evacuate their homes.  Estimates of the cost of recovery range from $30 to $100 billion.
 
The question is, “How can we help?”  “How can our practice help?”  Below are a host of agencies you can donate to, but you can also rally your customer/patient base.  Post the links below on your social media.  Host a blood drive at your office.  Despite the distance between you and Texas, helping is only a click away.

Donate to or volunteer for the American Red Cross:
Give to the Great Houston Community Foundation:
Donate to United Way of Greater Houston:
Donate to The Salvation Army:
Donate to J.J. Watt’s fundraiser:
​
And from now throughout the month of September, ProSight Success will donate 25% of our proceeds to the MNA Disaster Relief Fund. 
 
No matter how you give, pray for relief from the disaster of Hurricane Harvey.  Hopefully, Texas can move from relief to recovery soon.
 
Gordon Duncan
www.prosightworkbook.com
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightsuccessblog.com
​

Labor Day is just a few days away.  Culturally, it celebrates the end of summer and the beginning of fall by giving so many a day of rest.  Additionaly, it is intended to prepare us all for a change of season.
 
As a business, you are either open to capture the freed up business or closed to give your employees a rest.  Either way, make a big deal out of Labor Day.
 
If you are open, treat your employees well.  Buy them lunch.  Give them gifts.  Let them know how much you appreciate them.
 
If you are closed, let them know how much you appreciate them.  Send them notes of thanks.  Text them or email them.  Just let them know that you couldn’t do your business without them. 
 
If you are an employee, enjoy the day off.  If you are working, work with a fervor that emphasizes why your employer should be thankful for you.
 
Make a big deal out of Labor Day because working is a big deal and the upcoming change of season is a big deal. 
 
ProSight Success wants to celebrate working and prepare your business for the change of season. 
 
Now, through Labor Day, our ProSight Workbook is 33% off ($229.99 reduced to $151.80).  And we will still offer the same great deal as before.  If you purchase the workbook, we will give you the digital copy of all 7 books plus one hour of free tele-consulting.
 
This Labor Day special is a one-time offer, and the workbook is now cheaper than purchasing the eBook by itself.  The one hour consult itself is worth $250.
 
So, take action today before this offer goes away.  Now is the time to increase revenue, create a more enjoyable work environment, and maximize taxes.
 
I can’t wait to talk to you. 
 
Gordon Duncan                                                                 
www.prosightworkbook.com
 
 
​

Read the headlines.  Create buzz.  Stay in your customer’s/patient’s mind.
 
That is the RX for cultural relevancy these days.  Take that approach so that your customers will think of your business more often than they do their Amazon app.
 
For example, the NFL season kicks off in just weeks.  The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar business and is so strong that it rivals religion in owning Sunday.  And while you can’t borrow the NFL’s logo, you can still piggyback their fame to keep your business in the public’s mind.  How?  Here are a couple of ideas.
 
One:  Constantly talk of the beginning of the football season on social media and create specials surrounding it.
 
Two:  Create an employee fantasy football league and update your customers/patients via social media.
 
Three: Offer giveaways based on team’s/athlete’s performances.  For example:  50% off a product if the local team wins.
 
These kinds of promotions can be tied to any headline.  They don’t have to be national.  Tie your promotions to your local community.  Just don’t sit idly and hope for customers/patients to walk in your door.  Keep engagement on your end so that your customer pool will think of you first.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has written 5 optometric bestsellers charting in 5 countries.  His ProSight Success System is a 7 step guide to help you increase profits, manage staff, and even maximize tax deductions…just what you need right now.  You can find the ProSight Success in 3 formats.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 
 
 
​

The solar eclipse is here.  What solar eclipse?  In case you’ve been asleep, here is the official word…
 
Monday, August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible within a band across the entire contiguous United States. This eclipse will only be visible in other countries as a partial eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's apparent diameter is larger than the sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide.
 
Basically, mid-afternoon, so much of America is going to stop and pay attention to the eclipse.  And there has been a run on eclipse glasses, how to make homemade glasses, and a worry about fake eclipse glasses. 
 
Basically, the eclipse has given the local eye care provider a platform to be an expert.  You aren’t going to make a killing selling eclipse shades, but if you approached it right, your profile could have risen in the “eyes” of your patients. 
 
The question is, “Did you take advantage of the platform this cultural moment provided?”
 
Did you give advice?
Did you post articles on social media?
Did you sell eclipse shades?
 
If not, you missed the moment. 
 
So, okay, you can wait another 7 years for another eclipse of this magnitude if you want, but that is not helpful to your practice now.  Instead, however, look for moments like this to market your practice and your expertise.  For example,
 
The start of football season is a time to give seminars on eye safety.
 
The upcoming boxing match is a chance to blog about either the great eyesight of boxers or the dangers of boxing.
 
And of course, back to school is about helping kids see well for the year.
 
So eclipse or not, look for opportunities to make yourself an expert.  It will help you gain and retain patients, and raise your awareness in your community.
 
--
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has written 5 optometric bestsellers charting in 5 countries.  His ProSight Success System is a 7-step guide to help you increase profits, manage staff, and even maximize tax deductions…just what you need right now.  You can find the ProSight Success in 3 formats.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 

In a recent tweet, President Trump stated that Amazon’s online business is, “causing great damage to taxpaying retailers”.
 
How does that affect your business/practice? 
Is the President going to encourage legislation to curb this perception?
Will there be special incentives for traditional retailers?
Or is this just another bombastic tweet?
 
Honestly, who knows, but there is a quick takeaway.
 
The reality of Amazon, and other online retailers, is that the standalone business/practice cannot take their presence likely.
 
Ignoring the Amazonian impact on your business/practice is a recipe for closing your doors.  As ProSight has mentioned before, every traditional retailer has to give their customers/patients a reason to visit them instead of visiting a website.  If not, purchasing and receiving products and services online will just become intuitive.
 
We’ll have to wait to see if the President’s tweet will result in legislation.  What we can’t wait on is preparing as if he won’t.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has written 5 optometric bestsellers charting in 5 countries.  His ProSight Success System is a 7-step guide to help you increase profits, manage staff, and even maximize tax deductions…just what you need right now.  You can find the ProSight Success in 3 formats.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 
 

Make your office a place of good news. 
 
Did you realize that if you go to msn.com that they have a “good news” tab nestled right along the headlines, world, and politics sections?  There you will find such feel good articles as a nurse who provides maternity photos for bedrest moms and a woman who split her lottery winnings with her co-workers.
 
Why do these articles merit their own tab when the world has such things as racism and nuclear threat to deal with?
 
The answer is rhetorical.  People need news that is enjoyable and light-hearted in the midst of our stressful world.
 
Your eye care practice should meet a similar need.  You promote eye health.  You sell fashion.  People should leave your office feeling better about themselves than they entered.  Even when you get the occasional sick eye, your patient/employee/doctor interaction should be such that patients are glad they took the time to see you. 
 
There are 3 ways to insure this happens:
 
One:  Make sure you have the friendliest front desk in the community.  Your staff should have a Chick-fil-a reputation.  Smiles should greet your patient, and thanks should send them on their way.
 
Two:  Your lane-side manner should be encouraging and upbeat.  You are protecting and insuring the most precious of senses:  sight.  Keep notes about your patients and invest in their lives year to year. 
 
Three:  Your frame sellers help patients feel better about themselves.  Instill a drive in your sellers to be complimentary and congratulatory.
 
The local eye doctor may not overturn the negativity in this world, but at least for an hour or so, your patients can find a place where they walk in and leave feeling good about themselves.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has written 5 optometric bestsellers charting in 5 countries.  His ProSight Success System is a 7-step guide to help you increase profits, manage staff, and even maximize tax deductions…just what you need right now.  You can find the ProSight Success in 3 formats.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 
 
 
 
​

​You can buy your glasses online.
You can buy contacts online.
You can get an exam online.
Large chains are gobbling up local eye doctors and not paying top dollar.
 
And now, Aier, one China’s largest eye doctor chains, is setting up shop in the US.  And…their focus is going to be providing out of pocket procedures for private pray patients.  Basically, they want to make it easy for people to pay out of pocket and get top notch eye care and frame wear. 
 
Uh-oh.  There goes more market share.
 
Heading up Aier’s U.S. expansion is Ming Wang.  In a recent Forbes article, he said this about their approach.
 
The Aier eye clinics that we build in the U.S. will have significant elective out of pocket paying procedures. More and more physicians recognize that we don’t want to be subjected to insurance rules and want to maintain autonomy. Doctors want to keep care between doctor and patient. Right now there is a third party – insurance – intervening and dictating care. That’s significantly affected the quality of care in the U.S. and reduced doctors’ income. There is a healthcare trend in the U.S. shifting to patients paying more in private care. Aier’s strategy fits with this general trend toward more cash payment.
 
Local eye care provider, now is the time. Much of your market share has been lost to online providers.  Large chains can offer nicer facilities than yours and products cheaper than yours.  And now, China’s largest eye care provider just dropped over $50 million dollars as an initial investment to take away even more of your market share.  Now is the time for action.  Here are 3 quick steps:
 
One:  Invest in your own economic education.  Take on mentors and advisors, read books, join programs that will give you the tools to be the best businessperson in addition to the best clinician.
 
Two:  Demand excellence in your staff.  Be relentless in expectation and generous in pay.  Train constantly, and don’t except mediocrity.
 
Three:  Establish economic goals, and bonus your staff when they meet them.  Let them know how many frames you expect sold a day, and give them bonuses when they hit them.  Do the same with scheduling, photos, year supplies’ of contact, etc.  Give your staff motivation to work hard and make more money.
 
Either way, no action is a choice to lose more and more market share.  Prepare yourself now because the competition is coming.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has written 5 optometric bestsellers charting in 5 countries.  His ProSight Success System is a 7 step guide to help you increase profits, manage staff, and even maximize tax deductions…just what you need right now.  You can find the ProSight Success in 3 formats.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 
 
 

​Local Optometrist,
 
Your state requires you to get a certain number of Continuing Education (CE) credits each year.  And your local board puts together a selection of classes from which you can choose.
 
Wisely, many of you get most of those in one chunk, choosing to go to events like SECO or perhaps a mountain retreat. 
 
Truly, Optometry is a profession that cares about continuing education.  You want to know as much as you can to care for your patients.
 
But let me ask you this question:  How much training are you getting for the running of your practice?  Is anyone helping you increase profits or find quality employees?  And are you speaking at events to help other OD’s?
 
I found this recent CE online: “Amniotic Membranes and Autologous Serum”. This is truly important to know and part of the rightful continuing education of a qualified OD.  But none of that will matter if you can’t stay in business. 
 
And think about this:  some classes are free of course, but if you are going to convention or a symposium, you are probably going to pay a couple of hundred bucks.  Again, hear me, continuing education is incredibly important to be a sharp, informed practitioner to the extent of your license, and the money is worth it. 
 
But who is teaching you the skills you need to increase revenue?  Find quality staff?  Maximize tax deductions?  ProSight Success is.
 
Our system covers all of those things plus issues like the government’s Meaningful Use laws, time management, and more.  Our system includes 7 areas of personal, professional, and practice growth, and all of it is around the cost of a single CE course. 
 
Additionaly, I will give you one hour of Skype consulting to walk through all of us this with you with purchase.  And because some of you like various forms of curriculum, the ProSight Success System (PSS) is now in 3 different formats.  You can find them all in the links below.
 
$169 Digital PSS plus One-Hour Consult
 
$199 Paperback PSS, Digital Copy, plus the One-Hour Consult
 
$229 Workbook PSS, Digital Copy, plus One-Hour Consult
 
No matter how you choose to improve your practice, I want to be an encouragement and help to you.  Feel free to email me or call me at 919-41-8161.  My in-person and Skype consulting is committed to helping eye care professionals and growing the eye care industry. 
 
I can’t wait to hear all of your success stories.
 
Gordon Duncan
 
P.S. And if you just want some good free resources to read, check out our blog at www.prosightsuccessblog.com
 
P.S.S. Please remember. I am committed to raising awareness for both epilepsy and epilepsy related eye loss.  Since these issues hit home for me in my struggles, I donate 10% of all the sales of PSS towards that cause.

Dunkin Donuts is changing its name…at least in one store.​

Dunkin Donuts’ Pasadena, California location is officially changing its signage to read merely “Dunkin”.  The change  is part of the company’s desire to make a greater move into the coffee market and to distance itself from the crowded donut market. These types of moves are not new.  Kentucky Fried Chicken became “KFC” once they expanded their menu beyond poultry. 

You may ask, “Isn’t that a risk?  Can a company survive moving their marketing beyond the single thing that they are known for?”

Certainly, it is a risk, and there is no need for companies to make drastic changes when they are growing.  But when you begin to lose significant market share, then you have to adapt and overcome.  

It makes sense for Dunkin Donuts...I mean Dunkin.  People love their coffee.  You can buy it in the grocery store (where you can’t buy their donuts), and there is a large population that prefer their coffee over Starbucks.  In fact, so many people like Dunkin Donuts’ coffee, that other companies have created their own version with names like “Donut Shop Blend”.  Dunkin can sell all the donuts they want, but they can also grow their coffee market share and, more than likely, not drop a single donut sale.

So many businesses could take advantage of this approach.  Take the eye care industry for example.  Online frame and contact lens retailers are marginalizing the need for a local eye doctors and their frame room.  You can get an eye exam and glasses without ever leaving your home. 

So, what could that industry do?  Do the same thing that Dunkin has done:  better brand their additional services.  Most eye doctors could expand into vision therapy and corneal-shaping contact lens.  They could brand themselves as a resource for youth travel-athletes who aspire to get college scholarships, and on and on.  The point is, eye doctors, and many other industries, need to find other areas of expertise to brand so as to produce multiple flows of income.

You don’t necessarily have to change your name to make a change like this, but you do have to change your approach to marketing your services.  Time will tell the outcome of Dunkin’s move, but so far, no one seems to be upset with the change.  Perhaps, no one would be upset with yours either.
​
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success.  He has worked in and cared for the eye care industry for nearly 20 years.  His Prosight system contains helpful strategies like the one above, and His in-person and online consultations are intended to enable you and your practice to succeed in this competitive age.