 I recently visited an Alamo Drafthouse with my wife. If you are not familiar with the chain, here is a glimpse of the experience.
First, we reserved our seats online. We knew exactly where we were sitting and didn’t have to worry about getting there early. So much of the movie watching experience is wasting time getting to the theater early and then just sitting. Reserving a seat eliminated that waste. Second, when we walked in, the atmosphere was fun. There was a bar, karaoke, and a massive selection of cult videos on the shelves. The people in the lobby weren’t bored or impatient. They were having fun. Third, the Drafthouse had an amazing menu of food, mixed drinks, and the one item that move theaters never have: coffee. We ate well, had a great wait staff, and left with a great movie going experience. What’s up with my advertisement for the Alamo Drafthouse? I’ll tell you what. It was a great experience. Experiential is the essence of attracting a loyal patient or customer base. Experiential for the sake of experiential sake won’t do it, but experiential that causes a desire for repeat business will. I mean, my wife and l left saying we would gladly drive an hour the next time we wanted to see a movie. So, the question is, “What is enjoyably experiential about your business/practice? What is going to cause your customers or patients to want to return?” Do you offer an app that allows for greater convenience? If patients or customers have to wait, what can you do to set apart your business from your competitors? Is your retail experience customizable to each customer/patient or each experience the same? Answering these questions will help you create an experience that will lead to greater sales and more repeat business. Thanks so much, Gordon Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success. He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. He has consulted in the medical field, manufacturing, accounting, and many other disciplines. You can contact him at [email protected] ProSight Success offers a host of resources for your personal growth: Streamlining Planner (the most practical daily planner on the market) Digital ProSight Success System And our best value: the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting. As always, I will be glad to help you towards your goals in any way I can.
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 It is the holiday season. All of the stores have Christmas trees, and Mariah Carey is singing, “All I want for Christmas is you.”
Unfortunately, it is going to take more than that to get your eye care practice ready for the holiday season. There are more things at stake than ambiance (though please decorate). In the spirit of the season, here are three ways your practice can get ready for the holidays and the end of the year. First: Set goals for your practice. Seriously, set goals. Let your staff know where they are going. These goals could be a revenue goal (of course, bonus them if they hit it). Frames sold. Patients seen. Goals are different than surviving. Without them, all you are doing is surviving. And again, bonus your staff for their efforts and their wins. The holidays are just too important financially to let them go without some direction for your staff. Goals always drive you towards financial growth. Second: Audit your insurance accounts receivable. The end of the year is crucial for your practice’s insurance health. So many of your patients have benefits that they will lose if they don’t spend them by calendar year-end. That means you will file a lot more insurance. That means your insurance filer is going to be more busy. If you do an audit and sit with them, they will know where they need to focus in the last 60 days, and you very well may capture some money that might be overlooked. Also, get time with them along the way and at the end of the year to keep them accountable and to encourage them. Third: Take care of your staff. They have worked hard. Bonus them. Throw a Christmas party. Do as much as you can afford. Let them know you appreciate them, and they will work hard for you, be thankful, and you will keep employee stability. So, friends, enjoy the holidays, but don’t the holidays manage you. Be aggressive in managing your practice so that they will be more enjoyable and profitable. Thanks so much, Gordon Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success. He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. He has consulted in the medical field, manufacturing, accounting, and many other disciplines. You can contact him at [email protected] ProSight Success offers a host of resources for your personal growth: Streamlining Planner (the most practical daily planner on the market) Digital ProSight Success System And our best value: the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting. As always, I will be glad to help you towards your goals in any way I can.  My marketing company, CTP Marketing & Consulting, recently joined our local Chamber of Commerce.
You might ask, “Why would you join the Chamber?” I know that some folks think that joining the Chamber is old school and an out of date marketing tool. But in fact, in my survey, most eye care practitioners DO join the Chamber, but only out of necessity, and then that ends their involvement. Well, maybe, when you hear my story, you’ll consider joining yours or perhaps increasing your involvement. In fact, here are three reasons why you should do both. First, your local Chamber gives you and your practice an opportunity to love and serve your community. Loving and serving your community is not a marketing ploy; it is a matter of integrity. If your practice doesn’t serve your community, it shouldn’t exist, but your practice DOES serve your community. You are a wonderful gift to your city. The Chamber gives you opportunities to exercise that gift. Second, your practice growth opportunities are endless. Let me give you one example from personal experience. The first thing I did once I joined was become a member of a LeadShare. A LeadShare is a twice monthly meeting where Chamber members share events, and even needs, within their business. They also share referrals and look to better each other. I was part of a 15-person group that had tons of ideas and helps. Your practice will best grow by referrals. A LeadShare will help. Third and finally, if you participate well, the Chamber will help you not be alone. Owning and running a business can be lonely work. The Chamber will give you a group of business owners who get what you are going through. That solidarity may just be what you need to keep going when times are tough. Chamber membership is only as good as your involvement. Merely joining will get your name on a Chamber website, and that’s about it. But you if take advantage of its benefits, this old-school approach might just net your new-school growth. If you like, you can explore this topic with more depth in our new podcast at www.anchor.fm/prosightsuccess.com. Thanks so much, Gordon Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success. He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. He has consulted in the medical field, manufacturing, accounting, and many other disciplines. You can contact him at [email protected] ProSight Success offers a host of resources for your personal growth: Streamlining Planner (the most practical daily planner on the market) Digital ProSight Success System And our best value: the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting. As always, I will be glad to help you towards your goals in any way I can.  Is your practice a business or a self-sustaining hobby? As many small towns do this time of year, those near us hosted their annual Harvest Day Festival. This is when a town shuts down the main street, invites in local vendors, food trucks, and even car enthusiasts. My family decided this kind of event was perfect for our fall Saturday afternoon. We made our way through the classic cars, ate BBQ, and even indulged in fried Oreos (if you like Oreos, you’ll like them fried). Ultimately, we made our way through the vendors selling their wares. We found the ubiquitous network marketers, the local insurance agents, and the town craftspeople. My wife and I stopped at one craft table as their offerings were fairly unique. This woman and her husband took old plates, drilled a hole in the middle of them, and made three-tiered trays for food and snacks. Essentially, if you had just a piece or two of grandma’s old china, you could create something with them that was both usable and practical. Their creations made for a good story for guests as well. I told her, “What a great business.” She responded, “It’s more of a self-sustaining hobby. It gives me something to do with my husband.” I was stunned. Not by her statement as it related to her and her husband. They seemed to love their little business and what it provided for them. No, I was stunned because the description of a “self-sustaining hobby” is the description of many eye care practices (and general businesses to be honest. How do you know if your practice is a business or a self-sustaining hobby? Let’s apply this woman’s definition. One: The business takes in only enough to pay the bills. Two: It’s something they do in partnership together. Three: It offers something unique. Is that your eye care practice? Does it only do enough to pay the bills? Do you run your practice with your spouse or another doc or manager? Do you offer good service? If so, your practice is functioning like a self-sustaining hobby. Hear me, please. Maybe you are making a good salary and are able to employ some folks and offer good service. You do this with thin margins that are just enough to cover your expenses. That is a wonderful option for your practice. But know this: the cost of business never stays static. If you aren’t actively trying to grow your business, its community imprint, and its revenue, your practice is at risk. Every practice has to grow in revenue because expenses all increase. That means the self-sustaining model can’t last for long. Hopefully, you know that and are taking actions to grow in all the areas mentioned above. If you would like help in growing your practice, please let me know. ProSight Success would love to help. We have several resources listed below, specifically designed to help you grow your practice. Additionally, if you would like to listen our podcast that covers this same topic, you can find it anchor.fm/prosightsuccess. Thanks so much, Gordon Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success. He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. He has consulted in the medical field, manufacturing, accounting, and many other disciplines. You can contact him at [email protected] ProSight Success offers a host of resources for your personal growth: Streamlining Planner (the most practical daily planner on the market) Digital ProSight Success System And our best value: the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting. As always, I will be glad to help you towards your goals in any way I can.  How The 2018 Election Will Affect Healthcare, The Eye Care Industry, and What to Do About It10/17/2018  The 2018 elections are weeks away, and while the issues at hand are myriad, the future of healthcare is once again on the ballot. The balance of power in the House and Senate will affect government healthcare, and as a result, the revenue of your practice. As a practice owner, manager, insurance filer, etc., what should we do? Aside from voting, here are a few steps.
One: Maximize your out-of-pocket revenue. Invest time in money in your frame sellers and your contact lens sells. Remember, the eye care industry is as much a fashion industry as it is a healthcare industry. Train your staff to sell. Provide premium eyewear. Remind them that retail dress projects confidence in their patients. Maximizing out-of-pocket revenue protects your practice from all manner of insurance changes because it excludes third-parties. Two: Invest in your insurance filer. Without a skilled, confident insurance filer, your revenue will drop, no matter who is in Congress and the Senate. And even the best insurance filer needs training. Seek out conferences and training events so that your filer can be equipped and so they can equip your staff. What’s going to happen to healthcare is anybody’s guess. Maximizing your out-of-pocket revenue and investing in your insurance filer are two steps you can take to protect and grow your practice. We tackle issues like this and lots more on our ProSight Success Podcast. To find out which platforms are available, go to the podcast’s webpage. Gordon Duncan 919-412-8161 If your insurance person needs training, or if you are an insurance expert and would like to branch out into your own business, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our HealthCare Pro Academy – Billing & Coding Mentorship is designed to help you. Know this above all, we salute your hard work. Other resources: Front Desk Academy www.prosightsuccess.com www.prosightworkbook.com Marketing Help  Welcome to the ProSight Success podcast. My name is Gordon Duncan, and I am your host.
In this episode, we talk about the essentials of marketing: Do you have a dedicated person to do your marketing? Do they have the skills to market your company effectively? Do you have quantifiable goals? Most small businesses don’t have those three essential elements. Because of that, there is great value in hiring a marketing company that can create campaigns, images, and events that will grow your practice. We have created such a company. I’ve partnered to create CTP Marketing & Consulting, and you can learn more about us at www.ctpmarketplace.com. We combine marketing experience in NASCAR, the medical industry, manufacturing, and a host of other fields. Follow the link to find out more about us, and reach out for a free marketing assessment. Whether you go with a company or not, make sure you have a skilled, dedicated person working towards quantifiable goals to help you grow your company. We would love to help you or be an encouragement. Just email, and we’ll get right back in touch with you. Please let us know if this podcast and the information is helpful. If so, please drop me [email protected]  Where does the eye care industry fit in the personal growth movement?
You may be asking yourself, “What is the personal growth movement?” If you don’t know the answer to that question, then it’s time to play catch up because your employees know what it is. In brief, the personal growth movement is a wave of books, podcasts, speakers, and conferences designed to help people be their best selves. Attached to that is the encouragement for people to invest in themselves, get healthy, start businesses, and even become entrepreneurs. Typically, 75% of the top 20 podcasts on iTunes fit into this mold. The effect of this movement is an inspired generation who are trying to be their best selves. Every day they go to school listening to podcasts while they commute, workout, and even clean their houses. Their education is free and immediate. What does any of this matter for the eye care industry? I offer three observations: If you aren’t investing in your people, your staff won’t trust you. Your employees are growing and investing in themselves. Are you investing in them? If you aren’t creating opportunities to invest in them, they will eventually grow to distrust you. They will think your purposes are solely your own. If that happens, your staff will doubt your integrity, and you will effectively lose them in your leadership. If you aren’t investing in yourself, your staff won’t follow you. Does your staff see you investing in yourself? Do they see your personal and professional growth? If not, then your leadership will shade towards hypocrisy. If that is the case, your staff will not follow you wholeheartedly. Eventually, they won’t follow you at all. If you aren’t creating a team, your staff will go look for one somewhere else. Personal growth always leads to greater partnership. Like-minded people want to partner with like-minded people. Unless you purposefully work to create a team among your employees, dissatisfaction will creep in. Ultimately, a non-team like environment will cause your employees to look elsewhere. The personal growth movement is benefiting so many people today. Its impact can’t even be measured yet, but its applications are clear. Invest in your employees. Invest in yourself. Invest in your team. Not doing this is going to negatively impact your practice. If you feel like an outside voice would be helpful to you and your practice, ProSight Success is here to help. Just email me at [email protected] or text me at 919-412-8161 to discuss our personal and company consulting services. Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success. He has worked in the eye care industry for nearly 20 years. He has consulted in the medical field, manufacturing, accounting, and many other disciplines. You can contact him at [email protected] ProSight Success offers a host of resources for your personal growth: Streamlining Planner (the most practical daily planner on the market) Digital ProSight Success System And our best value: the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting. As always, I will be glad to help you towards your goals in any way I can.  Do you have a marketing plan?
I mean a written down, marketing plan with quantifiable goals with a pathway to get there. In the newest episode of the “ProSight Success” podcast, we ask, “What is your marketing plan?” along with questions like: Who does your social media? What are your quantifiable goals for your marketing? How do you know if you have hit those goals? What is your plan for print media? The questions are endless, but here is the thing. If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have an effective engagement in your community, and your practice is not growing. We hope this episode helps. We would love to help you or be an encouragement. Just email, and we’ll get right back in touch with you. Please let us know if this podcast and the information is helpful. If so, please drop me a note at [email protected] If you want to know more about ProSight Success, we have several resources. www.prosightsuccess.com www.prosightworkbook.com  We’ve published another episode of the ProSight Success podcast. This is a “Focus Friday” episode, and our Focus Friday episodes are always five minutes or less.
In this Focus Friday episode, we talk about how to hate your practice. It is easy, and there are only three steps. They are: Not setting goals. Keeping underperforming staff. Not making hard decisions. Listen in and tell us what you think. Thanks for listening. Gordon If you would like, you can contact me at [email protected] If you want to know more about ProSight Success, we have several resources. www.prosightsuccess.com www.prosightworkbook.com  We’ve published another ProSight Success podcast!
Do your frame sellers have the freedom negotiate with your patients? You know what I mean. Can they just randomly lower the prices on frames or offer a 20% discount? I bet they do unless you have specifically forbidden them to do so. In this episode, we talk about the dangers of letting your frame sellers negotiate. We also talk about how negotiating hurts your practice and the we offer selling alternatives. The best thing? The podcast is only 5 mins long. Thanks for listening. Gordon If you would like, you can contact me at [email protected]. If you want to know more about ProSight Success, we have several resources. www.prosightsuccess.com www.prosightworkbook.com Prosight on Amazon |
Gordon DuncanGordon 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. Archives
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