​Sharknado 6 premieres this Sunday.  That’s right.  Sharknado 6. 
 
We’ve all read the meme.  In a meeting somewhere, someone actually said, "let's make a movie about sharks caught in a tornado.”  And they did it.
 
What makes this series so popular, and what should it teach us about marketing and branding?  I can boil it down to one thing.  Sharknado doesn’t apologize for what it is:  a ridiculous movie with a slightly above average movie.  They know it.  You know it, and they brag about it.
 
When it comes to your brand, business, or anything else you care about growing and promoting, don’t apologize for what you are.  Sharknado works because it is unabashedly a movie about sharks and tornados. 
 
In fact, Sharknado makes sure everyone knows what it is.  It even won over Rotten Tomatoes, the internet’s source for movie criticism.  The site's consensus states: "Proudly, shamelessly, and gloriously brainless, Sharknado redefines 'so bad it's good' for a new generation."[i]  Yep, Sharknado brags about its badness and gets respect because of it.
 
Do the same for your business or practice.  If you are quirky, live up the quirky.  If you are a boutique, boutique it up.  If you are corporate, brag on your corporateness. 
 
Just don’t be so generic that you don’t have any distinctiveness.  Build marketing campaigns and inner office branding around what makes you, you. 
 
Sing it loud. 
Sing it proud. 
Just don’t be generic or bland.
 
If you would like help, ProSight Success has a team of marketing strategists.  If you are interested in learning about our services, email me at [email protected], and we will be glad to answer any of your questions.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success and has trained employees for nearly 20 years. 
 
ProSight Success has several tools to help the eye care industry with all of this.  Our international bestseller, Practice Progress, goes deep into the philosophies above.  You can find the paperback at Amazon. 
 
However, your best value is the full 7 Step, 7 Book ProSight Success System.  We offer it in 3 formats:
 
Digital ProSight Success System
Paperback ProSight Success System
 
And our best value:  the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting.
 
Of course, Gordon Duncan, our CEO, is also available for private consulting.  Email him at [email protected].
 
 
 


[i] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sharknado_2013/

​When I first began managing my eye doctor’s office, I wore many hats.  I was the manager, insurance filer, and backup for every position.  Each was essential, but I if failed in the insurance area, the office ran out of money.  It almost happened one time, and from that experience, I learned a few hard lessons.  The challenge before me was learning how to wear all my hats while still making sure that the insurance companies paid us what we deserved.
 
Can you relate?  Do you wear hats in addition to filing insurance?  How do you manage?  The greater question is how do you do your job and not lose your sanity?  
 
As I progressed from manager to consultant, I realized that the stess put on most Billing and Coding experts was ridiculous.  However, after working with dozens of filers, their advice for insurance experts who also wear other hats came down to this:
 
Prioritize Personal Rest and Care – You have an important job.  You can’t live off of coffee, energy drinks, and little sleep.  To manage things well, you have got to take care of yourself.  You won’t be able to do file, manage, and have a personal life if your body and brain break down. 
 
Block Out Time – This approach might be the toughest of all, but it is the most practical.  Most of the successful filers/managers I work with do this.  They block out certain hours in the day that are dedicated to working on insurance.  Their doctors and staff know not to bother them unless it is urgent.  This time allows them to dedicate and focus their time to the really tough claims or to burn through a massive amount of work in a short amount of time.
 
Find a Support Team – The most effective filers/managers have a support team.  Whether that be a friend they grab lunch with regularly, are part of a managing cohort, or have a mentor, thriving while being responsible for so much demands support. 
 
How about you?  Are you thriving?  Surviving?  Neither?  What positive steps can you put in place to do your multiple jobs well?  Even if you can’t do the three above, could you make changes in one of those areas?   
 
If we can help, please let us know.
 
I’m thankful for all of you Billing and Coding Professionals out there.  Hang in there, and keep doing the profession proud.
 
Gordon Duncan
919-412-8161
 
HealthCare Pro Academy
www.jgordonduncan.com
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightworkbook.com
 

​Barnes & Noble is in trouble.[i]
 
Last week, they fired their chief executive (the fourth in the last five years).
Stocks are down 60% in the last 3 years.
Their Nook has become more of a financial drain than boost.
 
And there is one primary reason:  Amazon.
 
Online retail is destroying the brick and mortar book industry.  The only bookstores that are thriving are those that cultivate unique personalities in targeted locales that give their customers a desire to shop there (because low prices are going to be an attraction).
 
These same challenges are apparent for the eye industry.  You can now buy contact lenses online, prescription glasses online, and in some cases, you don’t even have to get a new prescription to get these things.
 
So, why should anyone get their yearly, comprehensive exam from you?
 
The answer lies in your creating a reason for people to visit.  Just like those boutique bookstores, the eye care industry needs to create an environment that draws in their patients.  That means making eye exams and frame selling an experience that people want, not an experience that they have no choice over.  It means specialty staff, environment, and services. 
 
With 600 Barnes & Nobles at risk of closing their doors, hundreds of eye care providers must adapt before they face the same fate. 
 
The good news is that you offer a wonderful service and meet a specific need of your community.  However, making them aware of you and making your office an attractive experience is necessary for your survival.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success and has trained employees for nearly 20 years. 
 
ProSight Success has several tools to help you with all of this.  Our international bestseller, Practice Progress, goes deep into the philosophies above.  You can find the paperback at Amazon. 
 
However, your best value is the full 7 Step, 7 Book ProSight Success System.  We offer it in 3 formats:
 
Digital ProSight Success System
Paperback ProSight Success System
 
And our best value:  the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting.
 
Of course, Gordon Duncan, our CEO, is also available for private consulting.  Email him at [email protected].
 
 


[i] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/as-barnes-and-noble-struggles-to-find-footing-founder-takes-heat/ar-BBLQhsw?ocid=spartanntp

The attraction of the Billing and Coding Industry is its potential for a great income and the possibility of working for yourself.  Reaching that potential and accomplishing that possibility requires determination, hard work, and support.  That being said that begs the question:
 
What if I don’t have the support I need? 
 
Sadly, a lack of support is often the biggest obstacle to the aspiring Billing and Coding professional.  That lack of support can look like criticism, skepticism, or even outright judgment, and that lack of support can come from spouses, parents, and even children. 
 
So, what do we do in these hurtful situations?
 
First, educate yourself about the profession.  The better you understand your profession, the better you can educate those around you.  Understand the graduation rates, the job opportunities, the realistic salaries.  Talking about these things in any vague way only fuels the critics.
 
Second, find a team of support.  Find supporters who don’t heap on anger for your lack of support in other areas.  They key is to find people who will encourage you in the tough times and encourage you to persevere. 
 
Third, be specific about your goals.  Write them down.  Specific goals provide perseverance in the tough times.  If you want to own your own billing and coding business, write it down.  If you want to make $75,000 a year.  Write it down.  Those goals help remind you why you need to persevere.  And when you meet those goals, it will help turn critics into fans.
 
The Billing and Coding profession offers so many benefits to those who work hard.  Your critics may not see it, but just remember, nothing succeeds like success. When you meet your goals, they will understand why you did what you do.
 
Please let us know if we can be an encouragement to you.
 
I’m thankful for all of you Billing and Coding Professionals out there.  Hang in there, and keep doing the profession proud.
 
Gordon Duncan
919-412-8161
 
HealthCare Pro Academy
www.jgordonduncan.com
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightworkbook.com
 
​

As many of you have noticed (and thanks to everyone who reached out), I haven’t posted or emailed any new content in the past two weeks.  And while that time did include some vacation, the time off was purposeful.  The time away enabled us to put the final touches on a project that has been 20 years in the making.
 
Releasing Tuesday, September 4th(the day after Labor Day), ProSight Success is launching the world’s first and only customizable eye care management training platform.   
 
The genesis of our program comes from my days as an Optometric office manager.  On my first day, I knew nothing about eye care management.  I had only one eye exam in my life at that point.  But through training, hard knocks, mentoring, and consulting with 100’s of eye care professionals, one thing has become clear: 
 
When eye care management training is coupled with the experience and wisdom of the doctors, patients are better cared for, office relations improve, and profits increase.
 
Doctors receive incredible training.  Managers often don’t, so the only way a dream this big can happen is through a customizable, management training program.  So, we have created a six-month program that includes mentoring (done via Skype, Zoom, etc), reading, and testing.  All of this is done AFTER interviewing the doctors to see what their staff most needs. 
 
We will announce more details in the next week or two as we lead up to launch, but if you have a question, or want to take advantage of an early bird discount, just reply to this email, or better yet, call Gordon at 919-412-8161.
 
Our desire is to enable eye care professionals to enjoy their practices and patients while earning as much profit as possible.  We truly believe this ground-breaking program is going to transform your staff, your practice, and the industry. 
 
Please contact us if you have any questions.
 
Gordon Duncan
919-412-8161
​

​Let me tell you about Nancy.
 
Nancy has over 30 years of Billing and Coding experience.  That’s right, over 30 years.  I like to tell her, “You are the cliché.  You literally have forgotten more than all of us know.” 
 
And what does Nancy do with all of that knowledge?  She works full-time for an Optometrist, and she picks up extra money by doing contract work with the other doctors in the area.  In our community, she is the repositor of almost all Billing and Coding info…and she makes a great living. 
 
In the Billing and Coding world, she is many people’s ideal.  She maximizes her skills, makes a good living, and is respected.  In light of that, the question is, “How did she get there?  How did she do it?”  Nancy gives this advice. 
 
Be Patient - First of all, Nancy was patient.  She didn’t get started in the industry and declare herself an expert.  She built a resume of experience and quality work.  She didn’t expect anything to be given to her.  She worked countless hours for her employer, and only after years of work, did she begin contracting with other doctors.  No one doubted her expertise.  All parties knew she could deliver on her promises.
 
Don’t Be Greedy – Before contracting with other doctors, Nancy took lots of phone calls from folks who had questions.  Most every Billing and Coding employee in the area knew that if you emailed or called Nancy, she would do everything she could to answer your question.  She was generous.  She knew that if she did good work, people would see it and appreciate it.  She did this for free because people helped her when she got started.
 
But the thing that made the biggest difference in Nancy’s career was this: Nancy delivered.
 
Deliver on Your Promises - After years of making a difference in her and other offices, Nancy got the call. When a doctor needed help cleaning up their insurance A/R, there was no question who to ask.  No one had a better reputation than Nancy.  They knew she delivered on her promises.  She was the area’s go to.
 
If you are planning a long career in the Billing and Coding industry, Nancy’s example is a good one to follow.  Whether you plan on doing contract work on the side or even starting your own Billing and Coding business, practicing patience, not being greedy, and delivering on your work is a good pattern to follow.
 
So, where are you in your journey?  Are you working for yourself?  Are you working from home?  Are you working for someone else?  In part two of this series, I’ll address how you can get started and how you can develop/grow your discipline, drive, and determination.
 
In the meantime, if you are interested in starting or developing your own billing and coding business, we would love to help.  That’s why we started the HealthCare Pro Academy.  You can find out more about us below.
 
I’m thankful for all of you Billing and Coding Professionals out there.  Hang in there, and keep doing the profession proud.
 
Gordon Duncan
919-412-8161
 
HealthCare Pro Academy
www.jgordonduncan.com
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightworkbook.com
 
ProSight Success offers a training and mentoring program for Billing and Coding Professionals.
 
How does a mentor from HealthCare Pro Academy help? Some of the benefits are…
 
1.     180-Day Personal & Professional Growth Plan
2.     Guidance in Expanding Your Circle of Influence
3.     Training on how to Increase Your Personal Income over a 180-Day Period
4.     Creating a Personal Accountability Model to Keep You on Track
 
And lots more.
 
Our program costs $127 a month, and we will work with you for six months. Upon signing up, you will receive a survey to fill out about your background. Upon completion, email it back, and we will set up our first conference. We will talk online twice a month for 45 minutes, and you will also have access via phone and text throughout the month.
 
Below you will find references, and don’t hesitate to call me directly if you have questions. 
 
I look forward to helping you grow in your career.  You deserve it.
 
Bio:
 
Gordon Duncan is an award-winning educator, salesman, teacher, manager, and writer. He has been in the eye industry since 1999 and is the author of the eight-book ProSight Success System. His book “Practice Progress” has charted #1 in 6 different countries.  Gordon currently consults in the eye care, medical, as well as the manufacturing industry.
 
Reference:
 
“I’ve Known Gordon for seven years and have been thoroughly impressed by his work ethic, professionalism, and knowledge of the practice of Optometry. He’s helped me tackle overwhelming tasks by implementing procedure manuals and simplifying complex employee issues. I highly recommend him as a consultant and feel confident in his abilities to serve as a guide in any optometric practice.”  C. C. Byrd, OD
 
 

Part of the Prosight Success approach is the need to sell glasses well, maximize profits, and to diversify the products/services you offer.  In the landscape of eye care, and with the proliferation of competition, practices don’t have the option of ignoring these basic business precepts.
 
But this truth remains: none of those strategies matter unless you are an excellent eye care provider.
 
I once worked with a practice that had their procedures down.  Their front desk checked in patients with efficiency.  The techs worked up the patients with care.  The optical was full of skilled salespeople who met their patients’ ocular and fashion needs.  All the procedures for success were in place.
 
And they were losing money every month.
 
Why?  Simple.  Their doctors weren’t good doctors.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  They knew eyeballs in and out.  They were good clinicians, but their demeanor and practices indicated that they had just quit caring about their patients. 
 
For example, they showed up only once the first patient was seated.  They left the second the last patient was done.  Their conversations with their patients were minimal.  They didn’t make efforts to be relational.  It appeared as if their goal was to get the patient out of the chair and into the optical as fast as possible.  As a result, patients were losing loyalty and affection for their practice.
 
What causes this approach?  Why would any eye care provider lose the personal touch that is essential for eye “care”?
 
Sometimes, the pressure from ownership is to see so many patients, personal interaction is nearly impossible.
 
Sometimes, eye care providers succumb to the temptation of profits over patients.
 
Sometimes, there is no accountability for the doctors that enables them to be personal day in and day out. 
 
Honestly, there are innumerable reasons why this happens.  There is, however, only one thing that is going to change it.  Each doctor has to purpose to make a change.  They have to determine for themselves that they are going to care for their patients’ eyes and their person. 
 
What else can make a change?  Mentorship is an avenue.  Bringing in a consultant to refocus the practice is another.  No matter the approach, and no matter the present profit, if eye care providers don’t care for their patients’ person, their practices will suffer in the long run.  Take action before that is you.
 
If you would like input on these things or would like to talk about practice and personal consulting, please contact us at ProSight Success.  We have been in the marketing business for 20 years, and we would be glad to help you.  Just email Gordon at [email protected], and you can get started.
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success and has trained employees for nearly 20 years. 
 
ProSight Success has several tools to help you with all of this.  Our international bestseller, Practice Progress, goes deep into the philosophies above.  You can find the paperback at Amazon. 
 
However, your best value is the full 7 Step, 7 Book ProSight Success System.  We offer it in 3 formats:
 
Digital ProSight Success System
Paperback ProSight Success System
 
And our best value:  the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting.
 
Of course, Gordon Duncan, our CEO, is also available for private consulting.  Email him at [email protected].​

Do you have the temperament to start your own billing and coding business?
 
One thing that the billing and coding industry touts is its home-based business potential.  It is one of the few industries that enables you to work from home.  The question, “Do you have what it takes?” 
 
Having started several businesses (two of them medical based) and having mentored home-based entrepreneurs, I’ve found several qualities that are common among the most successful.  Walk through these, and then ask yourself, and others, if you have them.  In a separate post, I’ll talk about how you can develop them.
 
Discipline – Starting a business from home and working from home demands discipline.  When you work from home, it is easy to be distracted.  The TV is close by.  If you have a family, they may be close by.  The couch is close by.  Do you have the discipline to work from home?  Does your family have the discipline to leave you alone?  If not, working from home might not work.  Be honest about your family, your environment, and yourself before you get started.
 
Drive – Working from home requires you to be a self-starter.  It requires an internal motivation.  This drive is necessary, not only during the day, but in the establishment of your business.  While you may or may not have a great support team, ultimately, working from home requires you to get up and get going without stopping and without a boss telling you what to do.  To do that, you have got to have a goal that is big enough and valuable enough for you to drive towards it every single day. 
 
Determination – How do you respond to setbacks?  Your determination will decide that.  Though similar to dive, determination is bit different.  Drive is based on your “why”.  Determination is based on your will.  Working from home and working for yourself is going to test your determination.  At some point, you will face many obstacles.  You might think, “Maybe working for someone else would be easier.”  Your determination, your grit, your perseverance is what will keep you going.
 
So, where are you in your journey?  Are you working for yourself?  Are you working from home?  Are you working for someone else?  In part two of this series, I’ll address how you can get started and how you can develop/grow your discipline, drive, and determination.
 
In the meantime, if you are interested in starting or developing your own billing and coding business, we would love to help.  That’s why we started the HealthCare Pro Academy.  You can find out more about us below.
 
I’m thankful for all of you Billing and Coding Professionals out there.  Hang in there, and keep doing the profession proud.
 
Gordon Duncan
919-412-8161
 
HealthCare Pro Academy
www.jgordonduncan.com
www.prosightsuccess.com
www.prosightworkbook.com
 
ProSight Success offers a training and mentoring program for Billing and Coding Professionals.
 
How does a mentor from HealthCare Pro Academy help? Some of the benefits are…
 
1.     180-Day Personal & Professional Growth Plan
2.     Guidance in Expanding Your Circle of Influence
3.     Training on how to Increase Your Personal Income over a 180-Day Period
4.     Creating a Personal Accountability Model to Keep You on Track
 
And lots more.
 
Our program costs $127 a month, and we will work with you for six months. Upon signing up, you will receive a survey to fill out about your background. Upon completion, email it back, and we will set up our first conference. We will talk online twice a month for 45 minutes, and you will also have access via phone and text throughout the month.
 
Below you will find references, and don’t hesitate to call me directly if you have questions. 
 
I look forward to helping you grow in your career.  You deserve it.
 
Bio:
 
Gordon Duncan is an award-winning educator, salesman, teacher, manager, and writer. He has been in the eye industry since 1999 and is the author of the eight-book ProSight Success System. His book “Practice Progress” has charted #1 in 6 different countries.  Gordon currently consults in the eye care, medical, as well as the manufacturing industry.
 
Reference:
 
“I’ve Known Gordon for seven years and have been thoroughly impressed by his work ethic, professionalism, and knowledge of the practice of Optometry. He’s helped me tackle overwhelming tasks by implementing procedure manuals and simplifying complex employee issues. I highly recommend him as a consultant and feel confident in his abilities to serve as a guide in any optometric practice.”  C. C. Byrd, OD
 

Recently, two devasting marketing campaigns, from massively large companies, proved the need for well-planned and well-executed advertising.
 
A month into their campaign, IHOP claims that their change of name to IHOB (to promote their new line of burgers) was all a marketing ploy[i].  The internet, nor their customers, found it funny, and many have walked away from the franchise.  Whether it was a ploy, or whether they are trying to correct a mistake, may never be known.
 
Then, last week, Build-a-Bear announced that you can buy a bear for the cost of your age (e.g. 12 years old’s pay $12).  The problem was that they weren’t prepared.[ii]  Stores were forced to shut down, police were called, and lines wrapped around many of their stores.  The result was a lot of crying and disappointed children.
 
While the lessons are myriad, let’s narrow them down to two. 
 
Ask Yourself What Could Go Wrong? 
 
Seriously, even if IHOP planned all along to switch from IHOP to IHOB back to IHOP, their campaign went terribly wrong.  They became a joke on late night TV and were the target of jokes from rival Wendy’s.  If they wanted attention, they got it.  It was just the wrong kind of attention.
 
A well-thought-through campaign seeks input from the outside asking questions like, “What could go wrong?”  IHOP could not have asked that question, and if they did, that asked the wrong people.
 
Ask Yourself What Could Go Right?
 
Build-a-Bear was a victim of their success.  Clearly, they didn’t think that so many people would respond that they would have to call the cops to manage the crowds.
 
Yes, sometimes campaigns are so successful, they exceed your ability to meet demand.  Questions surrounding what to do, when the response is that huge, have got to be asked.
 
So, what for you?  Ask yourself:
 
Do you have a marketing campaign for your company?  
Have they been successes or failures? 
If you do, have you asked what you will do if they go poorly or successfully? 
 
What typically happens is that campaigns have a life-cycle.  So, even if you have done these things, redesign them soon because most eventually lead to a flat lined income growth as a result of familiarly.   
 
Gordon Duncan is the CEO/Consultant of ProSight Success and has trained employees for nearly 20 years. 
 
ProSight Success has a team of marketing specialists and social media strategists.  If you are interested in learning about our services, email me at [email protected], and we will be glad to answer any of your questions.
 
ProSight Success has several tools to help you with all of this.  Our international bestseller, Practice Progress, goes deep into the philosophies above.  You can find the paperback at Amazon. 
 
However, your best value is the full 7 Step, 7 Book ProSight Success System.  We offer it in 3 formats:
 
Digital ProSight Success System
Paperback ProSight Success System
 
And our best value:  the ProSight Success Workbook that includes a digital copy and a free hour of consulting.
 
Of course, Gordon Duncan, our CEO, is also available for private consulting.  Email him at [email protected].
 

[i] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/ihops-ihob-is-now-officially-dead-and-the-internet-is-being-hilarious-about-it/ar-AAzQtCx

[ii] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/316745