NEG BUSINESS CLUB
There has never been a better time to build a better practice than right now, writes Andy Clark
BUILDING YOUR NEW NORMAL This article is all about making your life easier. It isn’t about ditching your NHS contract, though you’d still need this if you did. Think of the things that frustrated you about the way your practice used to work before Covid-19 turned everything upside down. Maybe your list includes: ‘Gappy’ appointment books without a system to fill them up Routine recall letters filling a big chunk of your appointments book with ‘no change’ Full appointments books that still don’t keep the dispensing opticians busy Recalled patients who were adamant that they’re “not buying anything today” Patients who wouldn’t pay for your advanced eyecare services even though they cost less than a visit to a hairdresser Having to use the profits from a single dispensing to subsidise two or three ‘no change’ poorly paid eye exams People purchasing new spectacles reluctantly and occasionally While this list reflects the norm for many practice owners before the pandemic, most of them have noticed that it hasn’t applied as much over the last year or so. It’s been seriously hard work and it’s been extremely stressful, but at least the things on this list weren’t an issue. If your practice is like most practices over the last 18 months: You refused all routine work and each patient had to declare that they had a good reason to visit before you even let them in Most patients happily purchased a scan because they understood why it was a good idea. Sadly, for many the good idea was that you didn’t have to get too close to them if they had a scan
24 Vision Now October 2021
Which model is most like how your practice operated before Covid? The Command Model
The Demand Model
You tell patients when they need an eye exam
Patients tell you when they want an eye exam
You tell patients when they need new specs
Patients tell you when they want new specs
We totally ignore people between eye exams
We actively encourage people to want more of what we do
Reluctant returners take up a high percentage of the book and every one of them who doesn’t dispense must be subsidised by a patient who did
Appointments books are dominated by people who turn up because they have a compelling reason to buy something that you are offering
Delivering optometry loses the practice money
Optometry is a profit centre
You say: “You don’t need new glasses” – and they feel uncomfortable wanting new ones
You say: “When you are [activity], I’d recommend [product]" – and they feel like getting some new specs
There is a long time between purchases, People purchase more frequently so practices focus on increasing so practices focus on increasing lifetime values dispensing values
You spent more time per patient
ACTIVE PLANS
Your conversion rate kept on hitting all-time highs
1. Rely less on recall
P eople seemed very happy to spend, and average dispensing values shot up In terms of sales per patient, it was probably your most productive time ever If only you could get all of that without a pandemic. Actually, you can probably do much better. All it will take is some new systems and an open mind.
OBJECTIVES Compared to the pre-pandemic practice, we would like to: I ncrease practice productivity I ncrease the lifetime value of each patient Reduce the number of loss-making eye exams Make the same amount or more profit for less effort
2. Engage your database 3. Actively fill your appointments book 4. Make optometry profitable 5. Provide multiple pairs per patient
RELY LESS ON RECALL Vast numbers of patients are currently very overdue the awaited command to return. Recall is fundamentally broken, and practices are busy by patient demand. Most NEG Business Club members have replaced their old, “Our records indicate it’s time for your next test” letters (Command Model) with our, “We’re ready when you are” designs (Demand Model). The effect of this is that patients are returning when they’re ready to and are more motivated to spend.
