Marketing and Selling Your Lenses to Eye Care Professionals

Marketing & selling
your lenses to
eye care professionals

Chris Houchens
November 14, 2008 www.ChrisHouchens.com
© 2008 - www.ChrisHouchens.com

Marketing?
• To communicate a consistent intended
message to a specific intended audience.
• Marketing is NOT just advertising.
• Marketing is NOT just PR.
• Marketing is NOT just sales.
• Marketing helps CREATE the sales
opportunity.
• Successful marketing develops long-term
relationships


B2B Marketing Spending
(in Billions of dollars – 2008)

• Trade Shows/Events -- $17.3
• Internet/Electronic Media -- $12.5
• Promotional Support -- $10.9
• Magazine Advertising -- $10.8
• Publicity/PR -- $10.5
• Direct Mail -- $9.4
• Dealer/Distributor Materials -- $5.2
• Market Research -- $3.8
• Telemarketing -- $2.4
• Directories -- $1.4
• Other -- $5.1

The key to great marketing

Think Small
Narrowcasting vs. Broadcasting


Great Marketing...
• Begins with the Product

• Driven by the Message

• Nurtured by the Relationship


Healthcare Marketing Trends
• One word :: Choices
– Consumers in charge of healthcare decisions
– Self-Diagnosis is on the rise
• Google trying to outdo the CDC this flu season
– “Doctor says” no longer the force it was
– Consumers have more disposable income
– Insurance / HMO / Flex Account / etc
• The idea of Customers vs. Patients


HIPAA
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• You may not be affected by HIPAA, but your docs are
• Must have prior written authorization to communicate for
marketing purposes except for face-to-face encounters
or communications involving promotional gifts
• Not considered “Marketing” or excepted
– Educational Communications
– Treatment Options
– Communications about products & services
– General health announcements like health fairs, mammogram
reminders, organ donation, etc
– Patient/doctor face-to-face communication
– Nominal value gifts
• Cannot sell lists of patients to 3rd parties

Most prevalent marketing mistakes
• “Me Too” Competitive and following fads
• Campaigns designed around cutesy or non-
relevant centers
• Marketer trying to reach themselves
• Money Issues
– Focus on costs rather than effectiveness
– Thinking that $$$ = Success
– Accepting proposed prices
• Forgetting multiple media maximizes the
message
• No marketing plan


A Marketing Plan...
• Defines Marketing Costs
• Shows Marketing Value
• Defines Mission / Provides Focus
• Written Game Plan
• Evolving Document

A Marketing Plan is
On Paper…On Purpose

Elements of a Marketing Plan
• At a minimum...a Marketing Plan should
include the following:
– Who/where you are (BRAND)
– Where you want to go
– How you’re going to get there
– Budget
– Summary of Strategy
– Timetable of Actions
• Less is (sometimes) more

Developing a Target Market
• Marketing Truths
– Not everyone loves you
– No one cares about your marketing
• If you try to be all things to all people, you
will be nothing
• Target market should be as specific as
possible


Marketing messages
should be conversations,
not announcements.


What is a Brand?
• Your single most valuable asset
• A promise that past performance will
indicate future results
• Your target’s experience with you
• Faces vs. personalities
• Perception IS reality

You have a brand even if you
don’t have a brand strategy.

Conditional Response

Branding is a
conditional
response

Brand strategy
should influence
every marketing
initiative

Branding Success
Microwave vs. Slow Cooker


Brand Consistency
• Touchpoints
– All interactions with the target
• Messaging
– Slogans / Taglines
– Advertising
• Design
– Logo / Identity
– Packaging
– Colors / Fonts
• Pricing

Which one will my wife eat at?


Perception

Reality

Clip art
will never
win a
marketing
battle.

Successful
branding makes
other aspects of
marketing easier
and cheaper.

Budgeting #1: Strategy
• Is this marketing initiative a priority?
• What is the LONG TERM goal?
– More customers?
– More exposure?
– More credit?
• How much of the pot should this get?
• What’s the needed ROI?


Budgeting #2: Segmentation
• Who are we really trying to talk to?
• Stop wasting money / time / resources:
– firing canons instead of rifles
• Figure out who is making the decision and
find the best / cheapest / quickest way to
reach them at the right time


Budgeting #3: Leverage
• Use current customers to gain new ones
• Word of mouth
• Cross - promotions
• CRM: always collect e-mail addresses and
other contact info (and follow up)
• Use the web
• Let viral and other networks grow the
investment exponentially


Budgeting #4: Measurement
• Measure actual ROI as well as responses
• Measure satisfaction and “stickiness” as
well as the actual numbers
• Use the info to make adjustments

You can’t manage what
you can’t measure

Low Cost “Guerilla” Marketing
• #1 Method - Word-of-Mouth / “Buzz”
– Referrals from customers, friends, vendors, etc
• Brochures / Posters / Printed Literature
• Build marketing into current paper trail
– Business cards, fax sheet, letterhead, e-signatures
• On-Hold Message
• Community Events / Trade Shows
• Articles / Publishing
• Ad Specialties / Gifts
• Cross Promotions / Alliances
• Networking
• Seminars / Workshops
• Public Relations - Press Releases - Media Show


Doctors don’t
care about
your lenses.
(What do you think they do care about?)


Keys to selling to docs
• Databases
– Lead generation systems
• Get their attention immediately
– Don’t build to a big finish
• Have a great offer
• Have a USP
• Add value to their practice and their life


Great Medical Reps
• MUST be personable
• MUST be persistent
• MUST speak the language
• Understands the importance of STAFF
• Know how to sell
• They know how to get the meeting (without you)
• Have objectives and can report results
Great medical reps win confidence
personally and technically


Ask your
doctor about…

Opportunity: Presbyopia
• 76 million Baby Boomers will be / are
holding things at arm’s length
• Generation driven by consumerism and
will pay for things they want
• Have a strong self image of an active and
healthy person


Opportunity: Orthokeratology
• LASIK and other forms of refractive
surgery have settled into a plateau
• No blades! is an attractive option for some
patients
• Lets ODs have their cake and eat it too.
(create a vision correction practice while
still keeping co-management $ from
OPHs)


Opportunity: Mentors


Fundamental E-Marketing
• Online Spending
– Budget for Website
– Banner Ads
– Contextual Search Advertising
– SEO – Search Engine Optimization
• E-mail Marketing
– Phishing / Spam
– Permission-Based
• Blogs / Social Media


The Website
• Cannot just be an online brochure
• Must be dynamic and change constantly
• Content is King
• Simple is best
– Just because you can – doesn’t mean you
should
• When was the last time you visited your
own website?


Search Engine Optimization
• Text not graphics
• Write text with SEO in mind
• Inbound links
• Metadata
– Keywords
– Descriptions
– <title>
– Graphic alt tags


Email Marketing
• Anticipated, personal and relevant messages
delivered to people who actually want to get
them
• PERMISSION
– Sign-ups
– Opt-outs
• Keys to success
– The List
– Subject and “from”
– Permission


What do you mean by
Social Media?
• Blogs • Wikis
• Microblogs • Photo
– Twitter – Flickr
• Video – Photobucket
– Google & YouTube • Virtual reality
– Revver – Second Life
• Social Networks • Social / News Bookmarks
– MySpace – Digg
– Facebook – Reddit
– Del.icio.us

Community / user generated content

We’re not finished…
• Biggest opportunity for FAILURE is right
after the marketing begins
• Inform all your touchpoints
– Everyone who is associated with your
organization
• Develop a tracking system


Tracking / Effectiveness
quot;I know that half my advertising works.
I just don't know which half.quot;
John Wanamaker (1838- 1922)

If you can say the same thing,
STOP advertising (marketing).


Thank You
• Your Turn Marketing…
• Begins with the PRODUCT
– Questions • Driven by the MESSAGE
– Comments • Nurtured by the RELATIONSHIP

– Problems
Chris Houchens
– Rants Blog :: ShotgunConcepts.com
– Raves Website :: ChrisHouchens.com
E-Mail :: chris@shotgunconcepts.com
– Complaints

These slides are available for free online:
www.slideshare.net/shotgunconcepts

Marketing and Selling Your Lenses to Eye Care Professionals

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