This document defines marketing and its importance for optometric practices. It discusses several key marketing activities an optometric practice can implement, including marketing during patient visits, patient recall efforts, between-visit communications, new patient marketing, and special events. It provides guidance on developing marketing messages, product merchandising, pricing strategies, signage, brochures, websites, and referrals. The document emphasizes that marketing is more than just advertising and helps build a practice's brand identity and perception in order to improve financial performance.

1. Hossein Mirzaei
MarketingMarketing
an optometric practicean optometric practice
www.optiran.ir
Msc optom

2. Too little attention and
resources to marketing
sub-optimal financial performance.
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3. Marketing vs advertisingMarketing vs advertising
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4. www.optiran.ir
WHAT IS MARKETING?WHAT IS MARKETING?

5. marketing encompasses all forms of
patient communication that impact
perceptions of the practice and produce
a brand identity, including:
Practice positioning, name and logo
The totality of the service process
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6. Product mix presentation and product
merchandising
Visual imagery of the facilities, decor,
doctor and staff appearance, practice
website, marketing communications
vehicles
Pricing and fees
Promotional offers
Advertising messages
Social media presence
© South-Western Publishing

7. Marketing activities:Marketing activities:
Marketing during patient visits
Patient recall
Between-visit marketing
communications
New patient marketing
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8.
Marketing
During Patient Visits
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9. Key message:Key message:
“Here’s why you should continue to
come here for eyecare.”
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10. Key message:Key message:
We provide therapeutic medical
treatment for infections, dry eye,
allergy and other ocular conditions
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11. Key message:Key message:
“A yearly eye exam is an important
preventative measure to protect
sight.”
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12. KEY MESSAGE:KEY MESSAGE:
Your insurance allowance covers
basics only.”
Insurance coverage should never
dictate the sales process.
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13. Product Mix Management:
The product mix a business offers
determines the average transaction
size.
 Exceeding industry norms primarily
happens through more effective product
presentation, not higher prices and
fees.
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14. Product dispensing ratios vary
widely among optometric offices
Disparities in usage of individual
product types, such as daily
replacement contact lenses or anti-
reflective lenses, always trace mainly to
ECP preferences and habits and not to
patient choice or demographics.
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15. Price Promotion:
new patients of independent ODs are
seldom attracted by price incentives.
New patients choose indepenent ODs
because they anticipate a higher level
of personalized service
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16. consultants recommend the following
exceptions to build revenue:
Spectacle Lens bundling
Multiple Eyewear Purchase
Discounts
Contact Lens Annual Supply
Discounts
Special Event Discounts
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17. Practice brochure:Guidlines
Brochures should be professionally
designed.
Language and photos should convey that the
practice is a caring, friendly place
Provide a comprehensive listing of services
offered.
Provide a brief biography of the doctor
If advanced instrumentation? Then feature it.
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18. Signage and Displays
Avoid display clutter.
Feature products offering high
performance and premium profit
margins
Only use signage that is tasteful,
professional and has high
production value.
Regularly refresh displays as new
materials become available.
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19. Patient Recall:
Every OD practice needs a consistently
executed recall system to reduce the
interval between patient eye exams
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20.
Between-Visit Marketing
Communications
Electronic communication is a very
cost-effective method of communicating
with patients between their office visits
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21. Some of the many uses of email
to communicate with patients
between office visits include:
Birthday greetings
Compliance reminders
Recall notices and eye exam reminders
Opinion surveys
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22. Announcements of new services,
significant new products, special events
Staffing change announcements
Articles about eye health topics
Product promotions
Thank-you for referral
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23. Special Events
Announce the event two months in
advance
Do not conduct eye exams during the
event
Offer discounts to encourage sales
during the event.
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24. New Patient Marketing
Practice Web Sites
Attract prospective patients
Communicate efficiently with existing
patients
 Contact information and office hours
should be found easily on the home
page.
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25. Patient Referrals
Referrals occur only when patients are
extremely satisfied with the care they
receive
A good indicator of the quality of patient
service of an optometric practice is the
percentage of new patients generated
by patient referrals
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26. Referrals can be encouraged
in the following ways:
At the conclusion of each eye exam, ask
patients for referrals.
Ask each married patient to refer their
spouse and each parent to refer their
children.
Ask caregivers to refer aging parents.
Offer incentives for patient referrals.
Send a personal thank-you for each
patient referral.
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27. Developing an Annual
Marketing Plan
Every practice needs a simple
marketing plan,
The chief reason to develop a plan is
that it forces you to prioritize your
marketing objectives, targets and
messages.
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28. Increasing PracticeIncreasing Practice
Net Income:Net Income:
See more patients per day
"Sell" more to each patient.
Raise fees (or reduce discounts)
Avoid costly errors.
Reduce expenses
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29. Some usefull sites:Some usefull sites:
www.mba-ce.com
www.reviewob.com
www.optometricmanagement.com
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