We know that a big part of revenue at your practice comes from
ophthalmic product sales. So we thought that it would be a good opportunity for us to sit down with Chris Rice, Director of Sales at VisionWeb, and talk with him about advice he has for eyecare practices looking to boost their sales.

Chris is full of personality and has been in sales since 1997, and his current role with VisionWeb includes leading efforts to grow the use of VisionWeb's claim management solutions. He works with various partners in the industry to help them understand more about the services VisionWeb has to offer. But today, he's here to give tips and insight on boosting sales in your eyecare practice.

Going Beyond Optometry Software to Boost Revenue in Your Practice

Give Your Staff Ownership of Their Roles

Successful practices understand the value of all of their staff members, and almost all of your staff is going to be customer facing, especially your opticians. Opticians not only address your patient's vision, but they are also looked to for fashion advice and helping your patients select the right eyewear. So make sure that you give your staff responsibility of their roles, and the proper education and resources to stay on top of the latest industry trends and technologies.

Educate Your Patients

Most people don't like to be sold. So make sure that you give your patients the best information so that they can come to a decision on their own. The more knowledgeable you can be for your patients, the more they will trust you and be comfortable with investing in better eyewear with you. A clear explanation of the benefits and value of a product or service can go a long way.

Hire for Integrity

When choosing new staff for your office, integrity should be on the top of the list of qualities you are looking for. What your staff says, and how they interact with your patients is a direct reflection of your practice as a brand and the services you are selling. Another interesting attribute to look for in a future employee is teamwork. Salespeople can be perceived to have the trait of being "territorial", but if you hire people that are willing to support one another and help out even if there is no personal gain, everyone in your office will be more successful.

Keep in Touch

Social media is a great way to interact with and build personal connections with your patients. And, it's also great publicity for your practice. Maybe you have a patient who is super excited about their new frames and they'd be comfortable with you posting before and after pictures of their new look. Plus, it's a great avenue for building credibility with potential and future customers as well. Any time that you can share valuable information with your customers it is going to strengthen their trust in you.

Value Over Price

A big switch in the market these days is that customers are more open to buying based off of value instead of overall price being the decision maker (not to say that price isn't up there on the priority list). The economy has put price pressure on all segments of the supply chain in order to keep prices low for consumers, but when that happens, quality and support resources usually drop off as well. When customers realize that this is the case, they'll be willing to pay a bit more for products and services that offer better quality and support.

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