Category

Consulting

May 11
0

I hate to tell you but… your scheduling template isn’t working.

By | Consulting | No Comments

Long patient wait times.
Grumpy and overworked staff.
Poor surgery conversions.

I hate to tell you, but the problem might be with your scheduling template. It’s often the source of frustration and yet the one thing practices dread adjusting. But, if things  aren’t running smoothly, it’s probably because we didn’t set ourselves for success in the first place.

Make the schedule work for your practice… not your patients. If a patient wants an appointment, you determine when you can fit them in… not the other way around. It’s like a puzzle, when the pieces fit, they fit. We don’t want to try and stuff pieces into a space that clearly isn’t going to give us the prettiest picture.

Group appointments together. Cataract evals, with cataract evals, LASIK exams with LASIK exams. People like seeing other patients that are similar to them. If your LASIK patient, is only seeing 60-70 year old patients in the waiting room with them, are they really going to think your practice is THEplace for LASK?

Plus, when you group your like-minded appointments together, It helps your staff and your technicians get into a flow and routine. This can also be helpful when identifying if you staff is truly overworked, or if they are just mis-managed.

Move medical appointments to the morning. If stuck in the middle of your day, they can often be time-suckers, you can never get back on track from. I.e. long patient wait times and unhappy patients.

Long-wait times caused by an inefficient schedule, can inevitably bring down your conversions as well. Often times patients meet with a counselor toward the end of an appointment to discuss surgery dates or options. If your running behind, not only is the patient irritated, but sometimes leave before you can further discuss what was evaluated. We spend the majority of our time getting to this point, and then miss our opportunity because of staff and scheduling inefficacies.

Want to see your practice with fresh eyes? Inquire about an on-site practice assessment!

May 11
0

Turning a Review into a Referral

By | Consulting | No Comments

Word of mouth referrals are crucial, yet so often practices find themselves with low referral numbers and growing marketing budgets, to make up for the missing patient brand ambassadors we covet. Maybe it’s the experience in the office, or lack thereof, that is causing referral numbers to drop. In which case, stop reading this, reevaluate, and maybe sign up for an on-site practice assessment to find ways to improve.

But if it’s not the experience, more often than not, your referral numbers are dropping because you’ve lost the determination to remain relevant and top of mind in a patients mind. In ophthalmology, we are blessed with providing patients with a gift so great, most patients want to shout it from the rooftops, but we are too scared to ask for anything in return.

Simply asking for a review is not only imperative to keep your volume numbers growing, but it also super-charges your current referral efforts to new heights. Think about the following:

  1. If first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Ask for a review, then re-ask and then ask again. Incorporating reminder systems into text and email platforms to remain top of mind is needed, if we are going to meet the challenge of drowning out the possibility of negative reviews.
  2. 41% of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor hospital or medical facility. If we aren’t asking for reviews to make sure our social media presence is meeting patient’s expectations, we are losing the chance for a patient review to turn into a patient referral.
  3. Capturing a video review from a current patient, could mean hundreds of new patients get questions to answers, they were missing, when posted online. Capitalize on the individualism of patients, their hobbies, jobs, interest and use those to reach like-minded people. I guarantee you the struggles that busy mom overcame about getting LASIK, is a feeling many moms may be having. Hearing that from someone in the same-position, is like hearing it from a “friend” first-hand.

Think you have got it all down? Take our on-line practice assessment and see how you rank!

Mar 14
0

Looking to Grow Premium IOL Volume?

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Eyemax Refractive Group’s Pennsylvania-Based Client Increases Femto and Refractive Cataract Package Upgrades by 56% using Strategic Partnership

An ophthalmology practice based in Pennsylvania, that recently acquired a femtosecond laser for cataract surgery, was frustrated with low premium conversions. Working with Eyemax, they were able to establish benchmarks, track and measure results, and improve patient processes and education, that in turn increased conversions and revenue.

Selling the Benefits Not the Features

After a thorough evaluation, Eyemax recognized that the counseling and scheduling process needed to be modified in order to highlight the benefits of the technology versus the features. By identifying that each patient would attribute different benefits based on lifestyle and preference, the counseling staff personalized each exam with considerations to lifestyle, activity level, and employment or hobbies.

Using Tools to Build Credibility

While altering the overall flow and implementing a training process to serve the patient’s needs, branded collateral pieces were also created to better educate the patient, not only during the exam, but also beforehand. This pre education process was crucial for the ultimate success.

Measured Results

In the first few months after implementing Eyemax’s consulting and branding strategies, this practice improved their premium conversions with femto and premium IOLs by 22%. Within 12 months, they improved by 49% and since the beginning of the program almost two years ago, they have improved their overall conversions by 56%. They have now sustained an over 80% conversion rate into premium cataract surgery packages, and are excited to work with Eyemax to improve their volume for other refractive services.

 

 

May 24
0

Don’t Be a Know-It-All, Be a Learn-It-All

By | Consulting, Marketing | No Comments

“Don’t be a know-it-all; be a learn-it-all.” – Unlocking the mental key to success

We have all fallen victim to the idea of “knowing it all”. Whether it’s the day-to-day interactions with our coworkers about solving a problem, or listening to a lecture and dozing off in boredom, most of us at one time has thought, “we are the only ones with the answer.” Acting like this is not only obnoxious to others around you, but it also stifles the possibilities of achieving or learning anything beyond your own comprehension.

The “know-it-all” behavior can act like cancer for a practice. It kills ingenuity, creativity, and any opportunities for true change. If we simply “know-it-all”, how can we expect to be able to cut our lengthening wait times for patients? If we know all the answers, how could we expect to boost our conversions or surgery volume? If we “already do that”, how could we expect to boost patient experience and improve employee morale?

“For me, referring to yourself as an ‘expert’ in any field assumes the position that you have reached your fullest potential. It implies you have attained a thrilling pinnacle in your career and that your thirst for knowledge in a particular subject has been quenched.”   – Mandy Antoniacci

So as the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, puts it, instead of being a “Know-it-all”, be a “learn-it-all”. By adopting more of a student’s mindset, we position ourselves to reach higher for more personal and professional growth all while accepting that it’s “ok” to not always have the answers. Release yourself from have the expectation of perfection, and reengage your mind in the process of seeking knowledge for both success and failures. For these failures are much less about mistakes, than they are about learned opportunities within your own practice.

May 17
0

5 Tips for Creating a Highly Effective Landing Page

By | Consulting, Marketing, Web Design | No Comments

A landing page is a web page that is distinct from your main website with a focused objective. Typically, they exist to measure click-through rates and lead generation. Knowing this, what exactly makes a landing page help you effectively reach your goals?

1. Grabs Attention

When a user lands on your page you want to make sure your message is clear. Users that are browsing the web are pressed to make snap decisions to see if you are worth their attention. On average you will get less than 8 seconds. If that visitor finds what they can get on your site quickly, they are more likely to stick around a bit longer to see what you are about.

2. Clear Call to Action

Creating a good call to action is a great and simple way to improve conversion rates. You should focus on one call to action on each page. Your messaging should be in a prominent location and easy to understand. The call to action is one of the most important parts of your landing page, so make sure this is a focused priority when building your page.

3. Simple Communication

What is a visitor thinking when they land on your page? Most likely they will be wondering what is the page for and will it provide what they are looking for. You want to answer these questions right away so they will continue to read and browse on. A simple message of what your brand is about can help, but also the positioning of the content is important. According to studies, most people follow a “F shaped” pattern when reading web content. You can use that as a guide to simply and effectively communicate your message to the visitor, so they don’t have to browse your page to the point of frustration.

4. Testimonials

Have you been mentioned in the press or do you have high-end customers? You should showcase this on your landing pages. Adding excellent testimonials or reviews is a great way to show that you are well-known for your services. This gives the visitors a chance to understand what products or services you are offering in a way that relates to them & helps develop their trust in your brand.

5. A Great Looking Landing Page

Design is a very important part of a landing page. It helps people correctly judge the credibility of your web site. If it looks professional, you must be professional. If you use more pleasing, modern graphics the visitors get the impression of a higher quality site. Do not overload your site so that your site becomes too busy. It might seem to sloppy, unprofessional and scare away potential clients.