Keeping apprised of trends in optical means more than just knowing the latest frame styles. It encompasses medical treatment, lens technologies, buying behavior, and how you connect with your patients. Yes, for some, that means TikTok-style videos. Let the EB checklist be your monthly guide to maintaining forward momentum by encouraging you to look at all areas of your business through attainable action items to check off as you go.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheena Taff is a second-generation licensed optician at Roberts & Brown Opticians in Vancouver, Canada. Since becoming the optical boutique boss, she has evolved and grown the business and taken it to new heights. Taff is familiar with the many roles an independent practice owner and employees must undertake and wants to share tips for growing a successful practice.

WEEK 1: CONNECT VIA EYE CARE.

October marks World Sight Day, Contact Lens Safety Month, Blindness Awareness Month, and Eye Injury Prevention Month. Use these themes to connect.

□ Create a series of posts (bonus points for videos) with tips on contact lens safety and eye injury prevention. Set them to autopost.

□ Have an eyewear collection event, inviting people to bring in used eyewear for donation. Consider giving out a voucher in exchange for the old frames, encouraging them to buy new glasses.

□ Collect stories from your team on how they’ve impacted someone’s vision through an eye exam or eyeglasses. Share these heartfelt stories through a blog on your website or in a series of Facebook/Instagram posts.

WEEK 2: EMBARK ON Q4.

We’re embarking on the fourth quarter—the homestretch of 2021. Now is the time to evaluate where you stand and where you want to finish the year.

□ Pull year-to-date sales numbers. Break them down by department, services, and employees to identify sales trends and specific areas of opportunity.

□ If your year-to-date review isn’t where it was projected to be, look into potential fourth-quarter cuts to ensure you finish 2021 in the black. Review payroll, office expenses, and vendor purchases for areas to safely save costs.

□ Check outstanding third-party invoices from insurance providers and ensure all the required forms and requests for payment have been sent. Recall patients who have unpaid glasses to pick up.

WEEK 3: THINK TRENDS.

Identify upcoming eyewear trends and ensure your optical is stocked with a selection of these styles. This will help increase patient retention from eye exam to eyewear purchase.

□ Your in-house frame buyer(s) should know what styles patients are seeing. Look to TV, movies, Instagram, and newscasters and compile a list of popular eyewear styles to bring into your optical.

□ When selecting frames with reps, lay out your choices and take a photo for reference to ensure you don’t select too many similar styles from different vendors.

□ Have your frame buyers and staff look at the collection through a different lens, taking note of three to five frame trends—colors, shapes, materials, or motifs during each visit with sales reps.

WEEK 4: KEEP IT CUSTOM.

Designing a customized training plan for each employee may take more time, but the results are worth the investment, leading to a team with a well-rounded knowledge of your business.

□ Provide a simple self-evaluation to each employee. Have them rate their knowledge on a scale of one to five in the following areas: lenses, merchandising, contact lenses, medical, conflict management, and frame styling.

□ Match each employee’s area of weakness with online learning modules in that subject. Vendors and licensing organizations offer a large selection of assets that are usually free to access.

□ Create a training action plan for each employee, with learning goals and deadlines. Incentivize completion and peer accountability with a reward, such as a staff lunch.