New This Week
Elements of a Successful Trunk Show
Evan Kestenbaum, MBA, of Optix Family Eyecare Center in Plainview, NY, believes that a successful trunk show should feature a top-selling brand with name recognition. Display that brand in abundance and enlist a frames rep to help present it. Use social media to attract existing and new customers. Specials and a gift with purchase also drive sales. When the trunk show is over, he says, measure the success of the event–to help you plan for the next one. >>READ MORE >>
Coding & Billing
Make the Treatment of Ocular Allergies a Practice Profit Center
By Eric Botts, OD
Ocular allergies affect millions of Americans—and you can treat their symptoms. Here’s how to code and bill correctly to make this service a profit center in your practice. >>READ MORE>>
Ophthalmic Lenses
Protect Patients from Eye Strain with Glare-Free Reading Eyewear
By Eric M. White, OD
Help patients to protect their eyes when reading in the sun and from computer strain. By prescribing anti-reflective lens treatments and Transitions lenses you add a new revenue stream to your optical shop. >>READ MORE>>
Staff Management
Your Reference-Checking Checklist
By Daniel Abramson, CTS
Check references to establish a proven track record of success for each employee you hire. This is not an optional step; it’s a must. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
Do Patients Like to Make Small Talk With You?
Patients prefer some friendly conversation at the start of their exam, according to Jobson Optical Research’s The Waiting Game report. Just under three quarters of respondents (74.5 percent) said that they think it’s nice when a doctor starts to make small talk about general topics such as their job, kids or the weather. Women (77.2 percent) prefer it just slightly over men (72.8 percent) and older respondents preferred it over younger (18 to 34: 70.7 percent, 55+: 78 percent). Apparently, a little small talk can go a long way.
Click HERE to read more from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, on getting to know your patients.
In Brief
MBA Seminar in Myrtle Beach Focuses on Optometric Practice Growth
Eighty optometrists and office managers gathered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on June 7 to hear practice-building pearls from the faculty of the Management & Business Academy (MBA), sponsored by Alcon and Essilor. The seminar was held in conjunction with the 2012 Annual Spring Education Conference of the North Carolina State Optometric Society. >>READ MORE>>
Essilor Announces 2012 Student Grant Award Recipients
Essilor of America announced the winners of the 2012 Varilux Student Grant Awards, a competition among optometry students. This year, 19 students were awarded $1,000 each in grant money from Varilux, and from those winners, one national award was given. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Poll Results
Readers Report Improvement Needs: Rxing from the Chair and Optician Sales Presentation Skills
Asked which aspect of their optical sales process is most in need of improvement, 43 percent of ROB readers cited prescribing from the chair, and 39 percent cited their opticians’ sales presentation skills. Eighteen percent said the hand-off from doctor to optician needed improvement.
