By Peter G. Shaw-McMinn, OD
May 25, 2016
It’s struck me recently that it’s time we recognized howincrediblylarge the optical industry is–and begin to better market our practices to compete effectively.
Do you and your staff know how large the eyecare industry is compared to other industries? Becoming more educated about the size of our industry, and communicating that knowledge to your staff, will enable you to devise strategies to better compete for new patients.
My first recommendation is that you and your staff attend Vision Expo East or West. A walk through the exhibit halls of Vision Expo East in New York or Vision Expo West in Las Vegas will give you an appreciation ofthe vastness of our industry.Optometric state, regional and national meetings have nowhere near as large an exhibit hall, reflecting all the eyecare industry has to offer. I believe once staff attends Vision Expo, they will have more pride in their work and a better appreciation of what they can do to improve the lives of your patients.
The Vision Council shows that $34,466 billion was spent on vision care in 2015. To put that in perspective look at the total revenue of sports teams in the U.S. Below shows the total revenue for sports teams through 2015.
NFL football brought in $12 billion dollars in revenue for 2015. Far more is spent on vision care in the U.S. than on the National Football League!
How about the Motion Picture Industry? It is huge, correct? Motion Picture industry sales were $11.1 billion in 2015 in the US/Canada, and $38.3 billion globally, according to The Motion Picture Association of America.
More money was spent in the U.S. on eyecare than was spent on the motion picture industry in all countries combined–on the entire planet earth! Some $39.7 billion vs $38.3 billion.
In fact, more money was spent on lenses alone in the U.S. ($12.6 billion) than on movie tickets in the U.S. and Canada combined. Yet the motion picture industry seems so much bigger. Why is that?
Because the motion picture industry is much better at marketing to consumers than we are. Every year there is something better for the consumer. Let’s take the sound systems used, for example. First there was Dolby Surround Sound, then Dolby Surround Pro Logic, then Dolby Surround Pro Logic II, then Dolby True HD, then Dolby Digital HD, and, finally, Dolby Digital Plus. They market new innovations to the public every year. And we can do the same. Have you spoken to every patient about new digital lens designs? New blue-light filters? Lenses for near/intermediate vision use with digital devices? Every year there are new high-tech products we can educate our patients about.
If we don’t talk to our patients about what we have to offer, I can guarantee you the National Football Association or Motion Picture Association isn’t going to. Are you communicating to your patients what new technologies the optical industry has to offer? We owe it to our patients. We owe it to our industry!
What new strategies are you employing to better compete with all the players in the optical industry? What have you found works, and what doesn’t, in reaching prospective patients?
Peter G. Shaw-McMinn, OD, is an assistant professor of Clinical Studies at the Southern California College of Optometry. He is the senior partner of Sun City Vision Center, a group practice including five optometrists. Dr. Shaw-McMinn has served as chairman of the AOA Practice Management Committee and the Association of Practice Management Educators. He was the appointed Benedict Professor in Practice Management & Administrationfor the University of Houston College of Optometry for 2001-2002. To contact: shawmc1@me.com.
