editor’s letter
Learning and Earning
Stephanie K. De Long
Whether you’re walking the aisles of the exhibit hall or attending classroom events, International Vision Expo East is a place for learning. On the show floor, it’s all about new products, technologies, programs, and services. In the classroom, it’s all about education…and, of course, earning CE credits.
There are some great educational opportunities coming up at this month’s meeting, which is slated for March 22 to 25. One program of special note is Visionomics, a series of business-building courses for which Eyecare Business is pleased to be the exclusive media partner.
BUSINESS COURSES
The track of 13 COPE- and ABO-approved business courses—sponsored by Luxottica and supported by several companies through course sponsorships—will focus on strategies for assessing and maximizing practice profitability. Topics will range from “Increasing Profits through Internal Marketing” and “Principles of Negotiation” to “Business and Strategic Planning.” See what some of the speakers from previous Visionomics courses had to say in the column to the left.
While considering your options, don’t forget the Frame Buyer Certificate Program that we addressed on this page last month. EB co-sponsors this track of ABO classes in cooperation with The Vision Council’s Eyewear and Accessories Division.
UV SYMPOSIUM
EB is also pleased to be participating in a special UV Symposium (course 2203) on Friday morning. This two-hour panel featuring all three Os will explore the effects of UV damage, product solutions to guard against exposure, and ways to get the UV protection message to your patients and community. I’ll be moderating the discussion with three panelists who are members of The Vision Council’s Better Vision Institute: Justin Bazan, OD; Joy Gibb, ABOC; and Paul Michelson, MD. This is a great opportunity to hear about and discuss UV from the vantage point of all three Os.
Whatever your reasons for attending Vision Expo East, we hope to see you there. We’re at booth 2967, so stop by and say hello.
Steph De Long
Editor-in-Chief
| WHAT THEY SAID… |
|---|
| What some previous speakers in the Visionomics series of COPE-and ABO-approved business-building courses have addressed in their sessions: MANAGEMENT MESSAGE Our brains only do things for one of two reasons: to avoid pain or to experience pleasure. So, we must ask: Is my management message connected to one or both of these? — Pam Boyd, Ask yourself these questions: ■ Are you operating efficiently? ■ Do you have staff on at the right times? ■ Do you have the right staffing—not too top heavy (high experience) and not too bottom heavy (not enough experience)? — Trudi Charest, 1 Name the sales indicator you want to improve. 2 Provide rationale; why this indicator is most deserving of effort. 3 Confirm profit potential: How much will net revenue increase when your target market buys more? 4 Create a modifiable sales strategy and measure its effectiveness. — Renee Jacobs, OD, MA, ■ EDUCATION BENEFIT. Honest, friendly patient education is one of the best services we can give away for free. And, it’s a service that will benefit everyone. ■ WRONG MESSAGE. On the other hand, giving away services for free tells the world that there is no value to what we do. — Mark Johnson, |
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