“Just that little bit of care and connecting with a human being makes all the difference.”

The Idea: Connect to the Human Being

MAKE THE CONNECTION: “In retail, humanity is being lost with the walls we’re putting up with smartphones and tablets and other things,” says Phibbs. He adds, “Too many times, consumers walk into a store and they feel like a visitor. The staff is all behind the counter talking and the customer is left to their own devices.” Connecting is simple, he says, if you do it with an open heart. “Take a photo of a little kid wearing his new glasses before he comes back for the finished pair. That way, even if he has a stigma about it, his mom can show it to their friends and be talking about the glasses in a positive, exciting way.”

Make social media meaningful

The Idea: Connect Socially with Real Value

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Another key way to link up to consumers virtually is to provide them with good, usable content on social media channels. “Just posting ‘We’re Having a Sale,’ or ‘Download this Coupon’ isn’t connecting,” says Phibbs, who suggests focusing on Facebook as your main social medium.

“Post engaging content—you can reuse the content from your newsletter or blog on Facebook,” he says. “It takes some work, but it’s so worth it. This is a strategy for the long term.”

Teach employees now is always the right time to engage with patients.

The Idea: Train Employees to Connect

MAKE THE CONNECTION: “The power of a well-trained employee who is impassioned to engage another human being is the best tool you can have in store,” Phibbs says. “So, you always have to train them with the same idea—to connect to the human being. To say ‘I have time for you right now.’ The more you impart that idea, the better.”

What does engagement look like? Phibbs suggests training employees to begin by taking customers on a short tour of the different frames in your optical. During this time, he says the employee can select no more than three frames for the customer to try on. “Tell them, ‘I’m going to sit down and walk you through why these frames are so great for you. And, after you choose frames and lenses, then we’ll take the deposit and we’ll be off to getting you set up with new eyewear. How does that sound?’ With this approach, you just made them feel like you have their back.”

Post-visit outreach makes an impression—and solidifies a connection.

The Idea: Add the Personal Touch

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Phibbs points to one of his first consulting clients, the Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel, a 24-room inn in Newport Beach, CA, as an example of providing a personal touch to customers. “After you stayed with us, we would send a handwritten postcard saying, ‘We hope you and the kids had a great time,’ and so on.

“Today, it is the number-one, highest-rated hotel in all of Orange County,” he adds.

Phibbs stresses not to be afraid of following up a patient visit with a simple call. “Ask how the glasses are fitting, and how they like them,” he says. “That’s making a real connection.”

One of the best ways to connect online is via your email list.

The Idea: Connect Virtually with Touch Points

MAKE THE CONNECTION: In today’s web-enabled world, there is no doubt that retailers and ECPs still need to connect virtually with their customers and patients.

“The best retailers are personalizing emails and developing business personas with sophisticated software like Hubspot to drive sales,” Phibbs notes. “Develop (at least) a monthly newsletter and provide good information on the things that your readers are interested in.”

Make it look like it’s local, hire writers for the job if you’re too busy, and consider breaking your email list into targeted segments—such as active adults, parents, professionals—to provide them with focused information.