As we near the end of the first quarter of 2021, our optimism for what is on the horizon isn’t being influenced only by the warmer, brighter spring days ahead. With many in the optical industry vaccinated, the level of stress from our face-to-face patient contact is reduced. This will free up energy for us to reflect on how our business has evolved over the course of the pandemic.

WEEK 1: TIME TO TIDY.

Last year had us focusing more on “big picture” problems. Head into spring with a clear focus on what needs attention within your four walls.

□ Extreme cleaning and disinfecting have likely taken a toll on our optical shop surfaces. Take stock of what might need replacing or refinishing to keep the optical looking fresh and new. A coat of paint and a piece of glass is a great way to repurpose fitting tables and countertops. 

□ Clearing out your unimportant emails, tidying up your desktop, and deleting temporary files and downloads are as important as shredding old documents. Organizing documents into files and shared files for employee and customer documents will save you time and frustration in the future.

WEEK 2: FOCUS ON SALES.

Sales mean more than patients buying frames from your optical; sales mean vendors selling you the right mix of inventory needed to increase your capture rate.

□ Spring into action and have a sale to clear out older inventory and finish Q1 strong. Send invitations to the patients you didn’t see last year. Enticing patients into the optical to see what’s on sale will also let them see what’s new (and full price).

□ How we purchase frames from vendors has changed. Traditional rep visits have been replaced by virtual presentations, B2B online shopping, and sample kits. Review inventory and make arrangements for your preferred method of buying. Don’t be afraid to tell reps how you like to view new inventory.

WEEK 3: BUILD YOUR BRAND’S STORY.

Every business has a story. What’s yours? How we narrate the story is where our brand is built and leads to loyalty from patients and staff.

□ Create the “Experience Brand Language” (EBL) of your optical. From the moment a customer Googles or walks into your optical, they should see your brand come into focus. An easy way to start is by creating a consistent color story—your website, business cards, eyeglass cases, and cleaning cloths, all in a consistent palette. This creates instant brand recognition.

□ Coming up with ideas for posting on social media is the most time-consuming and daunting part of maintaining consistent posting. Searching for social media content calendars saves time and increases engagement. Check out my favorite (simplifeyesocial.com) for optical-specific ideas.

WEEK 4: STREAMLINE TRAINING.

Staff members working together as a cohesive unit creates a positive work environment. Without clarity on the roles of your staff, conflict can affect business.

□ Employee roles evolve over time, and it’s important that each staff member acknowledges and accepts the change. Otherwise, they can feel threatened in their position. Reassess and reevaluate each employee’s job description and share each person’s role and responsibilities.

□ Idle time leads to gossip and too much chatting, costing your business money and fueling animosity among staff. Create a list of things that get forgotten: cleaning out drawers, dusting top shelves, sorting cases, and tasks that staff members can team up to complete so that nobody is wasting downtime.