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The lights and tinsel have been packed away. The tree has been shredded into mulch for the garden. Gift cards spent and Thank You notes written. The holidays are over for another year.
It’s time to transition from the Season of Light to the Season of Love. Believe me; what the world needs now is LOVE and some fun.
What can you do to show your patients a little love?
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Wear Red Day is Friday February 4th.Thank every patient who wears red with a red cleaning cloth or case. Visit
www.goredcorazon.org and
www.nhibl.nih.gov for ideas on recognizing the importance of good heart health and how you can reach out to the local community.
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Send Valentines’ Day cards to your patients. They don’t have to be expensive, like so many things, it’s just the thought that counts. You could make your own Valentine postcards for very little expense and the postage for a postcard is just over half the cost of a first class stamp.
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Valentines’ Day is Monday February 14th. Buy a couple dozen roses or carnations (depending on your budget) and give one to each patient who is in on Valentines’ Day and keep that dish of candy kisses or hearts full all day.
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Put together a February frame and lens special for $214. Call it “Love Your Eyes.” Ask your reps about any specials they may be running or for help with special short-term pricing.
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Offer a special discount, perhaps 14%, on any red or pink products you carry, from cleaning cloths to cases to frames. It’s a great opportunity to group your red and pink products together in an over the top display!
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Presidents’ Day is Monday February 21st. Offer a special discount for every George, Washington, Abraham and Lincoln who comes in.
That’s a lotta love for your patients, but after all is said and done; they’re the lifeblood of your business. And if your patients are the lifeblood then your staff is its heart. Without them, you’re not going to survive for very long.
Here are a few ideas to show some love to your staff.
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Have everyone wear red on Wear Red Day and take a picture for the office wall. Negotiate with a local photographer to do the work in return for advertising in your office. The photographer can do the same thing. It’s called cross-marketing and it works! I know a practice that has a local photographer shoot pictures of some patients in their new eyewear to display in the office. It’s much more attention-getting than some of the POP supplied by vendors and an excuse for patients to bring friends into the office. Once they’re in the door, they’re yours to keep!
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Bring in a Valentines’ Day breakfast for the staff. It’s a Monday after all and a great way to kick off the week.
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Present the staff with small corsages or boutonnieres. Everyone loves flowers and flowers at work are extra special. An added bonus is that your patients can see how much you value your staff and that leaves a very positive and memorable impression.
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Have a month long sales contest. Target an area you really need to improve and go for it. It can be any one of a number of them:
Multiple pairs
Anti-reflective (non-glare) treatments
Polarized sunwear
Variable tints (Transitions, SunSensors, LifeRx, etc)
Send the winner to a nice place for dinner with a guest, a sitting at Glamour Shots or a Broadway show. If you have more than one location, have a winner at each location to avoid too much internal competition. Contests should be fun, not cutthroat.
Now, what about the office itself? Is it in need of a facelift? Nothing major, but enough to make it feel new again? According to several sources, including
www.lifehacker.com, January is a good month for some investments in the office.
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Is it time for new carpet or some updated furniture? January seems to be the best month for making these purchases. Take a good look at the traffic wear patterns on your flooring and if it needs replacing, do it. Now look at the waiting area furniture. Is it scratched, dirty or just worn out and dated? If the frames are in good shape perhaps just some paint and new upholstery will do the trick. How’s the artwork on the walls? Getting tired of the dogs playing poker or the frame manufacturers’ calendar yet? Ask the staff, they have to live with it every day.
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Speaking of walls, how’s the paint looking? Fingerprinted, chipped, faded or stained? Paint is the least expensive thing you can do to update the office.
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January is also a good month for purchasing appliances. Consider upgrading the refrigerator or microwave in the breakroom. Perhaps the entire office would enjoy one of those single serve coffee makers. It sure beats losing a staff member to a coffee run in the afternoon.
Last but not least, show yourself some love. You own this business and you’ve survived the holidays and a sluggish economy. Give yourself a break!
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Learn to or force yourself to delegate. You have the best staff you could hire; now let them take some responsibility off your shoulders. They’ll probably NOT surprise you by doing a great job. If you have store managers in place, let them manage.
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Thank someone everyday. You’ll be surprised by how good it feels and how motivating it can be for your staff, your family, your letter carrier or the delivery person.
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Take an hour every day to read a book or listen to music or work in the garden. Whatever your passion is, don’t keep it on the back burner. If you must be in the office, lock your office door, turn off the phone and take a power nap or play Solitaire on your computer or call your Mom or Dad and just talk.
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Visit the Humor Project at www.humorproject.com. Click on their catalogue and order a Smile on a Stick for everyone. February is the shortest month of the year yet somehow feels like the longest. It’s still cold outside and evenings come early. Everyone’s gonna need a good laugh. According to the Mayo Clinic using laughter as a stress reliever is no joke.
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can ‘enhance your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles, and increase the endorphins that are released by your brain.’ Laughter can improve your immune system by releasing neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses.
So, show ‘em some love and have a few laughs to start this New Year. Your patients will appreciate it, your staff will appreciate it and you just may jump start the best year you’ve enjoyed in a long time!
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