David Samuel: How to prepare for growth

How to prepare for growth

With a backlog of patients to see, many practices are already seeing the potential for growth. One thing practices have noticed is by having a locked door policy and being able to fully focus on one patients at a time – they are better able to provide solutions to the visual challenges they face, resulting in more sophisticated dispensing and higher revenues, clearly a win-win for both the patients and the practice.

If practices are to manage the growth there are a number of factors to consider to fuel this growth and also a number of factors that could potentially inhibit this predicted growth.

 The most obvious is the potential for further coronavirus variants adversely impacting people’s health, and the associated restrictions or lockdowns could impact their financial health. Whilst we will need consider this, we need also to consider how we will manage the growth in the economy to make the most of opportunities.

Differentiate your business

We do not operate in a vacuum and if we think there are opportunities, so will our competition. Differentiation will help you stand out from the crowd, particularly important in a bury market. Those who manage to create a compelling reason why they should be the chosen practice for the patients they want to target will reap the rewards.

Differentiation is all about being very clear about what makes you different and communicating that effectively. Being unique doesn’t just mean providing excellent customer service; every  business believes they offer excellent customer service – you have to crystallise exactly WHY your business exists and appeal to your markets emotions.

Target your perfect customers

Targeting the right customers and patients is a fundamental part of running a successful business. Whilst this it is of course essential to constantly secure a flow of new patients to replace the ones who leave you, in periods of growth there is a huge opportunity to attract and keep new patients.

By focussing your efforts on well-defined customer types could make all the difference. The concept of defining customer types is sometimes an alien concept, but if you think about for example, cars, brands such as Audi, Mini, Volvo and Kia all build their branding and proposition around people with a certain lifestyle preferences. Mention these brands and particular types of customers will immediately spring to mind.

So you can ask yourself the question, when your “brand” is mentioned to people in your locality – what types of people spring to their minds? It is almost impossible for you to answer this yourself because you are so close to your business. Perhaps one way would be to commission some local researchers to ask people. It is quite simple and inexpensive to do and could give you some fascinating insight as to whether your communication and proposition is hitting the spot.

By not falling into the trap of trying to be all things to all people, you can create a much stronger and more resilient brand. By focussing your resources on your highest potential opportunities, you will be more efficient at really targeting the customers that you can win.

Remember the emotion

When you understand your various customer types, you can start to think about how to connect emotionally with them. Most purchases are made through emotion and justified by logic after the sale. Understanding what your potential new customers are looking for will enable you connect with them more effectively than your competition.

At present I would suggest that people want a positive feeling, perhaps they want a little bit of fun and release from the restrictions they have been living with. That doesn’t necessarily mean giving up the safety measures, but it could mean presenting your practice in a positive, joyful way that will create an emotional link with your practice brand.

Work On as well as IN your business

After such an unprecedented time (remember that word), the prospect of increased confidence and a new cycle of growth is precisely what the doctor ordered. How well you capitalise on this opportunity will depend on how prepared you are to work ON as well as IN your business.

By focussing on these three things, you can increase your chances of growing quickly and profitably over the next 2-5 years.

To find out more about how SightCare can help you take the step towards finding the right business coach to help you take your business forward please email info@sightcare.co.uk or call 01256 781522.

First published in Optician July 2021