Marge Axelrad: Editorial Director
While more than a few of you are no doubt ready to say a fond “buh-bye” to the often tumultuous year that was 2009, it’s a good time to assess what the year meant for business and how we can translate those lessons into a positive approach to 2010. Three things strike me as important trends.
One is The New Consumer Mindset. From the vantage point of price points to the relevance and tone of certain brand and service messages, there’s a new dialog that’s in play with your customers. People are considering where they spend their dollars, they’re looking for connection and meaning in how they invest time and money. Taking the time to learn how your practice or retail store is fulfilling these new priorities is paramount. One way to do that leads to the second trend:
The Internet as Essential Connection to Patients and Consumers. New tools via the Web, whether email, social media, appointment bookings or general eyecare guidance and info from you to your patients/customers now need to be a consistent element of any practice or retail business and catch-up time is NOW. In May, we started a new e-newsletter, CLICK, to bring to your attention some of these (check out back editions on www.visionmonday.com), but the Internet is no longer a “nice to have” piece of your business, it’s a critical element that needs to be integrated into whatever you do in “real life” practice settings.
The third trend that has emerged is Wellness & Eye Health. This is a fantastic time to consistently beat the drum on the message of regular eyecare’s involvement in healthy living, the role eye exams play in detecting everything from hypertension to diabetes. It puts a premium on the valuable services all ECPs deliver. ■
—maxelrad@jobson.com