10 STEPS TO THE Ultimate LASIK Consultation

10 STEPS TO THE Ultimate LASIK ConsultationStreamline your LASIK consultation and fast track your practice to success – we’ll focus on 10 key steps every practice should incorporate into their LASIK consultation process that will lead to an exceptional patient experience and will help your conversions soar:

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What Happens on the Phones Matters!

Reminder Protocol – Could Yours Use an Overhaul?

Does Your Practice Live up to its Promises?

Consultation Flow – Streamline for Success

Effective, Meaningful Staff Interaction - It’s a Team Approach

Collateral & Patient Education Tools

Presentation of the Price – Make it a Science!

Interaction With the Surgeon – Minutes to Make an Impact

The Infamous Close

Follow Up – Add a Personal Touch

The average practice LOSES 40% of phone leads and only

CONVERTS 45% of calls to consults. Taking an interest in how your

phones are handled not only make a dramatic difference in a

patient’s perception of the practice, but also to your bottom line.

Don’t make the mistake of overlooking the basics and implement

simple strategies like standard greetings, and a no voicemail

policy to ensure instant availability and consistency. Also take into

consideration the staff and who is actually answering these calls.

Have they been trained? Are they educated about the procedure

and what your practice offers? Make no mistake – patients choose

your practice over the competitor largely based on their initial

experience on the phones. By mastering the conversation, and

gathering information about the patients needs, and concerns

can shape the outcomes of the LASIK consultation later on.

1. What Happens on the Phones Matters!

A successful LASIK call should be able to answer “YES” to these questions:

u Have you branded or differentiated your practice?u Have you shown there is more value in having LASIK with you vs. a competitor?u Have you discussed the patient’s motivations or alleviated their fears?u Did we bond with the patient?

The Average Practice

loses 40% of phone leads

converts only 45%

to consults

Assessing your current reminder system and identifying opportunities for improvement

can make a vast difference in a patient’s overall experience. Are you using text or email

reminders or are you still sending your reminders through snail mail? Do you have an

automated system that makes reminders, or a live person making reminder efforts? What

you send makes a strong statement about your practice, so make sure whatever reminder

system you are using, you take advantage of the opportunity to further differentiate your

practice from the competition. By incorporating powerful brand messages such as years of

experience, or your commitment to patient care and the most advanced technology, you can

influence patient decision and instill confidence, even before patients come into your office.

A streamlined system for follow up provides invaluable opportunity to brand your practice,

and solidify in the patients’ minds that they’re making the right choice. Go above and beyond

and utilize your staff to make a real and memorable impact.

You think you’re great. That’s why you want patients to experience your practice. But what

do they think? Ensure that the patient’s perception of your practice matches your branding

efforts perfectly to avoid any letdowns. Does your practice scream “We’re the premier

leading LASIK provider in the area”?, or “We do LASIK occasional.” Try and take a good look

at your practice with FRESH eyes to determine if you are delivering on all of your promises.

Even practice aesthetics from curb appeal, to the reception area, to exam lanes and

collateral should reflect cohesive brand messaging. Updating outdated brand posters, floor

mats, or even wall colors, can make a huge impact on your overall brand image.

Never lose sight on how small changes can impact conversions either. Going the extra

mile, with unexpected touches, such as reception perks and refreshments, or even a

personal patient concierge, can show patient’s how invested you really are.

Does Your Practice Live up to its Promises?

Reminder Protocol – Could Yours Use an Overhaul?2.

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Time is valuable – yours and the patient’s – so

manage it wisely. Avoid redundancy by assessing

current consultation flow and streamline where

available. Each interaction should pack a

punch, so focus on valuable engagement,

rather than lengthy conversations. A logical,

well planned sequence of events will save

time, eliminate redundancy, effectively

use surgeon’s time and keep the patient

moving in the right direction.

Effective, consistent communication and a collaborative team approach with every

consultation is instrumental in taking your conversions to the next level, while

utilizing your time and the patients’ time effectively.

The front desk should be warm and welcoming with direct eye contact and a friendly

smile. Technicians and/or O.D.’s should take the time and effort to make a personal

connection too by explaining every step of the process and sharing the results of each

test. Patients will open up and give you valuable information, so be prepared to take notes!

Counselor interaction should be tailored to suit each individual patient. Whether it’s about

discovering personal motivations or even personality type, capitalize on it. Is your patient going

on vacation? Make sure you note how enjoyable it will be without the frustration of glasses and

contacts. Does your patient have a Type A personality? Note the impressive results and advanced

technology that your surgeon offers. By communicating with each patient appropriately, you can

more narrowly target what he or she needs in order to convert.

Recommended Consult Flow includes:

u Reception Greeting

u Testing process – technicians and O.D.’s

u Patient education and counselor interaction

u M.D. experience

u Closing

Effective, Meaningful Staff Interaction - Make it a Team Approach

Consultation Flow – Streamline for Success4.

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Heavily branded collateral and patient education tools are an important part of an

effective LASIK consultation. These materials directly impact the patients’ perception

of your practice, and can cement in their minds the fact that they’ve made the right

choice for LASIK. Assess your practice collateral and patient education materials to

make sure they cohesively tie together with your practice identity and message. A

polished, professional presentation will make a strong impact on your patients, all

while showcasing the unique details of your practice. Capitalize on these details and

your patient starts to equate the type of value they will receive when choosing you.

Patient education doesn’t stop at the consult! What you give to patients will directly

affect other decision makers. Arm them with materials that portray your practice in

the best possible light, and you will find yourself not only converting 1 person, but

their whole family!

Collateral Patient Education Tools

Are you supplying your patients with an expertly focused and branded professional brochure, or a generic brochure from one of the technology companies?

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Price is the one area, counselors report having the most difficult time. And honestly speaking

it can be tricky, if you haven’t done the appropriate groundwork to uncover motivations

and objections. Price presentation should be a formal, streamlined part of the consultation

process that is timed perfectly, and utilizes branded materials to reinforce perceived value and

branding points.

AffordabilityIf you aren’t a low cost provider, many counselors find it difficult to even quote patients nearly

$4,000 for a bilateral LASIK procedure. Keep in the mind the following to help break down costs

for even the most price conscious shoppers:

Presentation of the Price – Make it a Science!

Offer Promotions or Financing Options

Don’t expect your patients to

ask. If you offer a promotion or

financing plans be upfront about

the different ways you can make

the procedure fit their budget.

They will appreciate you going

out of your way to help.

Insurance

If your company matches or

participates with possible

insurance plans, contact their

insurance company and see if

the patient qualifies. Do some of

the leg work for them, and it just

may pay off.

FSA Plans

FSA plans are a great way to make LASIK

affordable. If your patient has a health

savings or FSA account, they can use all

or even a partial amount to put a dent

in the payment. By combining this, and

a financing plan, LASIK is that much

more achievable for patients that are

excited about moving forward.

Credit Cards and Cash

Nothing wrong with cold-hard cash.

Make it worthwhile for your patients

and offer a cash discount. Credit cards

are great too. Remind patients that

with the potential points they earn,

they could take their new vision on a

vacation?

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It goes without saying that our surgeon’s time is valuable. Use this time wisely and a

brief, meaningful interaction between the patient and your M.D. will help skyrocket

your conversion rates. A streamlined consultation process, combined with collaborative

communication, will allow these precious minutes to be used wisely for a real and

lasting impact.

• Minimize chair time, maximize impact

- Keep it brief and engaging.

• Instill confidence, reconfirm candidacy, provide psychological reassurance

- A firm handshake and a few sentences can make all the difference for a

patient, and remove any doubt or uneasiness about moving forward.

• Create lasting personal bond in seconds with the help of collaborative efforts and

communication with LASIK team

- Make sure to use a patient’s name, and highlight any of the discovered

motivations, fears to let the patient know your practice was listening.

Interaction With the Surgeon – Minutes to Make an Impact 8.

You’re almost there. Make sure you can check off

the following before moving forward:

u You’re 100% confident that a genuine bond has

been established with the patient

u You’ve uncovered key objections and are confident

that they’ve been effectively addressed

u You’ve discovered the patient’s motivations for

wanting LASIK and have used throughout the

conversation – circle back and utilize again

u You’ve differentiated your practice from the

competition effectively

u You’ve created value

Now get them scheduled, congratulate the patient and send

them off with unmistakable excitement!

A completed surgery isn’t the end. A personalized follow up can be

an unexpected touch that sends the message that your practice goes

above and beyond in terms of exceptional patient care and customer

service. Every patient should receive a personal patient follow-up from

counselor that includes a business card with direct dial, email address,

and even cell phone. Text messaging even makes it easier just to check

on the patient and their satisfaction. Go the extra mile and you can

make regular patients into brand ambassadors.

The Infamous Close

Follow Up – Make it Personal

Tip: Avoid open-ended

questions. Instead of saying,

“When would you like to

schedule?” Say, “I have a

surgery spot opened next

Thursday. Does 1pm or 2pm

work better?” This will help

curb future objections.

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Tip: Post-op gifts can be powerful and

thoughtful. T-shirts, sunglasses and water

bottles are popular amongst millennials.

THE PRACTICE GROWTH EXPERTS SINCE 1998.

(877) 721-1991eyemaxgroup.com

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