Marge Axelrad Editorial Director

People, it’s a new year, even as the headline news continues to be disheartening.

And while consumer confidence continues to be challenged, the thing to remember is that your conviction, as the leader of your business, remains paramount in creating trust and support from your associates as well as among your patients and retail customers.

Working to keep uncertainty in check in the day-to-day doings of your practice will be enhanced by staying focused and creating avenues for everyone on your internal team to participate in constructive solutions as well as planning constructive timeouts for rethinking longer-term strategies for operating smart. As one columnist said, “Consumers are looking for an antidote to gloom.”

Many business experts advocate a simple idea: focus on your most loyal customers and leverage your relationships with these important supporters. Build out how you connect with them, be sure you are thorough in assessing a complete picture of their eyestyle/lifestyle needs. Communicate ‘”after,” meaning keep the contact going. Develop your Web site as a resource.

On the dispensing front, don’t pre-judge, but be sure you and your team are trained on the attributes of all of the products you present. It might mean that you literally re-examine these as a group and redefine the words and dialogue you use to explain these.

Remember, the “patient’s experience” of your practice or retail operation is a collective of many things, from the way the location looks to how you move people from the exam lane to the dispensary.

Walk the walk, talk the talk. Eyecare is important and so are today’s eyewear solutions. ■