The local hearing aid practitioner, with one or two outlets, relies on community trust to build a successful business. This isn’t just trust among existing customers. This is the business’ reputation as a good community citizen.
And the best way to create trust and demonstrate your community citizenship is to perform good deeds that help those living in your service region.
Hearing Aid Practitioner
and Business Development Consultant,
John M. Adams III
You’re the hearing expert. Visit schools and teach the hearing process and provide the means to protect the delicate workings of the inner ear.
With younger students, explain how we hear, explain how fragile the human hearing mechanism is and provide a short warning about protecting the hearing mechanism and the dangers of MP3 players and long-term exposure to loud noise of any kind.
Older students – high school aged – are more prone to hearing loss caused by exposure to the ubiquitous ear buds. Here, you can make a stronger case for hearing health and spend less time on the actual mechanics of hearing. Use your visual aids to give your audience the once over lightly before shifting gears and defining the dangers to hearing that surround us today.
Conduct an Adult Education Class
Two or three hours of solid, pragmatic information on when to buy a hearing aid and the current state of hearing technology provides a valuable service to the community. Donate your time and keep the sales pitch to a minimum.
Again, describe, in detail, the hearing process. Provide the names of the parts of the ear and, if possible, make handouts of the inner ear for take-aways.
Spend more time on the causes of hearing loss at various ages – traumatic hearing loss, hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noise and nerve deafness – one of the unpleasant aspects of the aging process.
Be sure to cover the features and costs associated with hearing devices. In short, educate the consumer so that when s/he walks in to your store in a week or two, you don’t have to repeat what the consumer learned in your class.
In your class description, call your program A Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids and go through the various considerations a consumer should weigh when making a hearing aid purchase. Be sure to cover pros AND cons. You’re a teacher in this role, not a salesperson.
Donate Your Time, Talents and Re-Furbs
Donate your time by conducting hearing tests on the road. Go to the client who’s house bound, for example. Simplify the buying process and do something nice for a neighbor.
Take your customers old units and clean them up. Donate these re-furbs to community organizations for distribution. Also donate your time tuning these devices for the recipients to provide a satisfying listening experience.
You have old units. You can get old units. So, fix them up and let someone else enjoy a better quality of life.
Sponsor Local Activities
A health fair? You’re in. You’ll spend a little to defray expenses but you’ll have the opportunity to do something nice for the people in your service region. A free hearing evaluation.
What about sponsoring a local sports team? The costs are minimal (uniforms and equipment) but the benefits keep on giving. And again, you demonstrate your commitment to being a good commercial citizen.
Take an ad in the year book. Donate earplugs to the band. Perform pro bono whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. Cast bread on the waters.
Maintain Your Outlet’s Appearance
Paint it, power wash it, clean the windows, hire a cleaning service for the interior. Part of being a good community citizen is to present the best appearance you can – even if you have to pay for these services out of your own pocket. Consider the money spent an investment in the reputation and growth of your business.
Join a Service Organization
As a member of the Chamber of Commerce you demonstrate commitment to the highest standards of service and business ethics. As a member of the Elks or Lions, a commitment to the betterment of your town.
Here’s the point, and it’s a simple one: good deeds come back to you in ways you can’t imagine. By doing good deeds in your community, you not only help your neighbor, you also help grow your business and everybody wins.
Good deeds do equal good business.
John M. Adams III
jma3@hearingtutor.com
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