What Do Hearing Aid Buyers WANT To Know?

For many of my customers, the purchase of a pair of hearing aids is a complex, even stressful experience. Most have never been to a hearing aid dispenser before. Few have ever undergone a hearing evaluation. And most don’t even know what questions to ask.

They find themselves in a strange new world with a new vocabulary: frequency, nerve deafness, binaural hearing. And, these same people are looking at a high-priced purchase – often an expense they weren’t expecting.

So, when a customer enters one of my stores I immediately take steps to put them at ease. For example, I keep jars of penny candy on my shelves. Instant ice breakers, though it hasn’t done much for my waist line.

How Can I Help You?

I don’t jump right in and start selling. I want to learn more about the customer. Why are they in my store? What do they need and how can I help them?

Once I have an inkling of the client’s needs I walk them through the process of buying a hearing aid and show them a wide range of prices at different price break points. The usual reaction is shock, as in sticker shock. This is where the hearing aid dispenser becomes teacher. There’s no selling going on. Your customers want straight information.

I’ve also noticed that, even after I’ve explained the purchase cycle, I still get telephone calls with questions. Why? Well, some customers are chewing on gummi bears. But most are distracted by the environment, the new terms, the numerous options – and once they get home and have had the opportunity to think about all that I’ve said, they develop a long list of questions.

If I can provide the information in written form, it saves me time on the telephone. More importantly, it creates an educated consumer – one who knows the right questions and is looking for the right answers from you.

There’s lots of information about hearing loss and hearing aids on the world wide web but much of it is product literature, which usually contains confusing charts and graphs, or it’s thinly disguised sales copy passing as informational content.

So, I wrote up my own educational information and it’s available to you at no charge.

To learn more about these free educational materials, please visit Hearing Tutor  - the one web site devoted to improving the business of hearing aid dispensers