Use Email to Build Your Hearing Aid Business

Stay in touch, now, okay?

The basis of any successful business venture is repeat business – business that comes back to you on its own. NO marketing required. Without repeat business, your on-line web site must be constantly marketed. As the old saying goes, “It’s much easier to keep a client than to find a new one.”

In building a successful hearing aid business, nothing is more true. But keeping in touch with your client base is expensive and time consuming, right? Well, it used to be but today, when most households have web access, staying in touch with your regulars is easy – even automated – leaving you more time to provide higher quality services to the new folks who come through the door.

Build a Database

You need email addresses to send email. So, as part of the in-take process, capture that email address along with the usual telephone number, street address and other contact information. Getting an email address should be a routine part of every in-take.

You can also collect email addresses at health fairs (SIGN UP FOR OUR HEARING HEALTH NEWSLETTER), at speaking engagements, on your outlet’s web site, social events – heck, grab an email address at every opportunity. And as your d-base grows, your ability to stay in touch with clients becomes easier.

And, get this, it doesn’t cost anything!

Auto-Responders (ARs)

Auto-responders are pre-written emails that are sent out automatically for different purposes. Here are some examples of how auto-responders are used by the savvy hearing aid professional.

New prospects receive an auto-responder as soon as the email is entered into the business’ database thanking the recipient for his or her interest in your hearing center, and reminding these email recipients about the importance of regular hearing evaluations.

This is a pro-active approach and one that your competitors probably DON’T use, giving you an advantage. Now, don’t be a pest, but set up your auto-responder software so prospects get a short, helpful message every few months. Eventually, some of these people will start making appointments.

Appointment reminders can also be pre-written with the actual date and time of the recipient’s hearing evaluation taken from your client management software or database.

I send out the first reminder 14 business days before the appointment date. A second reminder goes out the week of the appointment and a third reminder goes out the day before the scheduled visit. This significantly cuts down on wasted time because people “forgot” their appointments. Your time is valuable and, frankly, many people don’t realize that a missed appointment costs you time and money.

Birthday greetings work wonders. As part of the in-take process you’ll grab the birth date of your newest client. Set up your auto-responder to send out birthday greetings on the appropriate day. You don’t have to remember a thing, you show courtesy and you show you care about your clients.

Holiday greetings. This one is a plain ol’ no-brainer.

Special events like health fairs, special sales, in-store presentations, speaking engagements – all of these announcements can be sent to your regulars, keeping them regulars.

Recalls, upgrades and ear news can also be sent out as you receive it. Consider a regular, quarterly newsletter with hearing health information, specials on after-care products, free batteries – you get the idea.

A big thank-you after a prospect is converted gets the auto-responder ball rolling. Again, the message is pre-written and stored on your computer. The auto-responder software, synched up to your d-base, sends a “thank you for your business” along with some specials to keep that first time buyer coming back.

Staying in touch with existing clients, and building your existing base with new clients, takes good communication, but who’s got the time?

Well, with auto-responders, your communications are customizable, timely and totally automated so you don’t have to spend time keeping in touch.

An e-mail from you on a client’s birthday says a lot about you and your business. So, if you don’t use AR software, if you don’t employ a database and you don’t collect email addresses, you’re missing one of the best advertising and marketing opportunities available to the small, independent hearing aid professional.

Drop your clients a line to say ‘Hi.” You’re much more likely to see those folks back in your store for upgrades and after-care where you can greet them with a smile and handshake.

Oh, and if you don’t have a clue how to hook up AR software with your growing database, hire a professional to do it for you. This kind of opportunity is well worth the expense to stay in touch and grow a successful business.

Looking for more tips to grow your hearing aid center to profitability faster? Okay, visit hearingtutor.com for marketing materials, hand-outs and advice on growing your business faster than you ever thought possible.