tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85121215234287863112012-02-09T03:11:33.954-08:00Hearing Aid Marketing 101Suggestions and tips for hearing technology retailers.John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-6585277482346040232009-12-14T07:56:00.000-08:002009-12-22T07:58:10.140-08:00Protecting Your BusinessWhen you have a business, you need to be able to protect the assets you have and this is where your insurance comes into play. If you were to have a fire or other hazard that destroyed this business, would you still be able to recover? The main thing that most people worry about in the event of a catastrophe that totally wipes out their business is how long it will take to get them up and runningJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-50481899079662631612009-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:002009-12-22T07:54:36.466-08:00Provide Personalized ServicesOne sure way to market your business and have repeat customers is to ensure that you make your customers feel they are important to you. This can be done in a number of ways. One of the best ways is to keep in touch with your regular customers so they will continue to be customers.
Build an Email List
How can you keep in touch and let them know they are important to you? One of the ways is from John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-47900388400698763552009-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:002009-12-22T06:53:23.050-08:00The Importance of a WebsiteWhen considering the outlets available for advertising, briefly mentioned was the website. This can be one of the best types of advertising you will have at your disposal. There are many people who no longer look elsewhere for whatever they are trying to find. The Internet has become such an informational outlet that this is the first stop to find whatever is being searched.
The Basic Website
John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-73898177485070820882009-10-23T06:46:00.000-07:002009-12-22T06:47:42.591-08:00Mailing Lists are Often an OptionEveryone has received mail from a local business that has decided to run a mail campaign in an effort to generate more business. This sometimes is a good approach especially if you are mailing something of value. Many companies use this method to offer something free to the consumer which will help to get them into their store. Choose a Mailing List House that is TrustworthyHearing aid outlets John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-35437774658395290022009-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:25:57.191-08:00Advertising is Another Key ElementWhat is your budget for advertising? This is another extremely important aspect of marketing your hearing aid outlet. The consumer will not know you exist if you do not let them know where you are, your business hours and what services you provide. The money you spend on advertising will be well worth it when the customers start doubling or tripling.
Using Advertising to Your Advantage
The John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-41890740352390391672009-09-02T10:18:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:13:49.038-08:00Your Hearing Aid OutletNo matter where your outlet is located, whether it is in a mall or an office building in a professional area of your city, your hearing aid outlet is going to project your business. There are a few things you can do to help market your business to the best of your ability. It is often the little things you do that make people much more comfortable shopping in your store.
Look through the John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-63956091782108436712009-08-16T05:21:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:14:34.855-08:00Is Your Hearing Center GREEN?
Hearing aid specialists may not realize it but they’re in a great position to help the planet stay green. Not only is it good public relations, it’s good for the environment – good for all of us today and in the future.
So what can you do? Here are some suggestions.
1. Use mercury-free batteries. Mercury is a heavy metal that is highly toxic to humans. And many hearing aid batteries contain John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-34648160700684308012009-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:15:13.964-08:00Use Email to Build Your Hearing Aid BusinessStay 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 John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-41962326724817295922009-07-20T06:43:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:15:35.542-08:00Hearing Aid Specialists: Insuring Against RiskProtect What You've Got
As a dispensing audiologist or hearing aid practitioner, you most likely have a standard commercial policy that covers the risks associated with running a health services business. But, have you considered all of your risk exposure? What about a catastrophic loss? Loss of business and income?
There are numerous commercial policies sold by a variety of insurers – some a John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-28062439714800071132009-07-10T07:19:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:17:09.731-08:00Public Speaking: Short, Sweet and FunnyIntroducing Our Speaker This Evening,
John M. Adams III
I’m often asked to speak to groups about hearing loss. Now, I know speakers who go in with slide shows, frequency charts and other visual aids that, frankly, confuse the audience.
I use a different approach. When asked to speak, I keep it short, sweet and, if I can add a little humor, so much the better. After all, hearing health is not John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-8417776138786845112009-06-22T04:13:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:17:31.831-08:00Are Your Customers Welcomed?WELCOME EACH PROSPECT PERSONALLY, AND MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE IN YOUR HEARING CENTER
How do you attract customers to your hearing aid center? Newspaper advertisements? The yellow pages? TV and radio spots? A website? The fact is, you should be using all of these marketing tools everyday. A day shouldn’t go by that you don’t advertise somewhere, using a variety of media.
It takes a lot of John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-50617438021968387452009-06-01T04:27:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:17:50.663-08:00Hearing Aid Retailers and the World Wide Web
PROSEPCTS FIND YOU THROUGH
LOCALIZED WEB SITES
Most of my friends who sell hearing aids – either as a one or two store independent or the owner of 12 franchises across a large geographic service area – employ a web site as part of their overall marketing campaign.
Unfortunately, for many, these websites were built years ago and have the look and features of 2004. Ancient in search engine John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-12867847621505075012009-05-27T13:01:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:18:13.236-08:00Hearing Aid Marketing 101 Presents Success Coach, Larry Wilson
Hearing Aid Marketing 101
Presents
World Renowned Success Coach Larry Wilson
Helping Leaders Learn to Coach Themselves and Others To“Choose Well to Live Well”
As a Leader:
How would it impact your company if increasing numbers of potential customers were seeking out your organization to become their supplier of choice?
What would happen if your best associates not only stayed John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-53310736985262329112009-05-26T03:17:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:18:47.043-08:00Post-Sale Marketing: Building a Business Family
Stay In Touch With Customers AFTER The Sale
Many dispensing audiologists and hearing aid practitioners figure that once the patient has been connected to the right device, properly tuned to test specs, their jobs are finished. And, in a sense they are finished – they have a happy customer.
However, once that customer leaves the store, pruned and tuned, the smart hearing aid professional should John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-18481615380859291092009-05-18T13:23:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:19:07.686-08:00Is Your Hearing Aid Outlet Comfortable?
"Please get comfortable."
You do it every day so entering your store is no big deal. It’s like walking in to your second home – the place you spend most of your time. And, because your office or retail store is the place you spend so much time, you might not even notice the things that would make a first-time visitor comfortable – or much worse, uncomfortable.
A comfortable visitor stays in John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-78912597365070980182009-05-15T11:05:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:19:33.533-08:00How to Build Positive Word of Mouth (WOM)
Educate Your Customers to Build Positive WOM
Each week you spend a great deal on advertising-at least you do if you own a successful hearing aid retail outlet. There’s that half-page insert in the newspaper, there’s store signage, radio spots, marketing materials. Let’s face it; you spend a lot of money on notifying prospects about your business and the services you offer.
It’s all part of John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-35193799576549126852009-05-12T11:52:00.000-07:002009-05-12T12:05:09.739-07:00"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: Ancient Lessons in Modern MarketingSun Tze was a Chinese military general who wrote the definitive text on military conflict in 600 BC. The book is still required reading at West Point and all other military academies. The principles set forth by Sun Tzu can be seen in practice in military conflicts throughout history. Dwight Eisenhower employed Sun Tze’s use of deception to make D-Day a success. Robert E. Lee, John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-82028529897397064502009-05-09T07:18:00.000-07:002009-05-09T07:25:25.010-07:00Cost-Per Acquisition (CPA): Max Your Marketing BudgetLook for spikes andtrend linesCost Per Acquisition If you use a local ad agency to manage your marketing ask for a statement on current CPA – cost per acquisition. This number is a simple formula of marketing dollars spent divided by the number of store visitors converted to buyers, and your agency will have these numbers in your file. If you manage your own marketing, calculate the CPA John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-10620047691899206872009-05-07T06:07:00.000-07:002009-05-07T06:14:08.897-07:00Conducting Productive In-TakesPut Your Customers At EaseThe in-take process is a valuable phase in the overall sales process. It’s an opportunity to gather critical client data for database storage. It’s also your opportunity to get to know the customer, his or her preferences, lifestyle, wants and needs. In fact, learning more about the customer’s preferences is the most important part of the in-take process. But first, howJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-25557634086384237882009-05-04T06:07:00.000-07:002009-05-04T06:24:30.512-07:00Tips to Lower Operating CostsASK EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY COULD GIVE BACKTrying to stay ahead in this difficult economy is almost impossible for the independent hearing aid dispenser. There’s competition, business expenses, and a market more interested in saving money than spending money even in matters of health. That means each individual hearing aid practitioner must find ways to cut business expenses without cutting the John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-91514982380901324802009-05-01T08:18:00.000-07:002009-05-01T08:26:04.742-07:0010 Tips to Engage Your Customers In Just Five MinutesListen to your customers.When a prospect walks through the door of your hearing aid outlet, it’s important to take a pro-active approach and begin delivery of services immediately through client engagement. Here are some tips to create an instant rapport with your store visitors. 1. Greet the visitor. That person came in for a reason, most likely a solution – one you’ll provide, so don’t stand John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-41706634762431544982009-04-29T06:07:00.000-07:002009-04-29T06:15:22.863-07:00Boost Hearing Aid Sales With Special PromotionsSHOW THE TOWNSFOLK THE LATEST IN HEARING SOLUTIONSHearing aid dispensers should take the vanguard role in leading the campaign to improve quality of life through better hearing. And, simultaneously, increase their business’ bottom line. Through special events and promotions, you attract the attention of people interested in learning more about hearing loss solutions. You also deliver servicesJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-58925642332908112742009-04-27T05:21:00.000-07:002009-04-27T05:28:11.225-07:00The Top of the Sales Arc: Part 2Low Profile; High PowerJust What The Customer OrderedTo learn more about the start of the sales arc, please click here. During the initial phase of the sales arc the hearing aid practitioner takes the time to learn about the lifestyle and preferences of the client. An in-take form is prepared and properly filed. And, if scheduled, the hearing professional may conduct a hearing evaluation to John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-19714930646754560552009-04-23T04:44:00.000-07:002009-04-24T03:34:17.849-07:00It’s The Little Things That Count: 10 Tips For Hearing Aid RetailersThe highly-trained men and women who dispense hearing aids have a very difficult job. They must first learn about the lifestyle of each client and then research the perfect hearing aid to fit the needs of the buyer. Further, as I’ve mentioned before in this blog, the hearing aid dispenser is often “the face” of the hearing industry, playing the important role of interface between technology and John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-82036653439228090032009-04-19T05:30:00.000-07:002009-04-19T05:42:19.588-07:00Discovery: Phase One of the Sales ArcConsider the consumer's lifestyle!As a hearing aid practitioner of 40 years, I’ve learned a great deal about people and technology. Certainly the technology has changed since I first began to practice. Back then, hearing aids were big, clunky and they weren’t very effective. Feedback, spikes in volume, limited tuning. Today, my clientele has also changed. When I started, I mostly saw people in John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-40978895711804504972009-04-15T07:10:00.000-07:002009-04-15T07:17:01.595-07:00Use Client Management Software To Stay In TouchStay in Touch With Clients Using A CMSIn order to survive in a contracting economy, small hearing aid retailers must find ways to cut costs while maintaining a stable client base – return customers who form the ballast of any well-established company. Today, technology provides some terrific tools that every hearing aid retailer should employ. Specifically, I’m talking about a client management John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-33929748931743162432009-04-13T08:08:00.000-07:002009-04-13T14:39:34.022-07:00Beating the Competition: Local Hearing Aid Retailers Go Ear to EarFrom Phonak: Protect Your MarketWith Quality ProductsWhen competition moves in to your service area, here's how keep your market share - and even grow it!By John M. Adams IIIAs a hearing aid practitioner you already know how difficult it is to draw in prospects. Many individuals who would benefit from a pair of hearing aids are put off by the process – testing, selection, fitting, adjustments, John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-48371182897137254392009-04-06T12:46:00.000-07:002009-04-06T12:57:00.225-07:00Do Print Ads Still Work?With all the talk about web-based advertising, personalized search and local search, there are lots of independent hearing aid practitioners rushing to build a web site ASAP, hoping to beat the competition and make a little of that web cash. But before you hire a pricy web site designer and smooth talking web writer, take a look at your marketing efforts as a whole. If you put all of your John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-84597932602084757382009-04-02T07:37:00.000-07:002009-04-02T07:45:05.450-07:00What 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 John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-91087702812456313002009-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:002009-03-26T07:48:51.663-07:00Use Marketing Materials To Cut CostsEDUCATE AND PRE-QUALIFY BUYERS USING SALES AND MARKETING MATERIALS.SHORTEN THE SALES ARC BY 25%Marketing costs always end up on the expense side of the ledger – and in many cases, marketing is a BIG expense. And in this contracting economy, you might be tempted to cut back on your marketing to save a little money. Don’t. Instead, use marketing materials to actually cut the cost of operating a John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-19201481176396576892009-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:002009-03-18T12:46:08.814-07:00Why Should A Customer Buy A Hearing Aid From You?Two million people in the U.S. currently wear hearing aids, and while we expect that number to grow as the Baby Boomers start looking for hearing solutions, the fact is that many hearing aid retailers are operating in highly-competitive markets.OFFER HEARING SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST HEARING AIDS If you have a few shops in a metropolitan area, you know that the competition is fierce. There are a John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-57613325924616875822009-03-16T10:52:00.000-07:002009-03-16T12:32:59.942-07:00Using Direct Mail To Drive Store TrafficYour Graphic Artist Will Point You To a Low-Cost PrinterDirect mail – post cards, self-mailers, letters, brochures, aka junk mail – has always been a staple of the hearing aid practitioners’ marketing effort. Some of these mailings really pull in traffic while others don’t even pay for themselves – at least right away. So, what can you do to improve the pull of your direct mail campaigns. A fewJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-88622728271264802582009-03-12T04:10:00.000-07:002009-03-16T12:35:25.413-07:00Transitioning to a Hearing Aid: Preparing Your ClientsWait 'Til You Hear What You've Been MissingAs I meet with independent hearing aid retailers across the country (13,000 strong), one “problem” that keeps coming up is the transition phase that takes place after the client has been fitted and is wearing hearing aids regularly. “ My voice sounds funny.” “It sounds tinny.” “I hear feedback whenever it comes near my watch!” Common complaints and John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-65737097554174004362009-03-10T04:22:00.000-07:002009-03-16T12:36:24.641-07:00Good Deeds = Good BusinessThe 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. Good deeds = good John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-38444186433555685852009-03-07T13:23:00.001-08:002009-03-16T12:37:00.502-07:00Use Marketing Collaterals to Help Consumers AND Make The SaleIt’s not at all unusual for an astute consumer to make an initial foray to your retail outlet. These prospects aren’t ready to be tested. They don’t want to look at product options. They’re after a few simple facts on their reconnaissance mission: Are you the right professional? What does a hearing aid cost? What are my product options? What do I John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-23274720634837793862009-03-03T06:24:00.000-08:002009-03-16T12:38:31.611-07:00Smart Marketing for Hearing Aid PractitionersWhen it comes to marketing, follow the money. Virtually all ad revenues for print media – newspapers, periodicals, telephone books, directories – are expected to decline in 2009. You want empirical evidence? Is your morning newspaper as thick as it used to be? Mine isn’t – especially on Mondays. Prospects want information not a sales pitch and the best way to give it to them? An interactive John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-180549262447591802009-03-01T13:45:00.000-08:002009-03-01T13:50:19.342-08:00Hearing Aid Practitioners: Six Tips to Lower Operating ExpensesHearing aid practitioners, whether owners of a single outlet or a chain of stores across a geo-specific service area, are feeling the pinch, just like all small business owners. So, where can you cut back? Well, cutting back on services creates backlogs of evaluations and unhappy customers. Cutting back on marketing, which may seem like a natural, is actually the worst thing any small business John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-84487716241093353192009-02-25T06:57:00.000-08:002009-02-25T07:02:52.127-08:00Reach Out: Help Your Community. Help Your Business.The independent hearing aid practitioner is faced with numerous business problems in an economy that’s frozen like a deer in the headlights. People aren’t spending. Banks aren’t lending and the small hearing aid business owner must compete with assisted listening devices that sell for $14.95 on TV. Tough times. But not desperate times – especially if the hearing aid practitioner takes a John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-51490851404623751242009-02-24T06:17:00.000-08:002009-02-24T06:20:49.759-08:00Don’t Sell Your Customers. Educate Them!Hearing aid practitioners form the interface between manufacturer and consumer. You won’t find a Phonak salesperson working with a customer. You won’t find an Oticon technician administering hearing evaluations at the local hearing aid outlet. Instead, it’s the hearing aid practitioner – the hearing aid dispenser – who interacts between manufacturer and end user – the consumer. And that puts John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-72472115232544414532009-02-23T05:50:00.000-08:002009-02-23T05:55:52.813-08:00Hearing Aid Retailers: Selling In A Contracting EconomyNo Toy Value?With cutbacks, layoffs and consumer sentiment at all-time lows, the hearing aid practitioner faces two fundamental problems in maintaining, much less growing, store revenues. Cash Flow The first, and most significant problem, independent retailers face is the slowing of cash flow. First, fewer consumers are buying, consumers that do purchase a pair of hearing aids opt for John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-20377310000895784762008-12-19T07:19:00.000-08:002008-12-19T07:41:33.578-08:00My Christmas Gift to You: An Ever-Expanding Customer BaseHappy HolidaysAn expanding, stable customer or client base is the foundation for any business’ long-term success. Without these repeat buyers and consumers, the small, hearing aid dispenser must constantly market and mine for new business.Remember the old adage: it’s much easier to keep a client than it is to find a new one. So, how do you keep your existing customers coming back? Here’s how I’veJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-75670302049836409322008-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:002008-12-18T13:57:32.029-08:00Staying In the Game: Work Longer, Hear BetterLet’s face it, hearing aids are expensive. A consumer can easily drop $3,000 on a pair of mid-tier instruments, and how many times have you had prospects come to your store, see the price tags and leave before a screen is even done. To these people, quality hearing is a discretionary purchase.However, that’s not always the case. More of us are seeing customers in their 30s, 40s and 50s – people John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-76876395223130103382008-12-12T05:56:00.000-08:002008-12-12T06:02:38.828-08:00Hearing Amps: Danger to Hearing, Danger to Business SELL QUALITY You can’t turn on the TV without seeing one of these commercials for hearing amplifiers – the ones that allow you to watch TV while your spouse sleeps quietly. You’ve seen them, and as a professional hearing aid technologist, you understand the dangers this junk poses to your prospects and your business.Why are hearing amps dangerous to hearing?Let’s start with John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-30159424078560142422008-12-06T06:13:00.000-08:002008-12-06T06:26:00.753-08:00Cut Costs, Not Services: Surviving Tough Economic TimesUnfortunately, during difficult economic times like those we’re now experiencing, hearing aid retailers have to find ways to stay afloat sailing on choppy revenue waters.The first place most hearing business owners turn is staff. Layoffs. Fewer hearing specialists. And that translates into slower delivery of services to your customers. Appointments for hearing evaluations may be scheduled weeks John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-7358849286571701582008-11-30T06:11:00.000-08:002008-11-30T06:25:19.944-08:00Reputation Management: Protecting Your Business' Good NameAs a hearing aid retailer, you have a special place within your community. Your outlet should present an attractive, well-maintained appearance and you and your staff should look professional at all times.The Artis Product Line From SiemensFirst impressions are lasting impressions so as people drive by your shop, you want them to know, each time they see your sign, that you’re a reputable John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-29397392722580185432008-11-26T06:24:00.000-08:002008-11-26T06:32:50.311-08:00Assessing Your Customers’ NeedsHearing aid technologists are in a unique position within the hearing aid industry. We’re the highly-trained, certified face of the industry. We’re the professionals who interact with customers.And that’s a big responsibility – one that should not be taken lightly. It’s often up to the hearing aid dispenser to fit customer and device for the least obtrusive, most satisfying hearing John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-7956882111952696502008-11-23T13:28:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:48:13.444-08:00Health Fairs and Community EventsIf you’re sitting in your store waiting for customers to walk through the front door, you aren’t making the most of your knowledge, experience and assets. Get out there and show them what you got.Health Fairs and Community EventsEvery community has its own special events. Fall fairs, in-store health checks, free holiday health programs and so on. These are ideal opportunities to get out into yourJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-64086737109938616662008-11-19T08:02:00.000-08:002008-11-19T09:03:09.709-08:00Remember, You Sell a ServiceLet’s say there are 20 or 30 competing hearing aid retailers in your sales region. Many of these outlets sell the same, well-known brand names – Phonak, Starky, GNResound, Oticon and other quality brands.Now this store might not carry Oticon and this one over here may not sell Phonak, but the point is this: most hearing aid retail outlets are selling out of the same book. There are only some manyJohn M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-68085819234894665712008-11-13T05:53:00.000-08:002008-11-13T05:56:25.137-08:00Your Retail Outlet. Looking Good?You only have one chance to make a good first impression. So, when new clients walk into your store, what do they see? Professionals hard at work? Neat displays of hearing device options? Informational literature on how to buy a hearing aid?Or do they see something starkly different – dusty counter tops, disheveled staff, faded product posters slowly falling from the wall. The look, the feel of John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-72123421356535958542008-11-11T11:31:00.000-08:002008-11-11T11:51:00.778-08:00Selling a Better Quality of Life With Hearing Aids Today's hearing aids are virtually invisible...or not.If your eyes start to go, you get them checked, you get a pair of glasses and life goes on. Not so with hearing loss. Oh, brother. Studies have been conducted that indicate that people who wear hearing aids are viewed as old, feeble and (I love this) broken!People with hearing loss are no more “broken” than people who wear glasses or other John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-14026582887039416072008-11-07T03:16:00.001-08:002008-11-07T03:19:53.038-08:00Free Hearing Screens: Helping the Community; Helping Your BusinessPeople don’t usually think about their hearing – until it’s gone! Then, we have a crisis on our hands – a crisis that could have been avoided if the client had sought help from a hearing professional earlier. That’s why free hearing screens are a win-win situation for small business owners dispensing hearing aids and prospective consumers.A complete hearing evaluation can take as long as 60 John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512121523428786311.post-42209560752734527552008-11-05T11:07:00.000-08:002008-11-05T11:12:55.669-08:00Why Would a Hearing Aid Dispenser Sell One Hearing Aid?I see it all the time.The client comes in for an evaluation and shows hearing loss in both ears. However, the cost of two hearing aids doubles the price and the client objects. It hurts enough to pay $1,000 for a basic unit. It hurts twice as much when you have to buy two units so clients will tell the hearing specialist that s/he doesn’t want to pay for the second device. One will John M. Adams IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14048289402899594972noreply@blogger.com0