Thinking Allowed: Eurisko

By Julian Wiles

The past thirty years has seen major changes in both the optical retail and wholesale sector. Where privately owned businesses are working hard against the seemingly relentless tide of commercialism. What do we expect when professional buyers, marketers, trainers and advertising agencies come face to face with the clinician running their privately owned enterprise?

The thing is the challenges are essentially the same for any business. To find people who want to buy what you have to offer and keep them coming back for more, which is all about information, communication and education. Commercial skills are not taught at the Universities and Colleges for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians. But they can be learned, quickly.

Here are the secrets you were never taught at University. Youll discover necessary mind set, the myriad choices and opportunities that are open to you today and tomorrow. Youll understand how everything is interlinked. Thinking Allowed is the book you read before you spend a single penny on marketing, advertising, websites or social media. Its the book you read if you have ever thought: my business is stuck or if you think: what do I do next?. Thinking Allowed offers a menu from which you can pick and choose whats right for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Aug 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524633097

Julian Wiles

I grew up in Churchdown, which was then a small village situated between Gloucester and Cheltenham where the local grammar school had just converted to a Comprehensive. and then it was onto Leicester University to read politics, comparative governments, philosophy, economics and International relations. Rugby was a major part of University life. After a brief sojourn in The City Of London, it was back to Gloucestershire to begin a career with The Norville Group, which is where this book began. Selling frames in the North west of England morphed into selling optical machines and lenses into the wholesale and distribution channels which took me into the Board rooms and offices of many major retailers and introduced me to lens suppliers from all over the World. In 2004 with a partner, I bought a small wholesale lens distribution business. In 2009 Performance Lenses Ltd was born and is currently a member of UK trade association; The Federation Of Manufacturing Opticians. During which time I was elected Vice Chair and subsequently Chair of the Lens Focus Group. The work of this committee is fascinating. I shall miss it.

Book preview

THE MENU

Ten Ways to Grow Your Business Profitably, Sustainably, and Ethically.

Ten Fundamental Principles

How to Buy Products Well That Will Generate Revenue For You

A Fast Business Health Check for You

The Joys of Freedom, of Fear, of Fairness, and of Failure

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Patients, Punters, Customers, Clients … or People?

Your Vision, Your Plan, Your People, and the People

What to Do if Your Business Is Stuck

Your Culture and Your Plan

Words

Change: What Will You Start, Stop, or Continue?

USP: Differentiation or Remarkable Products?

WIIFM?

By Interacting With …

Five Essential Steps for Each Product or Service You Have

Leadership: Personal Strengths You Will Find Helpful

Autonomy and What It Really Means for You

There Are No Right Answers – Only the Right Questions

Brands: Relevant or Redefined?

Information, Education, and Communication

Fourteen More Health Check Questions

Why People Might Not Buy from You

Pricing and the Psychology Behind Why Consumers Buy

Twenty Seven Possible Growth Areas

Adding Value

The Scientific Method

Your Environment and Your Philosophy

E-Commerce, Websites and Web Design, and Social Media

Advertising,

Recall Letters and Writing Great Copy

Your Five Biggest Challenges

Things You Can Do to Build Your Business That Don’t Cost Anything

Raising the Cost of Switching

How Your Brain Works

Intuition: Risk Evaluation

How You Really Make Decisions

It’s All in the Mind.

Fast Thinking versus Slow Thinking, and Why We Do What We Do

On Trust

Communicating Effectively

What the Retailers Are Thinking

So, You Hate Selling?

The Power of Influencing

Why Being a Good Optician Isn’t Good Enough

Are You Working in the Business or on the Business?

Mindset versus State of Mind

Finding the Perfect Client

Optimism

Optimisation

Something Is Broken. We know It’s Broken. Here Are Five Possible Responses

With Whom Are You Competing, and How Are You Competing?

Acknowledgements

TEN WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS PROFITABLY, SUSTAINABLY, AND ETHICALLY

There are probably more ways, and all of them are perfectly valid, but these are outside our scope: acquisition, refit, joint ventures or franchising, remodelling your business to separate out the clinical from the dispensing function, and relocation. The real profit killers are costs and expenditure, and they might be the easiest and quickest to address. Employing the right people is fundamental to your success. ‘Hire for personality, train for brains’ is probably the best advice around. Contracts of employment and shareholder agreements, if not written properly, could ruin an otherwise sound business if they are not watertight. Tax affairs are important, and there are specialists who can help you. This is part of your overall vision for the business, and only you can help you with that. There are whole books on each of these