Tag Archives: Vision Expo

VISION EXPO 2012: Think Different (part 2)

March 21, 2012 By in Strategy Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Last week, at MIDO in Milan, Steve Jobs was on my mind.  This week in New York as Vision Expo gets underway, he is on my mind more than ever!  I am sitting here (in a break) at the annual VM Summit which is always a great day of idea sharing, discussion of new trends, and a chance to see old friends and colleagues.  This year’s summit theme is “Innovation Everywhere”.  They could easily have stolen a page out of the Jobs playbook and called it THINK DIFFERENT.  Given everything I have been writing about in this blog, this topic of innovation is very timely and obviously very near and dear to me personally. My mission in writing this has been to share my experiences to help ECPs  grow their practice and be more competitive in the new retail environment.  Today’s morning panel discussion has crystallized many things we have discussed over the past months. Here is what it means to THINK DIFFERENT:

  1. Innovation (defined as solving real problems for real people) is key to an enduring company – if we do not innovate, we will be left behind.
  2. Disruptive technology and disruption in general is changing our entire landscape.  We need to embrace new ideas and new technology and new products, or we will be left behind.
  3. The future is sooner and stranger than you think – if we are not planning for this new future, again, we will be left behind.
  4. We need to surprise and delight our patients/consumers/customers.  What is least expected is what is MOST valuable.
  5. Consumers today crave information – we need to be information and service providers and be patient-centric.  Not transaction-centric.

To summarize this, the focus of the panel discussion was about providing a unique experience.  And this made me think about a post I did back in November on Strategy Development.  As you think about your strategy, you MUST think about the 5 points listed here.  And as you think about your strategy, think about how unique product and providing a unique experience will help set you apart from the competition.  Think about how to THINK DIFFERENT.

Thanks to the people at Jobson and Vision Monday for sponsoring such a great annual event.  Enjoy Vision Expo!

Buying IV – Trade Show Season

February 3, 2012 By in Buying Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Trade show season is fast coming upon us.  Mido is a few weeks away.  Vision Expo is less than 2 months away.  And there are MANY smaller regional or state sponsored shows throughout the spring selling season.

Why do we all visit trade shows? To see new products? To buy new products? To efficiently work with our current partners? To get necessary education credits? Because we have been doing it for years? An excuse to travel?

While trade shows can be challenging, as they’re expensive to attend and take away valuable time from the office/practice, they can also be very effective as part of an overall buying strategy IF planned and managed properly.  Here are a few things to consider when planning and then visiting a trade show:

  • LOOK:  Take time to walk around and actually see the trade show.  If you have wall-to-wall appointments at a show you may find you did not really feel like you attended a show….  You just had meetings that could have been held anywhere.  Try planning a half a day with NO appointments or scheduled commitments.  Just walk around and look and talk to people.  You never know what you might see or learn or who you might meet.
  • LEARN: Take some classes on topics that interest you – and always take a business/merchandising class to learn about the newest ideas and trends in the industry.
  • TALK:  Make sure to always meet new people and vendors and see new collections.  You may not have time back at the office so a trade show is a great place to make time and see that new collection you had heard about, or meet the vendor who has been calling you with an intriguing new idea or new collection.
  • OBSERVE: I hate to succumb to trade show psychology, but see what booths are busy.  There is usually a reason.  The booth may not be for you but you should at least know what “all the fuss is about”.
  • ASK:  Ask your patients and staff in advance what they feel is missing from your current offerings.
  • STUDY: In advance of a trade show, make sure to do some planning and research.  Aside from the above, make sure to set the appointments you know you need to make, make sure to research new brands or collections in advance (so you have an idea of what you want to see live and in person), and make sure to leave time for all the above ideas as well.

Is this something with which you have experience?  Please share!  Thank you.

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