Events

An Event hosted by a renowned Starkey Consultant is an effective, proven strategy for increasing community awareness and increasing hearing aid sales.

There are many important items that need to be done before your event start date. So, let’s get started!

Follow these simple steps to ensure your event is a success!

A multimedia approach of advertising (mail, newspaper, digital, outbound calling, radio, TV) including customer invitations has continued to be the foundation of a successful event.

Schedule appointments effectively. When scheduling appointments, start with the first day of your promotion and fill it up if possible. Make appointments every half hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, during the promotion, do not schedule service for existing patients unless absolutely necessary. (We have scheduling support available for inbound and outbound if you would like to take advantage of this benefit.)

All appointments, whether call-ins or telemarketed, need to have an appointment confirmation card mailed as soon as the appointment is made. Confirm all appointments the day before and make sure they have good directions. Remind them to ask their spouse or another family member to accompany them as they are 5 times more likely to purchase & keep the hearing devices with a loved one present.

A minimum of two testing rooms is recommended for ease in patient flow. Busy is a good thing, nobody wants to eat at an empty restaurant.

All office staff should be available to focus their full attention on the event. Ideally, when appointments are scheduled every half hour and the schedule is full, the patient load should be handled as follows: one staff member does testing, the Consultant introduces new technological options, and another staff member fulfills patient fittings or impressions.

Be sure to give the Open Enrollment Consultant a concise history of each patient, whether it is an existing patient or a new prospect.

It’s important that your patients feel comfortable while they wait for you. Also, make sure there are refreshments and fresh reading material in the waiting area. Coffee, water, and cookies and/or snacks make good refreshments and give your patients something to do while they wait. Balloons are a good place to start as it should not look like a normal day during this event. If you made it to this far in the checklist, good work. Please keep reading.

Meet with your Open Enrollment Consultant prior to the start of the event so that everyone understands how things will run. Make sure all your materials (audiograms, otoblocks, impression materials, pens, brochures, etc.) are on hand.

All equipment must be calibrated and in excellent working order.

It is imperative to have all financing options available.

Have the appropriate medical referrals handy for those who have medical problems or need cerumen management. Don’t lose sales because of earwax!

Be knowledgeable about the different insurance and HMO programs offered in your area. It’s important to know what you can and can’t do with each program’s members when it comes to hearing instruments. Find out if your prospect has coverage before turning them over to the Open Enrollment Consultant.

This event is special, so create a sense of excitement for the patients who visit during this time. Every staff member should not only wear a smile, but also treat each patient as if they are the last one you will ever have the opportunity to see.

Preparation for Event

There are many important items that need to be done before your event start date. So, let’s get started!

  • The combination of direct mail, newspaper advertising, and customer invitations has continued to be the foundation of a successful Event. A consistent marketing avenue is important; however, there are countless additional ideas you can implement to ensure and enhance your success!
  • Unique samples of direct mail, newspaper, or custom flyers can be created and handed out to promote your event at churches, senior centers, assisted living homes, grocery stores, card clubs, physician offices, etc.
  • Create a letter directed toward all local physicians in town letting them know of your Open Enrollment Event and encouraging them to refer any patients they see suffering from hearing loss.  
  • Advertise your event through local radio, television, and newspaper advertising.  
  • Call all customers that are tested not sold or an upgrade prospect. Invite them to your Open Enrollment Event!  
  • Follow the step-by-step checklist.  
  • Invite local celebrities or media personalities in the area that have a hearing loss or may be well known, offer a meet and greet.  

  

Event Planning and Promotion

Plan activities to take place at the event. Activity Ideas:  

  • Hold drawings for prize giveaways such as hearing aid batteries, extended warranties, and hearing aids. Also include some general prizes such as restaurant or gas certificates (require a spouse/family voice to attend their appointment to be eligible).  
  • Serve food or refreshments.  
  • Decorate your office with balloons, banners, and include copies of your newspaper offers or print separate coupons.
  • Offer free hearing aid demonstrations and hearing tests outside your office to encourage walk-ins.  

Eight – ten weeks prior to your Event

  • You will receive an updated list of your area’s main zip codes, a customized direct mail piece and our agreement for approval.  
  • Review and approve all proofs in a timely matter.  
  • Approve direct mail customized by us for your Event.  
  • Select and approve zip codes updated and provided by us.  
  • Review and approve your Open Enrollment Event Agreement.  
  • Don’t hesitate to ask for advice on any Event topic!!  

Four – six weeks prior to your Event

  • Decide on the newspaper ad or insert you want to place.  
  • Reserve the date and space for your Newspaper Advertisement(s). Full page, full color ads are highly recommended.  
  • We recommend placing your ad in the main section (section A or B) of the largest local newspaper.   
  • Ask for overrun on inserts if available.  
  • Select a newspaper ad with your Marketing Rep, mark up your changes and forward to your newspaper rep once approved. Please make sure to proof your ad carefully for accuracy of your phone number, address, dates, and consultant information.  
  • Always make sure to use separate call tracking numbers for each different advertising media .  

Two weeks prior to your Event

  • Direct Mail will disperse into US Mail Stream. Expect for it to land in mailboxes approximately 7-10 days prior to the event starting.  
  • Open Enrollment Consultant will call to discuss in-office event strategy, equipment, product preference, dress code, contracts, price lists, and any financing.  
  • Business owner should share all advertisements with front office staff, so they are knowledgeable and prepared for any questions that may come up during patient phone calls.  
  • Front office staff should schedule appointments effectively. When scheduling appointments, start with the first day of your promotion and fill it up if possible. This allows you more flexibility as the schedule gets full. Make appointments every half hour from 9 am to 5 pm.   
  • Also, during the promotion, do not schedule service for existing patients unless absolutely necessary. Inform them this is a new product sales event and schedule them accordingly.  
  • Front office staff should be ready and trained to encourage 3rd party presence for all appointments.  
  • Front office staff should be knowledgeable on the different insurance and HMO programs offered in your area and how to run financing approvals. 
  • Promote your event! Tell everyone who comes in for batteries or service in the weeks leading to your event that you will be having a Special Event with a Laboratory Consultant available.  

One week prior to your Event

  • Confirm newspaper ad is approved and content, copy, and placement details are complete.  
  • Prepare drawing, coupons, and banners for your event.  
  • Confirm and order refreshments and appetizers for the week of your event.  
  • Stock additional materials such as new brochures, current posters, standard products, impression material, order forms, financing approval forms, and looping front-office office DVD for your event.  
  • Review event activities and responsibilities with office staff members.  

One day prior to your Event

  • Confirm time you will meet with your Consultant. (Confirm first appointment time or a pre-visit to your office).  
  • Call and confirm each appointment and their spouse’s attendance and offer any additional directions (confirm each appointment one day prior to their appointment day).  

Schedule Optimization

  • Use appointment blocks on your schedule when you have selected the date(s) of your event(s)
  • Schedule and fill up day one of the event first (if possible)
  • 60 min appointments
  • Once 60 minute appointments are full, start booking every 30 minutes
  • Morning huddles are critical to align all staff in the office prior to the first patient arriving
  • Don’t schedule existing patients under the age of 2 ½ for this event unless they are ready to take the next step into upgraded better hearing
  • When confirming appointments 24 hours prior to their appointment, if you don’t reach the patient, condense that patients appointment time to 15 minutes

Schedule an Event

Address(Required)
Preferred Event Months

Phone Scripts

  • Current Patient Phone Script – Open Enrollment

    How to answer the phone when speaking with a current customer.

  • New Patient Phone Script – Open Enrollment

    How to answer the phone when speaking with a new customer

  • New Patient Reminder Call – Open Enrollment

    We place two calls when a new patient books an appointment. The second is the Appointment Reminder Call, which is placed by the PSC on the business day prior to the appointment date. The purpose of this call is to gather information and remind the patient of the upcoming visit. Appointment Reminder Calls are best placed in the morning to allow time for return confirmations and schedule changes as needed. Please use the following script for this call.

  • Welcome Call Phone Script – Open Enrollment

    We place two calls when a new patient books an appointment. The first is the Welcome Call, which is placed immediately upon notification of the scheduled event. The Welcome Call is placed by the PSC in order to gather information and confirm details for the upcoming visit. Please use the following script for this call.

  • Cancellation – Open Enrollment

    How to speak with a patient when rescheduling appointments.

  • No Show – Open Enrollment

    How to speak with a patient after they did not show up for their appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan to have 3-4 Open Enrollment Events per year/marketing segment. 

Open Enrollment Consultant may be but are not required to be licensed in the states in which they visit. They are simply on-site for consultation. 

$6,000-9,000, depending on size of market area. 

Results vary greatly based on marketing and execution of the Open Enrollment guidelines. A typical event can range from 10-25 hearing aid sales.​ Estimating an average ASP of $2500-$3500 per hearing aid, you can expect revenue anywhere between $25 – 50K. 

The fee paid on a event covers expenses such as the rep’s commission, marketing development and internal administrative expenses. 

As stated in the contract, fees are non-refundable, we do work through any special challenges that may occur. Open Enrollment Events are individually unique, not a one size fits all approach.