Most patients see their trip to the register as the end of their pharmacy visit, but when it comes to your pharmacy’s sales, their time at the register is just the beginning.
The time you have with patients at the register is valuable when it comes to getting to know them, and for your patients to get to know your pharmacy. Plus, you can use this window of time to boost your pharmacy’s sales—not just in front-end sales, but across the board.
Use these tips to boost your sales, your patient-pharmacist relationships and your community involvement.
1. Make recommendations
Recommend products to patients based on what they’re already purchasing. For example, if a patient is purchasing cold and flu remedies, you can ask if he or she saw your stock of tissues.
Or, recommend a companion purchase, such as suggesting a probiotic to go with a patient’s antibiotic prescription.
Even if patients don’t make the additional purchase right away, there’s a good chance it’ll be top-of-mind the next time they visit your pharmacy.
2. Encourage impulse buys
You can do this without saying a word. Simply place small purchase items, such as lip balm or tissue packets, next to the register. You’ll be surprised by how many patients will add these convenience items to their purchases.
Rotate some seasonal items in, too, such as mini bottles of sunscreen or cough drops. Offering a fresh selection helps encourage patients to make these impulse buys again and again.
3. Advise on additional products
When you have patients at the register, use that opportunity to educate them about other products and services they might be interested in.
This can include anything from asking if they’d like to add a greeting card to their purchase for $1, or if they’d like to schedule an appointment to come in for a flu shot.
Doing this is beneficial because you can educate your patients on additional products and services you offer, and potentially boost your sales.
4. Promote your loyalty rewards program
Loyalty rewards programs tend to be win-wins: the patient saves money, and you win a loyal customer. The problem with these programs, however, is that patients often don’t know they exist.
Try asking each patient checking out at the register, “Have you heard about our loyalty rewards program?” Explain the benefits of being a member, and see how many people start opting in once they know about your program.
5. Ask for donations
Pick out a local, national, or even global cause—such as the American Heart Association or the Red Cross—and collect donations from your patients at the register.
Although doing this won’t affect your sales, it could influence your patients’ perception of your pharmacy. A study from Good Scout, a social responsibility firm, found that 71 percent of U.S. consumers have donated at the register, and 79 percent felt positive about their contribution.
Doing this allows both you and your patients to give back to the community. Patients will feel good about their donation and about the role your pharmacy played in helping them donate.
The register doesn’t have to be the final point of a transaction. Use your time with patients at checkout to offer additional opportunities—for sales and otherwise—and make the connections you might have missed before.
