A successful event, such as a health fair or customer appreciation day, is a great way to promote your pharmacy and attract both new and loyal patients.
But you have to know how to plan, prepare for and execute the event. Or things can—and will—go awry.
Event-hosting may sound daunting, but these tips will ensure it goes smoothly.
Follow this guide to host a successful event at your independent community pharmacy.
Planning the event
Research competitors
Your competitors have probably hosted events at their pharmacies before. Why not see what they’ve done?
Research the types of events that worked for your competition, and find out what made them successful. You’ll better understand what to do (and what not to do) when hosting your own event.
Draw on past events
If this isn’t your pharmacy’s first event, look back on what you’ve done in the past.
For example, maybe you hosted an event for American Heart Month last year, but the turnout wasn’t as great as you’d hoped. For your next event, you may want to focus more on your marketing efforts.
If this is your pharmacy’s first event, understand that it takes some trial and error to figure out what works for your pharmacy and your patients.
Set a budget
While you want to put on a good event, you don’t want to overspend or run out of funds.
Set a reasonable budget ahead of time to account for extra staffing, marketing materials, decorations and giveaways.
You should also consider partnering with another local business to cut costs and attract more people. For example, partner with a local gym to put on a health and fitness event.
Develop a marketing strategy
The key to any successful event is marketing.
If you don’t market your event well, you can’t expect a good turnout.
Use a combination of marketing strategies to attract more people. For example, promote the event on social media, leave flyers at local businesses, use bag stuffers and hang banners outside of your pharmacy.
Hosting the event
Focus on customer service
Your independent pharmacy prides itself on providing excellent customer service. Make sure your superior customer service shines through during the event.
You want people to have a good experience at your event, which means your employees need to act friendly and attentive.
And, keep in mind an event isn’t just about making sales.
For example, if you’re hosting a health fair at your pharmacy, your employees’ focus shouldn’t be to push products. Instead, your employees should encourage patients to take advantage of the free testing available and educate them on ways to stay healthy.
Give out freebies
Let’s face it. Everyone likes free stuff.
Giving out freebies will remind patients later how much they enjoyed the event at your pharmacy. And, it’s a great opportunity to hand out branded items to market your business.
Consider putting together a goody bag for people who attend your event. Include some local products, a branded item such as a pen or keychain, and a coupon for over-the-counter (OTC) purchases.
Cut costs and take advantage of additional marketing by using your pharmacy’s prescription bags.
Document the event
If you don’t document the event, how will you know if it was successful or not?
Take pictures and videos during the event so you can review what went right and identify areas where you can improve.
The photos and footage you take will also serve as great marketing materials for your next event!
Encourage feedback
You also need to gather feedback to determine the event’s success.
Ask people to fill out a survey before they leave the event, or send a follow-up email after the event asking attendees what they thought.
You can also create social media posts encouraging attendees to share their thoughts on the event.
Make sure you keep a record of all the feedback you receive to help you host an even better event next time.
You don’t have to be a professional event planner to host a successful event at your pharmacy.
Want more business tips and advice for your independent pharmacy? Sign up for our e-newsletter.
