Fueling your Relationships With
Millennial Patients
Millennials are the first generation born in the age of information, and finally, it’s their time to dominate the market. They exhibit different consumer behavior from past generations, and for the first time, they’re the generation with the most buying power in the modern economy.
When it comes to options on the market, millennials have access to more information than past generations, meaning that they have specific preferences and reward brands who meet their needs. It also means that their priorities can be vastly different than consumers who came before them.
As an ECP, the efforts on which you’ve relied in the past may not work with this generation, and that’s a scary proposition. Are you going to have to make drastic changes in order to appeal to this new group of patients?
Not exactly. The first step to strengthening relationships with millennial patients is to understand them. With the right insights, you can identify who they are, what they want, and most importantly, how to communicate with them on their terms:
Millennials Put Convenience First
Past generations were price-oriented, but millennials have new priorities: studies have shown that this tech-savvy generation may value convenience to the degree that they’ll pay a little more for a solution that fits their lifestyle.
94% of Millennials own a smartphone, and savvy brands are finding ways to give them more options at the click of the button. Some of the fastest-growing services today center on the idea of convenient, instant delivery. A food delivery like UberEATS, DoorDash, and Postmates are larger than ever and Hello Fresh and Blue Apron lead the way in curated meals that come right to a shopper’s doorstep. Amazon facilitates two-hour delivery in select cities, and countless subscription services fulfill consumers’ needs before they even know those needs exist.
Many — if not all — of these solutions are costlier than the alternatives, but millennials have demonstrated time and again that ease and convenience carry more weight than the traditional bottom line.
Millennials Put Convenience First
Past generations were price-oriented, but millennials have new priorities: studies have shown that this tech-savvy generation may value convenience to the degree that they’ll pay a little more for a solution that fits their lifestyle.
94% of Millennials own a smartphone, and savvy brands are finding ways to give them more options at the click of the button. Some of the fastest-growing services today center on the idea of convenient, instant delivery. Food delivery like UberEATS, DoorDash, and Postmates are larger than ever and Hello Fresh and Blue Apron lead the way in curated meals that come right to a shopper’s doorstep. Amazon facilitates two-hour delivery in select cities, and countless subscription services fulfill consumers’ needs before they even know those needs exist.
Many — if not all — of these solutions are costlier than the alternatives, but millennials have demonstrated time and again that ease and convenience carry more weight than the traditional bottom line.
Convenience Means Impulsive Consumer Behavior
If convenience is a larger factor than price, millennials should be more impulsive, right? The numbers agree: one survey found that 57% of millennials said that they’ve made at least one unplanned purchase on social media.
If this generation is likely to be compelled by a convenient offer right when they see it, it makes it difficult to assume that patients are loyal to purchasing from the same provider. In fact, millennials are less likely to trust brands, and more likely to spread their purchases around, making retention a bigger challenge.
Convenience Means Impulsive Consumer Behavior
If convenience is a larger factor than price, millennials should be more impulsive, right? The numbers agree: one survey found that 57% of millennials said that they’ve made at least one unplanned purchase on social media.
If this generation is likely to be compelled by a convenient offer right when they see it, it makes it difficult to assume that patients are loyal to purchasing from the same provider. In fact, millennials are less likely to trust brands, and more likely to spread their purchases around, making retention a bigger challenge.
Personalization Helps
It’s true that millennials are extremely picky about how brands communicate with them, but when their needs are met, there’s a reward in it for the brands that meet them: 20% of millennials identify as “extremely loyal” to brands who communicate on their terms. Actually, that’s more than any other generation. So, if you have concerns about your ability to retain this new generation of patients, you may want to consider personalized communication that allows you to connect with millennial patients.
Personalization Helps
It’s true that millennials are extremely picky about how brands communicate with them, but when their needs are met, there’s a reward in it for the brands that meet them: 20% of millennials identify as “extremely loyal” to brands who communicate on their terms. Actually, that’s more than any other generation. So, if you have concerns about your ability to retain this new generation of patients, you may want to consider personalized communication that allows you to connect with millennial patients.
What Does This Mean for ECPs?
What have we learned about millennial patients? They’re reliant on technology more than prior generations, and it’s not even close. They’re impulsive and willing to opt for convenient options over the more affordable ones. They’re also fiercely loyal — as long as you’re willing to meet them on their terms. So how can you update your business model to strengthen your relationships with millennial patients?
What Does This Mean for ECPs?
What have we learned about millennial patients? They’re reliant on technology more than prior generations, and it’s not even close. They’re impulsive and willing to opt for convenient options over the more affordable ones. They’re also fiercely loyal — as long as you’re willing to meet them on their terms. So how can you update your business model to strengthen your relationships with millennial patients?
CLX can help, at least when it comes to your most valuable patients: contact lens wearers.
Thanks to the number of convenient digital and subscription options on the market, it’s difficult to build loyalty with impulsive millennials. How do you ensure that your patients aren’t making the split-second decision to buy from third-party retailers? You have to meet them on their terms. This means offering personalized text and email reminders to order and reorder and convenient options to purchase contact lenses via home delivery.
The CLX System is built to expand the automated options of your practice and increase your contact lens capture rate without additional manual work. With CLX Convenient Reordering and CLX Patient Protect, you can contact a patient through their preferred channels and deliver their contact lenses direct to their front door.