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PATY 2019 WINNER 19 building relationships that weren’t there before. • Cafés. This may be the easiest one of all. Offering your customers a discounted coffee at the cafe next door is an oldie but a goodie. Plus, it’s another great way to avoid discouragement in waiting for scripts. • Plazas and shopping centres. I like the idea of having a ‘get to know the owners’ flyer or social media post. Chances are that there have not been any meetings with your landlord and other tenants of late, so this is a great way to put a face on the business and remind them to support locally owned and run organisations. Take this chance to support your centre’s staff discount offer, too. • Sponsorships and clubs. There are never-ending opportunities with this one. Consider raffles, players jerseys or even medical suppliers. Company representatives may also be able to contribute with co-op or free stock. • GPs and specialists. Podiatrist, dentists and dermatologist are brilliant examples of how we can generate revenue by collaborating. Inquire as to what products they recommend, and ensure you have them in stock. You could go one step further and have them offer their patients a referral discount card to be redeemed when they shop with you. Don’t overthink it As previously mentioned, organisations have had to acclimatise and change their procedures to enable them to continue to trade. Could you support a local business by offloading some bulk hand sanitizer or masks at a discounted rate or even for free? No point in waiting for the next one in 100-year virus to hit to finally sell that stock. Business owners and staff will not forget your generosity and in turn will speak highly of your pharmacy to their customers. This would also work with providing free sunscreen to your local play groups or schools in return for a quick blurb in their monthly newsletter. If it’s not on social media, did it even happen? Remember to give yourself and your nominated collaborator credit for your efforts by tagging them in a Facebook post, boasting about the new partnership. When you engage with other local business on Facebook like this, you will extend your customer reach to their followers and, in turn, people who may not usually shop with you. “If you look closely enough, there’s a unique opportunity to support other locally owned and run businesses in your community.” RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • AUG 2020