Hearing Business Alliance’s 2025 Seminar in Melbourne achieved record attendance, reflecting continued growth of the organisation in membership, strength and as an increasingly influential industry voice.
‘Innovate or die’ and ‘innovate to fly’ in hearing healthcare were the key threads in Hearing Business Alliance’s 2025 Seminar, and a crucial take home message for 184 delegates from 121 independent businesses who attended.
It was a record turnout, and a vital chance for practice owners to take a breather from working in their business, so they can work on their business instead.
At the Pullman Melbourne on the Park from 28 February to 2 March, attendees learnt new skills and insights from inspiring presentations by practitioners, industry, researchers and government representatives.
HBA represents small to medium independent audiology practices and the seminar theme – the importance of innovation in transforming small business models – aimed to help them remain competitive, be profitable and achieve better clinical outcomes.
Delegates caught up on latest technology innovations at a trade show, pre-conference workshops, and socialised at a GN-sponsored dinner.
Mr Stephen Logan, HBA’s business manager, said the event was twice the size of the organisation’s inaugural event in 2019, also in Melbourne, attended by 92 people.
“It was a great turnout and outcome, with a 20% increase in seminar registrations from last year,” he said.
“The market’s faced constant change over the past decade and there’s still uncertainty with economic challenges and inflation which affect consumer spending and behaviour.
“It’s hard to get and keep staff in metropolitan areas, and in regional areas it’s a nightmare but on the positive side, the market is growing and there’s a 12% increase in aged clients expected by 2030.”
Audiologist Ms Jane MacDonald, HBA’s CEO, said its 165 member businesses represented 490 audiologists and audiometrists in 700 sites nationwide, representing half of the nation’s independent audiology businesses.
“HBA is deeply honoured that as we grow, we are becoming a louder and more influential voice in the industry,” she said.
MacDonald detailed advocacy the alliance has undertaken in the past year including opposing cuts by NSW’s State Insurance Regulatory Authority to hearing aid fitting and rehabilitation for those sustaining workplace-related hearing loss; involvement in prioritising Hearing Roadmap recommendations from 140 to five; consultation on changes being made to the Hearing Services Program (HSP) changes.
Data to tailor hearing aid treatment
Dr Brent Edwards, National Acoustic Laboratories director, kicked off the speaker program, discussing innovation that will significantly alter the day-to-day professional lives of hearing professionals.
“There is no greater innovation in hearing healthcare than artificial intelligence,” he said. “It’s going to be an amazing opportunity for all of you. At some point, AI will be integrated into your practice, management, how you consult and develop treatment strategies.”
He said AI could be viewed as no different from having another ‘partner’ in the practice, a tool to do mundane work so practitioners could focus on skills. AI would help train practitioners, screen and triage patients, diagnose conditions, advise on treatment and assist with administrative work.
“Sensors can monitor a patient’s condition and advise on treatment strategy when they leave hospital or a health facility – this is happening in healthcare already and it will happen in hearing healthcare,” Dr Edwards said.
Every hearing aid manufacturer was using AI in some capacity to optimise devices including accessing big data from device use and neural networks learning from users’ devices, he said.Dr Edwards said suppliers had access to millions of data points from diagnostic and treatment fitting software to improve devices, and in future this would help tailor treatment by determining the best hearing aid for each patient.
“We have a looming practitioner crisis, but AI can help fill the shortage,” he said, adding that AI scribes could offload creation of case notes and goal summaries, freeing practitioners to see more clients.
The event’s keynote speaker was American audiologist Dr Cliff Olson, founder of YouTube channel Doctor Cliff AuD and audiology clinic, Applied Hearing Solutions. He treated delegates to four inspiring presentations entitled ‘innovate or die’; explaining the value of your testing; consulting like a boss; and implementing innovation.
Dr Cliff said his HearingUp network, which HBA members have discounted access to, focuses on clinical evidenced-based best practice to achieve optimal outcomes and the highest level of hearing. He advised adjusting the delivery of hearing care to be better than competitors with conversion to hearing aids often coming down to the way practitioners deliver care.
“Recommend the highest level of technology each patient can reasonably afford but say that ‘by the end of it you’ll be hearing your absolute best because we have followed best audiological practice’,” he said. “I don’t treat patients unless they commit to four visits within 45-days as this ensures best practice and outcomes.
“Innovate in your clinic and disrupt yourself before someone else disrupts you.
“Most people are not doing anything new in their practice from a year ago. If you’re still doing the same thing year in year out and you’re lagging, you’ll be left behind because you chose not to innovate, and it will be hard to catch up.”
Only refer to doctors you know are excellent and who will refer back to you, and focus on your brand and how your patients perceive you, he added.
Website investment and Google reviews
“Your website is the number one driver of people to your clinic,” Dr Cliff continued. “Spend significant time and money disrupting it, look at what others are doing and do it better.
“Does it convey the quality you’re delivering? Is its SEO targeting the people you want? Is it first on Google? Is there a video? If your website and video are poor quality, people are less likely to schedule an appointment.”
Google reviews were another driver and the more good reviews, the better.
“If you are doing an excellent job, then market the crap out of what you’re doing,” advised Sydney audiometrist and audiology clinic owner Mr Daniel Fechner in his presentation. “The only reason patients won’t come to you is if you don’t tell them about your practice.”
Fechner showed delegates that following Dr Cliff’s advice from last year’s HBA seminar had transformed his business from debt to profit. This was due to fully adopting comprehensive best practice principles and changing the way he presented the hearing aid discussion to clients, clearly explaining why it is recommended to “go for the highest level of hearing aid technology as they can reasonably afford”. The result was significantly increased client outcomes and a better bottom line.
He shows patients a document explaining that he follows best practice to achieve best hearing outcomes for each client. Dr Cliff explained this works because “it’s a psychological concept that people fear the loss of something; they don’t want to give up anything.”
Fechner also incorporates automated booking systems and embraces technical applications which enable him to review his business data.
“Take time out of your business to set goals. You may be set in your ways but look at workflow and efficiencies with systems and processes. Cancel a day of appointments and with your team, work through every single corner and refresh it, assess technical capabilities. Is there double handling of data, missed opportunities and leads?” he said.
On the topic of double handling of data, Fechner surveyed delegates in the conference room and found 65% of clinics had done this through four to five different systems or processes. Only 20% had a CRM (customer relationships management system) which was set up in the most efficient way – working as the heart of audiology practice.
“Lots of people don’t have online scheduling which only takes half a day to set up,” he said.
In a panel session, HBA secretary, Melbourne audiologist Ms Emma Batrouney said she had a good online booking system and half of her appointments were made online between 9pm and 2am.
Queensland audiologist Mr Wesley Ong said his marketing tool automatically sent reminders before warranties expired and patients were grateful to come in and test their devices and receive a replacement if required.
Fechner introduced a deposit before attendance that reduced his five to six no-shows a day to zero.
“Dr Cliff says ‘innovate or die’, but I prefer to say, ‘innovate to fly’ because what happens is your choice,” Fechner said. Put an hour a week aside in the practice diary to ‘innovate’ and take baby steps testing one small change at a time such as adjustments in pricing structure, to systems or processes, he said.
Accountant Ms Katie Bryan from Propeller Advisory agreed that putting an hour aside weekly to work ‘on’ your business, not ‘in’ your business enabled innovation to start. “It’s impossible to make a decision which drives growth without having your finger on the pulse of your business financials,” she said. “Profit and loss must be set up correctly with direct costs sitting in expenses. Look at profit and loss weekly, if not monthly, but not just at the end of the financial year because that’s too late.”
Dr Cliff emails patients when new hearing aids come out resulting in significant uptake as they expect to be told and want to try them. Investing in new technology and promoting it with videos on the website also drove patients to the clinic and increased search results.
His conversion rate to hearing aid adoption, focusing on clinical best practice to achieve optimal outcomes and the highest level of hearing, is 82%. “If your conversion rate is under 70%, track and measure, look at your data. Track each provider to client, set goals and train them to improve using processes to help them consult better,” he said.
“Consulting is about understanding behavioural psychology. Don’t start with, ‘You have hearing loss, we need to treat it’ because that is logical, and people don’t make decisions based on logic. Instead connect on an emotional level.”
Dr Cliff’s tips for a better conversion rate include:
• In the first five minutes of a consultation, talk for 15 seconds then let the patient talk the rest of the time. “It’s not our time to talk. When they come in, it’s their time to talk. Interject if you must but listen.”
• Read their patient form before so you have all the details and say, “I want to hear from you what’s going on with your hearing.” After the first question we feel we need to start talking but that’s a cardinal sin; listen.
• Don’t give too many hearing aid options which risks them going away to think about it and not returning. Make the choice easy with only a few options.
• The hardest part is getting the patient through the door so take a deposit before attendance to reduce no shows.
• Consult for at least an hour, giving time to articulate the value of your offering and do tests. Data shows consulting for this time significantly increases conversion rate.
• Have them bring a companion. The receptionist can say, “We find it very valuable to get the perspective of your partner and the full understanding”.If they cannot come in person, phone them during the consult and arrange follow-up calls.
• Frame the importance of tests. If they say they have trouble hearing in restaurants, say, “The good news is we have a speech-in-noise test so I can measure your hearing in this situation”. They then understand the value of the test and bespoke diagnosis and treatment.
• When they ask, “Why these hearing aids?”, never say, “Because they’re the best;” say “Because the tests show they’re the best custom fit for you.”
• Ensure your body language matches and mirrors the patient; if they sit back in the chair, you do; if they lean forward, you do also.
• Repeat their words back to them. If they say they are frustrated because they cannot hear, say “I understand you are frustrated,” but don’t say “that must be embarrassing” because then they feel you aren’t listening, it implants the idea of stigma and that’s one way to blow a consult.
• Have the patient say ‘yes’ throughout the consult so at the end it’s easier to say yes to hearing aids. To close, ask, “Is that what you want to do?”
• Train staff. Consultants can train on greeting, and script what they say on the phone, including providing scripts for new providers.
• Recommend the highest level of technology each patient can reasonably afford but say that “by the end of it you’ll be hearing your absolute best because we have followed best audiological practice”.
• If patients say they’ve had hearing loss for five years so what’s the hurry in getting a hearing aid now, create a sense of urgency and react – “What, five years! I’ll clear my schedule, that’s how important it is we get this treated now”.
• Self-reflect after consultations; what could you have done better? Have monthly consultation reviews. Don’t waste a single opportunity because you haven’t communicated properly; they’ll only see there’s no value if you didn’t sufficiently articulate it.
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