Hearing Business Alliance’s 2025 Seminar in Melbourne was the organisation’s largest event ever, achieving a record attendance of 184 delegates from 121 businesses.
Attendees enjoyed quality presentations from practitioners, industry and research along with government representatives.
The theme – the importance of innovation in transforming small business models – aimed to help small to medium independent audiology businesses remain competitive, be profitable and achieve better clinical outcomes.
Delegates caught up on the latest technology and innovations at an extensive trade show, attended pre-conference workshops and a conference dinner, sponsored by GN, at Pullman Melbourne on the Park.
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 has faced constant change over the past decade and there’s still uncertainty with economic challenges and inflation which affects 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.”
Ms Jane MacDonald, HBA’s chief executive, said the 165 businesses who are members of the organisation represent 490 audiologists and audiometrists in 700 sites nationwide. This represents half of the nation’s independent audiology businesses.
“HBA is deeply honoured that as we grow, we are becoming a more influential voice in the industry,” she told delegates.
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; and consultation on Hearing Services Program (HSP) changes.
This included opposition to some proposed HSP changes which she said would lead to poorer client outcomes. There was also concern about financial costings and how 16 fitting fees ranging from $64 to $628 could be reduced to one.
Disrupt yourself before someone else does
Keynote speaker, American audiologist Dr Cliff Olson, founder of YouTube channel Doctor Cliff AuD, Applied Hearing Solutions and the Hearing Up network, treated delegates to inspiring presentations entitled ‘innovate or die’; explaining the value of your testing; consulting like a boss; and implementing innovation.
“Innovate inside your clinic and disrupt yourself before someone else disrupts you,” he urged delegates. “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, you’ll be left behind because you chose not to innovate, and it will be very hard to catch up.”
Dr Cliff advised adjusting the process of how hearing care is delivered to be better than competitors, and that delivering best practice evidence-based audiological care is key.
“Your focus should be on clinical best practice to achieve optimal patient outcomes and the highest level of hearing, all proven by research,” he said.
Only refer to doctors you know are excellent and who will refer back to you, and focus on your brand all the time and how your patients perceive you, he added.
Website investment and Google reviews
“Your website is the number one driver of people into your clinic. Spend significant time and money disrupting your website, look at what others are doing and do it better,” Dr Cliff said.
“Does it convey the quality you’re delivering? Is its SEO (search engine optimisation) 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 major driver and the more five-star reviews, the better, he said.
“Market the crap out of what you’re doing,” advised another popular speaker, Sydney audiometrist and audiology clinic owner Mr Daniel Fechner. “The only reason patients won’t come is if you don’t tell them about your practice.”
Fechner revealed how following Dr Cliff’s advice from last year’s HBA seminar had completely turned his business around from debt to profit.
He said the transformation was due to changing the way he presented the hearing aid discussion to clients and being proud that he followed the evidence-based best practice audiological model to achieve the best possible hearing outcome for each client.
Dr Cliff explained: “It’s a psychological concept that people fear the loss of something; they don’t want to give up anything.”
Fechner also incorporated automated booking systems and embraced technical applications which enable him to review his business data.
“Dr Cliff says ‘innovate or die’, but I prefer to say, ‘innovate to fly’ because what happens is your choice,” he said.
Dr Cliff advised putting one hour a week aside in the practice diary to ‘innovate’, and test one change at a time, such as a change in pricing structure or adjustment to systems or processes.
Accountant Ms Katie Bryan from Propeller Advisory also urged putting an hour aside weekly to work ‘on’ your business, not ‘in’ your business and innovate, starting small. She advised looking at profit and loss weekly, if not monthly.
Dr Brent Edwards, National Acoustic Laboratories director, discussed how technology innovation is changing hearing healthcare.
“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. AI will be integrated into your practice, management, how you consult and develop treatment strategies.”
He said AI was no different from having another ‘partner’ in the practice, another tool to do the mundane work so practitioners could focus on their skills. AI would be able to help train practitioners, screen and triage patients, diagnose conditions, advise on treatment and assist with administrative work, he said.
*Hearing Practitioner Australia will cover the event and presentations in more detail in its upcoming April-May magazine, including an update on Hearing Services Program changes, and Dr Cliff’s advice on consultations to achieve a conversion rate over 80%.
More reading
HBA 2025 seminar on transforming small business models
Hearing Business Alliance – a voice for independent audiology
Strategies for success explored at HBA seminar in Perth
