Lens Tips
dual sale...sunwear & photochromics
By Erinn Morgan

Trying to sell both photochromics and sunlenses to wearers can be tough, if you don't position them correctly. The following are tips to help you make sales and educate your customers.

Carina Ferrara-Furst sells both photochromic and prescription sunwear pairs to nearly 60 percent of her patients. Why is she so successful? "It is really a process of knowing your patients and their needs," she says.

"To be honest, I think it's all about educating them on how the two different products work."

When selling photochromics, it's essential to understand the products' nuances. Photos courtesy of Corning SunSensors.

Education. As the director of operations at the three-location Family Optical Center, with two shops located in Rockford, Ill., and one in Belvidere, Ill., Ferrara-Furst says she makes sure that the company's dispensers are well versed on the full variety of sunlens and photochromic products they carry, and that they focus on imparting this knowledge to customers.

Ferrara-Furst notes that this is the only way to justify a double sale. "Unless you really understand photochromics, they are difficult to sell over and over.

"They actually sell easily in the beginning, but people need to be clear on how they work. In my opinion, this is where a lot of eyecare practitioners go awry. They believe this is a business of retail, but our job is really to educate the patient. The person who sits across the dispensing table from you has to know the product," she says.

UNDERSTANDING PHOTOCHROMICS

First and foremost, experts agree, it is essential to understand the nuances of photo-chromics. "You usually don't know the idiosyncrasies until people complain about them," says Ferrara-Furst.

And the various brands have different benefits. For example, some are more clear indoors, while others boast fashion tints.

Understanding how they are different from each other and sunlenses will ward off unsatisfied patients in the future and enhance the potential for multiple-pair sales.

Driving. "One of the first things we explain is that the lenses are not great behind a car windshield and that they may also want to invest in a pair of prescription sunglasses to use while driving during the day," says Ferrara-Furst. On the flip side, she also makes patients aware that some photochromics actually work well for driving at night because in the car's colder temperature they lighten up.

Photosensitivity. Additionally, if a patient is sun sensitive, Ferrara-Furst says she would recommend a pair of sunlenses for outdoor work or prolonged sun exposure. "If they are extremely photosensitive, a photochromic is okay for sitting out casually in the sun, but not for major coverage. That's why we would recommend two pairs," she notes.

In fact, research conducted by Transitions Optical suggests photo-chromics wearers are likely to purchase sunglasses as well.

A key to selling multiple pairs is knowing your stuff: Educate your staff and yourself on the features and benefits of photochromics and keep abreast of the latest technologies and product introductions. If you make an intelligent case for why your customer should have two pairs, chances are they will walk out the door with both.

UNDERSTANDING PATIENTS

The second critical part of the selling equation is knowing your customers and understanding to whom it makes sense to present the various dual-sunlens options.

"What lies in all multiple pair sales are the needs of the patient," says David Seibel, O.D., with Vision Care Consultants in St. Louis. "If we have them fill out our lifestyle questionnaire, we might find that we not only have two pairs to present and sell, but 10," he adds.

Lifestyle questions. The first step is learning about clients' working life and hobbies.

A person who is constantly going in and out of buildings may want a pair of photochromics so he or she does not have to continually switch glasses. On the weekend, however, this same person may participate in outdoor sports, such as golfing and biking, and would benefit from a pair of dedicated prescription sunwear--perhaps even sports-specific eyewear.

"You just have to find out if they have those needs and then run with the multiple-pair sale," Seibel recommends. "Your client could be a person who is a professional during the week and leads a different life during the weekend."

Overcoming price. Education and common sense often win over price concerns when it comes to the sunwear needs of a patient, report many of the dispensers interviewed.

	Photochromics, shown, work well in many outdoor situations, while a second pair of sunglasses may be more fitting for some prolonged uses and for the photosensitive.

A two-pair sale can range anywhere from $400 to $1,000, and averages $550 to $600 at Family Optical Center, Ferrara-Furst says.

Bob Royden, optician/owner of The Village Eyeworks, two stores in Surprise, Ariz., and Phoenix, Ariz., observes that he sells both photochromic and sunlens pairs to approximately 20 percent of his customers, even though his average sale is $600 for one pair.

"Yesterday a man was in the store and bought prescription sunlenses for riding his motorcycle in the day. I said 'Why not buy photochromics for driving day into evening as well so you don't have to change them when it gets dark?' and he got both--a $1,000 sale," Royden says.

"The client loved the idea so much he told us, 'Wow. That's a great idea. Nobody ever presented that to me before,'" Royden adds.

Simply put, education is what sells multiple pairs. It is what also overcomes price sensitivity.

Whether your dispensary is high-end, moderately priced, or value-oriented, striving to sell both photochromics and prescription sunlenses to patients is a real opportunity for increased sales.