Perspectives
Show and Sell

Recently, I was talking with the owner of a three-location business in the Midwest about lenses. When he complained that there are too many options, I told him about the new OLA Lens Center I'd just seen for the first time. As you can see if you turn to page 54, it contains lorgnettes in various lens materials and has a lifestyle wheel to help guide patients to products that meet their visual and lifestyle needs.

After I described it, he replied that he doesn't like demonstrators because they take the decision out of his staff's hands and put it into the consumer's hands. "That's the same reason I don't use manufacturer brochures and counter displays," he added.

He wasn't very interested when I told him that the savviest dispensers I know use both to their advantage. In fact, one of the best ideas I've seen recently is a waiting room alcove that's been turned into a show and tell area. The sign above it calls it just that, though, if you ask the owner, he'll say it should be called "show and sell," because that's exactly what it does.

The more you educate and inform customers, the better they're going to feel about doing business with you. But that education shouldn't be limited just to lenses. The dispenser I was referring to also has a frame display where he shows different frames and underneath describes the benefits of the various styles, materials, hinges, and even nosepads.

In this issue, we talk a lot about buying on the one end and about show and tell on the other. It's an important link because if you or your staff can't demonstrate the advantages of what you're buying, then maybe you should think again about adding it to your inventory.

Sincerely,

Stephanie K. De Long
Editor-in-Chief

P.S. This month, we're pleased to offer the second in our 2002 series of continuing education courses for opticians. It appears following p. 48, and the topic is, "Understanding Anti-Reflective Coatings." Besides earning credit, we also suggest you keep this on hand to use as the basis for an in-house training session.