How I...
Boost AR Sales
By Erinn Morgan

The secret to success in selling anti-reflective coatings to a large majority of your customers appears to be fairly simple. "It is mainly just about giving the patient the option," says Lisa Larimer, a licensed optician with Optical Inc. in Clearview Park, Ohio. "If you really focus on telling them the benefits, eight out of 10 of them are going to get it."

Optical Inc., a practice in the suburbs of Cleveland with a staff of three ophthalmologists and three optometrists, has seen its AR sales skyrocket from about 30 percent five years ago to a current rate of about 85 percent.

The reason? It is the simple act of presenting AR to every patient. "They won't know about it unless you tell them," says Larimer.

A surprising number of eyecare professionals avoid presenting add-ons of premium products such as anti-reflective coatings because they believe the customer either cannot afford it or will not be interested.

This store manager utilizes comparative photos and Transitions Optical's UV demonstrator to show the benefits of anti-reflective coating and photochromics PHOTO COURTESY OF TRANSITIONS OPTICAL

The truth is that AR is a lens feature that can benefit every person who wears eyewear. Providing improved night vision for driving because of glare reduction and improving cosmetics to make better impressions on the job, AR offers something for everyone. It is this fact that makes it reasonable to present it as an option to every patient.

"Nobody walks out of here without hearing about it," says Jerry Drudi, owner of Russo Opticians in West Springfield, Mass. "We don't just try to sell eyeglasses--we try to examine their lifestyle, hobbies, and occupation. No matter what you do, AR has some benefit to the patient."

Russo Opticians sells AR to 85 percent of all customers who purchase eyewear. "We have always done an above-average job with it," says Drudi. "For many years we have been in the upper percentile of dispensers that sell AR coating."

There are several keys to selling anti-reflective coatings to a large percentage of your customers. With the help of some of the industry's most impressive dispensaries engaged in selling AR, we present pointers that can increase your own AR business in the near future.

BELIEVE IN IT

Nothing will get you there faster than putting the fuel under the fire. If you and your staff believe in the benefits of AR, this feeling will undoubtedly be passed on to customers. Believing in it can take on many forms, all of which can eventually parlay into sales. Most importantly, if you value the features of AR lenses, educate the dispensing staff to be knowledgeable about it. Suppliers' brochures and in-office seminars plus trade magazine articles on the subject can help you get the ball rolling.

Once the staff has been trained on this front, they have the basis to better explain AR to the customer. "It has a lot to do with believing in a product," says Drudi, "which we do tremendously. When we sit down with our customers, we explain everything to them so they understand why we believe in it."

One way dispensers illustrate their own belief in AR is to wear it on their own lenses. "I wear AR myself," says Larimer. "You want to create a confidence in the customer about anti-reflective coatings, and if they see you are wearing it, they will be reassured. They are coming to you for your expertise, and if you talk about the benefits of AR, they will buy into it."

EXAMINE YOUR OPTIONS

One of the best places to begin the discussion on AR and other premium products is in the exam room with the optometrist or ophthalmologist. "We talk about it first in the exam room," says Bradley Kaplan, OD, of Kaplan & Soren in Forest Hills, N.Y. "We present it to all the patients here. When the doctor presents it during the exam, it definitely carries a bit more weight."

The next step is to roll the AR discussion right into the dispensary. At Kaplan & Soren, the doctors write which types of lenses and coatings have been discussed with the patient on their chart.

"Thus, the dispenser has advance notice this has been selected," says Kaplan. "While they discuss frames first in the dispensary, our staff then moves into lenses and a good presentation of the benefits of AR. We have a fair number of patients that come in who have had it before, so this makes the selling job even easier because they already know the features."

At Optical Inc., dispensers present frames first and then move into lenses and AR. "Once they have chosen their frame, we then write the order up and pretty much just include AR with each one. We let them know that this is what we recommend for them and go through the price breakdowns. Very few people will say, 'Take that off the order.'"

MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE

A checklist--either of questions for the customer about occupation, hobbies, and habits or of products available to the customer, which you can go through with patients--can be a good helper when it comes to selling AR. "I have a checklist I go through with the patient and this helps sell second pairs and extras like AR," says Larimer. "It has different items on it that I will discuss with patient like progressives, photochromics, and AR coatings."

Displays and informational brochures can also help dispensers get the point across about the coating. Drudi of Russo Opticians uses a display of two lenses--one AR coated and one non-coated--that he made up himself. "It is such a simple thing," he says. "Right off the bat they notice the difference. This helps them understand more of what you are explaining, why you are explaining it, and how they can benefit with better vision."

He also notes that this display illustrates the cosmetic value of AR--a great selling point. "Especially with today's popular three-piece mountings, AR is a great add-on because the glare totally disappears. The quality of the light transmission today is also so much better."

KEEP SALES LOW-PRESSURE

Even if you believe strongly in anti-reflective coatings, you still want your sales presentation to remain low-key. High-pressure sales will quickly turn off most customers.

"We present lenses first," says Drudi. "Along with lenses, we touch upon things like photochromics, progressives, and computer glasses. But information about AR is one of the first things out of our mouths. Still, we are very low-pressure. We present the product, tell them the benefits, and hope to help them with their lifestyle."

Another way to get the word out about the advantages of AR coatings is through advertising in local newspapers or on radio stations. "We do some advertising with AR, and many people come in because they've seen the ads," says Drudi. "We do the ads in a local paper and a town paper with the help of co-op money. I find it's a great tool to get the word out."

FUTURE GROWTH?

For those eyecare professionals with a low percentage of AR sales, there is plenty of room for growth. Will those with high numbers, such as 70 percent and up, continue to grow AR? "I would hope so," says Dr. Kaplan. "I think there's going be a leveling off point. Europe is still a lot higher than the U.S. with AR sales, and that may have something to do with old coatings' limitations here. Will it grow to 100 percent? No. But I do expect it to grow."

There is always room for improvement in everything we do in the dispensary, from service to profit margins. In your pursuit of new AR sales, the resultant growth will mean increased profits for the dispensary, as well as a better visual experience for the customer. In all, a win-win situation for you and your patients.