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Why it's anything but crazy to dedicate lens sales to premium poly and Trivex products
By Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

	Trivex is a premium option. Shown: Hoya Phoenix lens

More and more ECPs are discovering the advantages of committing their lens business to specific premium products. Increased sales, patient satisfaction, customer loyalty, word-of-mouth referrals, enhanced practice image, and peace of mind that you are giving your patients the best possible lens solution for their needs are just some of the key benefits.

Polycarbonate and Trivex lens materials offer a bundle of premium features, including thinness, lightweight, scratch-resistance, UV protection, and superior impact resistance--and savvy ECPs are using these features to aggressively increase their bottom line.

Ninety-five percent, 75 percent, 68 percent. These numbers reflect the percentage of business done in either polycarbonate or Trivex lenses by some of our interviewees. Recognizing the profit potential of premium lens materials from their early stages, these premier practitioners have committed and grown the category through their belief in and enthusiasm for the products.

If those numbers sound crazy, think again. Read on as several highly successful optical businesses share their tips and tricks for understanding, promoting, and profiting from polycarbonate and Trivex lens products.

Trivex is scratch-resistant and lightweight. Shown: Younger Trilogy lens

PROMOTING POLY

While some argue that poly provides less visual clarity, especially at the outer edges of the lens, it scores high points by providing ECPs a cost-value alternative to Trivex, which averages around $30 higher at retail. Poly also has a wider current availability of lens brands and designs, with a longer track record than Trivex.

Longtime poly supporter Colleen Goltz, an optician at Lens Pro Optical in Dallas says, "We've dispensed poly as our primary lens material since we started the business over six years ago. We believe in poly for everyone, unless the required lens design is unavailable in poly." And, she adds, "It is safer, lighter, thinner, and less expensive--all attractive options to patients."

Poly is also the lens of choice for Optical Fashions, with seven locations in the Dayton, Ohio, area. "Some of our offices sell 95 percent polycarbonate. We do 68 percent poly overall," says president Jim Organ

In terms of patient approach, Organ says the chain's employees offer poly to every patient demographic and all ages. They also present lenses first, then frames.

A simple and effective approach works for Goltz--she offers either standard plastic or polycarbonate lens options. "I explain both plastic and poly options to our patients," she says. "I highlight the fact that poly is safer, and I give them an example, like that airbag impact in a car accident can shatter regular lenses, but not poly. Once they understand its enhanced safety, they're happy we've guided them to the option."

	Poly offers value and safety. Shown: Vision-Ease poly

Other traits, such as poly's automatic UV protection and scratch-resistance, and its high impact-resistance are covered by Lens Pro Optical. Poly is a particular focus there when selling to kids, athletes, and safety-oriented patients, readers, those with sight in one eye, and those seeking eyewear that can take abuse.

As for Organ, his take on how to dispense poly could work with any premium product and any customer. "Above all, be confident in the product and enthusiastic in your presentation," he says.

"Recommend poly and explain why. Solve the patient's problems by making them aware of what function and fashion benefits poly can give them. Patients want comfort--poly lenses are lightweight and scratch-resistant. They want the security of impact resistance and UV protection. And they want thinner lenses that look good," he adds.

Poly can be enhanced by adding other premium features. Applying AR to polycarbonate lenses not only helps patients' visual acuity, but is a smart behind-the-scenes decision, points out optician Richard Rubin, manager of The Eye Center in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

"A stock poly with AR is a big profit lens," he says. "It comes down to economics, what it costs us. We can supply polycarbonate lenses for kids, for example, at practically no cost to us at all, while the same lenses in Trivex cost us more. We can't make up that cost difference on the retail side."

With the big cost-value gap between the lenses, Organ notes, poly holds its own. "Poly is the lens that costs less and still provides key benefits. Even with the optics of Trivex being better, we have not had a problem using poly."

Fitting poly lenses in the right frame as part of the total eyewear package is important to get the best results from the lens, Organ adds. "Poly lenses fitted in the right frame can be just as thin and lightweight as high index. We recently fit a woman with a -13.00D Rx in a 1.0 center poly with AR in a 34mm frame. She loves them."

TALKING TRIVEX

Trivex lenses claim better visual clarity than poly, are stronger, and are slightly lighter weight when comparing exact Rxs in the same frame. Some ECPs also say that Trivex offers better results in rimless drill mounts due to higher flexibility--which causes less cracking during processing and wear--and that Trivex also has stronger scratch-resistant properties than poly.

Currently, Trivex material is available from three suppliers: HOYA (Phoenix lenses), Younger (Trilogy lenses), and Thai Polymer Lens Co. (Excelite TVX). Each company has modified the Trivex monomer to its own requirements.

Like many dispensers, Richard Rubin is working Trivex into the mix of the lenses his practice offers. "We present Trivex to target markets--to the elite, to those who are already wearing photo-chromics and AR products. We tell them Trivex is a step up, in that it offers better optics and is a stronger lens, which has been a successful approach for us."

Trivex is the lens of choice at Plains Optical in Lubbock, Texas, where it is dispensed to almost everyone, says optician Glynda Barker. "We promote Trivex's automatic 100 percent UV protection, scratch-resistance, thinness, lightweight, and higher impact resistance," she says. "We give all the pros and cons, letting the patient know that this lens costs more, but offers superior features and benefits that will help them every day. Ninety-five percent of patients opt for Trivex material."

	Poly and Trivex lenses are  popular with three-piece mount eyewear. Shown: Resolution lenses from Optima

The benefits of Trivex are always demonstrated to patients at York Eye Associates in Gainesville, Texas. "We have a machine supplied by our lab that demonstrates the clarity of Trivex material over other materials," says optician Tammy Bezner. "The demo is simple and almost always convinces patients to select Trivex."

At Plains Optical, Trivex promotion is a multi-media effort. The practice's Website, www.plainsoptical.com, details the benefits of the lens material. And, the office utilizes lab resources to educate patients. "Our lab and reps keep us supplied with updated materials and support, including training and ABO-certified education," Barker says. "The reps discuss practical product information in a way that we can easily present to our patients."

Premium warranties are also important to offer with premium products, Barker and Bezner agree. "We offer a scratch-resistant warranty on our Phoenix lenses for one time within a year, no questions asked," says Bezner.

As for redos, Barker says there are very few remakes due to scratching and Trivex lenses are now used on all of the dispensary's three-piece drill mounts. "We offer a one-year warranty on scratches and breakage, and see very little product returned for those reasons.

"It is a technologically advanced lens," concludes Barker, "that gives peace of mind to both the dispenser and patient. It's a product that performs as promised."