hands on
Manpower SALES
by Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

This month, we asked some vision care experts how many pairs of eyewear they sold at one time. In the case of those interviewed, the highest numbers came from male clients. Does this mean that men "get" the fashion equation and are more willing to invest in high-end eyewear? Lesson learned: Don't discount the style and purchasing power of your male customers!

We sold 43 pairs of eyewear to a 69-year-old gentleman. He's a high astigmat who wears distance vision only in high-index lens material. Most of his lenses are now anti-reflective, a mix of primarily regular wear and sunwear. He selects only Italian-made frames, all in plastic, in tortoise tones with a few black frames.

We supplied him with a boxed case that holds 24 pairs of eyewear at a time for travel. He still comes in three or four times a year and buys five or six pairs at a time.

— Norman Marquis, Norman's Optical Image, Marblehead, Mass.

I have a longtime customer, the CEO of a major corporation, who comes in four to six times a year. In one sitting he purchased 14 pairs of eyewear. He's conservative, owns 30 navy suits, and doesn't like a lot of change, just a lot of things. Once he pulled a pair of rimless frames out and said, "Give me six more just like this."

Most of his eyewear is polycarbonate rimless drill mounts, including high-end sunwear. He has a variety of lens designs for specific tasks, including PALs, flattops, distance-only, intermediate-only, and polarized. He has AR in every pair, and backside AR and flash mirror on his sunlenses. He is a dream customer.

— Maxine Shepman, Eyetique, Pittsburgh

Elton John visited our Bal Harbour, Fla., store before his Australian tour and purchased 62 pairs of eyewear. He wanted a wide range of unique styles, and bought frames in unusual shapes like puzzles and masks. We offered to close the door to offer him private service, but he declined as long as he wasn't bombarded by fans, which he wasn't.

He asked to see all of our red frames, and he bought them all. We had one supplier overnight us other highly unusual styles that he purchased afterward.

We also recently sold 22 pairs of Cartier eyewear to a gentleman who's become a regular client. The first purchase ran over $90,000; he always pays his bills.

— Nancy DiCosmo, AuCourant Opticians,

Michigan, New Jersey, and Florida

We opened our doors in September 1979, and have had a loyal customer who comes once or twice annually. He usually purchases 60 to 80 pairs at one time; he once purchased 109 pairs in one visit. He's receptive to new styles and color, buys a wide variety, and usually has us make the same frame in everyday wear plus sunwear.

— Gai Gherardi, l.a. Eyeworks, Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Orange County, Calif.