A Time for Sports

Maintaining a variety of sports eyewear year-round and offering expert service will help you land sales and score points over the local sporting goods store

By Lindsey Aspinall Getz

When European settlers first arrived to North America, they witnessed native tribes wearing animal bones and hides with slits covering their eyes. These tribes were protecting themselves from snow glare and they knew something some consumers don't understand today—the importance of wearing the proper eyewear all year. Too many patients continue to believe they only need sunwear in the summer. And, for your sporty patients, the message is even more crucial.

It's crucial that snowboarders, skiers, and other snow-loving sports fans wear protective eyewear, such as a pair of Rudy Project goggles, like style Klonyx (shown), when they hit the slopes

From skiing in Colorado to golfing in Florida, the approaching winter is a great time to have all variations of sports eyewear on display. The key is to meet all your patients' needs, preventing them from going to the sporting goods stores to purchase eyewear they could haven gotten from you.

TROPICAL WINTER

ECPs who carry sports eyewear don't need to focus on ski goggles only once the temperature drops, says Jo Reiners, optician at the practice of Drs. Lentz & Baker Eye Care Associates in Wichita, Kan. "A lot of people take their vacations in the winter," she says. As a result, she gets swim goggle and divemask sales all year long.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

According to ShermansTravel.com, travelers often start planning their vacations around this time to "beat the winter blues." Here are some of their top picks for popular destinations. Know where in the world your patients might be heading this season, so you can pitch the proper eyewear. Antarctica Nobody said you had to go somewhere warm in the winter! Antarctica has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, offering the chance to see live penguins and sparkling glaciers. And because the seasons are flipped, our winter is their "summer." But it's still pretty cold and all those icebergs and snow make the proper eyewear crucial. Shown: Bollé style Traverse. Los Angeles The East Coast may be chilly, but it's still warm out west. Many travelers in cold regions head to California cities, like LA, once the chill sets in. The popularity of ocean sports like surfing or kiteboarding requires proper protection from water-reflected UV rays. Shown: Power Plane from Carrera. Melbourne It may be the heart of winter in the U.S., but sun-lovers head to the world "Down Under," to enjoy an Aussie summer. Your sun-chasing patients need at least one good pair of sunwear to take along on adventures. Shown: Badgley Mischka Active style Perry from Sama. Belize This tiny country is about the size of Massachusetts, but its location in the Caribbean makes it a sunny and welcoming destination year-round. Many enjoy snorkeling in the longest, continuous barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Just make sure they have a divemask or goggles. Shown: Leader Titan from Hilco. Aspen The ultimate winter wonderland when folks don't want to escape the cold, they want to embrace it. Skiers and snowboarders from all over flock to Colorado to hit the powder-packed slopes. Just don't let your snow-seeking patients leave the office without a good pair of ski goggles. Snow blindness is a dangerous side effect of skiing without protection. Shown: the adidas Burna goggle from Silhouette.

Golfers often take winter trips to warm spots. Shown: Maui Jim Sport style Hurricane

Reiners says that golf eyewear can also equate to big sales for vacationers, those who reside in a warm climate, or even those who continue to play until the snow falls. But many practices lose potential sales to the local golf shop.

"The golf course I belong to carries sports sunwear, but customers don't get service because the salespeople don't know much about them," she adds. "They don't know about all the tints or Rxing them.

"Win your patients back with product PLUS service. Inform them about which styles can maximize performance and they'll pick you over the local pro shop every time.

SNOW FALL, CASH CALL

One of the keys to selling eyewear for snow sports is education. Many patients aren't aware that UV light can actually be more dangerous in the winter. According to the World Health Organization, snow reflection may double an individual's overall exposure to UV rays. In fact, fresh snow may reflect as much as 80 percent of UV rays, compared to other surfaces like grass, soil, or water.

There is always a season for sports eyewear. Shown clockwise from top: Smith Optics I/O goggle; Tommy Hilfiger Polarized style TH 7243 from Viva International Group; The Detonator goggle from Zeal Optics

Be sure that snowboarders and skiers are aware of "snow blindness," a condition where reflected UV rays burn the outer-surface layers of the eye, causing temporary blindness. Online ski forums are full of testimonies from skiers who have dealt with a few days of blindness and vow to never wear cheap eyewear again. Such real-life stories can be hard-hitting sales presentations.

Touting your ability to Rx sports eyewear is also key to winning sales back from the sports shop, says Nicole Caldez, optician with Alpine Vision in Colorado Springs, Colo. "Many patients don't realize that sports frames can be filled with their prescription," she says.

Patients are especially surprised that ski goggles can be filled, adds Monica Torres, optical technician with Advanced Eye Care in Los Banos, Calif. At Advanced, word-of-mouth helps spread the message to patients that they can order their ski goggles through the practice.

"The message comes directly from the doctor and is followed up by the optical department," she says. "We then special order the goggles and fill them with polycarbonate lenses if they're Rxable."

The bottom line? No matter what sports your patients prefer, their sporting eyewear needs can be met in the dispensary with extra service and information they wouldn't receive from the pro shop. EB