Polarized Checklist

How to Accelerate Sunlens Sales

By Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Glare and UV protection are more important than ever in today's climate, and fixed-tint polarized and polarized photochromic lens technology and sales are looking up. Thanks to free-form designs and processing, wrap lens designs—functional and popular for sports—are fairly unrestricted now. High-impact resistant lens materials and unquestionable UV protection have been sports and sunlens standards for years.

While ECPs can now offer a powerful polarized product selection to their patients, throwing everything on the wall to see what sticks isn't a sales technique that works. The ECPs quoted below detail their simple approaches to making polarized lenses the top sunlens sale in their practices.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Beyond Sports

Polarized and especially polarized photochromic lenses, offer a strong platform to recommend outdoor visual lifestyle solutions that really work.

“We recommend both fixed-tint polarized and photochromic polarized and recommend Drivewear to almost all our patients. Why not two pairs of sunwear, since environmental conditions aren't the same day-to-day or even hour-to-hour? And different activities may call for different lenses.”

— Ken Johnson, ABOM, Professional Opticians, Waterford, Conn.

Don't Ask, Don't Sell

Asking patients regularly about their sunwear needs and wants gets you in the selling groove and keeps you there.

“We suggest polarized lenses for everyone. When a patient is shown the difference between a tinted lens and a polarized/polarized photochromic lens, they rarely choose a tinted lens. And once they wear polarized lenses, they never go back to a standard tinted lens.”

— Joann Brand, LDO, Florida Vision Optique, Stuart, Fla.

Practice Makes Perfect

Suggesting polarized photochromic lenses works well for many reasons.

“Recently I've found myself recommending polarized photochromic lenses 100 percent of the time when polarized lenses are appropriate. Since they get as dark as a fixed-tint polarized, why not? The advantage is that they change with varying light conditions so visual judgments are more consistent and eyewear doesn't have to be taken off or exchanged for clear lenses.”

— Larry Lampert, OD, Boca Raton, Fla.

From the Chair

A simple, easy, and systematic approach from the chair helps boost the selling process once the patient enters the dispensary.

“I make my recommendation for lens products near the end of the exam. I prepare by reviewing the patient's lifestyle questionnaire and asking questions, such as what type of sunlenses they're wearing now and why they like or don't like them. Then I can make accurate recommendations in very little time.”

— Henry Oishi, OD, Eye Appeal, Temecula, Calif.

DEMO AND DISCUSS

A demo is worth a thousand words, and polarized and polarized photochromic lenses are arguably the most dramatic to demonstrate.

Consider going beyond demos and trial lenses to offer samples for patients to try out in their home environments.

Color Considerations

How do you help patients decide which color is best for them?

“We show patients demo lenses in gry and brown, then the polarized photochromic demo, and suggest patients try both of them. We talk to them about the differences and let them choose.”

— Joann Brand

Loaners

Go beyond demos and trial lenses to offer samples for your patients to try at home.

“Know your patients and give them a way to test their preferences. Get a set of flippers and put gray polarized photochromic lenses in one side and brown polarized photochromics in the other. Another set of flippers can be made with Drivewear. The flippers can be loaned out so patients can test to see which color they prefer. I have hunters and golfers who may like the brown or the gray depending on the surroundings.”

— Dr. Lampert

Lifestyle Tips

Give benefits a personalized twist by talking lifestyle.

“We offer tips pertinent to the patient's lifestyle. For example, if they drive long distances, by using polarized lenses they'll have less fatigue and more comfort.”

— Karen Hanson, office manager, Eye Appeal, Temecula, Calif.

COASTAL LIVING

Real-life sports and outdoor activities from coast-to-coast show you how to best place polarization in your practice.

Northeast Coast

When it comes to polarization, there's f ishing, and then there's fishing.

“We recommend gray fixed-tint polarized for most of them, including beachgoers. We always ask where they fish, however, since fly fishing in shallow water requires a brown tint.”

— Ken Johnson

West Coast

Visible and UV light. With patients touring via car and motorcycle through the area's lake and wine country, he sells a lot of Drivewear and SOLFX products.

“These photochromic polarized products are activated by not only UV light, but by visible light, which makes them effective behind windshields or visors. We focus on glare reduction, visual comfort and convenience for those on the road.”

— Dr. Oishi

Florida Coast

Glare everywhere. When blinding glare is an issue, recommending polarized is the answer.

“Here in Florida there is blinding glare everywhere. We suggest polarized lenses for everyone. One of the doctors in the office has been a polarized wearer for years. He loves them for all weather conditions and recommends them to patients.”

— Joann Brand EB