CONTACT LENSES

Technology Sells. Literally.

7 high-tech ways to clinch a contact lens sale

consumers consider contact lenses a combination of convenience and technology. If you’re not embracing technology—by implementing future-facing ways to both present and sell contacts—you’re definitely missing the mark. And the market.

Here are seven ways to grow your contact lens business by tying into technology.

1. TALK THE TALK. When it comes to discussing contacts, says Justin Bazan, O.D., owner of Park Slope Eye in Brooklyn, NY, it’s all about stressing innovations. And that, he says, is the responsibility of the doctor.

“Marketing and promotion will always be trumped by the doctor actually getting the patient to experience innovative product firsthand,” says Dr. Bazan. “This is especially true for contacts. It’s often as simple as saying, ‘I have a new product you will love, and you’re going to get a chance to check it out right now.‘“

2. COMMIT TO IT. Kimberly Friedman, O.D., and her husband, Les Friedman, O.D., have been practicing in Moorestown, NJ, since 1991. One commitment they’ve made at Moorestown Eye Associates, says Dr. Friedman, is that “we try to incorporate one new piece of technology or patient offering each year, so that’s 25 years of added technology.”

3. SHOW AND SELL. The key, of course, is getting patients to try on contacts so they can see how great they look. According to research by Alcon, “90% of interested patients will buy colored lenses if they’ve had the chance to experience them.”

4. VIRTUAL TRY-ONS. This newest technology is a great sales aid. “We get a lot of people trying the colors through virtual try-on,” says Dr. Friedman. “People find it a fun way to explore the possibilities of cosmetic contact lenses, and Alcon makes it easy to link our website to their virtual try-on technology. Even if patients don’t purchase, it creates another means of connecting with our office.”

5. TRAINING VIDEOS. Contact lens suppliers have created a number of videos, branded and unbranded, that are great to link to on your website. They’re informational and raise your profile as a high-tech provider.

At the website for Master Eye Associates, with six locations in the Austin, TX, area, for example, there’s a link to a video on contact lens insertion and removal. You don’t need to create the video yourself (theirs is an Opti-Free video) to have it add a level of high-tech professionalism to both your practice and your website.

6. YOUTUBE AS PR. Dr. Friedman is frequently interviewed on TV, and many of those interviews, including one with Rachael Ray, are on YouTube.

“Our video presence on the web has by far had the greatest impact on our practice growth,” says Dr. Friedman. “I have always believed PR is more important than advertising. We do not spend any money on traditional advertising in our office. Our emphasis is on PR, hosting charitable events, internal marketing, Facebook, and the web.”

7. SELFIE STATIONS. ”Social media can go the distance when it comes to cementing the sale,” says social media guru Sara Evans. “I recommend a selfie station, a dedicated place that is photo friendly so someone doesn’t feel nervous if they’re not used to taking photos but want feedback from friends online. It needs good lighting, a mirror, and should have your branding in the background.”

That’s exactly what April Jasper, O.D., does in her West Palm Beach, FL, practice.

She provides a selfie area with her logo in the background. Once posted to social media, explains Dr. Jasper, it’s the perfect opportunity to generate new business.

—Stephanie K. De Long

The proposed hardware to be built into the lens includes an image capture unit, a main control unit, a storage module, and an antenna. Source: USPTO

WINKIN’ , BLINKIN’ , AND…

After much speculation, Sony has finally filed a patent for smart contacts that will allow the user to record photos and play back video. The patent, filed on May 12, reports the lens will connect wirelessly to the wearer’s smartphone and commands will be made by blinking. Samsung and Google have similar projects in the works. Would you sell these high-tech contact lenses at your business?