The art of eyewear presentation

Change your internal mindset

More often than not, the biggest stumbling block to sales is the physician's and dispenser's personal preconception that the patient will be unwilling or unable to pay. Prejudging what the patient wants to pay simply does not belong in the dispensing process.

Eyewear presentation techniques

Ask two lifestyle questions of every patient:

These two questions break the ice for an open-ended discussion. For example, does the patient use a computer at work? Is he or she an executive? Does he or she take part in activities where looking elegant is important? Or is looking casual the key to his or her lifestyle?

These questions are non-threatening and help patients to understand that they use their eyes in a number of ways and often have multiple fashion occasions as well, all during a single day.

Tap into emotional motivations

Identify and focus on the image your patient wants to project with eyewear. If the eyewear is for work, is the patient an executive looking to feel like a leader? Does he or she want to project power? People want something that will accomplish a specific goal or give them an edge.

When talking about image, focus on the situational and the emotional: "This is a very executive look for the workplace" or "This is a stylish look for casual occasions where you may want a more laid-back, relaxed, and playful look."

Offer the patient one option from each of the following categories of eyewear: business, casual, trendy, elegant, minimalist (rimless), or fashion and high-tech, performance-enhancing sunglasses. Develop your own vocabulary for describing each of the six categories in a manner that resonates with the patient. This lets the patient know it is okay to purchase more then one pair of eyewear and shatters the one pair "does it all" mindset.