Practice Metrics

How Many of Your Patients Own Sunwear for Action Sports?

Sunwear designed specifically for action sports use is still only owned by a small percentage of patients indicating a growth opportunity in your optical shop. Thirteen percent of respondents said they had purchased sunglasses or goggles specifically to be used for action sports activities, according to The Vision Council’s VisionWatch Action Sports Sunglass Report. Younger respondents and male respondents were more likely than older respondents and females to have ever purchased action sports sunglasses.

Sixteen percent of younger adults and 18 percent of men had purchased action sports sunglasses while only 10 percent of older adults and 9 percent of women had. Region played a significant role in action sports sunglass purchase incidence—with 9 percent of respondents from the Midwest saying they had purchased action sports sunglasses and 16 percent of respondents in the Mountain Pacific region saying they had. It’s also no surprise that respondents who played action sports in the past year were far more likely to have purchased action sports sunglasses than those that had not. Respondents that played any kind of winter sport in the past year were the most likely to have purchased action sport sunglasses or goggles, with 48 percent saying they had done so. Extreme sports players also were more likely than other respondents to purchase action sports sunglasses, with 40 percent saying they had done so.

I recently sat in a seminar where Jay Binkowitz explained his routine for patients entering the optical from the exam room. It was a five-step process that every practice should consider adopting. Here are the five steps in the order in which they are presented to every patient.

1. Take the patient to a polarized sunglasses display. Let them see the difference between lenses that darken and polarized lenses.
2. Discuss the practice damage or loss policy for eyewear. Make it safe for patients to buy from you.
3. Select the frame.
4. Select the lenses.
5. Discuss the insurance coverage.

Here are three observations about this approach that you should consider:

1. Rather than putting insurance first and placing a box around what the patient can get, putting insurance last allows the patient to get what is best for them and then use the insurance to help pay for it.

2. By placing polarized sunglasses first, you increase the odds that patients will get sunglasses and a dress pair. When the dress pair goes first, patients will often think about cost and not get the sunglasses.

3. You know the lens prescription, so use that information in helping the patient pick the best frame, but wait until the frame is selected to discuss the lenses.

Take time today to review your process every patient goes through when leaving your exam room. Are there things you need to change in order to help more patients get better care in your office? Let’s make those changes today.

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