Andrew Bruce in one of the opticals where he worked. Bruce says there are simple, and often low-cost, things you can do to successfully encourage patients to make a purchase
Optometry practice how-to: Increase sales with low-to-no cost strategies
By Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA
Sept. 11, 2024
It’s sometimes hard to know the most important actions to take in your optical to increase sales. Here are a few low-to-no cost things we did to sell more eyewear.
Taking these three actions increased our capture rate from 55-60 percent to 65-70 percent and generated around $80,000 of additional revenue per year.
Doctor Buy-In to Recommend from Chair
We got the doctors in our practice on board with recommending from the chair. That included getting them to discuss eyewear, and how the Rx is only a small part of the equation.
We got the doctors to emphasize to patients how our skilled opticians make everything come together using premium frames, lenses and enhancements.
We did this to increase capture rate, but more importantly, to ensure that our patients received the best possible care and enjoyed the best vision.
As the practice manager, I met with all three doctors and presented them with capture rate stats (ours compared to the industry as a whole). I emphasized the influence they have in retaining patients as eyewear customers.
I also stressed the fact that patients can only enjoy their best vision when the Rx is realized using premium-quality frames, lenses and lens treatments. In addition, I explained the need to have those ideal products fit, measured and fabricated by highly trained opticians, like those in our office.
I discussed how, when the patient walks with their Rx, the doctor loses control over all variables except for the numbers written on a piece of paper!
So, if a patient’s glasses are made elsewhere, with “who knows what” lenses, by “who knows what lab,” the results can be disastrous, and can reflect on the doctor. As far as the patient is concerned, the doctor wrote a bad prescription.
Therefore, I highlighted the value of keeping the purchase in-house; not only the value to the office, but also to the patient. My team and I made sure every patient received the very best. I also asked the doctors to speak highly about the office’s optical staff during their exchanges with patients.
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When possible, I asked the doctors to write multiple Rxs for multiple pairs. For example, I asked them to write an Rx for daily wear, an Rx for sports protective eyewear, an Rx for prescription sunglasses and an Rx for office lenses, etc.
Results: Patients benefited from us doing this because it ensured that they each received the best eyewear solutions. Having doctors recommend from the chair assured that patients received premium-quality glasses. They each walked out of our office with glasses that had the highest level of visual accuracy and precision. And I knew that every patient was WELL taken care of.
If a patient was given three Rxs, they filled three in our office – just like medications! I had to stay on top of the doctors, reminding them, at least once a month. I was the squeaky wheel, but they knew it was my job, and that their recommendations from the chair mattered!
Enforcing Consistent Doctor-Optician Hand-Off
The hand-off is a vital stage in the patient’s journey and essential to retaining them as eyewear customers.
I made sure that whatever my opticians were doing when they heard the doctors’ doors open, unless they were working with another patient, they dropped everything to greet the doctor and patient.
Ensuring a consistent hand-off to the optical assured me that our patients were provided the best care. I also knew that their glasses would be made to my standards (you can’t get much higher), so they would enjoy the best possible vision.
Even with contact lens patients, at the conclusion of their follow-up, either I or my opticians would greet the doctor and patient and then assume the patient’s care in the dispensary, to discuss their contact lens purchase.
Annual Sunglasses Show
To promote sunglass sales, both plano and Rx, we hosted an annual sunglasses show in our office. In addition to selling sunwear, the event attracted new patients to our office and spurred existing patients to make an appointment, or to just stop by to join the fun!
We got the word out about these events through social media advertising, advertising in the local newspaper and mass mailing to our patients.
Weather permitting, we had tents in our parking lot. Sunglass sales reps participated, showing off their collections.
We raffled off three pairs of free plano sunglasses, kindly donated by the reps. We also offered a 20 percent discount on both plano and Rx sunglasses during the show, and served refreshments.
The event cost us around $1,500-$2,000.
Results: It gave our patients a fun event to attend and get a discount on sunglasses. Getting them back into our office was vital for their long-term eye health. Our patients looked forward to it every year. And I ran it for five years.
In our best year, we grossed approximately $3,500 in sunglass sales.
We covered our expenses, and then some. It didn’t cover the increase in greying it caused me every year, but that was OK 🙂 It was a lot of work, but really fun and energizing.
Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA, is a 2024 Contact Lens Institute Visionary. He is a licensed master optician and contact lens fitting specialist in Vancouver, Wash., and founder of ASB Opticianry Education Services. To contact him: asbopticianry@gmail.com
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
