Dr. Brittany Schauer says a change in her exam room education increased optical sales. Photo courtesy of Dr. Schauer.
Purposeful, educational exam room conversations lead to increase in optical sales
By Brittany Schauer, OD
May 12, 2026
Patients have many options for purchasing eyewear online and on nearly every corner. Our office is not the cheapest choice out there, but there’s a reason for that. We’re invested in a high-quality experience for our patients throughout their entire visit.
However, the average patient doesn’t know the difference between the progressive lenses in your independent office versus the big box store down the street. After an educational session a few years ago at The Exchange, the national meeting hosted by Vision Source, I realized I wasn’t doing the best job in communicating why our prices are higher and why patients should purchase from us.
The mindset shift is worth it. Here’s the proof. I made this change in my conversations in May 2025. To give myself a month’s worth of “practice” in my new routine talking to patients, I compared my optical sales in the range of June to December 2024 to June to December 2025.
Between those time frames in 2024 and 2025, our optical sales increased 7.3%. That’s a huge jump that happened as a direct result.
START A NEW CONVERSATION
This new perspective was enlightening. To have a positive impact on our optical sales, I needed to take the time to have an educational conversation. It truly falls back to the doctor in the exam room.
I started digging deeper with patients who didn’t make an optical purchase on their previous visit. “Do you mind me asking about last time when you didn’t get glasses? Did I not have a good selection or was it the price? What drove your decision to buy elsewhere?”
Most of the time, the response was about the price.
That’s where I can step in and educate patients on the differences in quality and why we sell the products in our portfolio. I also tell them that our wide selection of eyewear also includes more budget-friendly price point packages. They may not know this if I don’t tell them.
We also talk about warranty, and I share why I don’t carry budget frames that are considered discontinued. In our office, we pull discontinued frames. But sometimes patients get this type of eyewear for a cheap price in other stores. I explain that when the product is discontinued, I can’t order parts and make repairs to help them keep their eyewear that they love or an exact replacement.
There’s nothing wrong with the big box stores. Their business philosophy is to sell a high volume of low-priced items. And for patients on a tight budget, it may be the best match. It doesn’t hurt my feelings when patients ask for a copy of their prescription, but I want them to leave knowing we may also have a quality option that fits their budget.
PAIR THE CONVERSATION WITH A PROPER HANDOFF
Since our remodel, we incorporated a more official handoff to the optical. Our optician is waiting, and I prepare them with some information about what we talked about. I may mention that the patient has purchased elsewhere but is interested in shopping with us today.
Then, the optician team takes it from there. My team has shared that when I have that conversation in the exam room, it makes their job a lot easier.
WHAT I’M WORKING ON NEXT
My next focus is improving my patient education on sunglasses. I hope in a year or two I can look at our sunglasses sales and second-pair metrics and see a difference. I’m just starting to change my conversations with patients and asking them questions to change their mindset in this area of eye health.
TAKE THE TIME FOR THE CONVERSATION
In both scenarios, the impact on our sales boils down to my conversation with patients. There’s so much to say to patients in a short amount of time, yet the education can have a true influence. My colleague Kurt Steele, OD, owner of Vision Source of Newport in Newport, Tennessee, offers a great perspective on the opportunity here.
He says that 20% of patients are those who will wait in line for the next iPhone. You can have the conversation, but they won’t need a lot of convincing. They already want what’s best and new.
Another 20% will want to stay low cost. There’s nothing you can do to change their mind.
The middle range between these two is where you can make a difference. When you take the time to explain to these patients why purchasing with you is a good decision, they will often appreciate your efforts and trust in your expertise.
Read more from Dr. Schauer here.
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Brittany G. Schauer, OD, is the co-owner of Vision Source Mandan in Mandan, North Dakota. To contact her: bschauer@visionsource.com |
