Insights From Our Editors

How Likely Are Consumers to Buy Prescription Eyewear?

May 20, 2015

Challenges remain in educating patients about the benefits of a new pair of prescription eyewear, findings from The Vision Council’s March 2015 Consumer Barometer suggest. Just 15.5 percent of respondents say they are “very likely” to get new prescription glasses in the next six months, and just 9.4 percent say they are “extremely likely” to do so. Some 23.3 percent say they “might or might not,” while 25.4 percent say “probably not” to the prospect of purchasing new prescription eyewear in the next six months. Some 26.3 percent say “definitely not” to the question of new prescription glasses in the next six months.

Data from The Vision Council’s March 2015 Consumer Barometer says about one-quarter of people are going to get new prescription glasses in the next six months. Another one-quarter are borderline maybes. Another one-quarter are probably nots, and another one-quarter are definitely nots.

Looking at this data more broadly, 50-75 percent of people, given the best case presentation, could be convinced to get new prescription glasses in the next six months. The key is the case presentation. Let’s focus on that this week. What are the key components of the best case presentation?

Grant Cardone offers great suggestions in his article, The 12 Commandments for Closing a Sale.

We’ve taken 10 of his suggestions and modified them for the eyecare world. Both doctors and opticians need to master this list.

1. Remain seated. Always do the case presentation seated with the patient. The best place is beside the patient, rather than across from them.

2. Always present a proposal in writing. Always present the case to the patient in writing. With today’s digital formats this becomes increasingly easier. Here’s a format we like to use.

Write the patient problems under the problem section. Then, let the patient prioritize the problems. Next, write solutions under the solution section and work out the time frame that is best for the patient.

3. Communicate clearly. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. How do you become an expert at the best case presentation possible? The answer is the same: you must practice, practice, practice. Start by recording yourself giving a case presentation. Video recordings are more helpful than just audio. With video recordings you both see and hear your presentation. Work on your presentation. Refine your presentation. Hone it until it becomes something that helps more of your patients accept your treatment plan to improve their quality of life.

4. Make eye contact. With today’s documentations requirements, it is too easy to have your eyes looking at a computer screen entering information, rather than looking at your patient to read their micro-expressions during your case presentation. Eye contact is essential to the best case presentation. Keep things in context. The whole purpose of the patient sitting in your chair is for you to help improve their quality of life.

5. Ask one more time. Too many people give up if the patient says no. If you believe that the solution you are offering the patient will improve their quality of life, it is not rude to ask one more time after being told no. The key is to ask it a different way.

6. Stay with the patient. Leaving the patient to check on something creates doubt and uncertainty in the patient’s mind. Do your homework. Keep a list of questions patients ask. Make sure you and your staff have practiced prepared answers. Remember that not all answers are equal. Keep a list of the best answers that result in patient acceptance. This is called Best Practices.

7. Use the Assumptive Close. In your case presentation, assume patients will accept your solutions. When you present your solutions tentatively, it creates doubt in the patient’s mind. By presenting your case assuming the patient is going to accept your treatment plan, you move the discussion with the patient from “are you going to accept” to “what are the next steps.” The assumptive close is a powerful tool to master in your case presentation.

8. Stay confident. It’s too easy to become negative after a patient rejects one of your proposed solutions. This negativity can bleed over to your case presentation with patients that follow, killing any chance for them to accept your prescriptions. Don’t allow this to happen. Stay confident. Walk into every case presentation with the attitude that the patient is going to accept your treatment plan. Believe that there is always a way to come to an agreement with a patient that will improve their lives. Work on making this belief a reality.

9. Be positive. Some people are just negative by nature. They are always looking for the negatives in any proposed solution. When you allow the patient’s negativity to affect you into changing your approach from being positive, that almost always leads to a negative outcome. It’s your job to stay positive. This takes willpower, work, and skill. Keep guiding the case presentation back to how the patient’s life will be improved with your prescribed solutions.

10. Always smile. Cardone puts it this way: “For the next week, practice smiling with everyone in every situation you encounter. Do this until you are able to argue with a smile, disagree with a smile, negotiate, overcome objections and close with a smile. Have you ever noticed that very successful people are smiling all the time? It is not because they are successful that they are smiling; it’s how they got successful. This is a million dollar tip: Smile.”

Take this week to review your case presentation. Video yourself giving a case presentation, then practice, practice, practice to make it to the Carnegie Hall of case presentations so that you can help your patients get the care they both need and deserve.

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