Photo courtesy of Dr. Alex Martin, who says optical sales have significantly improved by taking a few specific actions to anticipate patient needs in advance of their appointments.
A few improvements that skyrocketed optical sales
By Alex Martin, OD
July 9, 2025
In today’s competitive optical environment, elevating patient experience and driving profitability go hand-in-hand.
Over the past years, our practice embraced three pivotal changes that not only improved our patient care but also significantly enhanced our bottom line.
Here’s a closer look at what worked—and why.
Adopting an Omnichannel Shopping Solution: Setting the Stage Before the Exam
One of the most transformative shifts we made was implementing an Omnichannel shopping experience for our patients.
Prior to their appointments, patients receive a link to our curated online frame gallery. We use the Preview tool from The Optical Dream Program from Vision Source, but there are other technologies, such as My Frame Gallery and Optify, among other options, that allow the same patient preview of your merchandise.
Patients can browse at their leisure, select their favorite styles and place these choices into a digital “cart.”
When the patient arrives for their exam, our staff has already prepared the selected frames, allowing the try-on and styling process to begin immediately.
This has created a ripple effect:
- Patient satisfaction has soared. They appreciate the convenience and the feeling of being prioritized.
- The styling process is more focused, with patients feeling more confident and less overwhelmed by choices.
- Sales have increased. Patients who preselect are more likely to purchase, and often select higher-end frames because they’ve had time to browse without feeling rushed. Our average capture rate is + or – 65% per month. It is 87% for patients who preselect frames prior the exam.
The omnichannel system has effectively blended the ease of online shopping with the personalized service of in-office styling, offering the best of both worlds.
Implementing a Static Board Inventory: Always In Stock, Always Ready
Nothing undermines patient confidence quite like choosing a frame online, only to find it unavailable in the office. To solve this, we transitioned to a static board inventory model—meaning every frame patients see online remains stocked and on our boards at all times.
Here’s what this change delivered:
- Eliminated stock-outs and disappointments at the appointment.
- Streamlined frame reordering: through The Optical Dream, our team orders both the frame and lens directly from the EssilorLuxottica distribution center, while the selected frame returns immediately to our board.
- Enabled more predictable sales cycles: With a consistent frame offering, our turn rates and sales forecasting have become much more reliable.
Patients now trust that what they see is what they’ll get—building a strong reputation for reliability and consistency.
Meanwhile, maintaining a core inventory has helped us control purchasing budgets and optimize vendor relationships, both crucial to profitability.
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Enhancing Eyewear Recommendations Through Lifestyle Conversations
The third practice change focused squarely on better understanding our patients’ real-world needs.
Our technicians now engage every patient in a brief but targeted lifestyle discussion about their past eyewear experiences, day-to-day activities and expectations for new glasses. This was provided by EssilorLuxottica during our Circle of Care training in 2024.
Armed with this information, our doctors prescribe lens solutions tailored specifically to each patient’s lifestyle—not just based on visual acuity, but on how they truly live, work and play.
The impact has been remarkable:
- Patients feel genuinely heard and valued—enhancing trust and loyalty.
- Lens upgrades and premium add-ons (like blue light filters, progressives, photochromic lenses, etc.) are naturally positioned based on lifestyle needs rather than being “upsold.”
- Remakes and complaints have dropped sharply, as patients receive eyewear that fits seamlessly into their lives.
This small change—asking a few insightful questions—made a massive difference in patient satisfaction, referral rates and optical capture rates.
Final Thoughts: Anticipate Patient Needs Way in Advance
The common thread in these three improvements is anticipating patient needs before they even realize them.
From preselecting frames online, to ensuring their choices are ready and waiting, to prescribing lenses that fit their lifestyle, we shifted from a transactional mindset to a truly consultative, patient-first approach.
And the best part? What’s good for the patient has also been great for our profitability—a true win-win.
Read another article by Dr. Martin
Alex Martin, OD, is co-owner and managing partner of Martin Eye Associates, a Vision Source practice in Sanford, N.C. Dr. Martin is also President of Martin Consultants. To contact him: amartin@visionsource.com
