CLINICAL

  optical

Second-Pair Sales

Consider two methods to incentivize additional purchases

DAVE ZIEGLER, O.D.

Second-pair sales are a win-win for everyone involved. Patients win because they have new eyewear, such as polarized sunglasses, that enhances their vision. The practice wins because of the incremental income. So, why is it so hard to get patients to buy second pairs?

To help get patients on board with additional purchases, you must fulfill their wants and needs, and minimize the risks. Here are two ways to accomplish this.

1. Enhance the buying experience

Consumers are motivated to buy when they believe a product or service offers pleasure or fulfillment. Here are some tactics to enhance the shopping experience in your optical:

► Merchandise. Create beautiful displays that show eyewear by collection with interesting props and lighting to highlight your frames.

► Hire the right people. Hire compassionate and competent salespeople who are compelled to offer eyecare products that solve patients’ vision problems.

► Create patient profiles. One reason Amazon is so successful is that it makes recommendations based on customers’ past purchases. So, keep a record of your patients’ occupational and vocational needs, and use it to make personalized recommendations.

► Sell brands. Display well-known fashion brands, as well as a new ones your patients may not yet know. Consumers respond to brand names and the information that your staff provides about each collection.

► Demonstrate the benefits. If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, a demonstration is worth 10,000. Showing your patients how polarized lenses reduce glare, for example, goes a long way toward making your point.

2. Decrease risk

Consumers are also more likely to buy when their risk is minimized. This lowers their fear of making a bad decision. Here’s what you can do:

► Institute free trials. When we started offering a 30-day free trial on polarized sunwear and computer glasses — we collect their credit card information and run the first of three payments after the trial period — our second-pair sales took off. Why should you expect patients to experiment with second pairs if you won’t stand behind them? If your recommendation is a good one, patients nearly always keep the glasses.

► Offer interest-free financing. Put your patients on a three-month, interest-free payment plan by collecting their credit card information and processing it monthly. Spreading the cost through three months minimizes risk and allows patients to make purchases more affordably.

► Provide price comparisons. Create price-comparison sheets that show the prices of the same products at your practice vs. local discount opticals. Many times, the premium products you sell compare favorably.

► Create a dispensing brochure. To decrease buyer’s remorse, upon patient pick-up, dispense personalized portfolios that explain each feature of the lenses and frame. Not only does this reassure patients that their purchase was a good one, it creates patient loyalty and reduces the fear of buying.

Lesson learned

We can learn a lot about why patients buy by thinking about why we buy ourselves. By explaining the benefits and reducing the risks, patients become more receptive to buying additional eyewear that will enhance their visual experiences. OM

DR. ZIEGLER IS A SENIOR PARTNER IN A GROUP PRIVATE PRACTICE IN MILWAUKEE, WISC., AND A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY. E-MAIL HIM AT DAVEAZIEGLER@GMAIL.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.