ANNUAL OPTICAL ISSUE

CREATE A MEMORABLE OPTICAL

FOLLOW THESE THREE TIPS TO ADD INSPIRATION, INTEREST AND REVENUE TO YOUR OPTICAL

Tanya Gill, O.D., Oakland, Calif.

PATIENTS ARE consumers, and consumers are looking for an experience. Specifically, they want to feel happy and comfortable when they are spending money. Think about when you’re in Las Vegas. Suddenly you want to buy a round of drinks, blow $20 in a slot machine and pay hundreds of dollars on shows. Las Vegas makes you feel the fun, and money is no longer the main concern. Vegas is an experience. Doctors need the right, good-looking space to create that special experience.

Here are three basic principles to help you create not just an optical dispensary, but an optical dispensary that patients will remember.

1 LOOK FOR INSPIRATION

A couple of years ago, I knew it was time to remodel. Optical sales were lagging, and the optical dispensary just wasn’t a comfortable space to work or shop in. It offered very little to remember, well except for the amazing wallpaper from the 1970s and more amazing light fixtures from the 1980s. It was time.

One night, I was eating at Chipotle and saw a plywood-perforated wall. I was inspired. I knew at that exact moment I would somehow incorporate that idea, look and feel into my new optical dispensary. We are doctors, not interior decorators. We need a little inspiration. A great place to get inspiration is any non-optometry related business, such as a restaurant, hotel, tech store, clothing store or furniture store. The most often overlooked inspiration is your home. Observe the walls, floors, lighting, displays, colors and materials. Take photos of what catches your eye. Chances are, if it catches your eye, it will work for your patients too.

Start an inspiration board on Pinterest. You can simply pin photos of rooms, displays, lighting, colors and materials that inspire you. It will take about 200 pins to really visualize your optical, so the more you pin, the better.

I love the color orange and found out about these eyeglass pillows from Pinterest.

We painted a few select walls in our office a shade of orange, which happens to be the color of my home foyer and bathroom. I also took a few pieces of artwork from home and added them to the optical dispensary. These things made the space feel like home. Home is where the eyes are, right?

2 STAY WITHIN A BUDGET

Finances at my practice were tight in 2014, so I needed to design an optical dispensary that was affordable. I also wanted patients to feel comfortable, but at the same time, inspire them to spend money. To accomplish both goals, some staff members and I went to a local hardware store and gathered all the elements together.

We mounted screws that cost $0.19 into OSB (oriented strand board) that cost $13 a panel. It took about two hours of labor to drill and install, which cost $80. We added a shelf to display objects of interest (more on those objects later) for $29.95 each and two camping light fixtures for $19.99 a piece. When everything was said and done, each of my wall displays cost about $200 to make.

I wanted a few posh displays to showcase our most expensive glasses collections. What could be better than metal and glass? I purchased metal and glass bookshelves from a furniture store for $250 each. After the cost of installation with the OSB plywood backdrop and large nuts and bolts, the total came to under $350.

The look was unique, fit the vibe of downtown Oakland, where my practice is located, and was beautiful on the pocketbook. The total cost of the glasses displays was $3,100, because I roll like that.

3 DISPLAY OBJECTS OF INTEREST

After new, beautiful glasses displays, comes the time to merchandise them. We created displays but without the clutter. We wanted patients to be able to see the merchandise, but we also didn’t want the glasses to be washed away by too much visual noise. We kept it simple and clean.

At my practice, we organize the dispensary by brands. Each brand is displayed with a unique theme. We make use of white picture frames in all sizes, so we can easily swap themes as the seasons and collections change.

I’m a big fan of succulents, so this was an inspiration that I brought from my home backyard. Instead of the typical monthly flower arrangement that wilts after a few days, we opted for unique and stylish succulent arrangements. They are small enough to fit in your hand and also small enough to merchandise (and Instagram) with. Spritz a little water every other day, and they are (near) impossible to kill.

In addition, we used my nephews’ 6” x 8” abstract artwork from when they were ages 3 and 5 to merchandise a frame line known for its art and color. Patients love that we added that personal touch.

Succulents and reclaimed wood furniture are juxtaposed with retro optometry equipment for interest.

Other personal touch ideas:

• Highlight your favorite sports team. Have a favorite sports team or a man cave at home? Bring that inspiration to your optical dispensary, and display your bobble heads, framed tickets and game-day swag. If you practice in a town that worships sports, use them to merchandise your most expensive collections.

Add an element of surprise and whimsy. The staff and the patients have fun with our lab doors.

• Use images to change your theme. Visit a bookstore, and get a small book with images you love. This will be your theme. The images should be about postcard size, so they are easy to display and frame. My next theme will include mouthwatering photos of brunch, and the glasses will be merchandised with cool salt and pepper shakers and forks. After all, who doesn’t love pancakes?

• Grab a children’s book you liked when you were a kid, and place the pictures into frames. Currently, we have “Where The Wild Things Are” displayed with a certain frame brand. If you loved it as a kid, your patients will likely feel the same way.

NOW, LET’S DO THIS

Creating an optical dispensary that patients will remember doesn’t necessarily cost a lot of money, but it will require some inspiration, an open mind and the bravery to edit the clutter. We designed a memorable space, and the feedback has been extremely positive. In the first year since our remodel, our optical dispensary has grown by 30%. And the best part about it — it’s 100% paid for in full. Because, that’s how we roll. OM

DR. GILL is the owner of Oakland Vision Center Optometry in Oakland Calif. and the founder of We Love Eyes, a company that makes natural, non-toxic cleansing products for the eyes. She is “obsessed” with ocular surface disease, kick-a_  _ female entrepreneurship, never saying never, eating vegetables daily and brightly colored sneaker pumps. Email her at ovc.drgill@gmail.com. To comment, visit tinyurl.com/OMComment.