CLINICAL

  OPTICAL

USE THE RIGHT WORDS

HOW THE WORDS YOU CHOOSE IMPACT YOUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

DAVE ZIEGLER, O.D.

ONCE, WHILE on vacation, I found myself looking at watches. I’ve always had an attraction to them, and I was wasting time while my wife was doing more serious shopping. The owner asked me about the watches I already owned, and I listed several. He smiled and said, “You own some nice watches. But do you know what you really need?” He paused and said, “You need to own a timepiece. Many companies can make a watch that keeps time with quartz technology, but a timepiece is a mechanical work of art.” As you might guess, I bought a timepiece.

The words he used to differentiate his product sealed the deal. Consider this as you listen to your staff schedule an appointment or your description of tasks during an exam. I’ll bet you’ll find a few areas to improve. For this column, let’s talk about how word choice relates to selling glasses.

FRAMES

Create a list of descriptive words that bring more interest to frame styling. Challenge your opticians to use such words during the day. For example, instead of saying, “That tortoise-colored frame looks nice on you” the optician would say, “I love the marbleized coloration of that particular Tokyo tortoise and the way the uplifting shape accentuates your high cheekbones.” Which description draws the consumer in?

FACE SHAPE

Use flattering words to describe a patient’s features. The woman who has a round face doesn’t need to be reminded of that. Instead, the optician could say, “When I style a woman who has gently curved facial features like yours, I like to contrast the natural shape with an angular or geometric frame to create a fantastic new look.” When opticians work with men, who often have more angular face shapes, have them use words that relate: “For men who have a chiseled masculine face shape like yours, let’s accentuate that with this new titanium technology for a look that is really cutting edge.”

LENS

For the lens, have your opticians speak in terms of what it does and how it will benefit the consumer. When they mention a feature, follow up with a benefit. An anti-glare coating is a feature; the benefit is better night vision and better lens appearance. Polycarbonate is a feature; lightweight and impact-resistant is the benefit.

It is also important for them to avoid industry vocabulary. There is no reason to talk about a PD with a consumer because he or she likely does not know what that is. Instead, your opticians should describe how this digital device can accurately measure the distance between eyes for better vision quality. Other words to avoid: “seg height,” “diopters,” “prism” and “base curves.”

SET YOUR PRACTICE APART

Consider creating a list of preferred words, and post them in the optical lab. Hold contests to see who can drastically transform his or her way of speaking, and encourage others to follow. It’s one detail to differentiate your office. Try it, because words matter. OM

Renae Shepherd from The Vision Council was a valuable resource in putting the article together.

DR. ZIEGLER is a senior partner at Ziegler & Leffingwell Eyecare in Milwaukee, Wisc., and a fellow of the AAO. Email him at daveaziegler@gmail.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment.