Lens Rep

**OPTIDONN** · 07-07-2005, 02:46 PM

Today I just spoke with a lens rep with a very big lens company. She said that they will be doing some major hiring very shortly. My back ground has been in labs and recently retail. I am very familiar with the companies lenses and love optics and learning about lenses and talking about it with people. Are there any lens reps uot there? Do you enjoy it? I want some more information.

**Cherry Optical** · 07-11-2005, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by OPTIDONN

Today I just spoke with a lens rep with a very big lens company. She said that they will be doing some major hiring very shortly. My back ground has been in labs and recently retail. I am very familiar with the companies lenses and love optics and learning about lenses and talking about it with people. Are there any lens reps uot there? Do you enjoy it? I want some more information.

If you like driving and handing out literature, it will be a great fit for you.

Adam

**Lewy** · 07-11-2005, 10:21 AM

Adam,

I spent several years as a lens rep with Essilor UK and whilst I learnt an awful lot with them, in terms of job satisfaction it was very poor. If all you are doing is calling on practices handing out literature and general chit chat then I think you will soon become a bit fed up. Also the hours can be long, very long....your first appointment may be at 8.00am with a 2-3 hour drive ahead of you, that coupled with an evening seminar could mean your home at 11.00pm, great if your'e single but hell if your married and have a family. Before I started with Essilor my father warned me that 'repping' causes more divorces than many other professions and I can see why. Also be prepared to put on weight as you will be sitting in a car more, staying in hotels and eating more rich food and believe me I was sick of the sight of hotel food after 6 months. However the job does have it's enjoyable side, you get to meet a lot of your fellow opticians and technicians and can make a lot of useful friends. It also gave me a LOT of self confidence and taught me the ability to speak in public, it also gained me a lot of professional respect from my clients which has since helped me in my own practice. Expect to stay in the post for a couple of years and then either seek promotion or move on. Don't be put of by the negatives but do be aware of them, also you will have to get used to rejection as not all practices will want to see you and you will find can be quite rude at times.

Please email me off list if you would like further information.

Regards,

Lewy

**chip anderson** · 07-11-2005, 10:39 AM

I hope you love golf. As near as I can tell (because they all seem to call on us within the same few days time) they all travel together (Possibly for group rates) and play golf together. The good side is they get the inside scoup on the best jobs when they come available in doctor's offices and optical shops. The doctor's seem to think reps have the inside scoop on dispensing and sales.

They also seem to take late November 'til mid January off.

Chip

**William Walker** · 07-12-2005, 01:10 AM

I think the reception you recieve as a lens rep will be a result of how you approach your clients. Compare your relationship as a broker to your opticians/opticals, as the opticians/opticals are to their patients. If you come in unnanounced (my personal pet peeve), drop off a bunch of stuff, say my stuff is better than everyone elses, and bug them about why they sold a lens otrher than theirs, you will not be liked.

However, if you can use this opprotunity to educate your clients about your lenses, and offer honest pros and cons for your company's lenses vs. the competition, and respect the decisions made by the opticians, I think you will be someone whom your clients can look to for advice when choosing between lenses. You will be liked, and your business will thrive.

I have a few reps that just tell me that their lens is the best, and then start spouting off technical terms and figures that are so far over my head, my eyes just glaze over. The best rep ever has been Matt Hinton from Zeiss. I've been able to call him about a few recommendations, and he's told me plenty of times that no, the XYZ lens we sell is way too overkill for a given Rx, and that this much less expensive lens would do the job just as well if not better. I appreciate a rep who isn't just out for every dollar.

(but if I had a family, I wouldn't even consider it)

**Chris Ryser** · 07-12-2005, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by William Walker

I have a few reps that just tell me that their lens is the best, and then start spouting off technical terms and figures that are so far over my head, my eyes just glaze over.

I appreciate a rep who isn't just out for every dollar.

If a rep would tell you that his product is not the best,...............you would not consider it....................it is his job to have the best product and try to brainwash you.

Teps are all out for the dollar........that is their living..........bonus and commisssions

**William Walker** · 07-12-2005, 10:50 AM

What I mean by that is I don't want a rep to come in my office and tell me their lens is the best for a given metric (thinnest lens, best in a high wrap, best abbe, large distance, intermediate, or near, etc...) when there is enough common (accepted as nonbiased) data to show that it is an out and out lie.

Don't tell me it's the best because YOU say so. Show me, explain to me, teach me, and then I can make that determination for myself.

On a side note, on our trunk show days, we got so busy, I'd usually have a lens rep come in at the same time, to help patients decide on lenses with their orders. I got a point where it seemed like the HOYA rep said Zeiss' stuff stunk, and the Zeiss rep said that the Essilor stuff stunk, and the Essilor... you get the idea. I always wanted to schedule three lens reps to come in, and let them try to discuss to a patient why a patient should choose their lens over a competitors, with the competitor's rep within earshot.