**Essilor Sales Reps** Customers please respond

[Steve Machol]

didn't get that steve?

Sorry, I thought you were asking about the Reputation system here. What I meant that it is limited to positive or constructive feedback only.

[agapelove]

This requirement that the reps understand technical and optical goes right past me. For their end, it's just business. For your end (and perhaps ego)' it should be about "how" to present the products effectively and persuade a client to purchase. Whether or not it lives up to the company's promise depends alot on your business mission statement.

If it was so easy for a rep to master all the tech, then cavemen would do it too.

B

Barry,

It really comes down to karma and treating people right. If a doctor/rep is nasty and mean, the universe will give back what they put out. "If we can bring a drop of joy into the lives of someone we meet, even briefly, that person will begin to see the benefit of doing likewise."

[opty4062]

I'm with Java on this one. I want the rep that comes in telling that he is selling the newest, best, latest, greatest, run-faster, jump-higher lens or coating or whatever to be able to tell me why it is better. I expect at least a working knowledge of optics and a moderate amount of knowledge of their competitor's product so there can be an honest comparison.

Marketing will always be a part of a sales rep's routine, but I would like to get an answer from a rep during the visit. I don't have time to meet with a rep and then spend time on the phone 2-3 days later when they finally get back to me with an answer.

I make it my goal to always ask a question that I know the rep will not be able to answer. Unfortunately, the companies have been hiring people that make it way too easy for me.

Would it be so bad to hire someone with knowldege of the industry instead of someone who was selling syringes and scalpels last month?

Just my $.02.

THIS! For example, a recent visit with our big E rep was a big push for the anti-fog lenses. When I simply asked how to present this to a patient as "better" than the lens sprays currently on the market, he had NOTHING to help me besides, "the lens is made this way, therefore it is better." Sorry but my patients who have a fog concern have already tried the available sprays and were inconvenienced by the repeated necessary application of solution. Yet, this wonder-lens requires a repeated application of solution also.

[agapelove]

THIS! For example, a recent visit with our big E rep was a big push for the anti-fog lenses. When I simply asked how to present this to a patient as "better" than the lens sprays currently on the market, he had NOTHING to help me besides, "the lens is made this way, therefore it is better." Sorry but my patients who have a fog concern have already tried the available sprays and were inconvenienced by the repeated necessary application of solution. Yet, this wonder-lens requires a repeated application of solution also.

Good point. Good point indeed. Opty4062. Do you have a relationship with this rep? Would you say this rep is a partner to you or just a vendor?

[opty4062]

I would have to say he views it as a partnership much more than I do. He is very personable and friendly, but he likes to tell me about how well he did back when he was on the "sales floor" of an OD. But that was 15 years ago for him, in a much more affluent market than the one in which we are located. While I appreciate that he could sell ice to an eskimo, and he made money "hand over fist", his knowledge of optics seems lacking and his understanding that my concern is not only the sale but the service (i.e. trust encouraging repeat business) seems very poor.

[agapelove]

I would have to say he views it as a partnership much more than I do. He is very personable and friendly, but he likes to tell me about how well he did back when he was on the "sales floor" of an OD. But that was 15 years ago for him, in a much more affluent market than the one in which we are located. While I appreciate that he could sell ice to an eskimo, and he made money "hand over fist", his knowledge of optics seems lacking and his understanding that my concern is not only the sale but the service (i.e. trust encouraging repeat business) seems very poor.

Opty4062,

I have seen a lot of different reps in my day. The pharmaceutical rep pushes pills, the medical rep pushes devices and the lab reps push why their lab is the best to diagnose your work. There is something about optical sales, that seem very different from the one's I mentioned above.

Do eye doctors get more irritated due to the changes in the economy and the available margin to be made on their products? Their offices are not full with layers and layers of staff. So are they an easy target for sales reps? Are they being disturbed all day long with reps poping in selling this and that? The Big 'E" owns most of the labs, are the reps more aggressive and have more noise on the street?

In looking at all the posts here, it seems to all come down to: Quality, Turn Around time, Flexibility and product/industry Knowledge.

The reps are selling a service and things can go wrong once the order leaves your office. It's the job of the rep, to not only have good external customer relationships, but also have good internal customer relationships (The lab, and other departments within his/hers company).

Merry Xmas everyone, see you on the other side.

AgapeLove

[agapelove]

This requirement that the reps understand technical and optical goes right past me. For their end, it's just business. For your end (and perhaps ego)' it should be about "how" to present the products effectively and persuade a client to purchase. Whether or not it lives up to the company's promise depends alot on your business mission statement.

If it was so easy for a rep to master all the tech, then cavemen would do it too.

B

I am not with this company here, but found it online. Do doctors really expect reps to understand the business inside out or is this the job of a consultant like you see below?

Free form technology Today and how to increase sales...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P9K-...eature=related

"Optometry Consulting is what PracticeManagementDepot.com does best. When the lens shape can be programmed on the fly, from a single vision lens blank, with optics modified for how an exact frame fits and exact patient, we are faced with a new generation of frame and lens options. From a small business point of view, your product choices are shifting, AR compatibilities are changing rapidly, and price point for conventional progressives upgrading to Free Form designs is increasing while price point for emerging Free Form designs is competitive. And Vision Plans are reacting too. Is your business engaged, proactively adapting to change, or not? Practice Management Depot can help.

Visit PracticeManagementDepot.com for tools and staff training, plus FREE IDEAS, to help your management team systematically increase optical lens"

[coupe]

They must listen....to what I am looking for. They must understand that not all independent offices are able to carry all of the frame lines. They must understand that all offices are not "Gucci/Armani" orientated. They must have "some" global knowledge of what is happening currently in the optical world and particularly in their company. They must accept that not all offices are able to buy 24 Tom Ford at $000.00 wholesale cost. So what does that mean. It means they should listen to what I want/need and work with me.

[sharpstick777]

Steve,

Outside of the sales training course, how can I rep keep they're knowledge up to date? Are there books, curses to take or suggested reading that may help?

A rep can't just know the facts of optics, a good rep has to have sat in the dipsensing chair. To have that experience of trouble shooting a non-adapt or dealing with a picky patient. Its not something you can gain by a training video or book, it only comes from putting your butt on the line.

[sharpstick777]

I want them to call first rather than just showing up at their convience.

I now work as a rep, after dispensing for almost 12 years. There are some people I call first, and some people I just drop by with, depending on the clients needs, surgery schedules etc. Some people prefer that I just drop in over an appointment, some people prefer an appointment. I try to match each clients preference.

I can't speak for other reps, but I can speculate why more don't make appointments. The main reason is that Opticians can take days to call a rep back. Its also more fuel effecient to vist B and C accounts if they are already in the area. To go with only appointments would mean they are driving all over the place, back and forth, and most reps have to eat their own transportation costs. I spend over $600 a month in fuel alone, so that can be a lot of change.

The other reason is that Reps are often on quotas to visit so many accounts in a certain day. Its impossible to keep their quota and work soley by appointment.

Also, since many Opticians have to answer their own phones, while dispensing, while doing I&Rs many of us have an aversion to phone calls. Many practices just prefer someone drop in.

[sharpstick777]

I am a lens Rep, besides performing myriad of other tasks including consulting, education, training and even filling it that lab when its busy.

I became a Rep for the many reasons noted in this thread. Over the last 15 years or so sales reps have become more cheerleaders just as lenses have become more technical. Many years ago while dispensing I was burned when the Sola Percepta launched and was told by my rep it would solve every problem known to man. It didn't solve anything. I vowed it would never happen again after refitting a lot of patients.

I do offer an unusual level of honest product knowledge.

To do this, I had to invent a way of Ray-tracing free-form , and invent language to be able to compare progressives fairly. I also have created my own Power Point presentations from scratch to present Free-form technlogy in a way that Opticians can understand. I spend an enormous amount of time and money in research, trying out different progressives (I have personally worn most lenses on the market) and developing methods of analysing lenses. I have shared a lot of what I have learned here in other threads, with even more to come.

I have many customers who appreciate my work, and Drs call from many states when they have an issue they can't solve.

But it may surprise you... I have a ton of clients that are UTTERLY resistant to real solid or technical information. They WANT to believe the marketing hype. They WANT to their sales reps to be smiling auto-trons that only recite the company line. Maybe its because Opticians have to wear too many hats? Maybe because we are not well educated compared to Audiologists or Pharmacists (the other dispensing professions)? Maybe we to be only Frame Stylists and not lens experts? I don't know.

I spend much of my time educating both Opticians AND OD's at various events, and I find the Drs in almost every instant far more willing to learn real Progressive technology than Opticians are. OD's actually LIKE attending CE events, where many Opticians begrudgingly attend.

Why don't more Reps offer real knowledge that is usefull to dispensers?
ONE: its enormously difficult to find, I had to create most of my onw
TWO: Most Opticians are not actually receptive too it

This won't change until YOU demand that your vendors supply you reps with actual dispensing experience. You will have to put of a fuss, make some phone calls, and make some people feel bad. But until you do, the industry is on a course for more brand cheerleaders.

[sharpstick777]

When I was booted from the industry 10 years ago,

Sounds like a great story, care to share more? Or will I have to buy you a drink?

[obxeyeguy]

I am a lens Rep, besides performing myriad of other tasks including consulting, education, training and even filling it that lab when its busy.

I became a Rep for the many reasons noted in this thread. Over the last 15 years or so sales reps have become more cheerleaders just as lenses have become more technical. Many years ago while dispensing I was burned when the Sola Percepta launched and was told by my rep it would solve every problem known to man. It didn't solve anything. I vowed it would never happen again after refitting a lot of patients.

I do offer an unusual level of honest product knowledge.

To do this, I had to invent a way of Ray-tracing free-form , and invent language to be able to compare progressives fairly. I also have created my own Power Point presentations from scratch to present Free-form technlogy in a way that Opticians can understand. I spend an enormous amount of time and money in research, trying out different progressives (I have personally worn most lenses on the market) and developing methods of analysing lenses. I have shared a lot of what I have learned here in other threads, with even more to come.

I have many customers who appreciate my work, and Drs call from many states when they have an issue they can't solve.

But it may surprise you... I have a ton of clients that are UTTERLY resistant to real solid or technical information. They WANT to believe the marketing hype. They WANT to their sales reps to be smiling auto-trons that only recite the company line. Maybe its because Opticians have to wear too many hats? Maybe because we are not well educated compared to Audiologists or Pharmacists (the other dispensing professions)? Maybe we to be only Frame Stylists and not lens experts? I don't know.

I spend much of my time educating both Opticians AND OD's at various events, and I find the Drs in almost every instant far more willing to learn real Progressive technology than Opticians are. OD's actually LIKE attending CE events, where many Opticians begrudgingly attend.

Why don't more Reps offer real knowledge that is usefull to dispensers?
ONE: its enormously difficult to find, I had to create most of my onw
TWO: Most Opticians are not actually receptive too it

This won't change until YOU demand that your vendors supply you reps with actual dispensing experience. You will have to put of a fuss, make some phone calls, and make some people feel bad. But until you do, the industry is on a course for more brand cheerleaders.

+1 to most of this. I personally don't mind a lens rep just dropping in, as we both know they may have to wait. If I make an appointment, very difficult for me with my personal demands during the day, they still might have to wait which is unfair to them, as they did have an appointment. As to the complacency of opticians, I attribute most of that to the dumbing down of actual knowledge, and only being selling robots making their spiffs for the month., but still can't solve the simplest of problems.

I really like the meat and bones of what sharpstick says, as I am really a very hard sell on company hype with no real backup to show me why or how this is better, and will actually benefit me and my business. I won't name names here to single out one company, but we sure have one that leads the industry with "because it's better, and we make it" it makes us better. Big time POP and monthly games to win c##p or get something free don't really get me excited when you can't really tell me how exactly this product is better than competition A or B, and back it up.

Real Opticians, unfortunately a dying breed.

Keep doing it Sharpstick, some of us appreciate the help.

[braheem24]

I spend much of my time educating both Opticians AND OD's at various events, and I find the Drs in almost every instant far more willing to learn real Progressive technology than Opticians are. OD's actually LIKE attending CE events, where many Opticians begrudgingly attend.

If you ever offer a CE in the southeast add me to your list.

[sharpstick777]

If you ever offer a CE in the southeast add me to your list.

I am reformatting my stuff to get ABO approval. I did all my presentations for in office use origanally, which is not ABO friendly. I will let you know when I speak in the SE.

[Fezz]

I am reformatting my stuff to get ABO approval. I did all my presentations for in office use origanally, which is not ABO friendly. I will let you know when I speak in the SE.

Add me to the list if you ever hit the east coast!

[Lee Prewitt]

For me as a rep, I find it most usful to blend it all together. I can talk techno all day but who understands it all? Will the patient understand when you give it to them? I have used my vast experience to be able to relate it in a real way that the end user can understand it as well. Sharpstick is one smart cookie (I know him and called on him before he joined the venerable ranks of road warriors) and would love to see his work as I am sure that it blends this knowledge well.