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Thread: Digital Lenses 101

  1. #1
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    Digital Lenses 101

    What is the best way to explain digital lenses to consumers without all the fancy wording, what analogies would you use????

    Would you recommend them for all rx's????

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Widens the sweet spot of excellent vision.

    Less fussy re: adjustments for best vision.

    So much sharper (SV) that even if no RX change, you'll see better.

    B

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    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
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    I collaborated with my lens rep to develop our office's verbiage. We split our progressive lenses into three tiers:

    Standard Progressive (Varilux Comfort 2 and Comfort 2 Short): Most versatile multifocal lens design, with distance up top, reading in the bottom, and a gradual progression in the middle. I seldom need to tell my patients what a PAL is; most are already wearing them.

    Premium Progressive (Varilux Comfort 2 DRx and Comfort 2 Short DRx): The prescription is ground into the lenses with digital technology, hugely increasing the accuracy of the power. This also widens your central viewing area up to 30%.

    Ultra Progressive (Varilux Comfort Enhanced): All the advantages of the Premium tier, plus the lens is designed by a more sophisticated computer. This widens the viewing area even more, lessens peripheral blur, and smooths out the field of vision in the entire lens. Most excellent for patients with high powers and astigmatism.

    I tell my patients that the upgrade from Standard to Premium is more noticeable for most patients than the Premium to Ultra upgrade. My lens rep uses this allegory: The Standard is like a very good tube television, the Premium like a plasma flat screen, and the Ultra is the flatscreen with HD programming.

    We've been selling mostly the premium lens. The split is about 25% / 50% / 25%.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

  4. #4
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    I had a rep tell me one time that there are 10,000 points of the pts pin point Rx on the lens. I use that. The seem to like that.

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    OptiWizard anthonyf1509's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AngeHamm View Post
    I collaborated with my lens rep to develop our office's verbiage. We split our progressive lenses into three tiers:

    Standard Progressive (Varilux Comfort 2 and Comfort 2 Short): Most versatile multifocal lens design, with distance up top, reading in the bottom, and a gradual progression in the middle. I seldom need to tell my patients what a PAL is; most are already wearing them.

    Premium Progressive (Varilux Comfort 2 DRx and Comfort 2 Short DRx): The prescription is ground into the lenses with digital technology, hugely increasing the accuracy of the power. This also widens your central viewing area up to 30%.

    Ultra Progressive (Varilux Comfort Enhanced): All the advantages of the Premium tier, plus the lens is designed by a more sophisticated computer. This widens the viewing area even more, lessens peripheral blur, and smooths out the field of vision in the entire lens. Most excellent for patients with high powers and astigmatism.

    I tell my patients that the upgrade from Standard to Premium is more noticeable for most patients than the Premium to Ultra upgrade. My lens rep uses this allegory: The Standard is like a very good tube television, the Premium like a plasma flat screen, and the Ultra is the flatscreen with HD programming.

    We've been selling mostly the premium lens. The split is about 25% / 50% / 25%.
    Very good wording to communicate.
    One problem I've tested...Comfort DRx and Comfort Enhanced. Fit 100 patients in a Comfort Enhanced, then fit the same patients in a Comfort DRx, using same prescription, frame, measurements, etc. all the same.
    95 out of 100 (or more 99 maybe) will not experience any differences.
    We've already done this. Fact. Told them nothing more than, you can have an identical pair to what you just bought for 50% off.
    Took about 3 1/2 months. So paying more for Enhanced over DRx doesn't make sense, until someone shows me the difference.

    But the tier is nicely setup, we do same thing, but go from Comfort 2 - Comfort DRx - Individual or Physio Enhanced Fit

    Your experiences may vary, I'd be interested to hear from others as well.
    ""
    Using the latest equipment and software; Digital lenses are superior in every way. This revolutionary technology eliminates the "Swim and Sway" associated with conventional progressives. More crisp, clear vision in every lighting situation. Without an Rx change you'll still see better. As close to your natural clear vision before glasses as possible. Everything you've just told me you hate has been addressed with these new lenses...
    ""
    Stuff like that we use

    Anthony

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    I think Barry hit the nail right on the head! And if the talk about the degree of customization is not enough, you can always use the good old cell phone analogy ie Motorola Brick vs. iPhone.

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    OptiBoardaholic a1vo's Avatar
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    my Hoya rep told me that "high add" and "high astigmatism" patients will appreciate the digital technology better
    Paul @ Silicon Valley California

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by a1vo View Post
    my Hoya rep told me that "high add" and "high astigmatism" patients will appreciate the digital technology better
    This, IMHO, sells this technology short.

    B

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    Most professional ECP's don't even have a clue thanks to the multitude of BS marketing jargon, so how would a patient ever understand?

    It's simple - talk about the technological advancements an improved picture quality - something they can easily relate to. Like comparing this conventional TV to an HD version. Ask them which one they would rather view all day long.





    Getting too technical will talk yourself out of a sale! Don't try to be a technical nerd - try to sound educated, big difference!

    For the low Rx patients, have two pairs made up on hand to demo - Plano dist with +1.75 ADD for both - first with conventional and no AR, and second digital HD (FF) with best AR. Night and day difference and you also gain the sale of the coating - it's not rocket science!

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter rdcoach5's Avatar
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    Hi-def TV compared to regular TV is always a good comparison. Also compare the picture quality of a 1 mega pixel camera (old non digital progressive ), to a 6 megapixel camera (digital mold progressive) and a 12 megapixel camera's picture quality to a fully digitalized free-form progressive.

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    OptiBoardaholic a1vo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    This, IMHO, sells this technology short.

    B
    ?????
    Paul @ Silicon Valley California

  12. #12
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by a1vo View Post
    ?????
    Using "high add" and "high astigmatism" patients only is selling short this technology.

    B

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    Completely agree Barry. Everyone at least deserves the option. Much like the televisions clarity difference, there is a difference in all Rx's, it is just more noticeable in higher Rx.

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    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by anthonyf1509 View Post
    Very good wording to communicate.
    One problem I've tested...Comfort DRx and Comfort Enhanced. Fit 100 patients in a Comfort Enhanced, then fit the same patients in a Comfort DRx, using same prescription, frame, measurements, etc. all the same.
    95 out of 100 (or more 99 maybe) will not experience any differences.
    We've already done this. Fact. Told them nothing more than, you can have an identical pair to what you just bought for 50% off.
    Took about 3 1/2 months. So paying more for Enhanced over DRx doesn't make sense, until someone shows me the difference.
    This is totally emotional and anecdotal, but ever since we started using the Comfort DrX and Comfort Enhanced in December, the Enhanced has elicited "Wow," "Whoa," and "It's like a whole new world" from about a dozen patients. The DrX has not received such dramatic responses.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

  15. #15
    Master OptiBoarder kat's Avatar
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    TV comparison is great, I use it also. I also have a lens puck with the standard lens design still on it. I show my customers how it looks on the front, turn it over show them how much it "shrunk" in size and explain that by starting out with an SV lens the width of the progressive gets 25% wider, so just like a peep-hole in your front door, the closer you get the wider the field of vision. I sell aprox. 80% free-form now, even in computer lenses.
    I came, I saw, I left

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    I agree with Barry. Although it is true that patients with high plus RX's, patients with high Cylinder and patients with higher add RX's will notice the difference the most, many other patients would benefit using digital technology. To give patients the benefit of digital lenses using default calculations on prescriptions reduce the value and quality of the final product. It is similar to selling multi focal lenses using default pd's and or seg heights and expecting all the patients to see properly. Compensated prescriptions need to have accurate additional measurements ( Face form, Vertex distance and pant angle ), this requires using a digital system or taking these added manual measurements.

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