For those working in private practices:
How do you sell free-form or ultra-premium lenses (ie. Enhanced Fit, S-Series etc.) to patients? I don't want to lie and say that they will "see better" because that is just not true, and I don't want to bog them down with lab jargon that they will NOT understand. So basically, how do I "dumb" down the jargon?
Welcome to optiboard.
Why do you think they won't see better? Why do you want to sell a product you don't believe in?
Personalized progressive to meet your demanding visual needs
Originally Posted by optical24/7
How do you "see better" in an Ultra-Premium PAL that will yield 20/20 DVA/NVA just as well as a regular premium lens?
I have never experienced a patient that tried an enhanced fit from regular physio and said "OH MY GOD I SEE SO MUCH BETTER NOW!!!!!!"
I have to sell them because as a NON-manager optician I am forced to sell those lenses....
Understood. We have tremendous success with digitals. We hear wonderful comments from clients, particularly those new to us that we've taken out of traditional grinders. Of course YMMV. Good luck!
I don't have much success with the varilux line now that I have switched most my patients to better lenses. Usually I let them know that the area of sharp vision is wider and the contrast or pop in color is greater.
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TRUE your SIGNET NAVIGATOR will let the pt see 20/20 or better, however DIGITAL PALs give wider intermediate and near zones and less peripheral distortion.Basically they're easier for the Pt to use.
POW measurements are really only important just to verify that they are within the "average" range of "average" POW. We all know that accurate POW measurements are for naught when the pt. bends them around and twists them the first months they have them (not too mention minor human error at lab).
That's pretty much what I have been doing, telling patients that the zones are wider.... I guess maybe I should just stick to that, because wider zones are a huge concern for PAL wearers.
Explain to your manager, who by the way sounds non optical, that when selling products that one is unfamiliar with, it is extremely important to be educated on all aspects of each lens you are being requested to sell. It is the responsibility of that individual to set up a class with your areas qualified lens rep for all of the employees. Of coarse you can also obtain much of the information on your own, like many of us have been forced to do; because we just don't believe the corporate spin on their product. This industry rewards the individuals who have the knowledge. This is how you thin out the herd. If you can not explain to your customer/patient in lay man terminology the benefits of modern lens designs something is amiss.
Lens rep's will just tell you anything that you need to know to extract the money out of the patient's pocket... They don't care about how they see, they only care about MONEY!!! That is not a trusted source for information. Have you ever witnessed a lens rep in your break room go over lens specs?? It's very comical to say the least and it's basically just an "in person" TV commercial.
Most folks can see and/or feel the difference between lens designs and materials, as well as improper and/or poorly positioned optics. The difference can be substantial.
Please continue with your desire to be honest. Use your knowledge of ophthalmic optics, the human visual system, and your client’s concerns, needs, and sensitivities to recommend products and solutions that are in your client's best interest.
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
Actually I have, which is why I also suggested doing your own research so you don't have to use corporate terminology. However, I have some incredibly knowledgeable reps in my area. I am also able to break down technical verbage into something that I can easily illustrate to the non technical person. Striving to find the words to describe FF and digital lens technology doesn't work as a sales tactic to the average person. It should flow off our tongue like champagne out of a bottle. That is not necessarily the responsibility of the lens rep, but of your manager. You need to hold them responsible.
Geez, sounds like there a lot of jaded opticians out there about lens and their benefits and the reps. I agree some reps, especially new reps, will almost over sell their products. But everything they tell you can be verified by the lens white papers (technical analysis). Your rep can provide these to anyone who asks. Experienced reps will automatically go into these details to the opticians that understand lens optics. And most reps I know are not just trying to push products to line their own pockets. There are clear and distinct benefits of free form designs. We have almost exclusively been fitting our patients with free form products (SV, prog). The benefits come from reducing wavefront higher order aberrations (coma, spherical, barrel, pincushion, chromatic) that are present in conventional lens designs. Conventional lenses have always been subject to these higher order aberrations but it was just the best we could do. Aspheric front surfaces were developed to correct these aberrations somewhat and improved on this problem. Then free form came around and gave full flexibility to front and back surfaces curve designs with the intention of further reducing wave front aberrations. These aberrations become an issue with busy lenses like progressive, higher power +/- 3D, high wraps, and also the pupil size. A dilated pupil (night driving) lets in more of the wavefront and because the aberrations lie on the outer edge of a wavefront the vision deteriorates. So clearly there is a benefit for many people using free form. It is a personal responsibility to get accurate and detailed product knowledge in my opinion. It can only help sales. The sales manager should really train everyone on this topic if he/she expects people to sell it.
1234: Which ophthalmic science program are you attending in Florida to attain the knowledge necessary to become a skilled and licensed optician? If you are not enrolled in one yet, you might seriously consider Hillsborough, even if it is across the state as they do have a strong distance learning program. Here is their link: http://www.hccfl.edu/
Perhaps then, the best advice and information should come from independent lab reps. It's our business to know as much as possible about as many lens options as our labs process.
No need for education to be an optician in America. All you need is just the bare minimum of lens knowledge, and the cunning to cheat people out of their money... Have you heard of Luxottica? Even states where Licenses are required, no one even cares, people still hire average joes off the street...
1234: I get it now... Because you believe others have low standards (true or not), it is OK for you to lower yours... As a guy that is probably a bit senior to you in age and experience (good and bad), I will offer you one piece of advise: Be your personal best and do not use others as your crutch to lower your standards, no matter which profession you get into...
Over and out until you decide to play an "A" game in life...
But it is true. I can verify that myself because I wear them. Your best bet for a successful sale is someone already wearing progressive lenses but not free-form. At some point in the sale I usually say "You know that annoying peripheral blur that bugs you when you drive?" "Yes" they say leaning in. "I can eliminate that for you". And that is the "Wow" customer at pick up. True the reading area is just as dismally small, the mid range is meh but that peripheral distance clarity is very nice.
True,to certain degree, but you can't hold the lens reps responsible for the depth of knowledge exercised by someone selling RX lenses. This has to come from the dispenser who has, hopefully, taken the time to receive the proper education/training. A rudimentary skill set is not enough to educate the general public as to what he/she can come to expect from their FF Digital lens designs and why they work better then yesteryear's progressive designs.
I have done that before... And right in front of me, on the table the patient switches back and forth between the free form and standard and says: "uhhh... so what's the difference? I don't see any difference..."
How do you remedy that?
Sorry, never had that happen.
Maybe they don't notice it at first, why must it be "remedied" at all? The answer is, you have worn pair A for two years all day, everyday. You have worn pair A all day so far today. It will take time to see the benefit and difference in wearing pair B.
Of course it hasn't !
A standard progressive may work equally well for many people in most lighting situations. Especially if they have a minimal RX and they are in well lighted areas ie: dispensing desk. What the free form designs are made to improve upon are stronger RX's, variable lighting conditions (pupil dilation's), and high wrap angles. It maybe hard for someone to switch back and forth at your desk looking at a reading card in steady light to see a difference. Where they may see the difference is night driving, at the movies, or in a restaurant under variable environmental conditions. Also test it out with someone that has a strong complex RX and have them try it out for a while. The bottom line is the image transmitting through the FF lens is more "correct" than a standard lens. Some people may prefer standard hard designs better but that is a different topic. Also vision sensitive first time progressive wearer will almost certainly prefer FF lens design like the inTouch. Not everyone should be sold the "best" most expensive FF lens just becuase it is the "best" most expensive FF lens. Understanding what each lens is designed to do and for what people will guide to fit them with a visual solution that will work great. Putting someone in a lens arbitrarily will certainly cause some people to feel dissatisfied and over sold. Case in point: putting someone with a mild RX that wants driving glasses and very occasional near vision use in an Auto III with a a 13 or 15mm corr. length. They will not like the "busyness" of the lens and would have probably done better with a standard lens and lower/longer seg.
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