Idea's on motivating employees to sell higher end product?

[Jstanfast]

I just began managing for an ECP and coming from a high end boutique (Tom davies, Fred's, ect) I am trying to get my new employees out of their comfort zone and sell this offices high end which is Bevel. (475>) They all sell well but their comfort zone is David Benjamin (140-175). Same issue with lenses, Zeiss is the go to lens manufacture and GT2 is the comfort zone. I think the lens issue is just education, I am working on that. Any idea's would be appreciated.

Ideas so far are lead by example, training, get them wearing a pair. small motivational spiffs like breakfast at the end of the week or something.

I am wanting to keep one or two middle high end lines for margins sake, but having a turn rate of under one due to being afraid of selling them is unacceptable.

josh.

[m0002a]

Commissions, awards, contests.

[opty4062]

After assuring your employees (opticians? salespeople?) are thoroughly educated about the products you want to sell, I'd say cash is king. I'm not big on contests because if the integrity of the staff is in any way in question, contests will not best serve your patients. But I would consider a change of your commissions set up to encourage them out of their comfort zone.

[Jubilee]

We don't have commissions. We do have goals that when met end in office rewards. Sell X number of Maui's, everyone in the office gets a pair. Sell X number of this brand, we have a staff lunch. The idea is that we are a team, and thus should be rewarded as a team.

Of course, seeing is believing. Getting your team excited about the product is a good step. Educate. Have them try the product. If they love the lenses, frames, etc.. then it will show when they work with the patients.

[Craig]

We don't have commissions. We do have goals that when met end in office rewards. Sell X number of Maui's, everyone in the office gets a pair. Sell X number of this brand, we have a staff lunch. The idea is that we are a team, and thus should be rewarded as a team.

Of course, seeing is believing. Getting your team excited about the product is a good step. Educate. Have them try the product. If they love the lenses, frames, etc.. then it will show when they work with the patients.

Paying spiffs will only work if you are not in client building mode but sell mode only. We do not believe in spiffs only handing them cash if we have a great month or if someone has a great sale.
One of my staff had a $50,000 sale and I handed him $1,000 cash; he was thrilled and never expects anything but lunch- he buys as well-the rest got $500 since it was truly he who made it happen.
We do not do spiffs for any brand; you need to sell the office and let the clients pick the best products.

[Diane]

If staff truly "BELIEVES" that better products equates to better performance to the patient, they can sell it. It means that you must teach them the benefits, believing it yourself. If it all comes down to the bottom line for the practice and not what is best for the patient, nobody wins. Know the materials of each frame and the benefits of the material. Know the history of the brand. Know how the frame is fabricated. What makes it different from a less expensive model? Talk the benefits. Do the same thing with lenses. If your go-to lens products are ABC, in your case Zeiss, understand the differences in each tier. Zeiss has a great demonstration booklet with photos that demonstrate each PAL. Use that during the sale.

Bottom lines are not impacted due to sales. Bottom lines are impacted due to education. Education equals sales.

Diane

[Jstanfast]

I love all of these answers! I also whole heartily agree with the sentiment that education rules. I am not to concerned about the frame line, I think by leading by example I can show the employees that their are people that want the higher end even if they start by saying "all I want is what is covered by my insurance." A big part will be the education with the lenses, I am coming into an office where the old lead optician said she tried a freeform SV and couldn't tell the difference between that and the stock SV. After that everyone was told not to waste the patients money basically. So I have a little bit of work ahead of me, I have to do more than say sell this or else. I have to make sure they know when and why to suggest this lens. They have to be excited about it.... I hate role playing type training but I think this is a good scenario.

Being my first full-management position anyone have some tips? just in general?

Josh

[Happylady]

I agree with education is very important. I suggest a contest for selling the frames. Figure out a reasonable goal for 2 weeks or a month-and if it's met every optician gets 4 hours paid time off. Have a chart in the back showing progress. Make it fun!

[Uilleann]

Have you ever heard of an unmotivated Ferrari dealer?

If not, ask why? You have to completely understand what you're offering in order to help your patients understand. If there is no understanding, there can be no emotional buy in. Without that, your product will never move.

[Browman]

Nothing breeds apathy quite like making large amounts of money for other people.
Nothing breeds motivation quite like making large amounts of money for oneself.

Combine a thorough education of the product with a reasonable sales commission and watch your numbers grow.

[MakeOptics]

Nothing breeds apathy quite like making large amounts of money for other people.
Nothing breeds motivation quite like making large amounts of money for oneself.

Combine a thorough education of the product with a reasonable sales commission and watch your numbers grow.

Great synopsis.

[AngeHamm]

I'm not a fan of commission-based sales for eyewear. Sometimes a patient simply doesn't need the product that gets the biggest spiff, and I strongly feel it's unethical to sell it to them. Commission may increase sales on a case-by-case basis, but it's a poor way to create a relationship with a patient. Having them come back year after year is much more valuable than one big sale.

Make sure your staff is educated on the benefits of your high-end product, and make sure they are all wearing high-end product, at the practice's expense if necessary. Others above put it very well: if the staff believes in the product and educates their patients on the benefits, the product will sell.

Never, ever apologize for your prices. Just make sure your product is worth what it costs.

[Uilleann]

...Never, ever apologize for your prices. Just make sure your product is worth what it costs.

I would only add: Your product, knowledge and service.

That is the single biggest (and potentially simplest) means to elevate yourself head and shoulders above the competition. It seems that there is often a massive disconnect with many practice owners and OD's/MD's in this profession regarding high quality vs. high pricing. It is rather surprising, and telling that practically no owner (or employee for that matter) would order a personal pair with less than the most appropriate lens design and options to fill their needs, at the highest quality possible along those lines. Yet we expect that our patients will balk when offered the same.

Treat your pt's expectations as you treat your own. And always...ALWAYS assume that they want the highest quality product, with the greatest clarity & durability, for the fewest possible dollars. If they have a problem with the cost, that tells you that you still have work to do in your presentation and education of your patient. While certainly we all have pts who simply see dollar signs alone, the majority who come to private practice aren't as concerned about the lowest possible cost - but rather the highest possible value.

Are you providing that?

[AngeHamm]

I would only add: Your product, knowledge and service.

That is the single biggest (and potentially simplest) means to elevate yourself head and shoulders above the competition. It seems that there is often a massive disconnect with many practice owners and OD's/MD's in this profession regarding high quality vs. high pricing. It is rather surprising, and telling that practically no owner (or employee for that matter) would order a personal pair with less than the most appropriate lens design and options to fill their needs, at the highest quality possible along those lines. Yet we expect that our patients will balk when offered the same.

Treat your pt's expectations as you treat your own. And always...ALWAYS assume that they want the highest quality product, with the greatest clarity & durability, for the fewest possible dollars. If they have a problem with the cost, that tells you that you still have work to do in your presentation and education of your patient. While certainly we all have pts who simply see dollar signs alone, the majority who come to private practice aren't as concerned about the lowest possible cost - but rather the highest possible value.

Are you providing that?

Yes, yes, and more yes.

This year we decided we were going to do two things in our practice: 1) make our standard progressive lens a digital design instead of the old classic, and 2) phase out several sub-$200 frame lines in favor of more quality designs in the $250-300 range. As a result, our baseline progressives are $50 more and our average frame price has jumped about $35. We sell these products because we like them and believe in them.

Complaints from patients: zero.

[Johns]

I am coming into an office where the old lead optician said she tried a freeform SV and couldn't tell the difference between that and the stock SV. After that everyone was told not to waste the patients money basically.

1. Fire that employee. I'm dead serious. If that person is the "lead", then guess where your office will go?

Never, ever apologize for your prices. Just make sure your product is worth what it costs.

I agree, and take it a step further. When it comes to business, I apologize for very few things. I DO apologize when I make a mistake. I DON'T apologize when we have to close early, raise prices, or enforce a policy change. This is how it is, and this is what we're doing. Period.

[merrymaker]

This year we decided we were going to do two things in our practice: 1) make our standard progressive lens a digital design instead of the old classic, and 2) phase out several sub-$200 frame lines in favor of more quality designs in the $250-300 range. As a result, our baseline progressives are $50 more and our average frame price has jumped about $35. We sell these products because we like them and believe in them.

Complaints from patients: zero.

What about having covered frame options for your VSP/Eyemed members (assuming you have them?) Are you just raising the cost of those sub $150 covered frames for everyone but when needed, using them as a covered option? I've heard a few lectures that promoted this idea. Haven't implemented it in the practice I'm at tho.

[AngeHamm]

What about having covered frame options for your VSP/Eyemed members (assuming you have them?) Are you just raising the cost of those sub $150 covered frames for everyone but when needed, using them as a covered option? I've heard a few lectures that promoted this idea. Haven't implemented it in the practice I'm at tho.

I haven't changed the prices on current frame stock; I've rotated more sub-$200 styles out and more above-$300 styles in.

[cocoisland58]

Nothing breeds apathy quite like making large amounts of money for other people.
Nothing breeds motivation quite like making large amounts of money for oneself.

Combine a thorough education of the product with a reasonable sales commission and watch your numbers grow.

Yes this. Attach a commission to a product you want to sell more of and watch what happens. I also recognize a great sales day by buying lunch for the office and lately I've been buying a lot of lunches.

[Chris Ryser]

We do not do spiffs for any brand; you need to sell the office and let the clients pick the best products.

Craig is right all the way........................................

Paying a sales person spiffs or commissions is the best and fastest way to make them become high pressure sales people, and your business will soon get a reputation you would not like.

There is tons of free advice on the web how to motivate your customers " to want to purchase higher end products".
If you can master sales psichology you will be able to sell the best without any problems.

Check it out in the web.

[dadoody]

It's education. If you're an idea person, the best way is to develop a "script" or outline on topics to cover and give the sales person tools to work with.

Watch "Wolf Of Wallstreet" to see an example of a scripting your sales.

[Robert Martellaro]

Have them try the product. If they love the lenses, frames, etc.. then it will show when they work with the patients.

Yup. Wear it. However, I won't wear some of the frames that I sell, primarily because they're too heavy or have less than optimal fitting values, and I don't keep that a secret- I tell my clients what I think.

1. Fire that employee. I'm dead serious. If that person is the "lead", then guess where your office will go?

I would teach them at what point we should start to consider optimized lenses, Rx and POW-wise. If they're incapable or unwilling to understand the science, then fire them.

[markmf]

One of the first things I had to learn when I became an optician was that it's not my job to tell a person what they can afford. I don't know their situation. My job is to tell them what is available and their job is to tell me what they can afford. No stereotyping or profiling allowed!

We always start with choosing frames and unless they tell me budgets, I bring them to our top tier brands (Ovvo & Silhouette), make them try them on, and then we work down to what they can afford. I've sold several silhouettes and ovvos to people that I didn't expect to be able to afford it. Then I let them know our options for lenses starting with the best and working down to what they can afford. If you train your sales people to work down rather than working up, you'll sell more high-end products and your patient satisfaction will increase dramatically.

If I walk out of a place and then learn that I could have spent $40 more for better vision for the next two years, I'm gonna be angry. Put your sales people in that frame of mind.

I am the only optician at the practice where I work and I sell a high percentage of premium products. Almost 70% of the lenses we sell have Crizal Avance' simply because I ask and then recommend the premium because people are more satisfied with it.

Sidenote: If you have to motivate your salespeople with bonuses or commissions then you're either not paying them enough, or they don't want to work for you. Relax your environment, pay employees well, reward them just because, be nice.

It is so much easier to sell what you are wearing.
"Those ones you're wearing are nice, how much are those?"
"Oh, these? These are titanium and carbon fiber frames with a lifetime warranty, we've got them right over here. They are really cool!"
Benefit first, price second.

In summary:
1. No profiling.
2. Work your way down through the products instead of up.
3. Put your salespeople in the mindset of the consumer.
4. Recommend products with higher satisfaction.
5. No bonuses, just good pay & good environment.
6. Make them wear the premium product, they'll sell what they wear.