2nd Pair Sunglasses.....

[J.P.]

We all want every patient to have a second pair of sunglasses, or even to the fact of every patient having 3-4 pairs of glasses, but often it's not the reality we come to have.

I know right now we are in the prime time of Sunglass Sales either RX or Plano and my Sunglasses 2nd pair sales percentage is WAY DOWN and I need something to bring that back up for my office.

<Please do not post wholesale prices or markups on a public forum. Feel free to edit this to correct that issue. - Steve>
Thanks Steve, Now I have to do THIS ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!! You could have removed the PARTS that you thought were a "Violation" to you, Where I didn't really do what it is that you say.

I have presented sales incentives for the doctors "Buy a par of Costa Del Mar Sunglasses get a Costa Del Mar Cleanign Kit FREE" Or buying a reputiable pair of "Inexpensive" sunglasses that a patinet can "Buy 2 pair for (Less then $100) where the frame would retail for "Almost tripple the amount". Doing this would make the gross profit "More then double" versus doing a higher cost of premium frames at a 20% "Sale" and then reducing the overall gross profit of those to now less the 40% of what we would have normally gotten.

Short of getting a bullhorn and screaming in the doctors ears "WAKE UP AND SMELL THE POTENTIAL!!!!!" I have tried everything else. I have typed out detailed reports showing our loss with high name brands and the potential for growth with not so name brands and even offering perks to our patients whom wish to buy the more expensive name brands to influence their purchase. All I want to do is increase our office profits and give our patients what the deserve without having to break the bank.

What do you do to influence 2nd Pair Sunglass sales?

What ideas, if any, can you help me with getting the doctors attention to this great potentioals?

Any have a Bullhorn I can Borrow?

[Java99]

They may not be going for your idea because they do not want to appear discount or set a lower priced precedent.

When I was working for doctors, the best way I found to get their attention was to put a dollar figure per month on what my new idea would do. Very, very simple presentation, too much info and I would lose their attention. "If we try this, we stand to gain XXX a month. I will do all the work and babysit this project if you will let me try for a month."

But in the end they are the owners, and if they want to leave money on the table, you have to let them.

[Steve Machol]

Please do not post wholesale prices or markups on a public forum.

[J.P.]

They may not be going for your idea because they do not want to appear discount or set a lower priced precedent.

When I was working for doctors, the best way I found to get their attention was to put a dollar figure per month on what my new idea would do. Very, very simple presentation, too much info and I would lose their attention. "If we try this, we stand to gain XXX a month. I will do all the work and babysit this project if you will let me try for a month."

But in the end they are the owners, and if they want to leave money on the table, you have to let them.

I have typed up many different graph and examples showing where we would be making more sales, and more money per patient and even influence more then the 2 out of 20 that we get to buy at higher costs. This would help sales increase, and then also make the higher cost frames not look so expensive by compairson with seeing that it's a better quality for just a little bit more.

We have meeting once a month about sales, and I'm the one in the end that gets the stink eye when sales drop. All I'm trying to do influence sales and profits which they say that I'm responsible for. Damned if you do and damned if you do...... or something like that

[J.P.]

Please do not post wholesale prices or markups on a public forum.

I do apologize Steve, but I didn't post anything that showed cost, markup, retail, and profit. I was using "Rough" numbers of "Sales Ideas" and not actual facts. I dod not see anything worng with using semi-actual numbers to help with facts and advice.

I'll correct it so that it doesn't make sense

[NCspecs]

We do pretty well at our office with second (and third) pair sales. Our lab offers us a discount on the lenses when we have two jobs running for the same patient at the same time. We simply extend the discount to the patient for the lenses and the frames. I explain the discount this way as well by stating, "Our lab is doing a second pair of lenses for you at reduced cost so we have decided to extend the savings to you as well."

[Java99]

I have typed up many different graph and examples showing where we would be making more sales, and more money per patient and even influence more then the 2 out of 20 that we get to buy at higher costs. This would help sales increase, and then also make the higher cost frames not look so expensive by compairson with seeing that it's a better quality for just a little bit more.

We have meeting once a month about sales, and I'm the one in the end that gets the stink eye when sales drop. All I'm trying to do influence sales and profits which they say that I'm responsible for. Damned if you do and damned if you do...... or something like that

You may be giving them too much information and making to too hard for them to make a 2 minute decision. Just a thought.

[J.P.]

We do pretty well at our office with second (and third) pair sales. Our lab offers us a discount on the lenses when we have two jobs running for the same patient at the same time. We simply extend the discount to the patient for the lenses and the frames. I explain the discount this way as well by stating, "Our lab is doing a second pair of lenses for you at reduced cost so we have decided to extend the savings to you as well."

Yeah our lab does the same too, but we offer them 20% instead of the full discounted rate that our lab offers. Of course if Sunglasses are being done by a manufactuer that requires I have to use their lab instead of my lab, then the discount(s) kinda wash themselves out

[J.P.]

You may be giving them too much information and making to too hard for them to make a 2 minute decision. Just a thought.

This is true, I do take my degree in business and tend to take a 2 sentence explanation and turn it into a whole page, lol. But I do give them a readers digest version of it as well as a full break down in order to grab their attentions.

[chip anderson]

Put up a small sign in your dispensary: "Second pair or sunglasses X% off if purchased within 30 days of origional pair."

Chip

Remember "Doctors aren't supposed to sell, examine and prescribe.

[fusion]

The question of second pair sales comes up constantly. There are number of considerations. First, we are now living in a weak dollar, expensive frame, digital lens, high tech AR coating world. Primary pairs regularly go out the door for near a thousand dollars. The economy is stagnant. The eyecare industry REGULARLY reports second pair sales of around 20%, give or take. Consumers are strapped. They ARE willing to pay top dollar, in many cases, for their main pair, but simply cannot afford a full second pair. At my shop in Northern Calif. we offer a variety of options to our clientele. We promote second pairs, of course, but we also do a VERY sizable business selling eClips. In the summer months we will routinely average 50-60 custom clip per month, and it does NOT adversely affect our sales of second pairs. The customer who WANTS a second pair, often wants them for either FASHION or FUNCTION, and are MOTIVATED to purchase them for those specific reasons. However, the rest of our clientele are very attracted to the idea of using a premium custom clip to address their RX sun requirements. They are happy, and so are we.

Promote second pairs, but it is poor business strategy to exclude a category like premium custom clips from the conversation, given that the industry has a hard time selling more than 25% in second pairs.

[J.P.]

Put up a small sign in your dispensary: "Second pair or sunglasses X% off if purchased within 30 days of origional pair."

Chip

Remember "Doctors aren't supposed to sell, examine and prescribe.

Well, My doctors are "unique", they actually do sell. They even explain in full detail the differences in cheap lenses versus our high priced great lenses, and they recommend to ever patient, especially CL wearers about the need for Polarized Sunglasses, but many do not buy because of the added major expense. They sell the patient on pretty much everything with their recommendations in the room before they ever come to see me. I'm offering all the info to them because they are the owners of the practice and it would be by job on the line to order 200+ frames with a large bill without the okay to do so.

We already offer coupons to all CL Wearers for X% off within X days. But once they inquire how much, they often just go to walmart and buy a cheap pair there. So I'm just trying to make up competitive with the big box store that's just 1 mle away in some fashion.

[J.P.]

The question of second pair sales comes up constantly. There are number of considerations. First, we are now living in a weak dollar, expensive frame, digital lens, high tech AR coating world. Primary pairs regularly go out the door for near a thousand dollars. The economy is stagnant. The eyecare industry REGULARLY reports second pair sales of around 20%, give or take. Consumers are strapped. They ARE willing to pay top dollar, in many cases, for their main pair, but simply cannot afford a full second pair. At my shop in Northern Calif. we offer a variety of options to our clientele. We promote second pairs, of course, but we also do a VERY sizable business selling eClips. In the summer months we will routinely average 50-60 custom clip per month, and it does NOT adversely affect our sales of second pairs. The customer who WANTS a second pair, often wants them for either FASHION or FUNCTION, and are MOTIVATED to purchase them for those specific reasons. However, the rest of our clientele are very attracted to the idea of using a premium custom clip to address their RX sun requirements. They are happy, and so are we.

Promote second pairs, but it is poor business strategy to exclude a category like premium custom clips from the conversation, given that the industry has a hard time selling more than 25% in second pairs.

I've suggested High Quality Clips last year and that was shot down because the Main doctor wants to sell second pair sunglasses over "Clips", he wants to drive second pairs to 30-40%, and it's hard to do when we are in this weak economy right now. Which is why I have looked into a company that we have done a very small amout of business with in the past, but haven't because the docs are quality driven and not % driven.

I'm just looking for something to help cover our entire client base due to the economy and now more and more patients are using the verbage "I want JUST what my insurnace will pay for". And sense we a loosing so many sales due to this horriable economy, and still be able to do what the doctors ask. Just seems like you're damned if you do and damned if you try, lol

[idispense]

Demo polaroids to every single patient, no patient leaves without a demo , then they will buy even without a discount. Don't discuss it with the doctors just learn how to demonstrate it properly yourself and then your numbers will increase

[chip anderson]

J.P. Pity about your "doctors."

[J.P.]

Demo polaroids to every single patient, no patient leaves without a demo , then they will buy even without a discount. Don't discuss it with the doctors just learn how to demonstrate it properly yourself and then your numbers will increase

I can demonstrate Polarized Lenses left, right and backwards, and do so with every patient that is interested in Suns. I can quote every manufactures polarized technology and features until you turn blue in the face, and even in Layman's terms too. The issue not not having the doctors sell the second pair, they discuss it with every patient, even the ones that I do not see, it's how can I talk the doctors/owners into getting a lesser cost sun in my dispensary to help increase those sales. Not everyone wants to buy a $200+ Plano Sun glass when they think that can go buy a $25 pair from walmart that they think is just as good and that we are noting but overpriced money hungry doctors.

[J.P.]

J.P. Pity about your "doctors."

Chip, why would you say that?

[AngeHamm]

We do pretty well at our office with second (and third) pair sales. Our lab offers us a discount on the lenses when we have two jobs running for the same patient at the same time. We simply extend the discount to the patient for the lenses and the frames. I explain the discount this way as well by stating, "Our lab is doing a second pair of lenses for you at reduced cost so we have decided to extend the savings to you as well."

Our lab does the same for us, as long as both lenses have an added AR coating ("added," as in "not stock lenses"). We continue to offer 20% off multiple pairs, but have had much more second-pair success in the past several months by offering the second (more inexpensive) frame free so long as the patient gets two complete pairs with AR lenses. Most patients use this benefit for sunglasses. I strongly recommend this model.