4 Ways to Increase Your Profits Through Multiple Pair Sales

twelve84 Success Consultant

Every person with an optical prescription should have more than one pair of eyewear, whether it’s a pair of sunglasses, readers, or a backup pair of glasses. It’s easy for eye care providers to identify the need for at least two pairs of glasses; in many cases, there is a need for three to four pairs. Leveraging multiple pair sales is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to increase revenue in a practice.

1. Prescribe More Than One Pair of Eyewear
Sales start in the exam chair. Uncovering the need for more than one pair of eyewear is easy in a conversation with the patient. Does your patient do a lot of close work? Ride a motorcycle on the weekends? Play racquetball? Frequently drive at night? There’s a pair of glasses to suit every need and activity. When reviewing a new prescription with the patient, prescribe an every-day pair as well as any supplemental pairs he or she may need. This could include computer glasses, sunwear, sports goggles, reading glasses or anything you can think of! Consider saying something along these lines:

“I have your updated prescription which will help you see your best. I have prescribed you a (type of glasses) , with (features) which will help with (link to chief complaint/hobbies). I have also prescribed (additional pairs) for (reason) with (feature). Do you have any questions for me before we go look at the glasses?”

2. Don’t Forget About Contact Lens Wearers
All contact lens wearing patients should have a back up pair of glasses in their current prescription. This will allow them to give their eyes a rest from the lenses. Back up glasses are also vital should a patient run out of lenses or damage an eye. Contact lens wearers are also great candidates for some fabulous plano sunwear to protect their eyes and look stylish while doing so! Besides, the high annual supply rebates offered by many contact lens manufacturers can significantly offset the cost of glasses.

3. Sell Sun First
Quality sunwear, whether prescription or plano, should be a no-brainer for everyone. It not only protects your eyes, but also increases comfort when out and about during the day. When a patient enters the optical, start looking at sun frames with them first. Focus on the benefits of sunwear, both for eye health and comfort. Making this selection first will just about guarantee a second pair sale!

4. Offer Eyewear Wardrobing
The concept of eyewear wardrobing works extremely well with prescribing multiple pairs of eyewear. The key to wardrobing is to make a patient aware of all the possibilities he or she has. Simply put, uncover the needs of your patient, then meet them. This draws attention to the fact that their needs will never be met by only one pair of glasses. There might be a need for reading glasses, computer glasses, motorcycle glasses, every day progressives, and, of course, sunwear. Plant the seed in your patient’s mind that he or she might not only want an extra pair of glasses, but that additional pairs could truly be life enhancing.

Selling multiple pairs of glasses to your patients can sometimes feel daunting. The main thing to remember is that you want to advise your patients, not sell them a bill of goods. As eye care professionals, you know that there is no one size fits all pair of glasses for everyone. Take that knowledge and educate your patients so they see it too! Remember to educate, and get them thinking about how their lives can be made easier simply by purchasing a second pair of eyewear, and watch your profits multiply!