Optical is retail. Market it like retail..
The exam gets the appointment. Frames get the margin. Most vision marketing only sells the first one.
· 5 min read
Insurance drives exam volume, so many practices market the exam and leave the optical board to sell itself. Boards do not sell themselves.
Merchandise frames with the care of a boutique, photograph them on customers in the dispensary, and give each collection a name. Post new arrivals with prices. Let the staff member with taste play stylist, and pay her for it.
The single highest-return email in optical is the benefits-expiring reminder in the fourth quarter, because it is not a promotion. It is a favor. People forget they are leaving money with an insurer and they are grateful when someone tells them.
Second pairs, sunwear and computer lenses are see-it-and-buy-it products. Nobody reads their way into a second pair.
The short version
- Photograph frames on faces, not on shelves.
- Send benefits reminders in October and again in December.
- Train the second-pair conversation like you train the exam.
Sources and further reading
- Vision Health Initiative, eye care use and access data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Practice research and patient care standards, American Optometric Association
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