Don't Let The Sun(wear) Go Down on You

Plano Sun Sales to CL Patients

By Preston Fassel, BS

I see them. They're everywhere. Walking around like other people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know who they are, but I do. Contact wearers without sunglasses. For many contact lens wearers, the insertion of their lenses is the beginning and end of their concern for eyeglasses. Although many practical factors may influence a desire for contact lenses (high prescriptions, sporting activities, work in environments where frame slippage could be inconvenient or potentially dangerous), more often than not, cosmetics are a driving force behind individuals' desire to wear contacts. Indeed, as those working in an optical office know, many insurance companies identify standard gas permeable contact lenses as "cosmetic." Taking this aesthetic concern into consideration, it's easy to understand why many contact lens wearers develop a natural aversion to sunglasses: They've gone through the time and effort of being fitted for contact lenses and caring for them expressly so they DON'T have to have extraneous objects mounted to their heads. Yet sunglasses

are not primarily a medical aid meant to correct a visual defect; they are, essentially, a safety precaution, one which is no less necessary in today's indoor-oriented world than during periods in human history when we were primarily outdoor creatures. With sunglasses, protection is the name of the game (along with a few other secondary names we'll get to later). With summer quickly approaching and vacation time upon us, it's the perfect time of year to gear up efforts to alert and remind contact lens wearers of the need for sunwear in their daily lives, regardless of how well those two little disks are correcting their vision—a process which will be beneficial to both your patients' daily life as well as your practice's growth.

(RE)EDUCATION

For the new contact lens wearer, whether they are male or female, adult or child, contact lenses will seem like the first taste of freedom after a period spent in confinement. Whether they're a former eyeglass wearer shirking off frames or whether contact lenses represent their first experience with visual correction, contacts will be a portal to a new, freer, better life. Of course, all great experiences come with some restrictions—skydivers and shooters alike know that there are myriad safety precautions that must be observed when engaging in either sport, and even something as innocuous as video gaming requires such interruptions as bathroom breaks and system cooling.

Many contact lens wearers are surprised to know that their newfound freedom comes with similar precautionary observations: Care and maintenance of lenses, a heightened observation of ocular hygiene, and extra vigilance about the state of their eyes are all factors that many new contact lens wearers had never thought about before first obtaining contact lenses. During a patient's initial contact lens fitting, when the patient is being educated on the care and maintenance of contact lenses, it's important to mention the need for sunglasses. Several new contact lens wearers are under the impression that contact lenses block UV light and will substitute for sunglasses; and while there may be a small handful of lenses which do provide some UV protection, it's important that your patients know contacts alone are insufficient to both block UV light from the skin and eyelids, as well as relax the eye and provide the sharpest, clearest level of vision possible. (Anec-dotally, my own wife, a lifelong contact wearer, didn't learn that her contacts weren't UV protective until she was in her mid-20s—when I told her). To put it simply, contacts correct; they don't completely protect—not against UV, bright light or glare—all concerns that a pair of sunglasses will take care of simply and efficiently.

FREEDOM IN RESTRICTION

Some patients may be disappointed to learn that they'll still have to wear sunglasses; it's important that you reconceptualize the situation for your patient so that any dis appointment doesn't lead to negligence in vision care. Don't allow them to think of sunglasses as a restriction; let them think of their contact lenses as a liberator that allows them to wear whatever sunglasses he or she chooses. Remember, sunglasses are fun and today, amazingly diverse.

If your patient has ever worn glasses before, he or she—especially in the case of high-powered myopes or hyperopes or PAL wearers—knows that there are particular restrictions on frames, from concerns about edge thickness to peripheral distortion in wraps. Let your patient know that as a contact lens wearer, he or she is now freed from such concerns and restrictions. Wire-rimmed aviator with a 60 mm eye? Extremely wrapped, rimless frame with six screw mountings on either temple? No problem; go for it! Yes, the patient still needs sunglasses, but unlike selecting eyewear, with its rigid requirements for quality optics, sunglass selection is now all about personal style, comfort and the personal desires of the patient. For the individual concerned about the restrictions of glasses, the need for sunglasses actually becomes a further chance to free themselves by having a greater role in the customization of their own appearance. Now unburdened from the financial restraints of a single pair of Rx suns, your patient now has the freedom to play with his or her appearance—multiple styles for multiple occasions, multiple identities for multiple facets of his or her personality. Does your patient want something chunky and retro for an outdoor office function, but is afraid that it would be bulky and inefficient for the tennis court or golf course (and vice versa)? No problem, they are now free to purchase both pairs and interchange them to their heart's content.

ONE STOP, NO WAITING

Another upside to the precautionary process though, is that it encourages a same-day sale. It's a case of in-sight, in-mind (partial pun intended). Talking to your patient about the need for sunwear in a dispensary, surrounded (hopefully) by sunwear, is a profound impetus for your patient to begin considering buying one of the pairs of sunglasses he or she sees hanging around. There is, of course, also the convenience factor: Why bother taking the extra effort to go to another store and pick out a pair of sunglasses there when there's so many to choose from right here? One way to emphasize sunwear to contact lens patients is to make the frameboards and displays in your contact lens area all about sunglasses: Use this area to display some of your best sunwear while also decorating it with sun-related POP. Doing so will create a link in the patient's mind between sunglasses and contact lenses and help to encourage a sale.

A GLARING ISSUE

If your patient has never worn sunglasses before, a crash course may be needed in the lens options available to him or her. At its most basic, this comes down to a choice between polarized or tinted lenses. Many individuals will develop their own preferences: As I've covered in my own writings before, I tend to find more comfort in tinted lenses, which I personally feel create a darker environment for my light-colored, light-sensitive eyes. Polarized lenses though, with their efficacy in reducing glare, might be the better selection for your contact lens-wearing patients: Evidence has been presented over the years that contact lenses can actually enhance glare for wearers, perhaps most recently in Richard C.K. Jordan and Michael A.O. Lewis' translation of the 2011 book Contact Lens Complications by Roth. For those patients who experience this effect, polarized lenses may be your patients' best choice in sunwear. Also, remember that many patients opt for contact lenses because they allow freedom for particular sporting activities—activities that might be enhanced by a pair of properly secured, appropriately-styled sunglasses.

Anglers, for example, will benefit greatly from a pair of wraparound polarized sunglasses, which will enhance their visibility when out on the water. Note however, that polarized lenses might not be for everyone: Pilots, for example, cannot wear polarized lenses due to their interaction with instrument panels in the cockpit; and while manufacturers of digital technology have begun to compensate for the popularity of polarized lenses by altering the axis of rotation on their screens, some cell phones and GPS devices might be unreadable to wearers of polarized shades.

THE ESSENTIAL SUNGLASS INVENTORY It may seem obvious, but variety is the spice of life. Sunglass styles are just as varied as ophthalmic frames, and just as you should stock your dispensary to meet patient requirements for different types of eyeglass styles, you should also be prepared to answer the demand for a plethora of sunglass types: AVIATOR FRAMES: One of the most iconic styles and perhaps the first modern sunglass frame. The aviator frame is a large, semi-teardrop or semi-squared frame supported by a brow bar that runs across the top of the lenses. The frame has some soft curvature to the edges, providing some wrap without completely curving around the sides of the patient's face. WRAPS: Perhaps the most efficient style, wraps curve completely around the sides of the patient's face, sort of like a bandit mask, completely blocking off their eyes from the sun. A good fitting pair of wraps make excellent sport glasses in addition to general-purpose sunglasses. WAYFARERS AND BROWLINES: Two of the iconic American sunglass styles, particularly the models offered by Ray-Ban. The Wayfarer is a large, solid zyl style with a vaguely CatEye/square shape; think The Blues Brothers. Browlines are classic combination frames with zyl caps and a metal chassis. Along with the aviator, these are the styles of sunglasses your patients will probably have the most brand awareness of. They veer toward the dressier end of the spectrum, and for patients concerned about wearing their sunglasses to outdoor business or social functions, they're better choices than something sportier like a wrap. Because of its bulk and general durability, the Wayfarer is considered a slightly more casual frame, while the browlines' nosepads and origins as an ophthalmic put it on the more formal side of the spectrum. P3s: Something that's been coming back into fashion of late, and which you might find your patients requesting, is the classic, semi-round P3 shape in sunglasses. Women in particular have been gravitating toward it over the past few years, as the softer edges provide a more feminine alternative to the sharp angles that have been popular in frames over the past few years. In addition to frame styles, also pay attention to brand variability. The Internet age has enhanced patients' brand awareness far beyond that encountered in past generations, leading to enhanced loyalty to particular manufacturers. For sport frames, the "Big Three" are Costa del Mar, Oakley and Maui Jim, who are perhaps as well-known for the quality of their frames as for their state-of-the- art lenses. For dress and general-purpose sunglasses, Ray-Ban is, quite possibly, not only the most well-known sunglass name in the world but perhaps one of the most well-known brands, period.

Regardless of which route your patient chooses to go, the experience of contact wear becomes an invaluable opportunity for ECPs to educate their patients on the differences between tinted and polarized lenses and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (LENSES)

For patients who opt to go the tinted route, this opens up a fantastic possibility in multiple sales: lens colors. While depending upon the lab you use, your color options might be limited in polarized lenses; the sky's the limit when it comes to tinting lenses. Freed from the restrictions of one or two pairs of Rx glasses, educate your patient on the possibilities offered by multiple, (comparatively) inexpensive pairs of tinted sunglasses: G-15 for bright, sunny days; rose for overcast days; yellow for dusky conditions or sporting activities.

WAIT, DON'T GO

The cost question brings up a challenge faced by many ECPs in selling sunglasses: Why should patients purchase from a dispensary? After all, they can trek on down to the nearest big-box retailer or (shudder) discount store and purchase a pair of perfectly dark sunglasses for significant amounts less.

As always, reminders of quality are key, and your dispensary stock should back up any assertions you make about the value of your eyewear. You and I both know that those $20 polarized sunnies can't hold a candle to a quality pair of Maui Jim, Oakley, Rudy Project and those sun versions of branded sunwear with polarized and backside AR-treated lenses; be prepared to inform your patient of that. This is an area where your own prior education is just as valuable as the information you'll be imparting to the patient: As soon as your patient even indicates that he or she might be headed straight from your office down to the S-Mart for a pair of discount shades, it's imperative to begin outlining why a pair of quality sunglasses from your office pummels the living daylights out of a bargain pair. Identify the strongest selling points of your sunwear lines and then drive those points home. In my own experience, I've found that durability is a key factor in making a sunwear sale: Many people plan on using their sunglasses for activities that involve a great deal of wear-and-tear (such as outdoor work or sports), or tend to be highly abusive of their sunwear (by leaving it in the glove compartment, tossing it on the dashboard or just chucking it in their purse).

I often begin sunwear sales by asking my patients exactly how they plan on using their sunglasses: Will they primarily be utilized for sporting purposes, driving, attending outdoor functions or for general purposes that encapsulate all of these activities and more? Once I know how my patient will be using his or her frames, I can direct him or her toward an appropriate style (see sidebar). Knowing how your patient plans on using their sunglasses will allow you to eliminate poor choices (such as putting a tennis player into a pair of dressy P3s or sending a businessman to a high-fashion social function in an extreme wrap). If your patient does have a diverse array of interests and planned uses, it can also lead to multiple pair sales—if your businessman is also a tennis player, for example, encourage him to use the P3s for business functions and the wraps for when he plays sports.

Outlining the longevity of your higher quality frames versus the likelihood that discount frames will break or become scratched will highlight exactly what a good pair of sunglasses are: an investment. Few people think they'll really get rich off of penny stocks; let your patients know that there's little difference in a $1 pair of sunglasses. Tying into this, also drive home any frame warranties you might offer, especially if you have a replacement policy. Only paying $20 for a pair of suns might be nice, but it's even nicer to pay a little more with the guarantee of a free replacement if they get damaged. Is S-Mart going to fork over another pair of their dime-store treasures free of charge if the old pair gets broken? I think not.

INSERT PUN HERE

Perhaps one of the most effective (if not obvious) ways to sell sunglasses to your contact lens wearers is through the use of a trunk show, deliberately scheduled around a time when your practice will see heavy rotation of contact lens wearers (or if you're feeling proactive, heavily schedule the day of the show with contact lens fittings and follow-ups while also sending out advertisements to established CL patients for whom the time has not yet come for a visit). Variety will be the key here, as you'll want to cover all potential bases for your patients to ensure the maximum volume of sales: Other than wearing contact lenses, your patients will probably have little in common, facing you with a particularly diverse demographic. If having multiple vendors isn't feasible, make sure that the one or two reps you have working your show come with product that will suit the largest number of people with the largest array of needs: polarized, tinted, wrapped, aviators, etc. Staged appropriately, such an event can not only be a tremendous opportunity for patient education and turn contact lens wearers into lifelong sunglass wearers, it can also be a chance for a good deal of sunwear sales. Dependent on the companies with whom you work, a sales promotion might even be in order. One to consider is a particular percentage off of sunglasses with the purchase of a year's supply of contacts. Similar to decorating your contact lens area with sun-related POP, filling your dispensary with sunwear reps on the day they're fit for their lenses will draw a link between sunwear and contacts, heightening the chance that your patient will make a sunwear purchase.

INTO THE SUNSET

Plano sun sales to contact lens wearers represent a unique opportunity to make additional sales while also increasing your patient's knowledge and helping them to prolong their eye health. It's simply a matter of taking this opportunity. Many ECPs are content to fit patients with CLs and let them be on their way, without ever educating them about the ongoing need for sunglasses; still more will educate their patients, but then allow them to walk out the door without even attempting to sell a pair from their own dispensary. Such practices represent not only a glaring gap in patient education but untold dollars in lost revenue. By emphasizing the need for sunwear and aggressively yet gently pressing in-office sunwear sales, ECPs can enhance their own practice while also improving patient health and sense of self. And that leads to a brighter tomorrow for everyone.