NEW YORK--Due to the complexity of digital PALs and the rapidly expanding range of lens choices, suppliers acknowledge that educating the professional market will take some time. Some compare the growth of the digital PAL market to the growth of the AR lens market in the U.S.

“There’s a need to educate the ECP on the benefits of the product, and at same time put the technology in place,” said Jean Marc Leroy of Essilor. “It’s not yet plug and play.”

Kristan Zeilan, senior public relations specialist for Essilor, said Essilor is training ECPs to do more “needs-based, solution selling, asking customers specific questions about their lifestyle so they can dispense the right progressive.”

“It’s the same with AR,” she said. “Once we’ve trained the ECP to ask the questions, they’re selling so much more AR.”

Hoya has recently expanded its educational efforts. This year, the company launched the Hoya Technology Institute and hired veteran optical educator Brad Main to head it.

“Brad has been charged with helping educate and provide technical education about our digital performance technology, our AR coating technology and other things,” said Hoya’s Barney Dougher. Understand our technology. He’s doing seminars and on-site training in customer’s offices, as well as training Hoya staff.”

Shamir Insight offers a Freeform Certification Program which takes ECPs through the history of free-form technology, explains how traditional semi-finished lenses are made, and discusses Shamir’s approach to free-form. ECPs who complete the program get promotional pins, polo shirts and window decals for their office. Under the guidance of Todd Hasselius, Shamir’s director of education, the company also produces about 1,200 seminars a year, ranging from large presentations at optical conferences to one-on-one in-office sessions.

“We’re doing a lot of lunch and learn seminars before they open the practice,” detailed Raanan Naftalovich. “Education has always been part of our concept. It’s one of the legs our company stands on.”

Although educating ECPs is also a priority at Carl Zeiss Vision, the company is particularly focused on giving ECPs the tools to communicate effectively with patients about digital PALs.

“Our experience shows that eyecare professionals quickly grasp the advantages of customization and the benefits to the patient and the practice,” Jeff Hopkins, senior manager, customer communications for Zeiss. “The challenge is much greater when it comes to communicating to patients, who generally don’t understand the subtleties of progressive design. How to explain that they’re getting something different and better, when they can’t really experience the difference until they try on their new eyeglasses?”

According to Hopkins, using a measuring device like the Zeiss i.Terminal can help. It includes a visual demonstration tool that shows the visual difference possible for a customized PAL.

“Also, because it is a more thorough, more precise and altogether different measuring experience, it helps the patient see that he or she is going to receive something new and different.” Hopkins noted.

“Ultimately, though, the eyecare professional will have to communicate the difference, and we are working on communication tools that will aid in this process. Fortunately, patients intuitively recognize the benefits of true customization in a range of products, and most will understand the importance of customization for something as vital and personal as vision.” ■