HANDS ON - Close Up On Contact Lenses
Building the Rainbow
by Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

	Color contact lenses offer plenty of choices in colors and modalities to suit almost everyone interested in this option IMAGE COURTESY OF VISTAKON/ACUVUE COLOURS

Wondering how to build your color contact lens sales and keep those patients coming back to you? These powerful patient pleasers are what doctors recommend most.

1 The largest color CL draw is the enthusiastic attitude of doctors and staff. Have fun helping patients express their individuality.

2 Both staff members and doctors should wear color CL options, if not every day, at least one or two days a week. Rotate your color choices so patients can see a "new you" each time. Wearing the product and sharing your experience with it speaks volumes to your patients and solidifies your color CL recommendation.

3 Educate your patients about color CL options. More information equals higher patient comfort level with more willingness to trust staff recommendations and try something new.

4 Today's color CL products offer more choices and comfort for patients than ever before. Take advantage of the wave of new color options by keeping a good inventory of color CLs in stock so patients can leave with their lenses at the conclusion of their visit.

5 Color CL ads by manufacturers offer "patients on a platter." For example, most manufacturer Websites have ECP locators, and many offer co-op advertising.

6 Virtual try-on systems offer no-muss-no-fuss CL color trials: No muss from CLs and solutions everywhere; no fuss of cleaning and sterilizing CLs. CL manufacturers are also offering newly designed, more realistic and usable point-of-purchase materials, such as color plates utilizing real eye colors. Manufacturer Websites also offer color CL quizzes, model try-ons, and other innovative color experimentation.

7 You can make in-office color CL try-ons more fun by involving patients with others in groups. Patients can sell each other on different colors, giving impartial opinions, and will often end up purchasing additional colors. Studies have shown that when ECPs get a patient to try color CLs, 80 percent of those who try will buy.

For more tips, visit our Web exclusives at www.eyecarebusiness.com.