The Magic of SV
ECPs are finding new tricks for pumping up profit centers by being creative with today's premium single vision products. Adopt new ideas and crunch some numbers to up your SV lens sales like magic
By Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC

Many ECPs have discovered that offering premium SV lenses, however, is the easiest way to lasting profits. Most customers who purchase them are so impressed with the benefits that they never go back to standard lenses.

There are a multitude of premium SV lens benefits to choose from: UV protection, scratch-resistance, impact-resistance, eye safety, thinness and lightness, less magnification or minification for improved appearance, cleaner optics with less distortion, less glare, and reflection protection.

Think about each premium SV lens feature, reconsider your practice demographics and who you want to reach, and draw up a plan of which choices to market. These ECPs made premium SV part of everyday business with profitable effects.

POWER PACKAGING

Based in Salt Lake City with 17 locations in Utah, Standard Optical markets to its younger demographic to hit about 60 percent of lens business in SV. The chain features kids' programs, as well as the Protective Lens System and Masterpiece Lens System premium SV lens packages.

	Suntints are a potential profit booster. Image courtesy of Signet Armorlite
	Polycarbonate lenses are thin and light, adding comfort for wearers. Photo courtesy of Vision-Ease

"Unique product positioning, combined with package pricing, and best-first selling with clear pricing for staff and customers helps us stay ahead," says president and CEO Steve Schumacher.

SV is sold à la carte or as a package at the multiple locations of Northeastern Eye Institute, based in Scranton, Pa. Currently, they sell 40 percent SV with 65 percent in poly and 35 percent in other materials. In sunlens sales, 70 percent are polarized and 30 percent are tinted.

According to Patti Gallo, director of retail operations, package sales are preferred. "We offer a Healthy Eyes Lens package with UV and scratch-resistant coating (SRC); our Thin & Lite package features poly lenses with AR; our Protection Plus package includes SRC, UV, and AR; and our Performance Sunwear package is a polarized lens with AR."

She adds, "We always have back-to-school promotions with SV lens packages. This year, we'll bundle poly photochromic lenses for kids with a frame and warranty. We also encourage contact lens patients to order back-up eyewear with this promo. If they order a year's supply of CLs, they receive free standard plastic lenses—a $79 value—with the purchase of a frame."

Standard Optical offers SV lens packages that are clearly better than standard SV lenses in features, benefits, and value. "We sell SV standard plastic, uncoated, untinted lenses for $49.95. Our SV Protective Lens System includes scratch-resistance, UV, and a fashion tint for $89.95. We promote polycarbonate lenses as the thinner, safer, lighter choice and sell SV poly Protective Lens Systems for $129.95," Schubach says.

"The Masterpiece Lens System, includes everything in the Protective Lens System plus AR, a polished edge, and an aspheric lens design. We sell Masterpiece packages for $159.95 in SV plastic and $199.95 in SV poly," he adds.

Northeastern Eye Institute charges $59 for uncoated SV plastic lenses, and $109 for SV poly. "Our premium SV is poly. We tout the thinner, lighter, more comfortable, 100 percent UV attributes. Poly is the first lens of choice from a duty-to-warn stance," Galko says.

When digging into your bag of tricks, consider all of the factors that can add to lens appeal.  From left to right: Photochromics from Beloptix take many hues; tough coatings, such as Essilor's Crizal Alizé, take plenty of abuse and stay clean; and think thin, such as with Seiko Optical Products' high index lens offerings

A FULL BAG OF TRICKS

Commit to premium SV sales by offering all of the options available today. Setting the standard for premium SV lenses are high index lenses with multiple "built-in" features. Primarily, these thin, high-end lenses are recommended to make lenses more cosmetically appealing and comfortable to wear.

"We sell very little standard plastic. Our first choice is polycarbonate, and we do 90 percent AR," adds Davenport. "We promote SV polarized sunlenses with backside AR and mirrors. We promote the fact that we have what no one else has."

MONEY MATTERS

Getting more comfortable with selling and maintaining simple sales standards for dispensers and patients is key to developing and improving SV lens profits.

Additionally, set and maintain an eyewear payment policy that's easy to understand, and take no exceptions. "We require half down or full payment on all orders," says Davenport.

Setting sales goals and a simple staff rewards system can up SV sales for the short and long term.

"Almost 100 percent of our staff offers only a SV lens package," Schubach says. "This is because our starting staff pay scale is $6 an hour, supplemented with very strong incentive pay. We hire those who are confident in their sales ability."

Standard Optical doctors educate patients about premium lens technology, writing their recommendations on the prescription form and handing off to opticians with a verbal recommendation for one of Standard Vision's premium product options.

Finally, make it office policy to offer premium SV lenses to everyone, all the time.

"Offer them the best. Don't insult your customers," advises Standard Optical's Schubach.

He adds: "If you don't offer them the best and their neighbor tells them about it instead of you, you've lost your patients' respect, business, and loyalty."