BUYER’S FORUM
Buyers For Hire
Thinking of making a fresh start? Be sure you’re ready to go!
the job market is rallying as companies shake off the lasting effects of the long, dark recession. And as the market turns, professionals are starting to look at their options. For current frame buyers and those who want to get into the profession, we turn to an optical human resources expert, imatters president/owner Charisse Toale, for advice on hunting for your next buyer position.
Q: WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS YOU SEE DISPENSARIES SEEKING FOR THEIR OPTICIANS/BUYERS?
The ability to manage the patient or customer. Being aware, knowledgeable, and able to communicate with the end user—the patient. The flourishing opticals look for those who have gone above and beyond with extras: thank-you notes, trunk shows, community involvement.
Understanding the financials of purchasing, inventory management, and fashion influences your possibility of being hired. Know who you are interviewing with, visit the website, read the reviews of the company, know the hours of operation, and mirror the “look” of the company.
Buyers’ Outlook
The job market for dispensers is great. A good optician will be in demand, says imatters’ Charisse Toale. “I see the biggest change in dispensing is the luxury goods. It’s a small niche of opticians, and they can be very valuable.
“For frame buyers, the chances of influencing your inventory are higher, the opportunities to manage a business is greater, too. On a smaller scale, it’s becoming a bigger fish, mistakes are limited to a smaller amount of inventory. For the most part you can recover from a few failed attempts at buying.
“To be a retail buyer requires a degree, preferably a four-year, and knowledge of trends, production costs, and the courage to risk the profits of a company. There are no second chances in inventory management.”
Q: HOW CAN I MAKE A JUMP UP FROM STRICTLY DISPENSING TO GETTING INTO FRAME BUYING? ARE THERE PARTICULAR EXTRA SKILLS I SHOULD ACQUIRE?
Know your customers first, have a good sense of what sells in your location, look for trends in eyewear that may be in other competitors that you could add to your location. Sit in on the buying if at all possible, learn from your manager, and ask questions of the sales person—what trends do they see that would be best added to your practice? Take management courses, learn your costs per sale, seasonality of your market, and prepare.
Show that you are interested in your self-improvement as well as what you have learned from your previous organizations. Sales courses, Vision Expo courses, and continuing education—they are mirrors of your respect for yourself as well as for their customers.
Q: ARE THERE ANY NO-NO’S OR MUST-HAVES YOU CAN RECOMMEND?
No-no’s: Don’t speak negatively about your past employers, don’t fill out applications and add reason for leaving: bad environment, boss yelled at me; any thoughts of misappropriation are never good. Also, don’t lie or forget jobs that you have held. In today’s market, facts are being checked, and omissions are grounds for dismissal.
Must-haves: A quick synopsis of your career is great, try to tailor it to the practice/business that has your interest. Focus on your strengths in managing relationships as well as any mentoring you have provided or has been provided to you. What you have learned—and what you can bring to an employer—is essential.
Want to talk about what gives your frame buying flair? Please email executive editor Amy Spiezio, Amy.Spiezio@PentaVisionMedia.com
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