September/October 2013

ISSUE
Tip of
the
Month
The best opportunity to educate patients on
the treatment and care of their eyewear is at
the dispensing table as you are presenting the
patients fabulous new glasses! Even for veteran eyeglass wearers, a quick reminder of
the do’s and don’ts in regards to lens care can
help protect their financial and health investment in their new eyewear. Scratches and
haziness of lenses can affect their vision and
cause eyestrain in addition to the potential
frustration caused by damaged lenses! Relay
these tips while dispensing to help avoid
sticky situations down the road:
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Never use paper products or clothing to clean your lenses. An old t-shirt kept for that
purpose only is acceptable, but using clothing they are currently wearing may have dust
or particles attached that will damage the lenses.
Do not use glass cleaners or household detergents and soaps.
Use a cleaner developed especially for lenses when possible. Always spray or rinse the
lenses under water before wiping. The cause of many scratches is dust or debris being
wiped back and forth across the lens.
Use pre-moistened lens towelettes when out and about.
Store glasses in a case when not being worn.
5
Se p te m b e r/
O c to b e r 2 0 1 3
Midwest Labs Iowa
Coppertone promotion P.3
What’s New / Tip of the Month P.4
We are pleased to announce
the addition of Dave Borton as
Production Manager in the
years of wholesale optical
laboratory experience. With

Stand alone discount programs, material
only discount programs and discounts on
the additional purchases after use of benefits (second pairs)
emphasis on quality control
and maximized turnaround
time, Dave also brings a
wealth of knowledge in general
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Low vision materials
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Any other benefit that requires the submission of a CMS 1500 form
craftsmanship. He is an ex-
Any plans or groups that are specifically
excluded
development and we are ex-

Emergency services/situations
management team! Please

Specialized lenses not covered in the
Eyemed lens catalog

Multi-pair sales P.1
Multi-pair sales cont. P.2
Dave comes to us with over 28
Recently, Eyemed has made the announcement to limit your choice of labs when processing Eyemed insured patient lenses by requiring the use of an approved network lab.
We do not agree with the new business
model Eyemed has chosen to implement and
view it as taking away your freedom in
choosing the lab and products that work best
for your business and patients. You lose the
ability to manage this area of your practice
while your patients will experience increased
wait time for their eyewear. In addition,
changes to fee for service billing in regards
to medical eye conditions also have the potential to negatively financially impact your
business. We have had the opportunity to
examine the parameters of these changes
and have determined the following Eyemed
orders can continue to be processed through
Midwest Labs:
this issue
Welcomes Dave Borton
Midwest Labs Iowa facility.
What’s New? Eyemed
FOCUS
optical manufacturing and
pert on employee training and
cited to welcome him to our
feel free to contact Dave with
any questions you may have
or to introduce yourself!
Additional pair sales, everyone
loves them! But, in recent years with
our challenging economy, many ECP’s
have been reluctant to broach the subject with their patients. As experts in
the industry most of us have multiple
pairs of glasses. It is a perk of the industry as many of you test new lens
designs before offering to your patients.
However, most of us will agree that
eyeglass wearers should have a minimum of two pair: clear or photochromic
everyday pair and polarized sunglasses.
As insurance plans continue to
affect your bottom line, it is imperative
to explore methods to keep your business healthy while also benefiting your
patients. It doesn’t take a financial wizard to know that increased sales are
needed to grow your business and compensate for lower reimbursements from
insurance companies. You have four
options to increase your gross revenue:
1– Boost the number of exams each
day
2– Raise your prices
3– Retail premium products
4– Sell more goods and services to each
customer
The easiest, and often overlooked, approach is to sell more goods
and services to each customer. Your
business is established; it has regular
customers and like all businesses,
you’ve collected all kinds of information
about them. The goal is to bring all
your patients eyewear needs to light
and even if they do not purchase additional pairs at the time, plant the seed
of additional eyewear that would beneficial in their daily activities.
A 20% discount on a second pair
seems to be the most popular offering
in our industry. Yet, the rate of second
pair sales remains sluggish. What if you
offered a 50% discount on second
pairs? It may seem extreme until it is
put in the perspective of second pair
sales. Human nature dictates a
stronger response to higher discounts,
who doesn’t love a deal? If you are
currently selling a handle of second
pairs per month, a more attractive discount can produce additional dollars
with minimal effort.
A quick analysis shows the earning potential of a second pair sale at a
50% discount. For example, you average frame and lens sale is $450. If
your total cost in the job is $125, a 50%
discount will still net you an additional
$100 in profit, which you would not
have had without the second pair sale.
$100 x 254 business days = $25,400
additional profit per year selling
only one second pair per day
BUY ONE GET ONE THE ULTIMATE TWO-PAIR PACKAGE
FREE
LENSES
Everyone owns more than one
pair of shoes for varying activities, eyewear should be no
different…..
To maintain the profitability in this strategy, we recommend the following guidelines:
► The additional pair must be a complete pair of
glasses, frames and lenses. (No lenses only)
► Both pairs must be ordered either at the same
time or when the patient returns to pick up the
initial pair.
► The second pair discount applies even if the
first pair is purchased through a vision plan.
(Remember– incremental)
► No other discounts will apply.
Another approach for increasing sales in
an existing market is to offer other merchandise
as rewards for multiple purchases. Offer a $50
gift card to a popular restaurant or department
store in your area if a second pair is purchased.
The second pair may be less than the first, but
increased profitability is your end goal. Suppose
the second pair is $250 frame and lens, but your
cost is $80. The total profit would be $120 after
the gift card purchase.
$120 x 254 business days= $30,480 additional
profit per year selling only one second pair
per day
Reward the patient with their gift card the
day they pick up both pairs of glasses. They have
a pair of stylish new sunglasses and a free lunch
while you enjoy additional profit with little effort.
Offering programs like these work
because the conversation is more comfortable.
You are addressing all of your patients’ varying
visual needs combined with a powerful incentive
for the patient. The ability to present a win-win
situation helps alleviate any anxiety of rejection or
the feeling of being to “salesy”.
In addition, there are a whole host of
reasons why a second pair is essential: computer
glasses, sunglasses, a dressy pair, the list goes
on. Everyone owns more than one pair of shoes
for varying activities, eyewear should be no
different. When presented correctly, most people
will recognize the benefits of additional pairs of
eyewear. Asking questions is the most effective
way to root out visual challenges. Do you work on
a computer? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors?
What type of hobbies do you enjoy? From their
answers, you will be able to engage them in further
conversation to uncover what additional types of
eyewear would be beneficial.
Great analogies to use with presbyopic
patients are common items that are available in
different designs for varying applications. When
you are cutting vegetables in the kitchen, do you
use a butter knife? When working outside in the
yard, do you wear dress shoes? No. When it
comes time to do a job properly, the proper tools
are needed. A general use progressive will be
effect in many different applications, but for
specific activities a specialized lens would be
appropriate.
Midwest Labs offers several different frame
and lens packages to assist in presenting multiple
pair sales:
● Simple Choice (Economy)
● Kids
● Computer
● Safety
● Sunwear
Starting at $20 for a complete pair of frames and
lenses, these packages are designed to be
affordable enough to interest your patients in
additional pairs while bringing the maximum profit
to your bottom line.
We are also extended the Coppertone
BOGO promotion through the end of 2013. If you
have not incorporated a clear plan in your
dispensary to offering multiple eyewear solutions
for your patients, now is the perfect time to get
started!
Midwest Labs COPPERTONE® BOGO promotion extended through 2013!
What’s better than selling a pair of SUN lenses to a customer?
Getting the clear pair for free!
BUY ONE pair of Coppertone® polarized polycarbonate lenses.
GET ONE pair of lenses FREE.
. of
Add value to your business by promoting the sale of a 2nd pair
glasses. Take advantage of the BOGO promotion. Pass the savings on
to your patients.
»Create a Sun Package. Focus on 2-pair sales to increase your margins
and be more competitive.
»Offer a discount on the second pair or a special 2-pair package price.
Product Availability:
Coppertone SV
Coppertone D28 Bifocal
Coppertone 7x28 Trifocal
Illumina Coppertone
Naturalite Digital designs in Coppertone
Autograph Digital Progressive Design
Spectrum Digital Progressive Design
It’s easy to order!
► Electronic orders– Specify “BOGO” in comments on both orders
► Fax orders– Write “BOGO” on both fax orders
► Phone orders– Let your customer service rep know this is a Coppertone BOGO
and we will take it from there!
Must be the same prescription on both orders and value of free pair is clear
polycarbonate uncut pricing. Second pair can be ordered up to 30 days after initial
order.
NOW EXTENDED THROUGH 2013!