How I...
Present Photochromics
to the over-60 set
By Erinn Morgan
Seniors are embracing the photo-chromic category, mainly because this premium lens option provides them both convenience and visual comfort. "It is widely accepted by those over 60," says Charles O. McCormick III, MD, of the Indiana Eye Clinic in Greenwood, Ind., and president of the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology. "There is a strong knowledge in this group of UV being a contributing factor to macular degeneration."
Is your practice capitalizing on the photochromic segment? Proper presentation can be the key to educating this group about how photochromics can benefit their lives. It can also lead to increased sales.
"About 40 to 45 percent of our customers in our Belvidere location who are over 60 are wearing photochromics," says Carina Ferrara-Furst, director of operations at Family Optical Center, which has two locations in Rockford, Ill., and one in Belvidere, Ill. "This is most definitely a growing business."
Dispensers say that seniors appreciate doctor recommendations, applications for their special needs, and live demonstrations. Additionally, any information related to how photochromics can possibly help prevent visual problems, such as macular degeneration or other UV- related damage, is greatly appreciated.
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Wael Yassein of The Eye Shoppe in
Oshawa, Ontario, fits Elspeth Mills with photochromics. |
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DOCTOR'S ORDERS
Presenting seniors with photochromics starts with a doctor's recommendation. "About 15 to 20 percent of our over-60 patients are getting photochromics," says McCormick. "Eighty to 90 percent of the time, if the doctor recommends it, they get it."
McCormick uses a prescription pad with a variety of options listed, and he circles the appropriate choices for patients. "I'll try to bring up the points that are right for their circumstance," he says. "I mention the photochromic upgrade to the lens. With that prescription highlighted, patients are escorted out and are introduced to the optician. They will then take the highlighted pad and run with it."
Many practitioners like to recommend photochromics to senior patients because the lenses can help them manage visual problems. "A lot of these people run into trouble with macular degeneration. We use photochromics for some of them, especially now that the lenses are available in bifocal and other design options," says Ferrara-Furst.
THE SPECIFICS
Another key to presenting to seniors is to bring up points relevant to their personal situations. First, find out what their needs are, and then educate them how photochromics will help them.
"We don't hesitate to introduce it to anybody at any age," says David Seibel, OD, FAAO, of Vision Care Consultants in St. Louis. "It is not a panacea for all lighting needs, but people who are in multiple lighting situations may truly benefit."
Finally, a hands-on presentation from the dispenser, including the use of displays, demonstration items, and point-of-purchase materials, can also be appealing to seniors. "We have several of the dispensers wearing photochromics themselves, and it has become our best P.O.P.," says Ferrara-Furst. "They can step outside, and the lenses do their thing--they show the results to the customer and the presentation works."
Most agree that a live demonstration is the best method for presenting to this customer. "I have them go outside with a pair of plano photochromics and see how they work--99 percent of the time they say: 'That's what I am looking for,'" says Wael Yassein, owner and optician at The Eye Shoppe in Oshawa, Ontario.
Another surefire presentation method is to offer a guarantee for the lenses. "I find what works the best is offering them a guarantee that after a few months I will replace the photochromics if they are not happy," says Yassein.
No matter what your method of presentation, be sure it is sensitive to the needs and interests of the seniors with whom you are working. A proper demonstration can lead to increased sales, pleased customers, and repeat business.
TIP SHEET: AGING EYES |
There are some distinct differences between younger and older eyes. One of them is a markedly increased risk of sun damage. "A 60-year-old eyeball allows about two-thirds more light to the retina than an 18-year-old eye," says David Seibel, OD, FAAO, of Vision Care Consultants in St. Louis. "For that reason, they are looking for help to make their vision more comfortable," he says. The following points are taken from the Transitions-sponsored monograph "Light, Sight and Photochromics." They may help you better explain the dangers of the sun and visual problems related with aging--and the ways photochromics can help. PROBLEM. Color vision changes with age. The ability to discriminate between colors diminishes in older individuals. SOLUTION. Since photochromic lenses are available in a variety of tints, with changes in both the depth of color and the level of transmittance depending upon illumination, they would appear to offer an alternative to fixed tint lenses in providing a specific, on-demand, color filtering effect when this is indicated, while minimally affecting color values under circumstances where true-to-life color perception is desirable. PROBLEM. The ability to detect objects decreases as a function of age. There are two main factors that generally are to blame for reduced performance with age: Changes in the optical properties of the eye and reduced neural factors. SOLUTION. Filters, by definition, affect contrast sensitivity. Since photochromic lenses act as filters under circumstances when this filtering action is most beneficial to vision, and as clear lenses when filtering is not necessary (or even desirable), they have the least potential for distorting or compromising color vision. |