The Healthy Eye Care Solution

The Healthy Eye Care Solution

A Conversation for Multiple Pair Sales

Michael Karlsrud

The Karlsrud Company

You’ve Heard it For Years!

Multiple Pairs.

A Plot.A Ploy.

SportswearSportswear DresswearDresswear

Safety EyewearSafety Eyewear SunwearSunwear

Computer EyewearComputer Eyewear

OccupationalOccupational

Recreational EyewearRecreational Eyewear

Back Up pairBack Up pair

As Eyecare Professionals it is our responsibility to inform educate advise our patients of all that

restores maintains or enhances their vision.

Our Mission

Our stated mission cannot be accomplished with single pair sales.

“When someone needs eyewear- the assumption

must be that more than one pair will be required

to accomplish the vision solution.”

-Michael DiSanto

Preventing Disease

In Addition To

TypicalActive and Reactive Treatment

The Price We Pay

20.5 million Americans have cataracts

20 million Americans have macular degeneration

Annual cost of visual health disabilities in the USA is $68 billion

Source: National Eye Institute, US National Institute of Health.

Pterygium KeratitisLid Cancer

Cataract Macular Degeneration

Cumulative Effects of Sun Radiation

Everyone, but especially:

Children Cataract Patients Contact Lens Wearers Anyone prone to a tan or sunburn!

“you can’t burn your retina sitting on the couch!”- Mark Hinton

Who Needs Protection?

Why do Children especially need sun protection?

1) 70% more HEV &UV transmits to a child’s

retina

Source: Sidney Lerman, M.D. Clinical Light Damage to the Eye

FACTS

2) Approx 80% of lifetime outdoor sun exposure

occurs in the first 20 years of life

Source: Skin Cancer Foundation

FACTS

3) Sun damage to the eye is cumulative

Source: Environmental Protection Agency SunWise program

FACTS

4) 81% of children aged 12 to 15 in an Australian study showed evidence

of solar-related eye disease

Source: Minas Coroneo, M.D. American Journal of Ophthalmology

FACTS

Research is pointing to the conclusion that

100% UV Protection is Not Enough

High Energy Visible Light

New Product Available

Polycarbonate 100% UV Absorption

HEV Blocking Properties Blocks Harmful Blue Light

Polarized Manages Glare for ideal

comfort

Custom formulated with a higher concentration of theanti-inflammatory Omega-3 EPA to provide a natural way to control Inflammation on the Ocular Surface and manage DES, OSD, Post Lasik Dry Eye

Custom formulated with a higher concentration of the anti-inflammatory Omega-3 EPA to provide a natural way to control Inflammation on the OcularSurface and manage DES, OSD, Post Lasik Dry Eye

Are we Dispensing or

Selling?

Remember Our Mission?-

to Educate and Inform….

It’s wise not to let the economics drive the vision solution.

Rather, let the best vision solution drive the

economic discussion.

Managed Care & PricingManaged Care & Pricing

The key to success with managed care is

NOT to present it for what it is not:

the beginning and end of what the patient ‘can get’

… but rather to present it for what it is:

…an advance towards what the patient really wants:

A VISION SOLUTION ‘BY DESIGN’A VISION SOLUTION ‘BY DESIGN’

Insurance today is not the Healthy Eye

Care Solution.

It’s the down payment.

Healthy Eye Care Solution

Drives

the Economic Discussion

The Economic Discussion

Cannot Drive

Healthy Eye Care Solution

How Do We Drive the Conversation for A Healthy Eye?

Starts at the first phone call. “Mr. Smith, please be sure to bring in all of

your current eyewear, including your sunglasses.” “No sunglasses at all?”

“I’ll make a note for the doctor.”

Don’t even think about apologizing!!!!

Next Up: Lifestyle Sheet

Hand the patient the Lifestyle Sheet and expect the patient to fill it out. We do it at every medical appointment we have; MD, DDS,

Specialists, & OD.

The Lifestyle sheet is critical to make sure you do not overlook anything. Make sure the doctor gets it, reads it, and references it

during the exam.

The Doctor Plays a Role

The Healthy Eye Practice is about Prevention & Treatment of the Eye.

What conversations happen in the exam room about risk reduction and the prevention of diseases?

Facts

2.7

4.8

6.5

7.8

8.3

8.7

0 10

Politician

Attorney

Accountant

Optician

MedicalDoctor

Eye Doctor

•Your patients Your patients already trust youalready trust you

• Knowing how to Knowing how to match a lens benefit match a lens benefit to a wearer’s need is to a wearer’s need is what makes you what makes you different from other different from other dispensersdispensers

• You know their You know their needs and already needs and already have a relationshiphave a relationship

Whose Advice is Respected the Most?

Gallup Poll: 100K Respondents

The “Hand Off”

How does the patient get to the dispensary? Does the Dr. walk them out? Is there a handoff and explanation of the

exam and paperwork? Is there a Rx for prevention &/or

treatment? Is there an introduction and statement of

expectation?

Do they even make it to the dispensary?

1.9%2.3%4.5%

6.8%

65.3%

43.4%

10.7%11.0%

3.7%4.9%

Indep LensCrafters Wal-Mart Pearle Sears

RefractionsLens Pairs

% of Lens Pairs Sold to % of Lens Pairs Sold to RefractionsRefractions

12ME Sep 2006(- 17M)

(+ 4.9M) (+ 2.8M) (+1.9M) (+ 1.3M)

Jobson Optical Research - VisionWatch

100 Exams 100 Exams 100Exams 100 Exams 100 Exams 66 Pairs 244 Pairs 157 Pairs 213 Pairs 194 Pairs

How Do We Present the Healthy Eye Care

Solution?

Bottom Up?

Top Down?

What is the number one driver?

How many decisions are there?

How many options are there?

Packages?

How do I know if I made the right choice?

We Have To Many Options

Eyewear consumers are perhaps the most under-informed consumers in the health care chain.

Unless you have a vision problem, you probably know little or nothing about our services, offerings or technology.

Of course, since damage is done before pain occurs, 50% of all Americans with Glaucoma at present, are unaware they have the disease.

Bundle And Present the Best

Photochromic & Sunwear

Clear & Sunwear

Photochromic

Clear

What Influences the Purchase Decision?

Source: 2005 VCA Data

Source: 2005 VCA Data

35%

28% 21%

What Influences the Purchase Decision?

Don’t forget you are advising a solution that

will last on average 2 to 3 years.

Cadillac

Buick

Chevy

Kia

Are you more likely to buy an Buick if

you start at a Kia or at a Cadillac?

We Are Already Well Trained

Let the Patient “Opt Out”

Great Big Giant Neon Glaring Shining Issue Still Lingering into the 21st Century:

“Many dispensers will tend to judge a patient and make assumptions based on appearance, age and other absurd yet ‘hardwired’ reasoning. Looks and age determines what level of eye care solution is economically best for the them.”

Who ‘Advises’ Lens Options

OD Staff Patient

Progressives 84.9 12.2 2.9Polycarbonate 54.2 44.2 1.6High Index 45.1 53.8 1.1Photochromic 34.6 44.4 21Tinted 21.3 47.4 31.3Polarized 42.1 46.8 12.1AR Coatings 57.2 39.7 3.1UV Coatings 49.9 44.4 5.7Scratch Resistant 25.2 68 6.8

Option

Percentages

Source: AOA 2007 Optical Dispensing Survey

Again… Our Responsibility….

Direct, advise and prescribe the best healthy eye solution to all patients.

Then, the next best…. Let the patient “Opt Out” when they are

comfortable with the level of eye care presented.

Stop.

The Optician Who “Opts Out”

Stumbling Blocks: Many opticians are not as well trained on sales training

as they need to be (conversation training) Some may exhibit ‘know-all ‘closed biased’ Objections, including price and 3rd party and the inability

to communicate benefits, kills the sale. Easier to go with “the plan”. Patient and practice will lose. Opticians are caring people who will typically avoid

probing with simple questions to learn “Context” or ‘real’ reason behind objection; perhaps feeling affronted by the patient/consumer. Assumption plays a major role here.

If you put all your effort into building a premium primary pair first then try to shift gears and start

the process over to sell a second pair you will send the patient into sticker shock.

“OK, so your clear pair is wonderful and they

cost $400 --- Now how about purchasing prescription sunglasses also?”

-Michael DiSanto

What About Price?

Your patients buy on value not price

One of the lowest priced new car in the US since 2004 is the Chevrolet Aveo.

Have you ever heard of it or seen it?

What makes patients today especially good candidates for second pairs?

Value!

Why?

What the heck

is this thing?

•Great Product + Great Price = Great Value

Let’s Talk Value Instead

The First Law of Sales:

People Buy With Emotion and Justify with Logic.

Let’s Talk Value Instead

The First Law of Sales:

Emotion = Benefits

Logic = Features

….where do we spend most of our time?

We Need A Story….

The dispensers today need help in formulating the words to tell the benefit

story?

We have to be able to answer the question

So What?

What Can You Do?

Talk prevention & healthy eye choices

Focus on inter-office process and communication

Talk less on Features and more on Benefits…. put the words in their mouths

Focus on solutions that have multiple pairs and package accordingly.

What Else?

Offer staff training that is Sales Conversation Focused, not Product.

Help dispensers get over price and 3rd party objections.

Get the doctor involved as much as possible.

Help the ECP build their own value story.

Finally…

On average an ECP gets one opportunity to advise and prescribe for healthy vision to patients only every 2 to 3 years. We know it seems obvious and silly to wear the same pair of shoes

everyday, …. But for three years?

It makes sense… one conversation around the eye care solution- prevention & treatment.

Limit the Options, but Stress the Value

Educate, Inform, Advise and Prescribe

What do ya think?

Protect your patients. Preserve and grow your practice.

That’s Added Value Benefit in mutual partnership for you and your patient!

THANK YOU!

mike@karlsrudcompany.com