The Reasons 

The success of every independent eyecare practice depends on sales, but I have found that very few train for it. Lack of training leads to inconsistency, missed opportunities, and patients walking out of the practice with their prescription to fill it elsewhere.

As a simple alternative to extensive sales training, which may not be in your budget, I propose developing a simple, repeatable framework that can be easily taught. Without this, your opticians may be unintentionally creating hesitation instead of confidence in the mind of patients.

How to Do It

• Create a simple sales framework. This should enable your opticians to follow the same routine, from handoff to recommendation. (Here is an example.)
• Train in small increments. Focus on 1 step at a time during short team huddles.
• Use role playing. I have found that this builds confidence in handling common consumer objections to filling their prescription with the practice’s optical.

When sales become a system instead of a guessing game, patients feel better guided and positive results follow. OM