Many times patients are motivated to pursue contacts so that they can wear sunglasses. In those cases, they are likely already beginning to shop for sunglasses even before they make their appointment. For those of us who have worn sunglasses for a long time, and are no longer young (even if you’re still young at heart!) we forget the allure that the first experience of buying those really cool, attractive sunglasses brings and the desire it creates. Take these two steps to start converting more of these patients into sunglasses shoppers at your practice.

Step 1: Create an offer for your contact lens fittings to buy sunglasses from you, a simple percentage-off or fixed discount would suffice. Once you’ve decided on your offer, evaluate your contact lens fitting fees with the total transaction in mind – contact lens fitting plus sunglasses (with discount). Customers are more willing to pay higher professional fees for quality service than they are higher prices for sunglasses that could be purchased elsewhere.

Step 2: Start the conversation early and carry it through the entire process. When the patient schedules their contact lens fitting appointment, make sure your staff tells them about your sunglasses deal. When they arrive for their appointment, remind them of the offer, and suggest that they shop your sunglasses before their appointment. Repeat the offer during the fitting itself. Done in this way, you become part of your patient’s journey to getting sunglasses as opposed to “catching” them on their way out the door.

As you’re building your contact lens business in your practice, it’s important to remember that those fitting patients will also need optical and spectacle services. Starting with an exciting sunglass purchase can lay a great foundation for this, and help the patient remember that you’re the best source for all of their vision needs.