Products & ideas for the laboratory professional.
Issue link: https://opticallabproducts.epubxp.com/i/442985
FEATURE MARKETING 10 january 2015 opticallabproducts.com Optimized Lenses: The Next Sales Pitch BY MEGHAN KALVIG Lab executives need to inform their customers that viewing the lens power is a suggested starting point and not the only option. THERE ARE FEW things in our industry that are as complicated as lens optimization. Just the mention of the word "optimization" can invoke fear in the minds of opticians, turning what should be an easy sell into somewhat of a tumultuous journey for lab executives who are marketing optimized lenses. "I think what really makes some ECPs shy away from optimized lenses is the fear of fack they might catch from an uninformed competitor or patient if the lens prescription doesn't match perfect- ly with the actual lens script," says Kristy Fontana, sales executive with Precision Optical Group, Inc. (P.O.G.). "For so long, there has only been one way of doing things," contin- ues Fontana, "and some doctors are hesitant to break free from what has always been the standard proce- dure, examination, and prescription process. Optimization is new and cutting-edge. When we mention optimized lenses, some opticians aren't looking at the opportunity for better vision for their patients; they're looking at the monetary hit they could take if their patients don't buy into the ultra-modern, optimized lenses. Many ECPs only anticipate the possible backlash from less-informed peers, which could eventually affect their practices, and inevitably, their livelihoods." ECP TRIALS According to Mike Tamerius, co-founder of P.O.G., education needs to start from the ground up. "If more ECPs were to entertain the idea of trying out the optimized lenses themselves, I think we would undoubtedly see more of a swing toward trying something new. They quite simply outperform their predecessors—the old prescription lenses whose characteristics were confgured by a phoropter." Labs need to think of the written prescription only as a starting point. They should try to change the mindset of their customers to consider the lens power as not the only option. The factors that have been used by the phoropter to deter- mine the best Rx for patients— frame tilt, refraction, controlled vertex distance—are all totally altered when lenses are customized. CUSTOMIZED LENS DESIGN With advancements in optical lens processing equipment and the ability for lens suppliers to provide detailed surface mapping, labs can now produce very complex curves. Gone are the days of fxed progressive designs on the front surface of pop-bottle-thick lenses. Today, we have the ability to customize not only the prescription power, but the complete lens design. Essentially, each lens is a sleek, topographic map unique to each patient's eyes. For example, P.O.G.'s 4You Gold digitally designed progressive lens is individually customized. Each pair is unique. The geometry and topography of the surface is determined based on the Rx value and frame characteristics. A custom- ized progressive is a true original. Optimization and lens surface mapping use a complicated set of mathematical equations and that's why it's important for us all—ECPs and labs alike—to understand the concept of optimization. Meghan Kalvig is communications director at Precision Optical Group, Inc. in Creston, IA. P.O.G. Labs offers a digitally designed progressive lens called 4You Gold that is customized for each patient. Optimized lenses outperform old prescription lenses whose characteristics were confgured by a phoropter.