Blog

July 3, 2017April 24, 2018

VEW’s Expansive Education Offerings, Now Individually Tailored

Alexandria, VA – With over 320 hours of continuing education, including 20 specialty tracks, International Vision Expo West 2017 has announced new tools to help attendees curate their education schedule, making it easier than ever for eye care professionals to customize the Show experience for themselves and their staff.

These education tools include:

• Interactive Education Brochure. Available for both optometrists and eye care staff, the Interactive Education Brochure helps attendees quickly and easily find the classes that matter most. Search keywords, create bookmarks, and read course descriptions all in one convenient location.
• Digital Education Concierge. Whether they’re looking for a specific course, area of interest, speaker or product, International Vision Expo’s new Digital Education Concierge connects attendees with a Vision Expo specialist to select the best education options based on individual needs, quickly navigate the registration process, and efficiently plan a schedule for the show. Attendees can access this new tool from the top-left corner of the Interactive Education Brochure.
• Education Highlights. Attendees can now customize the continuing education information that they receive from the very beginning, with the new Education Highlights section of VisionExpoWest.com introducing the latest education offerings for every job function and title.

“International Vision Expo provides the industry’s most comprehensive education program, just steps away from the most expansive showcase of eyewear and eye care products in the Americas,” said Mitch Barkley, The Vision Council vice president of trade shows. “As we continue to grow the education offerings that attendees rely on, we know that each individual will need to find the exact courses to fit their needs—and their schedule. These tools allow us to provide the new education programs, and exciting partnerships, that will directly benefit our attendees and provide the education that they need.”

This year’s event is taking place at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV (Education: Sept. 13–16; Exhibition: Sept 14–16).

June 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Visualize Multiple Sales: Selling Through Customer Service

When it comes to sales, Mani Vaghed from framedisplays.ca knows how to showcase your products for optimal performance. Speaking at the Vancouver Essilor Alive Summit, Vaghed suggested focusing on customer service to stand out from big brands and achieve multiple sales.

Vaghed’s top 4 tips to sell though spectacular customer service:

Showcase your customer service and differentiate yourself by focusing on your practices’ personal touch. Check your exam list as customers enter the store and greet them by name. Go the extra mile and ask if it’s OK to take a picture of a patient. You can add their photo to their file so your staff can easily recognize them at their next visit. Focus on your customer service to stand out from these big brands, this creates loyal customers who are happy to come back.

Displays matter! Create a boutique experience by using attractive glasses trays with your customers. The plain grey trays that are used in the lab are fine for internal use, but while you’re with a patient give them the royal treatment with a satin or velvet lined tray.

Need help convincing patients to buy activity based glasses? Try creating small activity tokens to add to a patient’s tray. Label these tokens; computer, skiing, billiards, reading in bed PALS wearer, etc. Before a patient goes in to see the doctor, ask about their daily and recreational activities. If they mention an activity that requires an extra pair of glasses, put the corresponding token in their display tray! Doctors can help by adding tokens to the tray during the exam too. After the patient’s exam the dispenser will have a clear visual aid to show patients why they need three pairs glasses and not just one.

Advocate for the sale of four different pairs of glasses. This will increase the likelihood that the patient will buy at least two pairs of eyewear. Want to push for three sales? Try offering the third pair at a greater discount than the second pair.

Quick Display Tips!

For a quick update to your clinic’s look, hire a lighting consultant. Lighting can make or break a store.
If you’re renovating your office try a side-to-side dispensing and advice table versus face to face to create a more intimate setting.
Install an aquarium in your dispensary to show how great polarized lenses work on the water.

June 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Celebrating 150 Years of Canadian Vision Care

At 150 years young, we’re looking pretty good!

Optik’s Special Canada 150 issue is now available online and the print version should be at your location very shortly. The summer issue is dedicated to celebrating 150 years of eye care in Canada.

Optik’s editorial staff have worked hard to chronicle a timeline of milestone events in Canadian eye care along side key events in our history. In an extensive timeline from 1867 to present day, they have detailed the evolution of technical advances and the evolution of the nation’s strong institutional framework supporting the provision of eye care services to Canadians.

Celebrate Canada 150 also features the evolution of both opticianry and optometry schools, which continue to provide world-class practitioners in each discipline, as well as the respective professional associations which provide a voice for eye care providers and advocate for strong professional standards.

Not least, Optik provides an ode to Canadian and First Nations eye wear designers’ passions with reflections of the nations’ past and aspirations for the future at home and afar.

It provides a measure of comfort that our industry has evolved a strong foundation to meet the challenges ahead. We hope you enjoy the issue and look forward to your comments. To all our readers and viewers, Happy 150^th Birthday Canada.

As a celebration of Canada 150, we are asking viewers – what does the eye wear industry mean to you? We’ll publish the best contributions in an upcoming post and provide a small token of our appreciation to the top contributors!

Share your voice by emailing Optik at editorial@vuepoint.ca

Please remember to put your name and practice location on the email.

About Optik Magazine

Optik, published by VuePoint iDS is proudly 100% Canadian owned. Our mission is to give voice to the Canadian vision care industry and contribute toward healthier vision for Canadians.

June 29, 2017April 24, 2018

Havaianas Launches First Eyewear Collection Worldwide

In partnership with Safilo, Havaianas grows its portfolio by presenting more than 80 sunglasses proposals.

The Havaianas Eyewear collection brings the spirit of the Brazilian summer with many colours and surprising combinations.

The line features four shapes with a variety of sizes and countless colour combinations, baptized with names of famous Brazilian beach destinations: Rio, Paraty, Trancoso and Noronha. The sunglasses feature Havaianas comfortable rubber finishing with the famous rice pattern present in the sole of the flip-flops.

The sunglasses are produced in three materials: rubber, acetate and polyamide, in sizes ranging from small, medium and large. The lenses have UVA/UVB protection and come in solid, gradient and mirrored finishings.

Distributed by Safilo: www.safilo.com

June 29, 2017April 24, 2018

Essilor Academy Canada is Motivating Concrete Action

Essilor Academy Canada has now assembled all of Essilor Canada’s training functions under a single banner, putting an outstanding team dedicated to knowledge sharing at the service of eye care professionals.

This initiative is based on Essilor Canada’s solid training experience, and is designed to meet the needs of eyecare professionals dealing with a marketplace in flux due to new visual needs and new consumer shopping behaviour.

“We are convinced that continuing education is essential to the growth and success of our business partners and to the evolution of our industry. That is why we have chosen to increase our investment in this area,” explains Pierre Bertrand, President of Essilor Canada. “Eyecare professionals are responding enthusiastically. Since January, more than 500 of them have benefited from one or more Essilor Academy Canada training courses, a number we expect to reach around 1,000 by the end of the year.”

All the training courses, whether exclusive to Varilux Xperience partners or aimed at eyecare professionals generally, combine theory with the acquisition of practical skills and know-how. Topics include sales, team management, business development, engineering the customer journey, basic optics, innovation and technology, age groups, and so on. Courses are offered in a variety of formats, from 30-minute webinars with real-time or offline participation, in-office training sessions to large-scale events, such as the Roadshow, Alive Summit and Vision Summit. Many of the courses are accredited by professional associations, and the webinars are in the process of acquiring accreditation.

Essilor Academy Canada’s training team is the largest in the industry, and many of its members are experienced opticians from different provinces. They aspire to work with eye care professionals across Canada in the co-creation of learning, knowledge, expertise and solutions.

“Beyond the sharing of knowledge,” explains Martin Lespérance, Director of Training and Development,” our goal is to get eyecare professionals motivated and passionate about learning so they can maximize the application of new skills in their daily practice and see results quickly.”

The upcoming Essilor Academy Canada training events, the Roadshow and Alive Summit, will be held September 8, in Toronto, September 22, in Montreal, and October 27, in Calgary.

Click HERE for full press release.