howyou say it
It ’ s not just what you say , it ’ s
Creating a positive experience for patients through recommendations
How a product is recommended is just as important as actually making the recommendations .
This was proven in a recent study conducted by Transitions Optical . The company asked 500 real-life patients to describe their overall eye care experience and specifically whether their eyecare professional used “ positive ,” “ neutral ” or “ negative ” language when referring to specific eyewear options and making product recommendations .
Three out of four consumers who said their eyecare professional used “ positive ” language had a “ positive ” overall experience . Comparatively , 58 per cent of consumers who said their eyecare professional used “ negative ” language , including use of product disclaimers , reported having a “ negative ” overall experience .
The results indicate that when positive language is used in the dispensary , patients will be more satisfied with their overall experience
— which translates to increased business growth and patient referrals . Conversely , use of negative language will hurt patient satisfaction .
For example , well-meaning eyecare professionals hoping to educate patients on how Transitions ® lenses work may say , “ Transitions lenses don ’ t work in the car , because today ’ s windshields block most of the UV rays that cause Transitions lenses to darken .” However , there are ways to approach sharing this information without focusing on the negatives .
For instance , eyecare professionals can ask their patient what they are currently wearing for driving . If they wear clear lenses , eyecare professionals can remind them that clear lenses don ’ t darken in the car either , and focus on the benefits that Transitions lenses do offer over regular , clear lenses ( just the right amount of tint outdoors to provide outdoor comfort in bright sunlight ). Or , eyecare professionals can talk about the options in the Transitions ® family of products that do offer wearers extra activiation behind the windshield . For example , Transitions ® XTRActive ® lenses are an everyday adaptive lens that work in the car and Transitions ® Drivewear ® sun lenses are a sunwear product specifically designed for the driving task .
Presenting the Transitions family of products With the growing choices available through the Transitions family of products , it ’ s even more important for eyecare professionals to understand the best language to describe each product to patients . Transitions Optical offers the quick guide to the right , which overviews suggested descriptions to explain what each of the products do as well as who — or which type of patient — might be most suited for them . •
To see how you can help your patients make the change to Transitions visit www . TransitionsCanadaPro . ca or on the Transitions Learning Portal at Transitions . com / Learn .
To hear from the Transitions team about how Transitions Optical is changing the way people see the world click here
14 OPTICAL PRISM DIGITAL SUPPLEMENT | JUNE 2013