WITH THE MOVE to booked optical appointments, the time has never been better to train your team in styling eyewear. The art of eyewear styling is not simply selling glasses, it is having the skill set to create a memorable shopping experience for your patients.
Marketing consumer studies show that people buy a product based on how it makes them feel, the emotional response. As we move through this pandemic, consumers are craving connections and experiences. Offering personal styling sessions is an easy way to make a positive impact in how people feel about themselves and be productive in the limited time you have with each client.
Providing the best vision is our priority as optical professionals, yet only 10% of people are buying more than one pair at a time. This statistic tells us that function alone may not be compelling enough to motivate clients to give up their hard-earned cash.
Twenty-five years ago, I was bored with fitting the same frames over and over, so I decided to train to be an Image Consultant. I started a consulting business helping professionals build wardrobes to match their personality and body type. Once I had the wardrobes put together, I realized their eyeglasses were not in sync with their personal brand. One day, a client said, “Hey, you’re an optician, why don’t you get me some new glasses to match my new outfits?” That was my AH-HA moment. I now had a way to have fun being an optician. I re-focused, re-branded and became an eyewear stylist specializing in eyewear to complement wardrobe style, colors and business image. Once I started to pivot my sales conversation from function to fashion, I closed more multiple pair sales. As a business owner, it was a game changer.
I implemented a system to guide each client through a styling session and developed five “Signature Spec Styles.” Consumers will be dominant in at least two — often three — depending on their style, personality and profession. One pair of eyeglasses for each Spec Style!
Discovering your client’s individual Spec Style can be as simple as visually assessing the details of their clothing.
Is your first impression of your client:
- Strong … wearing sharp angles and bright colors?
- Neat and tailored with matching shoes and handbags?
- Relaxed … casual and comfortable?
- Eclectic with a mix of new and vintage?
- Soft … wearing luscious fabrics or luxurious cashmere?
When selecting frames, relate eyewear trends to the design details of their clothing. One outfit won’t tell you the whole story, so dig deeper and ask about the color of their favorite dress, golf shirt, handbag or tie and recommend a flattering color for the second or third pair. Will every person buy multiple pairs? Likely not, but your chances go way up when you expertly present the fashion offer.
Every time you hear the word “selling” in your head replace it with “styling.” Styling eyewear is inviting people to embrace a new image by changing their eyewear. It’s about inspiring and empowering with wardrobes of eyewear.