Kiranjit Bedi, OD, says that she wants her patients at the Laurel, Maryland, America’s Best store to have fun trying color contact lenses. In fact, she was so enthusiastic about the release of AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses two years ago
that she started promoting them to her patients after she first heard the news at a local dinner hosted by Alcon. She told patients, “Stop back in six months to try out the new monthly replacement option for color contact lenses.”
Dr. Bedi says that she’s encountered many patients with an interest in changing their eye color over the course of her eight-year
career with America’s Best, the first five years of which she spent in the downtown Baltimore store. Familiar with both the FreshLook® 3-in-1 color technology and AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lens material, Dr. Bedi has found that the AIR OPTIX COLORS contact
lenses combine these features in a comfortable contact lens that her patients say that they enjoy. Dr. Bedi shares the strategies that she has found most successful in getting patients excited about color contact lenses.
Mention AIR OPTIX COLORS contact lenses right away. One of the first questions Dr. Bedi asks her contact lens patients who are candidates is, “Are we doing clear or color contact lenses, or both?” Immediately, it can spark a conversation and
generate interest, paving the way for the rest of the exam.
Utilize patient and customer wait times. When contact lens-wearing customers are waiting for an optician, Dr. Bedi will approach them and ask, “Do you want to try on some color contact lenses while you are waiting?” It’s a great distraction from any wait time, too, she says.
Recommend an upgrade. It’s an easy upgrade for patients wearing FreshLook contact lenses, says Dr. Bedi. “My patients have transitioned beautifully into the AIR OPTIX COLORS contact lenses.” She adds that when patients ask, “Is the blue
going to look different?” she reassures them that AIR OPTIX COLORS contact lenses feature the same 3-in-1 color technology as
FreshLook contact lenses. The color is now embedded in the lens, instead of on the outside, she tells them.
Mix and match an annual supply. Dr. Bedi and the store staff educate patients that they have many options when picking out color contact lenses. “You aren’t committed to wearing color contact lenses every day,” Dr. Bedi says, and they can add a few boxes of color lenses in with their clear lenses.
Encourage multiple colors. Even if patients only mention one color, Dr. Bedi presents them with a few options in the same color family. “If they like the Pure Hazel, I ask them to try the Brown and Honey color lenses, too, because they may like one better in the light.” She reminds patients that they don’t have to narrow it down to just one choice. To her fashion-forward customers, she makes a comparison: “You have 50 pairs of shoes at home,” or “You don’t carry the same handbag every day.” They often sell two or more colors to these patients.
Recommend a compatible contact lens care solution to optimize the lens-wearing experience and promote compliant wear. For example, CLEAR CARE® PLUS Cleaning and Disinfecting Solution brings together what Dr. Bedi likes about her two go-to products: the long-lasting moisture of HydraGlyde® in OPTI-FREE® PureMoist with the outstanding deep cleaning and improved patient compliance of CLEAR CARE® into one product. CLEAR CARE PLUS gives her patients the best of both worlds. Dr. Bedi says that having a conversation about her preferred contact lens care solutions with every contact lens wearer “has saved us from doing a lot of refits and helps with comfort issues.”
Stay stocked with trials. Dr. Bedi says that she appreciates that her Alcon representative, who has become a personal friend, is accessible, prompt and attentive to her office supply of samples and trials.
Wear the products personally. To demonstrate the advantages of wearing color contact lenses on a part-time basis, many of the store’s employees wear AIR OPTIX COLORS contact lenses occasionally. “It gets patients asking questions.”
*Dk/t = 138 @ -3.00D. Other factors may impact eye health.
Important Information for AIR OPTIX® AQUA (lotrafilcon B) contact lenses: For daily wear or up to 6 nights extended wear for near/far-sightedness. Risk of serious eye problems (i.e., corneal ulcer) is greater for extended wear. In rare cases, loss of vision may result. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur.
Important Information for AIR OPTIX® COLORS (lotrafilcon B) contact lenses: For daily wear only for near/far-sightedness. Contact lenses, even if worn for cosmetic reasons, are prescription medical devices that must only be worn under the prescription, direction and supervision of an eye care professional. Serious eye health problems may occur as a result of sharing contact lenses. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur. To help avoid these problems, patients must follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by their eye doctor. See product instructions for complete wear, care and safety information.
Sponsored by Alcon US-PRA-16-E-1726
