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S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 2 0 1 5 • O P T O M E T R I C M A N A G E M E N T . C O M all viable candidates, ignoring gen- der, age and race. I highlight the fact that the technology projects a more youthful appearance, and this com- ment usually piques the interest of many patients. I've always taken a conversational, interactive approach to exams. As I am evaluating the anterior segment at the biomicroscope, it's very natural to mention how interesting the iris anat- omy is and what it looks like under high magnifcation. Ten I ask, "Did you know we have a new contact lens that enhances the beauty of the iris?" Tat starts the conversation. If the patient is interested, I explain how a faded limbal ring and deposits in the sclera give the eyes a more aged appearance, and how the lenses better defne the limbal ring and enhance the contrast between the iris and the whites of their eyes, like the bright eyes of a child. Tat's something peo- ple can easily relate to. I'm also comfortable recommend- ing the lens because it has more going for it than just good looks. I like that the pigment is fully enclosed inside the lens polymer; it doesn't come into contact with the eyelid or ocular sur- face or afect the material properties. And, as a daily disposable, it ofers convenience and other health benefts that make it easy to recommend. INVOLVE THE STAFF Success with this lens starts with FE ATURE 25 the staf. Before we ft this lens on patients, my staf of 12 and I tried all the efects ourselves and discussed how to present them to patients. Tere was a tremendous amount of excitement among the staf, and many still wear the lenses to work and talk about their experience with patients. One staf member who has astigmatism and opts for the eye- enhancement lenses for special occa- sions has encouraged many patients to get an "extra" box of the lenses, just for fun, on top of their annual supply. Because our employees are enthu- siastic and like to show of whichever variant they are wearing in the ofce, it is quite common for patients to come in asking me about it. LIMIT YOUR CHAIR TIME Perfecting the handof is key. It takes little time for me to introduce and feld questions about the lenses during the exam, but then I let staf take over. I have designated one of our contact lens technicians, Anne, as our "beauty expert." If the patient is interested in the lenses, I hand of the patient to Anne, who then fts the pa- tient with trial pairs of the three lens options. Other stafers ofen join in, commenting on which one looks best. We ofen have patients go out to the front ofce to see the lenses in natural light, which is optimal. Tat can cre- ate buzz in the waiting room, and get other patients interested. Remember, when choosing some- one as your "beauty expert," make sure that individual is adept at inser- tion and removal and has a great pa- tient manner. Anne isn't a "hard sale" type of person. She's sincere and hon- est, and patients really respond to her. If she sees they aren't very intrigued, or if the efect of the lenses isn't as dra- matic as they had hoped, she doesn't push, but will just say, "Well, aren't you glad you tried it?" It's a posi- tive, fun experience for patients, and whether they buy the lenses or not, they take that sense of fun with them and tell friends about the experience. NOTHING TO LOSE I think we have nothing to lose and much to gain by bringing new prod- ucts into our practices that gener- ate great word-of-mouth and a sense of excitement. It's even better when those new products encourage pa- tients to take the leap into healthy daily disposable lens wear. By identifying good candidates, in- volving staf, and being attuned to pa- tients' interests, anyone can position these lenses as a practice builder. OM JOHN P. BOSCIA, O.D., is in private practice in Easton, Pa. He received compensation from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., for his time in writing this article. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment. Figure 2: The impact of a darker limbal ring and enhanced iris features with NATURAL SHIMMER can be seen below. DEFINING A NE W MARKE T