The opportunity to grow both patient satisfaction and practice profitability lies in expanding the conversation beyond just one pair and into specific eyewear solutions based on the patient’s actual needs and not what their decades old vision plan formulary has to say.

We sat down with Bill Gerber, founder and visionary of OMG Marketing to discuss seven Best Practices for multiple pair conversion. In this article, we’ll set the foundation for a successful practice culture that prioritizes patient service by facilitating multiple pair conversations. Gerber’s insights, shaped by decades of experience in the industry, offer a practical and inspiring roadmap for any optical practice ready to elevate its patient offerings.

Check Out the Podcast Here

Cultivate a Culture of Multiple Solutions

A strong multiple pair culture is foundational and goes deeper than baseline upsell strategy. Crafting a successful culture relies on every team member truly believing in the value of multiple pairs. When everyone is aligned and committed to this mindset, the practice thrives, though all it takes is one person who is not bought in to the system to undermine the whole effort.

Start With a Lifestyle Questionnaire

One of the most effective tools is a lifestyle questionnaire. When patients take the time to share more about their every day (whether that be sports, screen time, etc), it becomes a source of truth. In turn, opticians are able to provide solutions that align with the patient’s own stated needs. This sets the stage for a successful sale today and in the future as this process strengthens your practice’s conversations with your patients.

Present a Written Optical Treatment Plan

Following the lifestyle assessment, practices should offer a written treatment plan that outlines the appropriate recommendations for eyewear and vision correction. Think of it like a dental care plan: it’s clear, structured, and actionable. As an active lecturer, across his nearly 60 continuing education courses in the last year alone, Gerber surveyed his audiences and found that consistently leveraging an Optical Treatment Plan can improve two key profitability drivers in your practice: Multiple pair purchases rising from 8% to 38% Capture rates increasing from 47% (industry average) to over 70%

Stop X-Raying Wallets

Making assumptions about a patient's financial limitations can have a drastic depressive effect on your sales in optical retail. The role of the optician isn’t to judge based on attire or demeanor, it’s to educate, inform, and empower good decision making. Gerber shared a memorable anecdote about being in practice and observing a farmer dressed in dusty overalls and discolored metal frames; this farmer owned 300,000 acres and was on the market for gold frames and purchased two $3,000 frames on the spot. This experience couldn’t help but reinforce Bill’s understanding that appearances can be deceiving.

Focus on Long-Term Relationships

Successfully creating your multiple pair culture will by extension create a heightened sense of loyalty among your patient base. Patients who invest in multiple pairs tend to: Return to the same optician or practice for future care Refer friends and family after receiving compliments Continue adding specialty eyewear over time Once someone understands and experiences the benefits of having multiple sets of glasses, it almost immediately becomes their new standard – it’s extremely unlikely that they’ll ever voluntarily go back to having just one.

Normalize the Conversation

Instead of positioning more than one set of glasses as an add-on to what’s necessary, present all of your patient’s suggested solutions as part of a comprehensive vision care plan. Whether it’s prescription sunglasses, blue light lenses, music glasses, driving eyewear, or sport-specific frames, these should be part of each conversation with patients to ensure every patient has the same opportunity to properly address their visual needs.

Encourage Enthusiastic Presentation Over Salesmanship

It’s not about being a “slick salesperson.” The key lies in authentic and enthusiastic belief in the products and services your practice provides. When team members are genuinely excited about how a lens can improve a patient’s daily life, that passion is contagious and measurable on your balance sheets.

Conclusion: Empower, Don’t Upsell

Selling multiple pairs isn’t about pushing products people don’t need, nor is it solely for the sake of having different fashion options, it’s about identifying where and how we can provide solutions in various areas of a patient's lifestyle. Practices that shift from a transactional approach to one focused on education and care see stronger patient loyalty and increased profitability. The real win? A practice that’s more professional, more profitable, and more personal. Inspired by the Best Practices podcast with Bill Gerber and Steve Alexander. Article compiled by Anagram’s editorial team.