INSIGHTS Embracing Explanations And Inspiring Ideas By Marge Axelrad Monday, November 17, 2014 12:00 AM With the blizzard of business and corporate changes coming at the optical industry from pretty much every direction these days, it can be a daunting task for ECPs to concentrate on the basics of the business and remember that optical retail and vision care are fields which help millions of consumers and patients look good and see well. This month, Vision Monday examines one important topic related to that, which is: how to explain the differences, features and benefits of quality eyeglass frames to customers who really want to make a good and confident choice and who are often just bewildered by selections and collections, often susceptible to the “all frames are alike” fallacies, and really, really want to know more. VM’s Senior Editor, Dee Carroll, cast a wide net, with detailed and comprehensive questions to a range of eyewear designers and product developers and their many thoughtful and comprehensive responses are outlined in our Cover Topic this month. The idea of the story came from discussions with many premium eyewear and sunwear companies who are regularly challenged with having to “defend” their answer to the question: Why are eyeglasses “so expensive?” The “so expensive” part of that question, they feel, and so do we, is due to a widespread perception that all eyeglasses are the “same.” That there no real distinctions between products, which, of course, is simply not true—but a message that continues to persist in the eyewear arena. We hope this story inspires you and arms you further with the information and variables you can use to convey the complex production and construction and materials of premium frames and sunglasses in your practice or stores. Although many online players are trying to come up with new “solutions” to explaining what variables contribute to great and distinctive quality eyewear, it’s still hard, in my opinion, to find one online “algorithm” which can really come close to doing this job. Why…? Because: this is a job that is best accomplished with hands-on physical samples, actual displays, pieces of materials and hinges and the knowledgeable and experienced eye of a truly professional optician. A dispensing optician or highly trained associate who likes to interact with people in real life, who can show and demonstrate and fit and measure and explain. There are many great and talented opticians out there. We say “hey.” And, also check out what a few passionate opticians are doing in another special feature in VM this month, via DailyOptician.com, a new and fresh take on inspiring and educating. maxelrad@jobson.com