Optometrists dedicate years to mastering eye care, diagnosing vision issues, and improving patient outcomes. But when it comes to running a successful optical business, reality bites—because clinical expertise alone isn’t enough. The truth is, most optometrists aren’t trained in business, marketing, or sales, yet the financial success of their practice often hinges on these very skills.
In this episode of Revenue RX: Optical Retail Wins, I dive into the fundamental dilemma facing many optometrists: balancing professional eye care with the realities of retail. I share my own journey of transitioning from optical retail into a full-service optometric practice and how I uncovered the key to increasing profitability—by embracing the service process over the fear of selling.
Why I Brought an Optometrist Into My Business
I wasn’t always in the optometric business. My first store was purely an optical retail operation, with eye exams outsourced to a neighboring optometrist. It was a simple, straightforward arrangement—until I walked into that very clinic for my own eye exam and was charged full price despite referring dozens of patients each month. That moment was a wake-up call. If I was sending patients next door, why wasn’t I keeping them in-house?
So, I did what any entrepreneur would do—I found a way to take control. A storage room in my store became the perfect location for a fully functional exam lane. I worked with an equipment sales rep, set up a lease-to-own agreement, and soon had an OD working three days a week. Over time, I expanded to five days, ensuring a consistent flow of patient exams—without handing my business over to someone else.
But that was only the beginning.
The Optometrist’s Role in Retail: A Reality Check
Let’s be honest—most optometrists don’t like the word sales. It feels uncomfortable, almost taboo. But here’s the reality: if you own an optical dispensary, you’re in retail. Your practice doesn’t thrive on exams alone. The real money—often a 5:1 revenue ratio compared to exam fees—comes from the dispensary.
Yet, many optometrists still see their role as separate from the sales process. The truth? You are the quarterback of the entire patient experience. Your job doesn’t end when the patient leaves the exam room—it extends into the dispensary, where trust built during the exam needs to be seamlessly handed off to the team responsible for filling their prescription.
A common misconception is that loyalty comes from the exam experience. But here’s the reality: customer retention is driven by their buying experience, not just their eye exam. Patients return to a practice because of how they felt when choosing their eyewear—not just because they received a prescription. The question is: Are you actively influencing this part of the journey?
Reframing the Optometrist’s Role: The Service Process
If the words sales and selling make you cringe, let’s shift the mindset. Instead of seeing it as a sales process, think of it as a service process. Your role as an OD isn’t to push products—it’s to guide your patients through a seamless experience that extends from the exam chair to the dispensary.
Here’s how optometrists can naturally and ethically enhance dispensary sales without feeling like salespeople:
✅ Educate, Don’t Sell – Instead of focusing solely on the prescription, take a moment to discuss lens options, coatings, or frame styles that would best suit the patient’s lifestyle. When recommendations come from you—the trusted doctor—patients are far more likely to follow through.
✅ Hand Off with Purpose – Instead of a generic “Someone will help you out front,” make an intentional recommendation. Something as simple as: “I’ve recommended anti-fatigue lenses for you, and my team will walk you through the best options for your lifestyle” can transform the buying experience.
✅ Create an Emotional Connection – The exam room is all about need-based solutions, but the dispensary is about wants. Patients don’t just buy glasses—they buy how they feel wearing them. Use your influence to bridge the gap between need and desire.
✅ Reduce Patient Leakage – By reinforcing the importance of proper eyewear and seamlessly transitioning the patient into the dispensary experience, optometrists can significantly reduce the number of patients who take their prescriptions elsewhere.
Joseph Mireault
Joseph was the owner and president at Tru-Valu Optical and EyeWorx for 16 years. During his tenure, he consistently generated a sustainable $500K in annual gross revenue from the dispensary.
He now focuses on the Optical industry, and as a serial entrepreneur brings extensive experience from a variety of different ventures.
Joseph is also a Certified FocalPoint Business Coach and looks to work directly with ECP’s in achieving their goals.
Through his current endeavour, the (Revenue RX, Optical Retail Wins podcast) he shares the challenges and solutions of running an Optical business.
