Experienced eyewear sales rep Marc Sanchez has joined Eyes Right Optical.A well-known eyewear sales expert has joined the EyesRight Optical ranks in a new position thats helping independents understand how they can restructure their eyewear mix for better business results.Mr Marc Sanchez has cultivated a 20-year reputation across the New South Wales/ACT independent optical scene as a methodical, respected frames sales rep but even now hes never had a better time securing appointments to chat with busy practice owners.The reason: hes just taken on a newly created business development manager (BDM) role at Eyes Right Optical, one of the nations top frames suppliers who independents readily welcome into their stores, as hes quickly discovered.Often when Sanchez calls a practice, they tell him to stop introducing himself; they instantly recognise his French accent. Its a familiarity and trust built over many years with companies like Rodenstock, Mimo (14 years) and Marchon. Seeking new opportunities in early 2025, he received a call from Mr Mark Wymond, owner of Eyes Right Optical, who saw a chance to align Sanchezs experience with a new service for independent customers.Within five weeks of starting, Sanchez has visited 120 practices in 53 Sydney suburbs, providing consultations that help practice owners better understand the brands available through the four Wymond-operated eyewear supply businesses, including Eyes Right Optical, and how it might fit with their practice objectives.This new BDM role differs from that of a traditional sales rep who carry many bags of frames and are keen to talk business. Instead, Sanchez carries a couple of trays and helps practices swiftly get to the bottom of untapped potential in their frames range. A more comprehensive sales rep appointment follows soon after.He looks more holistically at their frames range, offering tailored advice in a no-pressure environment.Reps are often go, go go, but I like to call myself a rep without bags, he says.Ive been very honest with Mark (Wymond) and since joining, everybody has been so welcoming and keen to meet, and thats not because of me, thats because of the Eyes Right Optical reputation.We must be doing something right. Yes, there is great product, but its the customer service behind it people often remark that its just so easy to work with Eyes Right. Plus, customers can feel and see its a family-owned business, with a great range of frames, flagship brands, a well-structured portfolio they know where they are going.Bringing Sanchez into the fold is just another way Wymond is seeking to elevate the customer experience. Its a winning combination, blending a respected sales rep across NSW/ACT with an eyewear supplier that has a clear objective to help its customers grow.Its been great to see Marcs passion and enthusiasm for the industry, Wymond says. Hes been selling eyewear for 20 years and hes very methodical and process-driven, which is what you need for this role. Hes a real industry expert; its only been a short time but hes really making it his own.One of the mantras Wymond lives by is making the customer look good.It starts with bringing to Australia the latest designs from overseas brands like ProDesign, Face Face, WOOW, William Morris, and more recently, Italia Independent. But theres so much more to it, like a 93% fill rate for next day delivery, and stocking all collections at the companies warehouse in Scoresby, Melbourne.With spectacle sales accounting for 35% to 40% of the total revenue of each practice, its vital independents nail their product mix backed up with an efficient and effective service.When practices have the customer standing there in front of them, we will walk down the aisles of our warehouse to confirm its in stock, and yes, that it will likely arrive tomorrow in the colour and quantity requested. When youre on the frontline with the end-consumer in front of you, you dont want there to be any ifs, buts or maybes, he says.We invest a lot in staffing and training and dont run the operation down to the bone, staffing levels are high to provide a high level of customer service, because if you dont, then it just ricochets down.A well-known eyewear sales expert has joined the EyesRight Optical ranks in a new position thats helping independents understand how they can restructure their eyewear mix for better business results.Mr Marc Sanchez has cultivated a 20-year reputation across the New South Wales/ACT independent optical scene as a methodical, respected frames sales rep but even now hes never had a better time securing appointments to chat with busy practice owners.The reason: hes just taken on a newly created business development manager (BDM) role at Eyes Right Optical, one of the nations top frames suppliers who independents readily welcome into their stores, as hes quickly discovered.Often when Sanchez calls a practice, they tell him to stop introducing himself; they instantly recognise his French accent. Its a familiarity and trust built over many years with companies like Rodenstock, Mimo (14 years) and Marchon. Seeking new opportunities in early 2025, he received a call from Mr Mark Wymond, owner of Eyes Right Optical, who saw a chance to align Sanchezs experience with a new service for independent customers.Within five weeks of starting, Sanchez has visited 120 practices in 53 Sydney suburbs, providing consultations that help practice owners better understand the brands available through the four Wymond-operated eyewear supply businesses, including Eyes Right Optical, and how it might fit with their practice objectives.This new BDM role differs from that of a traditional sales rep who carry many bags of frames and are keen to talk business. Instead, Sanchez carries a couple of trays and helps practices swiftly get to the bottom of untapped potential in their frames range. A more comprehensive sales rep appointment follows soon after.He looks more holistically at their frames range, offering tailored advice in a no-pressure environment.Reps are often go, go go, but I like to call myself a rep without bags, he says.Ive been very honest with Mark (Wymond) and since joining, everybody has been so welcoming and keen to meet, and thats not because of me, thats because of the Eyes Right Optical reputation.We must be doing something right. Yes, there is great product, but its the customer service behind it people often remark that its just so easy to work with Eyes Right. Plus, customers can feel and see its a family-owned business, with a great range of frames, flagship brands, a well-structured portfolio they know where they are going.Bringing Sanchez into the fold is just another way Wymond is seeking to elevate the customer experience. Its a winning combination, blending a respected sales rep across NSW/ACT with an eyewear supplier that has a clear objective to help its customers grow.Its been great to see Marcs passion and enthusiasm for the industry, Wymond says. Hes been selling eyewear for 20 years and hes very methodical and process-driven, which is what you need for this role. Hes a real industry expert; its only been a short time but hes really making it his own.One of the mantras Wymond lives by is making the customer look good.It starts with bringing to Australia the latest designs from overseas brands like ProDesign, Face Face, WOOW, William Morris, and more recently, Italia Independent. But theres so much more to it, like a 93% fill rate for next day delivery, and stocking all collections at the companies warehouse in Scoresby, Melbourne.With spectacle sales accounting for 35% to 40% of the total revenue of each practice, its vital independents nail their product mix backed up with an efficient and effective service.When practices have the customer standing there in front of them, we will walk down the aisles of our warehouse to confirm its in stock, and yes, that it will likely arrive tomorrow in the colour and quantity requested. When youre on the frontline with the end-consumer in front of you, you dont want there to be any ifs, buts or maybes, he says.We invest a lot in staffing and training and dont run the operation down to the bone, staffing levels are high to provide a high level of customer service, because if you dont, then it just ricochets down.ProDesign (above) and Face Face (below) are popular brands among independent optical practices in Australia. Images: Eyes Right Optical.Brands that can stock an entire practiceSanchez has been meeting with practices of all shapes, sizes and vintages.Often, it might be businesses stocking a few brands from Eyes Right Optical, or maybe its more established customers seeking new ways to optimise their eyewear mix.One of the key messages he is delivering is the opportunity for practices to streamline their frame supplier arrangements.Is it necessary to be dealing with multiple frames suppliers as many as 30 in extreme cases, as Wymond has discovered when they can go deeper with fewer?Wymond, and his four eyewear supply businesses, are ideally placed to offer this.In addition to Eyes Right Optical, and along with sister Ms Lisa Wymond, he operates Modstyle, supplying quality Australian-designed eyewear for more price-conscious consumers after the latest look; Sunglass Collective, a pure sunglass company with exclusive rights to the Boll and Serengeti ranges in Australia and New Zealand; and Morel Australasia, the local subsidiary of leading brand in French independent eyewear, Morel.It means he has 20-plus brands that can cater to any practice demographic, whether its a child (Kensie, Kaleyedoscope), a young professional after a sophisticated look (Charles Stone, ProDesign), or a cycling enthusiast requiring prescription sunglasses (Bolle). Perhaps its an environmentally-conscious patient seeking sustainable eyewear (Project Green), a fashion-oriented person seeking to make a statement (WOOW, Face Face), or someone looking for design and quality at an affordable price (Avanti, Eclipse).By investing more in fewer supplier relationships, Wymond says practices will know who theyre talking to on the end of the phone, may enjoy more flexible terms and be given the benefit of the doubt with things like warranties.In the market, theres some big successful practices, but theyve spread themselves thin across so many suppliers, meaning they cant access that level of goodwill, or they havent got a true brand strategy in place, he says.But its also the time spent processing invoices, rep visits and calls. To use that extreme example of 30 suppliers, thats 30 people youll be dealing with every few months, whereas if you cut that down to 10 or fewer, youve just saved 20 hours.Although it goes against Wymonds nature to talk up his work, the four companies under his stewardship have enough stock and variety to be the foundational eyewear supplier of any independent practice. Of course, its good for his business, but the big motivation is to help his customers succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.A big part of Sanchezs role is communicating this to practices that might not be aware of the portfolios breadth and depth.The best way to describe Marcs role is that hes coming in almost like a lens rep, Wymond adds.Hes going in to talk about our brands with the owners, the frame story out front and how we can streamline your business operations because weve got a brand that might quite easily substitute in. He goes in to talk more holistically about the business, the brand profile, how we can help, how we can work even more with them.By providing a snapshot overview of the portfolio during his visits, Sanchez aims to distil it to a few recommendations, ultimately leaving the ball in the practice owners court.I was recently at a practice with four brands from Eyes Right Optical, hes very happy, and we got on to the topic of school holidays, and it was an opportunity to show that we have a kids range, and the response was yes, why not?, he says.Other times its about advising practices that are very well established with us about how they can go to the next level, reactivating doors or even opening new ones for us.If I can help them improve their business, thats extremely rewarding for me, and the big reason I have stayed in the industry for 20 years, which I hope to extend much further with Mark and the team at Eyes Right Optical.More readingProject Green eyewear plants 2,318 more treesEyes Right Optical now supplying William Morris eyewear in Australia and New ZealandEyes Right Optical the first port of call for Australian independentsThe ophthalmic sector is backing a push to improve the way the health industry watchdog handles patient complaints, after a...Australian manufacturers in the healthcare sector, including eyecare, are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the 2025 Endeavour Awards. Nominations are...For the sixth consecutive year, Specsavers has been voted as the most trusted optometry brand in both Australia and New...Insight has been the leading industry publication in Australia for more than 40 years. This longevity is largely due to our ability to consistently deliver accurate and independent news relevant to all ophthalmic professionals and their supporting industry. #J-18808-Ljbffr
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