An interview with eyenavision vP of sales & Training, Sue Creek
Sue Creek is a source of many talents: In her several decades of professional life, she’s trained others on health and wellness, optical retailing protocols, product sales and marketing, and much more. In fact, she’s responsible for opening more than 300 optical retail stores both at home and internationally.
Over the last five years, Sue has contributed to the culture and community that is Eyenavision. Of late, she is particularly excited about the company’s new foray into U.S.-based eyewear manufacturing and the opportunities that presents for her sales team and their customers.
“This is all very exciting,” she says. “The product is gorgeous, there’s enormous attention to detail, great designs in beautiful acetates. And we now have some new translucent colors that we’re very excited about.”
Sue points out that the timing of Eyenavision’s launch of a cutting-edge factory in Pittsburgh, while coincidental is also very fortuitous. “The timing is perfect,” she says. “If we’ve learned anything as a nation over the last few years it’s that we need to be more self-reliant, especially as the supply chain has bogged down.”
“We’re kind of stuck if we can’t make products here,” she said, citing some research she did relative to the supply debacle and the sentiments of U.S. consumers. “I was doing research a few weeks ago, exploring Supply Chain Management Review, and it indicated that 70% of Americans would prefer U.S. made products, and they would pay 20% more for them.”
Optical patients, she points out, are very enthusiastic about the prospect of a successful American-made collection. “When I’ve talked with our customers about North Point, they’re really positive, and some of the veteran ECPs point out that they remember when all the frames they carried were made in America. It’s great to get it back, to be creating jobs and controlling every aspect of product quality.”
She also points out that the company’s commitment includes robust marketing and messaging to assist ECPs in telling the Made in America story. “Our messaging really shouts out ‘Made in America’,” she says. “We point out that our artisans are hands-on with every frame, and that really resonates.”
Eyenavision is endeavoring to make the ‘Made in America’ story easy to tell; the company is creating scripting and talking points for ECPs to present the concept to their patients.
One other key benefit of the North Point eyewear initiative, Sue mentions, is that it allows the company to respond quickly and directly to customer input. “The customers really have the opportunity to drive the collection,” she says. “We’re going to work closely with our ECPs to respond to what they’re hearing from their patients and customers, what fashion trends are they seeing. Fashion moves and evolves quickly and we’re now in a position to react to that quickly.”
Eyenavision is also offering the company’s manufacturing capabilities to some customers who wish to create what Eyenavision calls ‘Premium Label’ eyewear, that’s exclusive to them. Right now, the company is in talks with several retail customers about creating proprietary products.
“I’ve never sold ‘Made in America’ before,” Sue says. “But I know this: It’ll give our ECP customers something new and very different to talk about with their patients.”
With their state-of-the-art factory in full swing, Eyenavision is planning to offer ECPs tours of the facility. If you are interested in touring our facility or would like more information about what Eyenavision can do for your business you can reach us at our contact page here.
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