BeSPECTAC
OPTICAL PRISM | COVER STORY
Beautifying the
Image consultant Wendy Buchanan helps clients expand eyewear wardrobes
BY DENIS LANGLOIS
Eyewear image expert Wendy Buchanan recalls a consultation where she assisted a man who had been stuck for years on the same style of glasses .
“ He was wearing a classic , traditional tortoiseshell frame . And he told me the reason he wore that is he didn ' t know what else to do . And for the last three times , he bought the exact same frame over and over again because he didn ' t know what else to do and no one offered him anything else ,” she said .
Buchanan , a licenced optician in the Greater Toronto Area , got to work – assisting the client to expand his eyewear wardrobe with frames reflecting his personality and style .
“ And when I was finished , he had five pairs of glasses that all looked different . And he was crazy excited because he had never had someone take the time to do that before .”
Buchanan has been helping both men and women , like that male client , to find eyewear they love and that ' s in sync with their overall image and personality for nearly 25 years as the owner of Perceptions Eyewear , a one-of-a-kind mobile eyewear boutique .
Equipped with a selection of boutique frames sourced from around the world , she provides people with a personalized , client-focused shopping experience in the comfort of their own home or business .
The visits , which are typically an hour long , can be done in-person or virtually .
Buchanan has also developed a five-module online training program , called Be Spectacular , to teach other optical professionals her unique system of how to style eyewear clients and significantly boost multi-pair sales to drive up revenue .
“ A program to grow your eyewear businesses by consistently offering an eyewear consultation service and then making that offer for multiple pairs ,” she said .
“ It also teaches how to get your dispensary to look like a fashion go-to destination and not just a traditional optical store . How to create that energy and that ambiance within your dispensary .”
Buchanan has been a registered optician for 32 years , since graduating from Georgian College ' s opticianry program in 1989 .
18 OPTICAL PRISM | November 2021