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For lens maker Shamir, education played an important role in the company’s relationship with its customers even before the pandemic. “We have always been dedicated to helping our customers grow their business in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” explained Phil Pasit, vice president of marketing. “We believe it is essential to share our knowledge and expertise to help ECPs overcome challenges, minimize customer non-adapts and increase sales.”





The company offers education in a number of ways including the Shamir Certification Program, the VitaminSEE website (http://thevitaminsee.com/), and through sponsorships and education grants for webinars offered by sources including optical industry media outlets.

The Shamir Certification Program covers Shamir technology and all aspects of their lens products. It is led by the company’s in-house education department that provides these ABO-approved courses. During COVID, the program was presented via webinar and now it is available both online and in person.

“We pride ourselves on giving our customers and their patients the gift of perfect vision,” Pasit said. “Our products incorporate the latest technologies, and we want to help ECPs become more knowledgeable and confident when prescribing Shamir lenses to their patients.”

The VitaminSEE website includes tips for assortment and display, staff education to increase internal knowledge, trends for the latest eyewear fashions and peer-to-peer insights. The site also features Shamir’s Peer-to-Peer Champion program that gives ODs, opticians and other key opinion leaders within the optical industry the opportunity to develop valuable content and share it with their peers.

Shamir sponsors and provides education grants for continuing education such as the recent “What’s Behind that Mirror—Technology to Enhance the Eyewear Patient Purchasing Experience” course. The course covers various measuring devices, factors involved in selecting a device, and how a digital measuring device such as Spark Mi Up, Shamir’s touchless measuring product, can affect patients’ experiences with the practice.

The company is currently working on two new initiatives. One is an online COPE- and ABO-certified course to support Glacier Expression, its new antireflective coating. Shamir is also creating a website called “Shamir Personal.”

“We want our customers, labs and partners to feel confident prescribing and producing our lenses,” Pasit adds. “With Shamir Personal, users will be able to access both on-demand and live online education modules focusing on Shamir’s products and general knowledge about optometry for opticians. We’ve already identified some cities our education team will visit to deliver in-person continuing education. Shamir Personal will also house a plethora of marketing materials that ECPs can use to educate patients about how our products can meet their vision needs.” The company aims to launch this platform by the end of the year.