By Kristen Meister
SVP, Business Development & Client Partnerships – OptiCall
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Let’s talk about the thing no one likes to talk about: money. In elective medicine, whether it’s LASIK, cataract surgery, or cosmetic procedures, money should not be an awkward conversation. And yet, I’ve seen it get fumbled more times than a football in a middle school game.
As a former refractive coordinator, and now someone who observes others in the same role every day, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: if you’re in the position of closing the patient, you have to get comfortable with the financial conversation. You are, like it or not, in sales.
(Still cringing at the word “sales”? Fine, let’s call it guiding. You’re a patient guide. Like a kind-hearted Sherpa with a price list.)
Sometimes guidance means helping someone say yes to life-changing vision correction. Other times, it means helping them walk away.
Take the 43-year-old engineer who sees 20/15 with contacts and demands perfect vision after LASIK. Oh, and absolutely no reading glasses. This is when your job includes quietly slipping a note to the surgeon: “This guy might not be a great psychological candidate.”
Or picture the 50-year-old mom, clutching a 20-year-old photo of herself and asking to look “just like this” after filler. You either gently help her reset her expectations, or you risk being blamed when she doesn’t come out looking like she just stepped out of a time machine.
But back to the point: elective procedures are a choice. No one needs LASIK. No one has to get fillers.
These are investments in confidence, lifestyle, and quality of life. If you’re struggling to talk about cost, ask yourself why. Do you believe in the surgeon? In the results? In the practice? If not, it’s not a money issue. It’s a belief issue.
Patients appreciate transparency. If someone asks, “How much does it cost?” and you dodge the question or talk in circles, you’re not building mystery, you’re eroding trust. The patient will move on to the next practice that gives them a straight answer.
Sure, money can be an obstacle. That’s why financing exists. It’s not shady, it’s a tool. Use it. When a patient hesitates, don’t panic.
Instead, guide them (there’s that word again) by showing how your pricing is competitive, how the value is clear, and how the investment solves a real problem in their life.
Most patients have already done their homework. They’ve price shopped, Googled, and maybe even talked to other practices. Your job isn’t to avoid the cost, it’s to back it up with value, confidence, and a plan.
So here’s your homework:
Write your spiel. Practice it. Say it to your dog, your mirror, your steering wheel. Own it. Because when you believe it, they’ll believe it too.
And that’s how you sell, I mean “guide” like a pro.