Ask several people to define marketing, and you will likely get a diverse range of answers. For me, marketing is best defined as finding out what customers want and then giving it to them. The concept seems simple and direct, but it does entail some work on your part, namely, finding out what your client wants—or to phrase it better, finding out what the pet needs. To achieve this, you will need your client’s help, and will need to rely on yourself and your staff.

My definition of marketing involves three parties: You, your staff, and your client. You, as an astute veterinarian, must be able to ask the proper questions from your clients so they may open up about the pet’s wants and needs. Your team must be practiced in talking comfortably with clients, again encouraging fruitful discussion. Finally, the client must know the pet’s needs, as well as what they want to accomplish with the veterinary visit.

Marketing is part of every business, including veterinary practices. There are many ideas about how to market your clinic, but this article will cover some basic concepts every practice can immediately implement to aid in client compliance, and, in turn, help increase income for the practice.

(Note: What I am discussing is best referred to as internal marketing, or simply marketing directed to your existing clients. External marketing, which is not covered in this article, deals with finding ways to drive new business to your practice.)

A helpful tool

You and your staff cannot possibly know what your patient needs and desires unless you ask. Expecting your client to be fully aware of every need of the pet, and what you offer to fulfill those needs, is not realistic. Distributing handouts during client visits can aid in discussions of pet details with clients and help your team keep track of all patient information.

There are several purposes behind using client handouts. First, they allow the client to thoughtfully reflect upon many aspects of their pet’s health—ensuring specific details are remembered. Handouts also help when the person taking the pet to the clinic is not very familiar with the animal’s situation or history, such as a family member who does not typically bring the pet to appointments.

Additionally, handouts can be a helpful tool for when your staff are engaging with clients, boosting their confidence and improving client perception. The handouts also ensure veterinarians don’t forget to ask important questions. This prevents us from overlooking what may seem to be a minor problem at the visit, but one that could indicate a more serious, potentially life-altering or life-threatening medical issue.

A conversation starter

A common handout is the patient assessment form, which is a series of easy-to-answer questions.  It is given to the client after check-in and while waiting in the examination room. After the client has a few moments to answer the questions, the veterinary technician reviews their answers, paying particular attention to any abnormal findings or concerns indicated by the client. For example, if a client says “Yes” to a question asking if their pet is drinking or urinating more than normal, the technician can ask further questions, such as: “How long have you noticed this behaviour?” “How much more is your pet drinking/urinating?” “Is the urinating normal or are you seeing blood, pain, or difficulty with the urination?”

Based on the answers to these further questions—which are noted by the technician on the pet’s medical record—the technician can then initiate possible solutions to the problems. Such as, by saying: “Pets that drink or urinate more than normal might be suffering from diseases, like diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney disease, or adrenal disease. The doctor will probably prescribe blood and urine tests to help us determine the exact cause of your pet’s problem.” Thus, the handout has served as a way for the client to start a conversation and, in turn, ensured the technician can tell the owner the clinic will not ignore their pet’s problems.

Marketing these additional but essential services has therefore begun before the doctor even sees the pet. When I begin my part of the visit—after the technician has done their initial assessment and advised the client of likely services the pet will need (we don’t “recommend” services, but rather prescribe them as needed to solve a pet’s problems)—the pet owner will hear for the second time (this time from me) that their pet needs further testing.

Educating clients

The next step of the visit, which furthers the marketing message, are handouts that describe in brief detail what needs to be done based upon the information the owner has provided in the initial patient assessment handout. I created a series of handouts that briefly explain common medical conditions (heart, cancer, lameness, bladder issues, etc.) and the testing needed for diagnosis. These handouts are not designed to give the owner large amounts of information about the condition or possible treatments, but to help answer common questions of “why” certain tests were needed.

For example, an owner may not know why a fecal test is needed for a pet with a bladder problem, or why blood testing is needed for a pet with chronic skin issues. These handouts easily and quickly let the client know what testing may be necessary to allow the veterinary team to properly assess the pet.

When the technician comes back into the exam room (after the veterinarian examines the patient) and presents the diagnostic and treatment plan (not simply an estimate although estimated charges are included on this plan), the owner will see the testing previously described in the handout. This confirms for the owner the testing already described by the tech, confirmed by the veterinarian, and explained in the handout. This strategy aids in compliance, making it much easier for the owner to say “yes” to the plan (which they have now heard for the fourth time).

These “disease” handouts are very easy to construct, as for the most part, the necessary testing remains the same regardless of the medical condition, with only minor editing needed. Once an initial template is made, it’s very quick and easy to adapt the template to any other medical condition.

To sum up, using these types of handouts in our practice helps enhance our marketing and increase compliance. Ideally, the client experience will go as follows:

1) The owner identifies the problem based on the answers to the pet assessment at the start of the visit.

2) The veterinary technician confirms the owner’s answers and informs the owner of likely testing to get answers to questions/problems identified.

3) The veterinarian reiterates the necessary testing.

4) The “disease-specific” handout briefly explains the reasons for the testing.

5) The treatment plan shows the owner exactly what is needed to help the pet.

Following this or a similar plan will make your job of convincing owners of the need for certain procedures much easier, getting more “yes” answers to the prescribed testing—ultimately benefitting the pet, the owner, and the practice.

Shawn Messonnier, DVM, opened Paws & Claws Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Center in Plano, Tex., in 1991. His special interests include holistic and functional medicine, exotic pets, dermatology, cancer, and internal medicine. In addition to serving clients, he has written for numerous veterinary and pet publications, and is also the author of several books, including the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats.